A rose by any other name would still be 'illegal' if it arrived by boat apparently

“But Rabbit, I wasn’t going to eat it. I was just going to taste it!”

Just like that… With a deft piece of linguistic sleight of hand Winnie the Pooh attempts to have his ‘hunny’ and eat it too, by muddling the meaning of a word we all thought was pretty clear. We’ve all done it though; smoking without ‘inhaling’, kissing without ‘cheating’. Words are so flexible these days, why not bend their meaning a little?

Semantics is becoming increasingly de rigueur in Australian politics too. Words, stripped of their everyday meanings are being teased into increasingly bizarre shapes to defend or justify the whims of po-faced pollies.

‘Entitlements’ has been all the rage for the last few weeks, as politicians attempt to tease out exactly when and where it’s appropriate to be campaigning; on the ski slopes, at a wedding, a triathlon? Now ‘Illegal’ has jumped out of the dictionary, with the government this week seeking to ‘clarify’ their position on asylum seekers arriving by boat.

George Orwell, a contemporary of A. A. Milne, was quite the critic of language such as that used by Winnie the Pooh above. Orwell believed in clarity of speech over language that sought to conceal or deny meaning. The author of works such as ‘Animal Farm’ (think Winnie the Pooh but fascist) and ‘1984’, his writing has left us a legacy of caution against institutional surveillance, doublespeak and control.

In considering Pooh’s vernacular use of ‘taste’ as a means to eat the forbidden ‘hunny’ Orwell would observe:

“... modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer. It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug.”

To put it another way; Winnie the Pooh is lying, and passing it off as the truth.

What then of the government’s edict that must refer to seekers of asylum, arrival by boat as ‘illegal’?

Their position that asylum seeker boat arrivals are ‘illegal’ is entirely consistent with their statements in opposition. It’s a wonder anyone’s surprised, they’ve been singing this tune for a while. Yet consistency of use is a meagre standard for truth, ask anyone who’s tried to quit smoking about ‘the last one’.

The government’s use of ‘illegal’ relies on the use of the term in Article 31.1 Of the UN Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, the text of which states:

The Contracting States shall not impose penalties, on account of their illegal entry or presence, on refugees who, coming directly from a territory where their life or freedom was threatened in the sense of article 1, enter or are present in their territory without authorization, provided they present themselves without delay to the authorities and show good cause for their illegal entry or presence.

Have a think about this… It doesn’t say all asylum seeker boat arrivals are illegal, it’s basically saying that if you are illegal the government isn’t allowed to penalise you. Sure that controversial word ‘illegal’ is invoked, but that doesn’t accord it general application.

Critics of the government’s use of the term ‘illegal’ question which law refugee arrivals are supposedly breaking. Their point: that illegal means against the law. This is the common meaning of the word.

So far the government have not indicated which law is being broken.

So what though? It doesn’t change the fact that people are arriving. It doesn’t change the fact that they are being settled offshore. It doesn’t even change the fact that the bulk of these arrivals are found to be genuine refugees. So why are the government so worried about what word is being used?

The government are worried about the words because these words help shape the way the Australian public (that’s you!) think about asylum seekers arriving by boat.

The process is quick, sometimes even unconscious: nobody wants to lock up innocent people who have suffered poverty and starvation. That’s just cruel right?! But if someone is ‘illegal’ that must mean they are a criminal, and we lock up criminals

George Orwell was particularly suspicious of politicians use of language...

“Political language … is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”

So let’s define our terms here, because clarity is extremely important. Next time an overweight bear tries to get you to believe he’s all innocent don’t trust him straight away. Listen, then look at his actions and ask what is really behind the words he’s using.

Chaos Theory :: Or, how a butterfly flapping it’s wings in America can cause a touring seventies revival in Australia…

"There’s nothing better than putting your feet up on a Louis XVI foot-stool, sipping Moet in front of their new Rembrandt while Kei$ha dances the floor show..."

A flapping wing… The Village People have just toured Australia. Hot Chocolate have shows coming up this Friday at Canterbury RSL.

You look confused…

If you’re staring blankly at the mention of The Village People & Hot Chocolate; think 70’s funk, think disco, think construction worker uniforms, impossibly tight pants and fit-inducing neon lights. If you’ve ever been to a wedding, twenty-first or an RSL on a Saturday night then you’ve heard the Y.M.C.A. or You Sexy Thing, you probably just blocked the memory.

The guys aren’t looking too bad for bands whose last hits were thirty years ago. I checked out officialvillagepeople.com and with the exception of ‘Eric’, who looks like Sacha Baron Cohen in witness protection, the guys are rockin’ the politically incorrect costumes. Personally I can’t imagine sitting through a whole show though.

There’s a lot of vintage gold being polished off of late; Kim Wilde and Nik Kershaw have shows coming up reviving the eighties. The Breeders are bringing back the 90’s, touring their seminal album ‘Last Splash’ at the end of October. The ‘album’ concept show has become a mainstay of touring artists who don’t have a new release. Whether you fork out your hard-earned or not, I suspect becomes a matter of nostalgia and taste (or lack thereof).

International tours are everywhere and increasingly frequent. Fighting for our bucks are Bieber, Beyonce, One Direction, the Wiggles! I think Bruce Springsteen has toured more often recently than he ever made it in the eighties.   

All of this is possible because of a relatively robust Aussie dollar, which is in turn part of the legacy of American financial turmoil over the last five years. As the world’s financial systems gradually unravelled, Australia just toddled along through two decades of uninterrupted growth.

The result: our dollar buys a lot worldwide.

For a lot of us this has meant holidays, lots of holidays. But it’s not just Australia that’s heading out into the world; the world is also coming to us. International bands, the Great Masters of European painting and cheap Champagne have all been landing on our doorstep in increasing numbers over the last few years.

This has to be a good thing right?!

There’s nothing better than putting your feet up on a Louis XVI foot-stool, sipping Moet in front of their new Rembrandt while Kei$ha dances the floor show. But if we’re dropping all our coin on cheap imports, what’s left for local produce?  

A minor tremor...

There’s a lingering theory that pervades a lot of sport-oriented debates about the benefit of a ‘marquee’ player. This is international star whose mere presence lifts the overall standard of the local competition. Is it possible that a plethora of international stars hitting our stages might influence the musical stylings and performance of local acts?

Access seems to be the issue here. Spotify (for the good), Torrents (for the naughty) have made a variety of music available to all and sundry. Local acts have exposure to the entire world without leaving their bedrooms, and as Bart Denaro discussed last week, all that exposure to music ain’t necessarily a good thing. (fbiradio.com/feature-desperately-seeking-music)

F.O.M.O.

The relative scarcity of international touring artists over the decades creates a mythos around the concert event; think Nirvana at the ‘92 BDO or Jeff Buckley at the Phoenician Club in ‘95. These shows build up in the suburban subconscious becoming cultural compass points, with more ‘attendees’ than ever made the gig. Everyone who wasn’t there wishes they were, and no-one wants to miss the next one. But as we scramble to secure our personal cultural cachet, whilst simultaneously assuaging our manic F.O.M.O-itis there is a lot going on locally that slides under our radar.

With (relative) retro heavyweights like Hot Chocolate hitting the RSL circuit, a potential venue for Aussie artists is lost. Sydney is blessed with multiple venues supporting local bands, but there are always more playing house parties or occupying off-the-grid venues because they can’t get a slot anywhere else.

Less clout, less bucks (cos a strong Aussie dollar doesn’t buy more at home) and less influence puts the local act behind the proverbial eight-ball...

It’s Dirty Underground

A cultural tsunami… All this competition puts bands in a position where they must refine their sound, their live show and their image, then work hard to get noticed. As they fight for attention from bands cutting prime-time TV commercials they know they must offer something to the punters to grab fans. Not having the major label music machine behind them ultimately offers these bands the opportunity to grow on their own.  

Once a month on a Monday local bands diligently rock up at the FBi studios to attend our music open-day. They’ve got the sounds; CDs and bios clutched in their hands, they’re now looking for the edge that will help them make it. Relative obscurity means bands have to work. They practice play small shows and shitty venues and do their own artwork. They also create something personal and reflective of themselves, not just what tests well in the market.

So maybe our strong Aussie dollar is a mixed blessing. When a politicians talks deficit and recession, or strong quarterly growth it doesn’t instantly translate into tunes in most peoples minds. It does however influence the variety and available of the sounds that become available and the ease with which you access them. Whether in times of boom or bust chances are people will keep doing a few things; mostly drinking and fucking… then making music about it.

*This article was originally written as a feature piece for FBi 94.5 Sydney Radio

Preview :: Sydney Opera's New Faces...

"The power of opera is more in the music and the stories..."

Back in the 1950’s the NSW government called for submissions to design and develop a new performance space in Sydney. Born out of a desire for a space in which to hold large scale opera and classical performances, the building has arguably become more iconic to Sydneysiders than any performances held there.

Resplendent with it’s iconic sails, sundrenched forecourt, eponymous bar and three hat restaurant the Sydney Opera House is ‘our’ wonder of the world. But is anyone going there to check out an opera?

This long weekend the Opera House hosts a visual storytelling expo. Homebakes taking to the forecourt for three days this summer and Brooklyn wunderkinds Grizzly Bear have recently announced shows in the concert hall. There’s no doubting the Opera House is a cultural hub, but still that name…

Perhaps it’s just that opera isn’t a Sydney thing? As our colonial heritage gives way to a multicultural work-in-progress, we persist with a strangely ironic cultural cringe. This comes complete with the contradictory desires of excelling in everything we touch, the arts included, coupled with a barely concealed disdain for such high-falutin pursuits.

In July this year the Sydney Morning Herald attempted to celebrated Opera’s resurgence amongst Sydney performing arts scene. Paid attendance figures were up 34% to 481, 000 in 2012. That’s a good 10% of Sydney’s population heading out to the opera (if we generously assume these are all Sydneysiders in attendance and each person only attends one performance) and yet viewer figures like this would be enough to get the next big reality show canned after only a few episodes (if only I hear you moan!)

None of this is Opera’s fault of course. As a musical genre it finds itself at the centre of a perfect storm of cultural excess facing off against cultural cringe.

Into this maelstrom steps Sydney Opera newbies Harbour City Opera…

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Harbour City Opera has emerged in 2013 under the stewardship of creative director Sarah Ann Walker. The company has a mission of presenting ‘Opera’s greatest moments, presented in Sydney’s most iconic spaces  and performed by Sydney’s most exciting voices.’

The company recently staged Puccini’s ‘Suor Angelica’ at the Paddington Uniting Church. Far from the hallowed halls of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, ‘Suor Angelica’ invited the audience into the cloistered, intimate life of a seventeenth century nunnery. The church interior, the altarpiece and the proximity, with no audience member further than a few metres from the stage, ensured an almost claustrophobic intimacy with the nuns life.

Suor Angelica is no archaic remnant of a time past. The performance pits the disgraced Sister Angelica against her noble family, the mother superior and her faith. The narrative illuminates the struggle of marginalised women against an unforgiving society that demands little more than obedience to a narrow version of femininity.  

Director Andy Morgan reflecting on Sour Angelica: 

“She may be fictional, but her resolve places her in the vanguard of a broad canon of feminists who have reached out to us from inside the walls of convents.”

The all female cast, led by Sarah Ann Walker lifted the narrative, filling the old church with their voices. Now Opera is all about voice and I find it hard not to be impressed by soaring vocals. It’s an entirely different musical experience to any other and as I listened to the Italian (with English subtitles) I found myself drifting away into the scenes of loss and hope. At times Opera can feel very ‘exclusive’, but even my untrained ear could appreciate the skill and emotion of Sour Angelica’s singers.

This is the heart of opera, the combination of various forms to transport the listener and relate a story of power and purpose. It is entirely possible that the story of Sour Angelica could be relayed through verse or prose, but how much more powerful to hear her lament in the aria ‘Senza Mama’

Andrew Pople had a chat with company director and the principal of Sour Angelica, Sarah Ann Walker about the direction of opera in Sydney.

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Andrew :: Opera was rock'n'roll before there was rock. Have we lost that sense of Opera's dramatic potential?

Sarah :: I think opera has enormous dramatic potential, but sometimes I wonder if the Industry’s obsession to make opera “hot” and “relevant” does just the opposite. The power of opera is more in the music and the stories than we, at times, give the composers and librettists credit for and by casting the best voices possible for the roles, we take back the power to present really thrilling opera!

Andrew :: Is style and narrative a barrier? People aren't typically engaging in a story set to music over the course of an hour.

Sarah :: I think the biggest barrier for any opera is poor casting. A strong cast can take the audience on an unforgettable experience whether it’s 30 minutes or 3 hours! We have a responsibility to the music and the composers of the music to present exceptional opera performed by exceptional voices – only then will our audiences and prospective audiences really see how fantastic opera can be!

Andrew :: How does Harbour City Opera seek to engage an audience outside of traditional opera circles?

Sarah :: We are still working on this, but the feedback from our latest presentation has seen a large number of audience members new to opera who have walked away excited and inspired by the production. I believe that if we can present interest provoking marketing material and follow it up with a solid, exciting and inspirational show, we are half way there!

Andrew :: Could a modern 'Australian' opera emerge, and what might it look like?

Sarah :: It definitely could – and it is something that we are in talks about but will be a few years away – these types of commissions are very expensive and funding for the Arts in Australia (especially for the smaller companies) is scarce. When one of these operas does emerge though, I imagine that it will be pretty spectacular!

Could Harbour City Opera be the company that breaks an antipodean opera on an unsuspecting city? In 2014 they have planned a reprisal of Suor Angelica, a concert of scenes from various opera performances, and will present Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia.

With the talent and vision at their disposal there is nothing stopping Harbour City Opera becoming the vital voice they envisage. First though they must convince a new audience to put down the remote and inhabit a different kind of world.

*This piece was originally prepared as a feature article for FBi 94.5

A tale of two headlines (or) I like my media independence a little less partisan please!

There's nothing like a light read or even a full on blog attack every now and then. Now I know the faint, familiar scratching of writing has been absent from these pages for many a week, so I thank all of you who've continued to check out the page and keep the flame alive.

My pen has not run dry, I've simply been a little distracted with other projects. Then there is also the issue of carving out a space for words and writing in my life. Virginia Woolf was not kidding when she laid out a room of one's own as a prerequisite for any scribe...
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As we speak I'm borrowing a few moments from another project to bash out a few thoughts because today I've been moved to write about writing, by another piece of writing I came across.

The Daily Telegraph for Monday, 5th August announced the impending federal election with the following headline...

"Finally you now have the chance to ... KICK THIS MOB OUT"

The editorial describes a litany of sins perceived to be attributable to the current government. Then goes on to make statements about what 'Australians' know and believe, presenting these tid-bits as fact and not (nearly impossible to verify) opinion.

Here's a little look at the offending cover...

But am I just being over-sensitive? I mean what's the big deal about a newspaper that doesn't particularly like the PM and wants to see him gone?

Well let's presume for a moment that not all Australians of voting age with democratic intentions are as well read as you and I. Perhaps they don't trawl through various media services and social media digesting opinions and critically appraising the information they encounter. Let's presume that some Australians get their news from only one or two sources.

Suddenly independent, balanced reporting starts to look pretty important.

When a news service decide to run opinion as front page news it begins to look suspiciously like campaign material. Publishers are tasked with avoiding this, in fact The Daily Telegraph has a code-of-conduct that includes amidst it recommendations:

• "Editorial employees and contributors should be open-minded, be fair and respect the truth."
• "Facts must be reported impartially, accurately and with integrity."
• "Try always to tell all sides of the story in any kind of dispute."

Today's headline does not come across as open-minded, impartial or fair. It offers truth up to a certain point by mentioning that an election has been called, only to then lean on speculation and opinion. All of these are fine when presented on an editorial page within the context of a range of opinions, but on the front page?!

Savvy readers will not fall for these stunts, but then it is not savvy readers that The Daily Telegraph is pitching at. They are making a cynical attempt to manipulate those who are time poor and disinclined to read widely on the issue.

The antidote to these displays is to take the matter into your own hands and start a conversation with the people you meet. You will be unpopular with some, ignored by many, but ultimately you will have the opportunity to do what The Daily Telegraph seems unable to ... engage a range of opinion.

Success in the 'Commit to Community Radio' campaign...

Whenever you take the leap and attempt to effect change you run the risk of failure. Sometimes it feels like this becomes the norm, but it's important to never be discouraged.

It then becomes important to acknowledge the victories when they happen. I've written in the past about the issue of media diversity and digital radio funding. Today the government made an announcement that vindicated these efforts...

 In it's darkest hour, with hope waning, community radio has won through - securing the funding required to keep it on digital!

The Federal Government announced today it will rectify the funding shortfall that threatened to leave community radio stations $1.4 million short of the operating costs of their digital services. The new funding commitment will provide $6 million over the next three years to ensure community radio services can keep kickin' it in the digital world.

Adrian Basso, President of the CBAA (Community Broadcasting Association of Australia) was full of praise for the efforts of supporters, much like yourselves, who wrote emails, made calls, and generally created a lot of noise to ensure politicians couldn't ignore the importance of community radio services.

“Thanks to the tens of thousands of people who stood up and showed just how important community radio is to communities right across Australia, community radio now has a digital future,”

Now call me suspicious, but given the timing, perhaps this is just an amazing 10th birthday present for FBi?

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... This post is an original piece by myself and appeared as a contribution to FBi 94.5 radio's blog.

Walk Together

"Although we've all arrived here via different pathways, we share a common Australian journey."

This Saturday a whole lot of people are getting together and going for a walk. They'll be coming from all over Sydney and meeting in Parramatta to celebrate the different journeys people take to arrive at a common destination; as Australians.

Last time I looked Sydney* we had about 4,391,674 people kicking around. Just over half of us were female. 1.2% or nearly 55,000 of us were indigenous. About 60% of us were born in Australia with the rest hailing from far and wide. Our mums and dads came from all over too, just to get us where we are today. Some of these people came to Australia to seek a better life, after fleeing persecution in their home countries.
(*in all honesty it's the last time the census had a look, back in 2011)

'Walk Together' is about celebrating the diversity that makes up our city and our country. It comes at the end of Refugee Week and seeks to raise awareness about the plight of all Australians who are having a tough time and are not receiving fair treatment.  

'Walk Together' is organised by the good people at 'Welcome To Australia'. These guys don't really mind where you come from, they're the people who sing our national anthem and remember the second verse! You know the bit that begins 'for those who've come across the seas, we've boundless plains to share'.

They believe...

"We're Aboriginal Australians, we're refugees, we're skilled migrants, we're long-term Australians, we're international students, we're asylum seekers... we're people. It's time to Walk Together into a future where diversity is celebrated, fear is replaced with welcome and where everyone belongs."

The walk starts at one o'clock on the corner of Church Street and the Parramatta River this Saturday the 22nd of June. It continues on to Parramatta Park where there will be a post walk festival featuring Ozi Batla from The Herd.

What :: Walk Together

Where :: Meet on the corner of Church St and the Parramatta River

When :: Saturday the 22nd of June at 1pm

How Much :: absolutely free

Greenwash

In the wake of my previous post bemoaning the parlous state of ethical consumer choice I thought I might explore the phenomenon known as 'Greenwashing'

'Greenwashing' encompasses many environmental claims and advertising tactics, some more nefarious than others. In a nutshell it seems to refer to claims of being Green that just don't stack up. These may vary from the outright false to those that mislead by focussing on a particular product while ignore a companies overall environmental record.

The ACCC, our consumer watchdog friends, focus particularly on issues of carbon neutrality. They claim to have been achieving success in clarifying business claims since 2007. Recognising that claims of environmental credentials are an emerging market the ACCC have sought to assist business in developing useful, consumer friendly advertising. While this sounds lovely and helpful I wonder if perhaps they aren't just compelling marketers to get more creative.

In 'Greenwash', Guy Pearse describes some marketers claims as "a torrent of corporate spin that sounds impressive but conceals mostly business as usual". He then goes on to unpack many brands claims of carbon neutrality and green goodness. Merciless in his attentions, Pearse cares little for the facade of green branding revealing the core interests of many a companies brown core.

One of Pearse's key tactics for revealing 'Greenwashing' is to look beyond the surface claims of any particular campaign, to the business behind the brand. This frequently reveals a core, burgeoning carbon footprint wallpapered over by an ethically friendly product.

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So let's give this 'Greenwashing' expose a trial...

Very Green?!

I was immediately suspicious the other day when I saw an advertisement for new 'Mother - Green Storm' energy drink. The byline screamed "fueled by natural caffeine", floating over packaging saturated in shades of green.

This looked suspiciously like a spurious claim to be enviro-friendly. All that green and the prominent use of the word 'natural'. But was it too easy a target, or just another crazy caffeine fueled adventure?

I began my search for information on the Mother website. Complete waste of time! I've seen more useful information on Charlie Sheen's Twitter account.

Mother's Facebook page doesn't give away too much either. Devoted to all the energy drinks various flavours the page makes no specific claims about 'Mother - Green Storm'. Instead we are presented with an increasingly inane array of scenarios in which friends may be vanquished (presumably with the aid of Mother?) More like an adult version of a fart joke (there is a clip where a character gets his bum blown off), Mother's Facebook is clean of any major noxious odours.

What about this claim of 'natural caffeine' though? 

Yahoo answers assured me that it's basically the same stuff we find in coffee, tea and cocoa. Hardly revolutionary, but I didn't plan on relying on such a hardcore sciency site.

Science Daily, citing the American Chemical Society, brought to my attention the fact that there are subtle differences between 'natural' and 'synthetic' caffeine. Basically I was on track to proving Mother Green Energy is about as environmental as a cup of strong coffee.

Now I spruiked the benefits of the Fairtrade model of coffee production in my last post, but do you trust 'Mother' to be Fairtrade? I could find no information to confirm or deny. If it's not though that means it is open to the many environmental concerns that could be leveled at coffee. These include: promoting monocultures and consequent reduction in biodiversity, excessive water use and deforestation.

Who's really the Mother here?

Mother's parent company Coca-Cola is no favourite for many an ethical shopper. Shop Ethical's guide to brands lists environmental concerns such as polluting groundwater, distributing toxic wastes as fertiliser and selling drinks with levels of pesticide.

So while Mother's green storm campaign may look like benign trickery at worst, it seems the whole brand is tainted (though not with pesticides - I'm definitely not claiming there's pesticide in Mother, unless a heap of sugar kills pests...) The Verdict:

'Greenwashing'

Labels...

I'm what the marketers might call 'price sensitive' at the moment. 

Since returning from travel and committing myself to the less-than-lucrative pursuit of becoming a writer, I find spare cash a distant memory and have to look closely at any purchase I make. Price tag is the big factor for me if I shop at the moment.

Everyone has these sensitivities as they shop. Marketers know this and they work tirelessly to understand their customers and pitch their 'brand stories in a way that resonates. Whether you value price, fashion, expedience or status they will seek a pitch that reassures you that they have what you want.

What about ethics?

Increasingly people have demonstrated a willingness to pay a premium for a product that offers an ethical edge. This may be environmental protection, workers rights or sustainable development. The point is people will pay more for the knowledge that their purchase meets a certain ethical standard.

How do we know a brand is ethical though? The products we find everyday often live a varied international life before they find our shopping basket. Accessing information about this life may not be as simple as reading the label. And as a price sensitive consumer how can I access these ethical premiums on a limited budget?

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The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) are colloquially known as the 'consumer watchdog'. Their job is to protect the rights of people as they shop and after they take their purchases home. These are rights that often we forget we have. This is not accidental, as many retailers and manufacturers would prefer if you just accepted your bad purchase rather than hassle them with little things like warranties.

The ACCC have some pretty strict regulations on making claims about products. These include things like claiming environmental bona fides that are spurious or non-existent. In setting out these regulations the ACCC notes that "Environmental claims can be a powerful marketing tool." In a nutshell, Green sells.

Regulations prevent business from misleading or deceiving consumers in any way. They further go on to acknowledge that consumers come from a variety of educational backgrounds and levels of language proficiency. 

ACCC regulations seem to give us the reassurance that brand pitches offer us reliable information. The notion that all labeling is trustworthy is probably too simplistic an approach. In reality this regulation simply gives us recourse to the ACCC if we feel we've been mislead, or outright lied to.

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There's a stack of well known labels that offer a degree of confidence that they are ethical or green.

Brands such as Fairtrade and Oxfam are established globally and have broad recognition  throughout the community. They both display a label that is simple, recognisable and generally easy to spot as we search for an ethical alternative.

Fairtrade offers small producers in developing regions: "fair access to markets, wage justice and environmental standards." Their goal is to even up the imbalance of access to trade and the market that exists for smaller communities throughout the world.

Fairtrade's certification process gives consumers the confidence that their purchase has been made at the expense of producers. Their initiatives also seek to support education, healthcare and training within communities.

Oxfam works toward the goal of "a future free from the injustice of poverty". Through their online shop they sell good produced through partner communities in twenty countries. Many of the goods are Fairtrade and are supporting sustainability and industry.

Like Fairtrade, Oxfam seek a better deal for small producers in developing regions. Most importantly they help smaller players compete in a global market dominated by companies, some larger than small countries.

For the consumer though, these brands offer comparatively small choice. This may be fine for the devoted ethical consumer, but many people enjoy their shopping expeditions precisely for the variety. I wonder if 'retail therapy' would enjoy even the dubious efficacy it currently has if people were limited to one or two items.

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In fashion choice reigns supreme and ethical claims can get a little grey. 

A designer friend recently opened my eyes to the 'designed in...' vs 'made in...' dilemma.

Basically some fashion brands will offer you a double edged label. On one side the label proudly proclaims 'Designed in Australia'. This allows the brand to trade on the warm fuzzy feeling you get buying something local and supporting local business. Flip it over though and while the label may say 'Made in Australia' it is equally likely it will proclaim a nation like Bangladesh or China, where manufacturing overheads are significantly lower.

The Designed... appellation simply means that an Australian designer drew up the idea and stitched up some samples locally. The real stitch-up is on the consumers as they leave with the impression they are getting a local product.

Overseas manufacturing doesn't have to be a bad thing. Many argue it supports a growing standard of living in countries where previously subsistence farming was the only source of living for many people. However with the recent tragic building collapse that killed hundreds of garment workers in Dhaka, Bangladesh there are still plenty of questions over ethical manufacturing.

Often this will be done by a brand that has an established reputation as being 'Australian Made'. When they move manufacturing offshore they simply de-emphasise the 'Made' in favour of the 'Designed'. It's not a lie, just a little sneaky.

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Who flips the label over though, really? 

I wonder how many people even really look at the label, or if they do they are more likely checking the washing instructions. Let's face it, so many people are just happy to find a pair of jeans that make their bum look good. Other concerns fall to the wayside.

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Coffee may be a good example for the future.

Twenty years ago Australians did not enjoy the quality (or the obsession) of bean culture that currently pervades our society. As we've taken this indulgence to heart, we've also allowed a certain amount of ethical awareness seep into our consciousness.

The Fairtrade label now makes it simple for coffee lovers to see, at a glance, whether their beans meet both their gustatory and ethical standards. Not everyone buys Fairtrade coffee, but enough do that a multinational chain like Starbucks introduced it to their menus.

Brand recognition such as Fairtrade enjoys in the coffee market helps guide consumers without them knowing it. This is the point of marketing and what is being done to us anyway in all aspects of our life. Were other ethical choices just as obvious, say in fashion, people could then gravitate toward a particular brand where their are similar choices (such as socks, underwear, t-shirts). Whose to say what the impact might be for workers rights and conditions in the countries where these clothes are made?

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A Beginning...

This article was designed as a launching point for further investigation into the growing area of ethical shopping or conscious consumerism (or whatever you want to call it really). As such I recognise that there are a huge range of areas I haven't even touched on. These include the criticisms leveled against 'ethical' labels, ethical consumption as a middle class indulgence and the impact of market forces on vulnerable workers as we try to use ethical considerations to leverage workplace conditions.

My hope is to release future posts on these and many other questions arising from this growing area of our everyday lives. Please leave me your questions, comments and criticisms as I'd love to engage with people on what issues affect them as they open their wallet.

Thanks as always, for reading...

Excised!?!

I had planned a different post until today Australia excised itself from it's own migration zone...

I had planned to write about how the federal budget, handed down on Tuesday, had stolen $375 Million dollars of foreign aid to fund locking up refugees closer to home. Turns out this budgetary sleight-of-hand could be worse than just misdirection with funding spent on prevention programs closer to home.  

I had planned to write about these issues because I felt they reflected poorly on Australia's national character. Perhaps more importantly, I wanted to write because I believed this was not who we are.   

I’m struggling to process the enormity of this move by both the government and opposition. More than anything I feel it’s a stain on Australia’s national character that one of the few bipartisan moves our politicians can muster is to systemically deny desperate people protection.

Australia sells itself on many ideals, one of which is an egalitarian spirit. We call it a 'fair go'. We evoke it everywhere from the sporting field to the national debate on welfare funding. It's about what people deserve by virtue of their being human.

Today we eroded that for some trumped notion of 'border security'. As parts of the world suffer through real strife, we have invented calamities that don't exist. Any threat to Australia comes, not at the hands of those seeking asylum, but from our own small-minded, isolationist view on the world.

It’s telling that the Green’s amendments designed to ensure transparency were voted down. Aware of our culpability in making this move we prefer collective denial. 

This can not stand for long. 

Only five years ago we apologised as a nation to the stolen generation. A generation of children and families that were wronged because of bigoted policies and a misguided notion of right. We stand again at the precipice between compassion and bigotry and once again have chosen the wrong path. 

Who then will bear the burden of this mistake? Who will voice a national apology to Ranjini & Paari, and so many other children who will suffer as a result of this policy? 

The shame of this move has been buried beneath the perceived ‘national will’ that drives it. If Australian’s en masse do not cry out against this move then perhaps we are guilty as much as our leaders. We are the first country in the world to take such a move, Amnesty International has condemned it. We are taking a lead that should not be followed.

National security means nothing if we give up all that is worth protecting..

Decrypting the NBN

Once again please let me share a little bit of my writing from beyond the 'blogger'-sphere. This is my second piece to grace the (web)pages of FBi 94.5 Sydney Radio.

My posts have adopted a moniker: 'Pub Politics' (ta-da!) The idea being that we are taking the some of the major topics in Australia today and trying to deconstruct them in the same way you might over a drink or two at the pub.

Hopefully we have something to say. At worst I hope a few people feel more engaged in topics they otherwise might not have approached before.

As always I have retained my original text for this post, but if you'd like to check out the published version...

Decrypting the NBN...

You're reading a blog, good for you! I'm guessing that means you're into this whole internet thing that's been going on. It's okay I guess, what with the music, Facebook, the widespread intelligent discussion of Game of Thrones...

There, there Malcolm...

But will you be voting this September on the National Broadband Network? Well probably not if the poll is held online as traffic slows our upload speeds to a crawl and the election drags into early 2014.

Nothing about the NBN conversation is running smoothly at the moment as Stephen Conroy found while frantically clicking 'refresh' on his browser at the Sydney media launch on Sunday. So I thought I might have a look at some of the issues slowing the data down.

Infrastructure

As both parties attempt to score points for their NBN plans most Australians just want to know how much, how fast and when they'll get faster Youtube clips.

But that's not the point of the NBN and you might just scare Tony back into his old anti-NBN thinking talking like that. Because the National Broadband Network is an infrastructure project designed to

"...give 100% of Australian homes and businesses access to high-speed, affordable broadband through a mix of three technologies." 

There's already 54,000 people in Australia today using the NBN. Unconfirmed reports suggest that it's so fast they're already downloading Season 4 of 'Game of Thrones'.

Faster's Better Right?

It seems like everyone's promising something faster when it comes to the NBN. Perhaps the first and most important thing to note is that any NBN represents an improvement on the current situation. Gizmodo Australia reported in 2011 average download speeds of 348 KBps. When the NBN finally rolls out we are being promised speeds between 25MBps up to 1GBps (fast!)

Why wait for breaking news from Westeros!

Labor has said that they will deliver faster download speeds by way of fiber optic cables right through your letterbox and up through your toilet. The Liberals however have said it might save a few bucks if they just go fiber to the nearest public convenience and then a copper carrier pigeon lugs the data the rest of the way.

To illustrate "the large performance differential of the Labor and Coalition NBNs", James Brotchie built a website called How Fast is the NBN? Brotchie's point is illustrative if not precise and highlights the need for more transparency and details from both parties. It portrays a far swifter Labor NBN for both upload and download speeds.

But the Coalition promise they can deliver the whole system faster. Two years faster! That's shorter than most teenage engagements...

Money Matters

Getting the NBN we want is not going to be cheap though. Sure you can score some free wifi here and there these days but whichever plan you prefer is going to cost Australians billions of dollars.

The policy being spruiked by the coalition also promises to be cheaper. They are emphasizing fiscal responsibility by suggesting that we aim to create only speeds that will be utilised at the moment (ie: slower). Whether this leaves us short in the future is yet to be seen. Certainly we can expect more users pays, especially if you want fiber right up your home.

Huh, Uploads?

One thing we're not hearing a lot about in all the NBN discussion is what the upload speeds will be like. Uploads become really important when you start doing stuff, instead of just watching stuff. From what I could find upload speeds are going to be adjustable on a user pays basis; faster than today but it'll cost you.

Innovation and Future-Proofing

FBi without an NBN?!

Nobodies died of slow internet speeds yet (apologies Call of Duty fans, I see you waving). As we become increasingly inured to our online existence, our work and productivity will likewise be increasingly tied to competitive broadband speeds. Here at FBi we wouldn't last too long if we relied on you all listening us on crystal radios. 

The proof of the NBN pudding will be in how it tastes. Many critics suggest we already have plenty of capacity for email, Facebook, Youtube… all the stuff we’re doing now. This attitude severely curtails innovation and future growth; the point of any infrastructure development.

On the horizon E-health and education are just two sectors touted as potentially huge growth areas as we have access to faster broadband. The point is that we are not operating in a worldwide vacuum. As other countries develop their infrastructure, Australia risks being left behind. 

Probably the most important function of the NBN is the one that hasn't been thought up yet. That toddler in front of you on the bus glued to her mum's tablet? She could be the innovator that's takes our online lives to the next level.

If she has the infrastructure to support it...

Commit to Community Radio

Today I'd like to share my first foray into more professional writing. Below is my first article published for FBi 94.5FM, a Sydney youth radio network.

The article below draws on several of my drafts and reflects my own editing but none of my editor at FBi. Basically for the 'Rightz' blog I wanted to preserve my own voice not someone else's, even if it is superior.

The processing of drafting and editing for a professional publication was a huge learning curve for me and one I think I'm going to enjoy. Writing has always been a personal endeavour and now I've found a much more social, interactive process I think I can only improve.

You can check out the final article on FBi's website. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading!    

________________

1 in 4 Australians Listen to Community Radio

Does Government Funding Reflect Those Figures?

Wally supports Community Radio... Do You?

Let’s ask Gotye…


“You didn’t have to cut me off!”

See, there’s a lack of funding for digital community radio services.

Wally de Backer (aka – Gotye) recently wrote an open letter to the Communications Minister Stephen Conroy asking him to address the shortfall for the future of community radio. The Minister’s response however suggested that stations should just fund themselves.

Wally’s kinda famous for writing catchy, award winning tunes. But he acknowledges that even with all his talent, community radio helped him kick it all off.

Oh, here let him tell it:

“Australian community radio has been instrumental in my recent international success. Without the support and encouragement of community stations when I started self releasing my music in 2001 I would not have been able to develop my career.” 

Now digital community radio is fighting for its life with only one week before the federal budget and a $1.4 Million dollar shortfall to continue services.

The long and the shortfall…

Back in 2009 the federal government provided $11.2 Million dollars to kickstart community digital radio across Australia. The funding was instituted by Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. 

Money was for the setup and operation of digital radio services over three years and was part of the government’s commitment to a digital future for radio.

Basic annual costs for digital radio have leveled at $3.6 Million dollars a year. In May 2012 the government announced funding of $2.2 Million dollars a year over four years for digital community radio.

… Hang on a minute, that’s short $1.4 Million dollars.

A cut, or a shortfall?

Any way you cut it (pun intended) the government’s ongoing funding commitment of $2.2 million dollars a year is $1.4 million dollars short of the operational costs of community digital radio.

The government maintains it hasn’t cut anything; it’s giving money away! This ignores the basic costs projected to access the digital radio platform. Failure is built into the system.

Heard about media diversity?

The government bangs on about it a fair bit. Basically it’s about having lots of voices expressing different opinions.

And how does digital community radio help support media diversity?

It’s all in the name; community radio supports and represents exactly what it says – communities. Whether it’s Indigenous voices on Koori Radio 93.7 FM, Muslim voices on Muslim Community Radio 92.1 FM, or yours truly here at FBi 94.5 FM supporting your voice!

The digital component is important because we are all consuming media in different ways.

Infrastructure is for the future stupid!

One of the problems with the governments argument is that ignores the future potential of digital radio. As we change and evolve the way we consume media maintaining and developing a digital option becomes increasingly important.

This is basically the argument the government made in criticizing the Oppositions NBN policy. Remember Conroy is also Minister for the Digital Economy. But can he see the inconsistency?

No!

So what can we do?    

If you haven’t already, go to http://committocommunityradio.org.au/ and join the campaign for digital radio funding.

You can also send Senator Conroy an email, hell give him a call on (02) 6277 7480. Tell him what FBi and digital community radio means to you!