Reviving Cultural Knowledge Practices to Protect and Heal Country

Firesticks

Nationwide

Firesticks is a national Indigenous network that empowers communities to protect and enhance Country and wellbeing by reviving Cultural knowledge practices. For years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have managed Country by using fire sticks for carefully timed burns that improve the health of the land and native species.

What we like about this initiative

Firesticks is leading the way in resourcing First Nations communities to restore the cultural wellbeing and identity of their Country through Cultural Fire. Firesticks marries efforts for environmental stewardship and health, cultural revival and self-determination for First Nations to enhance the health of land and people.
Read more

A co-design project for engaging youth in social change

Spark Youth Hub

New South Wales

Recent movements like School Strike 4 Climate demonstrate the rapid growth in high school students’ activism, but there is a gap in capacity and infrastructure to support their efforts. In response, Spark Youth Hub is a new co-design project engaging high school students in social change by providing training and resources in community organising and grassroots advocacy. Spark Youth Hub aim to establish dedicated learning and co-designing spaces with students and young people from southwest Sydney and develop its pilot program.

What we like about this initiative

Spark Youth Hub is addressing a gap in social change programs for high school students, helping teenagers become proactive participants in Australian democracy. Read more

Save Corner Inlet and Stop Sea Dumping in Bass Strait

Friends of the Earth

Victoria, Regional

Friends of the Earth (FoE) has recently uncovered attempts by oil company Esso to dump thousands of tonnes of toxic waste in the Bass Strait, and build a poisonous and radioactive breaking yard in South Gippsland, Victoria. FoE has crafted an informed grassroots campaign plan to create community empowerment and movement cooperation to stop this from happening. Esso’s is the first major offshore oil and gas asset decommissioning project in Australia, meaning what it can get away with will set a precedent for an emerging $70 billion environmental problem nationwide. Now is a crucial time to influence public opinion with grassroots activism before any regulatory or government decisions are made.

What we like about this initiative

Friends of the Earth have a rigorous practice in co-designing campaigns with communities. This campaign will engage and resource communities in South Gippsland to take action against toxic waste dumping in the Bass Strait. Read more

Theatre for Change: Empowering Young People Through the Art of Performance

Australian Theatre for Young People

Nationwide

Australian Theatre for Young People will deliver drama workshops in public secondary schools, focusing on lower socio-economic areas that often lack access to high-quality arts education. These workshops are designed to cultivate essential soft skills such as communication, collaboration, empathy, and confidence.
Led by professional teaching artists with extensive experience in theatre and performance, the skills-based sessions will be tailored to meet the needs of participants.

What we like about this initiative

This project specifically works with the diverse needs of young people at risk, those with disabilities and neurodivergent people to develop soft skills and cultivate self-esteem. Their programs are evidence-based and reach communities that typically have limited access to creative opportunities. Read more

Amber’s Alert: Enhancing Diagnostic Accuracy & Treatment Planning in Mental Health

HER Centre

Nationwide

To address the gap in timely and accurate diagnosis of mental health conditions, HER Centre propose to develop a diagnostic toolkit with revised scales and objective biological markers to help determine the most effective treatment strategies. This kit, called ‘Amber’s Alert’ would be used to assist clinicians in general healthcare facilities to provide enhanced treatment planning for those with mental health conditions.

What we like about this initiative

Diagnostic tools for mental illness are severely underdeveloped in comparison to physical illness. This project of the HER Centre, supported by ACF Fund Amber’s White Light, seeks to develop a toolkit that will have tangible impacts on the accuracy of diagnosis in the early stages of mental illness. Read more