emmab
| Name: |
Emma Broughton |
| I live: |
Melbourne |
I joined ActNow after hearing about it from a friend (find the lovely Michelle right about
here ) who suggested I add the profile of a newly formed organisation called
LIFE Australia . We're just a baby so we're looking for as much help as we can get - both from those willing to donate their time, and those willing to open their wallets. Check out our profile and tell us what you think!
I'm also involved in
RYLA , both as a facilitator and committee member.
I will also soon be starting some volunteer work with
The Australian Altruism Foundation . Or you can have a squiz at their own
website .
Time permitting, I would love to be involved with more volunteer work. Specifically, I am interested in...
- Indigenous rights/health: I first became interested in indigenous health issues during a sociology elective at uni - it blows me away that young indigenous aussies are expected to live 20 years less than other members of our society. And this goes mostly unnoticed!
- Depression/suicide: My job has really opened my eyes to how crippling mental illness can be, and how prevalent it is in our society, especially amongst young people. De-stigmatising depression is something I'm very passionate about, because I think that would give young people the chance to seek help before taking such drastic measures such as suicide.
- Animal rights: I believe that in some ways, mistreating animals is worse than mistreating people - animals are defenseless and cannot provoke as people can. I used to do a lot of animal rights work but now not so much. I find that living in an 'animal friendly' way is example enough, and often inspires questions from those around me who then go on to make positive changes in their own lifestyles.
- The environment: It's such a buzz cause right now, so I take a slightly different approach, one which neatly ties in with my passion for animal rights. I subscribe to the theory that vegetarianism is the single most beneficial movement for the environment. Paul Mathis sums up this school of thought nicely..."Through a worldwide reduction of grazing animals (that we breed to eat) we can retard or even stop the wholesale clearing of forests and land, which in turn will continue to provide our medicines and invigorate ecology and balance of the Earth. Farmed animals consume half of all the grain and half of all the worlds fresh water. This alone would leave billions of tons of food available to feed billions of people. If we lessen our consumption of animals we may in turn become gentler ourselves. Vegetarianism is the fastest and most enduringly positive contribution any person can give at anytime in their lives as they will improve, enhance, enliven and compassionately add many years towards out greater existence." Convinced?
So that's me. Shoot me an email if you'd like to know more!
