That would be freedom
Photo: Matt Hardy (Unsplash)
Imagine waking up and knowing that if you lose your job, health, family, you’ll be cared for. That there would still be meaningful (not de-meaningful) ways for you to connect with others, and that your contributions to society will be supported and validated.
That would be freedom.
Imagine waking up and knowing you were in a country with a strong commitment to righting past wrongs and addressing future challenges.
That would be freedom.
Imagine waking up not weighed down by the burden of trying to individually reduce your carbon footprint, or the attempt to individually fight back against systemic inequalities, or the decision about whether a freaking takeaway pizza box can be recycled. Imagine knowing we’d reMADE things so that our whole world was set up to support people and place and planet to thrive, not line the pockets of big corporations and protect those already in power.
That would be freedom.
Photo: Matt Hardy (Unsplash)
Imagine knowing the government (all governments) were working for all of us. That everyone really did mean everyone regardless of who we are or where we’ve come from. Imagine knowing that all leaders and politicians put the public good ahead of private profits and private power.
That would be freedom.
Imagine waking up feeling, as a farming woman from Western Australia said, “that we are heading in the right direction, that we’re listening to science, that we’re on the right track.” Imagine waking up to a sense of ‘we’ve got this’. The feeling of hope, optimism and confidence that comes with knowing we’re doing everything that we can.
That would be freedom.
Imagine taking the best of the pandemic: the focus on putting people first, listening to the experts, and working together across party lines to address real problems constructively — and extending it to the other challenges we face.
That would be freedom.
Our work as reMAKERS is to build this freedom. To notice where pockets and possibilities exist, and amplify them. To stay focussed on what could be and what should be and to dance and sing and argue and question and push that envelope to postcodes it’s never been before.
We’re in for a wild ride as an election looms in the coming year. We’re likely to be hit with some ridiculous three word slogans, petty politics and stupid photo opportunities. There will also be some wonderful people stepping up in 2022 for parliament and for community. There will be (we hope) some incredible political ideas and policies hidden among noise of ‘he said, she said’.
So rather than get tired and disenchanted and disengaged when it comes to 2022 and all that we will hear, let's practice saying: 'Bugger off… we’ve got bigger visions, bigger worlds to inhabit, a bigger possibility that nourishes a “healthy me” and a “healthy we”. We’ve got a world to build where we can belong without having to fit in, where we can sleep soundly at night knowing we’ve avoided the worst of climate change, and where we know there are opportunities for all of us (yes, everyone does mean everyone) to contribute, matter and belong.’
Because that would be freedom.
Photo: Matt Hardy (Unsplash)
DR MILLIE ROONEY
Millie is the National Coordinator for Australia reMADE. Millie has a qualitative research background and has spoken in-depth with hundreds of Australian's about their lives, communities and dreams. She has worked in and around universities for over a decade building student capacity and enthusiasm for tackling wicked problems. Millie is also a carer for her family and community and is passionate about acknowledging this work as a valid, valuable and legitimate use of her time.
