AMEP works for more Australians to flourish in harmonious, united, fair and prosperous families and closely knit communities, and an effective democratic nation. Our involvement in this focuses on changing influential media narratives in Australia.
If media is “journalism”, we need journalists to accurately and independently describe Australia, and its vital elements, as it truly is. Not like the twitter feeds of one major news organisation I follow!
If we Australians choose for media as entertainment, we need to recognise, as screenwriter John McKee writes, “A culture cannot evolve without honest, powerful storytelling.” However, he goes on “the overall quality of storytelling is eroding!” Finally, “as Aristotle observed twenty-three hundred years ago, when storytelling goes bad, the result is decadence!”
We need to honestly answer, “Are we as a nation reaching that point?” If the research behind these observations is true, I think it speaks of ‘dark forces” in the ownership and control of global media and advertising networks.
But, can we assert these dark forces cause us to gloss over exploitative structures and policies, and hold Australians captive?
Nothing ever really achieved, except profit and slavery! Often, in highly paid slavery! Causing unending frustration and cynicism. And, erosion and breakdown of Australian’s personal, community and social flourishing!
Talk, talk, talk! Government ministers! Opinion leaders! Academics and techno-corporate experts! Talk, talk, talk! Nothing resolved! Are they pushing the idea of “getting ahead of others”? Rather than our commonwealth! Selfish, economic and political interests being more important to those in control, than public interest and trust! And, therefore, personal, community and social flourishing for more and more Australians.
If more and more Australians are to flourish more and more, courageous leaders in the arts, business, community services, education, health, justice, law, media, politics and sports across Australia need to change our existing collective mindset. Australia needs a metamorphosis, in which rotting structures, processes and policies die, so that we make new beginnings made.
These rotting structures, processes and policies exist in huge implacable problems, unresolved for generations. These include relationships between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians; gender wars; dissociation of young from older Australians; economics exploiting relationships; increasing corruption in politics and business; our health and education outcomes; a drift from excellent journalism to media entertainment of questionable values; to name a few!
But, where does change in our collective mindset start? To seriously transform values and motives about more and more Australians flourishing, more and more! Well, it starts with me; and you! It starts with us!
The first challenge is to get others to think ‘outside the box’ of too big! Too busy! Can’t be done! Why would anyone try? I’m OK, you can worry about yourself!
So, how do we recruit heroes to a movement that will creatively nurture and achieve this transformation?
