How do we make positive change in a time of global disruption? The Initiatives of Change community welcomed the lunar new year with a dragon-lion dance and discussion of social cohesion.
The dragons—or were they lions?—gambolled across the green lawn at Armagh. Children bounced with excitement as the dancers displayed impressive strength and balance— first on the grass, then atop some props perched on the wooden picnic tables. All this to the ancient beat of drums and gongs, by the CCCV Lion Dance Troupe.
Photo Credits: Mike Lowe
Around 60 people from the Initiatives of Change community welcomed the lunar new year on a Thursday evening at Armagh, the Initiatives of Change Asia-Pacific Centre in Melbourne. The occasion marked the end of the traditional season of festivities, and the incoming Year of the Snake.
The evening’s guest speaker was Anthea Hancocks, CEO of the Scanlon Foundation, who presented an overview of the organisation’s survey-based report on social cohesion in Australia. She stated that the Foundation’s unique methodology has produced survey results indicating that Australia has a high level of social cohesion. However, the Scanlon survey also shows that trust in government and public institutions has been declining, those in financial hardship often experience less social connection, and one in three people from minority backgrounds still experience discrimination.
Photo credits: Lan Diep
Participants raised questions about differences between rural and urban communities, and the impacts of the global Covid pandemic on social cohesion. Over the shared potluck meal that evening, we reflected on what changes could bring about positive change in Australia and our own countries of origin. Front of mind were the wars and civil conflicts in Congo, Gaza and Israel, Myanmar and Sudan—and the implications for Australians with family and friends in those parts of the world. So too were reflections on the aftermath of the “no” vote in the 2023 referendum on an Indigenous voice to Parliament.
One participant was Lan Diep, a Board member of Initiatives of Change Australia. She reflected that, “Today, as communities around the world navigate uncertainty—social fractures, economic shifts, and climate disruptions—cohesion is more than an ideal; it is a practice.” She questioned how we can find cohesion amid disruption. Read Lan’s reflections from IofCA’s community dinner, “Moving in Rhythm with Change”, on LinkedIn here.
In the Chinese zodiac, the snake represents change and renewal, due its ability to shed its own skin—a relevant symbol for Initiatives of Change, an organisation built around connecting inner change with “outer” change.
If you’re thinking to make change in your own life, check out these upcoming opportunities.
- Life Matters from 7-10 March in Melbourne, a workshop for finding and setting new life direction.
- Creators of Peace, a women-led network for igniting our own peace-creating abilities. Taster events are coming up in Melbourne and Brisbane for those who would like to know more.
