Bridie
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Hey yall - I got invovled in ActNow through an internship as part of my social work degree. This is such a fantastic website and it was such fun putting it together. Working on this has inspired me to continue to stay educated and become more heavily invovled in the things I'm passionate about - I hope it does the same for you too!
Born: May 15th 1982, Philadelphia, PA
*What I believe*: There is good and bad in all of us.
*Reason for acting*
Injustice, unfairness, mean/selfish intentions all fire me up. I act because I want to give a voice to the voiceless, a hand to the handicapped, courage to the weak.
*My Vision for Australia*
This is it: A place where 'charity' is not a dirty word. Where young people are eager and proud to lend a hand, start something, speak up - to take action on their passion.
There is nothing quite as fulfilling as making a positive difference in the life of someone else. There is nothing quite as uplifting, encouraging or inspiring as working as part of an enthusiastic philanthropic community.
My Australia is one where this is reality.
*Change in the world...*
"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." George Bernard Shaw.
I've been contemplating what one thing I think could truly change the world, and I beleive it's open, honest and valued communication. A place where we could have a sincere trust in our government, a sense of security in ourselves, confidence in our industries and healthier marriages and families - a happier people. I think this kind of Australia can only be created by starting small, in the mundane decisions of our daily lives. This is where we can all do something achievable and eventually have a profound impact on the world around us. Decide to start it.
*What I’ve learnt*
There is no substitute for experience. Meeting a refugee and hearing their story will touch you deeper than reading it on a piece of paper. Visiting a family in a 3rd world country, living through extreme poverty will touch you deeper than a photo or a statistic. In 2003 I was fortunate enough to attend a house church meeting in China, where religious freedom still is not reality. The small group met somewhere different each time to avoid suspicion. That morning, the two elderly women who ran the meeting had been arrested, held and questioned all day about their activities (not an unusual occurrence). Yet they all still met that night, happily and gratefully. I saw real commitment to a belief that night. True commitment is shown when the odds are stacked against you. That experience taught me about conviction, and nothing less could substitute.
