veganarky

Change can, and often is, challenging on many levels. Some of the ways we can react to it include acceptance, understanding, adaption and various variants of fear or uncertainty. Change can provide for interesting, exciting and challenging times. Whilst not always positive, I try to embrace and be open to change — often challenging myself specifically in regards to not getting too settled. We often should force ourself to step outside our comfort zones and be open to change, as to not do so can have many negative implications. Perhaps some of the most cogent examples include how unconscious ra…

For the last several years I have researched the transformative impacts of First Peoples expressions of significance of place on white supporters. My research loosely falls under many categories including action-research and participant-observation. What it enabled me to do was to live amongst a different community and immerse myself in learning about their lived experiences and struggles—as expressed through their actions. The notion of sense of place is something I was first exposed to by a friend over 10 years ago who was studying in a Social Ecology program, and something I have come to re…

Of late, I have pondered some seemingly diverse issues and common threads have struck a chord. Awareness of this arose whilst seeking inspiration, which I found in a film I had not seen for some years: Pump up the Volume (1990) [wikipedia, imdb]. Many of the issues I have pondered were explored in the film, though share commonality with recent experiences and academic texts I have engaged with. These musings are somewhat of a mash-up… I sporadically find myself seeking an outlet—usually something creative and/or physical. When I get to the point of seeking/needing to seek I often find myself p…

Whilst it may be a clichéd title, it accurately reflects my experiences of the last 9 months. Early this year I traveled to a city on the other side of the planet, somewhere I have never visited, to research how the local community took a stand for social justice and environmental protection. I came to this city knowing not a single person, and with most references to the area (from people not from here) being largely negative. As I leave this place, I have formed my own view: it is one that differs from these negative references and reflective of the views of many of those working for positiv…