Libby Fordham Communications

Thinking a street party or community event could be the best way to celebrate the 10th annual Neighbour Day on Sunday 25th March 2012? Well you’d better talk to your council or shire now. That’s the message from Australia Day Ambassador and NBN Champion Andrew Heslop, who founded Australia’s annual celebration of community, Neighbour Day, in 2003.

“Every year more Australians are getting together with their neighbours and deciding to do something big,” said Andrew.“Bringing everyone in the street together strengthens the community and directly connects every resident, while at the same time helping to break down the barriers of loneliness and isolation.

“Applying to close off the street to create a mini-festival and to safely allow a game of street cricket is a very good idea. What varies is the application process and timeframes required by each council and shire. So neighbours who want to hold a street party or major community event in a public space should talk to their local government authority now to find out what the requirements are,” Andrew said.

Read more: Now is the time to plan your Neighbour Day street party or community event

This year's Australia Day panel discussion asks the questions about what sets Victorians apart from our fellow country men and women, our heritage and our future.

This free event to be held Wednesday 18th January, 2012 at BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne.  Time: 6.00pm – 7.00 pm.

Five well known Australians representing a cross section of the country’s multicultural community come together as a panel, with ABC's Beverley O'Connor as the moderator, to discuss the topic, ‘Victoria – Looking back, looking forward’, and what it means to be a Victorian on Australia Day.

The panelists this year include:

• Ahmed Dini - Social worker and Victoria's Australian Local Hero 2012

• Dr Tim Soutphommasane - political theorist/philosopher and commentator

• Phil Egan - Ex Richmond footballer and CEO of the Murray Valley Aboriginal Co-Op

.• Nicole Livingstone – Ex Olympic swimmer and commentator

• Dr Sally Cockburn- GP and radio presenter

Read more: Victoria – Looking back, looking forward - Panel Discussion

AUSTRALIAN SURVEY REVEALS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CONTINUES INTO THE WORKPLACE

The first national survey into domestic violence and its impact on the workplace has been released today unveiling the extent of domestic violence in Australia continuing outside of the home and into the workplace.  The survey reveals that one in five people reported the abuse continuing while they were at work.

Full survey results here 

Key Findings summary here

The survey entitled, ‘Safe at Home, Safe at Work?’ National Domestic Violence and The Workplace Survey, was launched today, in Melbourne, by ACTU National President, Ged Kearney.

The survey results confirm that domestic violence affects the capacity for people to get to work, their performance and productivity at work, and that their safety, and those of their co-workers, is also threatened within the workplace.

Nearly a third of the 3600 respondents, 30%, had personally experienced domestic violence, with half of those reporting that the violence affected their capacity to get to work. The reasons given included being physically injured or restrained, keys being hidden and failure of childcare arrangements by the other parent.

Read more: National Domestic Violence in the Workplace Survey launched today by ACTU President, Ged Kearney

In light of the Occupy movement sweeping the world, here is a documentary film that follows one man around the world as he uncovers emergent clues that suggest the decline of the Western World.

View the trailer here

In this film, he analyzes a world characterised by individualism and rampant consumerism. Decadence is a timely essay that raises a warning flag about the attrition of everyday life undercut by meaningless excess and cultural fraud. It is also a call to action to stop our meaningless drift by revaluing the things that comprised the West at its best.

Read more: Decadence - new documentary by Pria Viswalingam

Welcome in the New Year with some networking at the Victorian Australia Day Luncheon.

The Victorian Australia Day Luncheon, proudly supported by Australia Post,  will be held  at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre on 24 January 2012. It's the first opportunity of the New Year to bring together colleagues and friends alike and is a favourite of many businesses and organisations who support the event each year.

Read more: Get that football feeling at the Victorian Australia Day Luncheon 2012