Resources

September 6, 2005

July 20, 2005

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Clive Hamilton's new book Affluenza

'Affluenza' by Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss, argues that our whole society is addicted to consumerism. It tracks how much Australians overwork, the growing mountains of stuff we throw out, the drugs we take to 'self-medicate' and the real meaning of 'choice'. Rates of stress,depression and obesity are up as we wrestle with the emptiness and endless disappointment of consumer life. By contrast, more and more Australians are deciding to ignore the advertisers and recapture their time for the things that really matter.

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The Wellbeing Manifesto - you might like to be a signatory

The Manifesto for Wellbeing is the foundation of a new politics committed to promoting our wellbeing rather than relentlessly focusing on the economy and money.

We can direct the benefits of economic growth towards renewing our society rather than encouraging ever more materialism.

We can build a society in which we have fulfilling work, control over our time, a healthy natural environment, better education, less materialism and stronger relationships.

These goals are not wishful thinking, they can be achieved simply by shifting our priorities.

The Manifesto for Wellbeing provides a new vision and a new ethos for Australia. Several prominent Australians have already endorsed it.

Read the Manifesto
See who has endorsed it
Sign up to it yourself
Go to the website

www.wellbeingmanifesto.net

Please circulate tellyour friends and colleagues.

Clive Hamilton
The Australia Institute

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Alliances

The Australia Institute (www.tai.org.au)

We acknowledge the generous support  and encouragement of Dr Clive Hamilton and The Australia Institute in helping us establish the organization and its inaugural conference.

Beyond the Black Stump

Home of cartoonist Sean Leahy, recent cartoons have a downshifting theme to them. www.beyondtheblackstump.com

Australian Conservation Foundation

As Australia’s leading national not-for profit environment organisation, the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) is committed to inspiring people to achieve a healthy environment for all Australians. It works with the community, business and government to protect, restore and sustain our environment. ACF is and is funded almost entirely by individual membership and donations.

ACF's new program, GreenHome, aims to assist people to reconsider their lifestyle and consumption in order to reduce their individual environmental impact, and to empower people to take action on sustainable living issues within their community and by engaging with industry and governmental decision-making. GreenHome addresses the small steps and the big picture.

As part of this work ACF aims to support people to downshift and change their lives for the well-being of both people and the planet.

See www.acfonline.org.au

International Young Professionals Foundation (IYPF)

Informing, Inspiring & Equipping Young Professionals as Sustainability Practitioners & Social Change Agents

OUR VISION: "A global community of Young Professionals creating a better world for current and future generations through local and global action".

Young Professionals are people in developing and developed countries with a professional attitude and a capacity through their skills, knowledge and emerging careers, to effect positive global change.

We engage young professionals around the world to generate and implement projects and ideas that address issues and problems of today and tomorrow.

See www.iypf.org

Society for the Appreciation of Slow

The Slow movement includes advocacy of slow food, slow cities, slow leisure and slow child-rearing. An Australian arm of this international movement has been formed. www.slow.net.au

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Regaining Sanity - Discovering the Balance between Time, Money and your Life

From Byron Child Magazine

.... Unfortunately in today’s consumer driven world, it can seem there is simply not enough money to afford one parent staying at home with a child, nor enough time in the day to do what needs to be done, and it is most challenging for any parent to parent children at home alone in isolation. Marie Sherlock, author of Living Simply With Children, proposes that parents who choose a life of voluntary simplicity are finding they have more time and money available for spending with their families, and that there are myriad ways to create the real community and support that is so essential for raising children — and parents!

At first this might sound far too simple to be true, but living simply — sometimes referred to as ‘downshifting’ or ‘downscaling’ — is both the means and the end to a more meaningful life, claims Sherlock. A downshifter weeds out those aspects of life that are of no lasting value and concentrates instead on those matters that are important; for example, one may consciously conclude that owning an expensive car, designer clothing, and a palatial home are not necessarily their main values, but spending more time with family, working on worthy causes, and showing respect for people and the planet are of real value. Living simply is clearly a financial means to such a life. ‘By living simply and consuming less, you are freeing up time to focus on those things that matter most to you. Living simply provides a psychological and spiritual pathway to a more meaningful existence.’ .....

Download the full article.

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UK: National Downshifting Week

The Uk’s first National Downshifting Week will be celebrated from Saturday 23rd to Friday 29th April 2005 led by downshifting columnist, Tracey Smith.

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