LEADERS OF POSITIVE CHANGE

THE LEADERS OF POSITIVE CHANGE

Leaders of Positive Change community movement is initiated and motivated by MFO, with the aim to reduce all kinds of violence and bring about greater appreciation of persons, we may perceive as being different to us.

MFO is taking a strong stand against all kinds of violence and abuse, and as this is a major commitment for us, it guides and influences all our work.

With the support from the Commonwealth Games, MFO organised the first Leaders of Positive Change conference at the end of 2017, to encourage community leaders, individuals and groups to come together to work on achieving greater cohesion and change what may interfere with our wellbeing and future prosperity.

The aim is to motivate the whole community to become involved and grow into a powerful influencer in changing discriminating attitudes and abusive behaviour based on gender, faith, race or culture.

MFO is collaborating with and supporting the effort of strategic Focus Groups, formed by people wanting to be involved in motivating community members to come together to work for positive change.

Friend’s Friends Network is focused on supporting and looking out for each other. It is based on the notion that if you are my friend, all my friends will care for you in some ways, because you are their Friend’s Friend.

To achieve positive change is basically an educational process, as it is dependent on us expanding our awareness and ability to understand matters in a more meaningful way.

Therefore, we have developed a multipurpose educational workshops program, the Tool Kit, that is based on community members’ feedback about what they think will advance our ability to handle situations and challenges in a more sensible way. It is an educational resource available to everyone, and it can be customized to any group.

Every year we hold a Leaders of Positive Change community conference to communicate and celebrate the progress achieved during the year.

During 2019 we expanded the Leaders of Positive Change network by organising and planning for conferences also in NSW, Vic and WA.

We have also made international connections, as lack of respect and understanding of people, we feel are different to us in one way or other, is all too common everywhere. This puts us in a unique position to promote the Australian communities’ founding work.

FRIEND'S FRIENDS NETWORK

LEADERS OF POSITIVE CHANGE DINNERS

In November 2017 MFO held the first Leaders of Positive Change dinner to start a dialogue about how we can come together to reduce all kinds of violence. This dinner was very well attended and held in partnership with The Commonwealth Games Embracing 2018.

Greatly encouraged by the Commonwealth Games and MAQ, MFO organised the second Leaders of Positive Change dinner in March this year. The event brought together over 80 different communities to voice their unity against violence in all its forms.

MFO’s aim is to guide a community driven process to achieve positive changes to the way we interact with each other. As this is of major concern to all of us, we aspire to guide and develop a regional process to become national. During the coming years our intention is to establish an international network of Leaders of Positive Change and bring together and share our expertise and experiences in an International Summit held on the Gold Coast.

LEADERS OF POSITIVE CHANGE VIDEO

LEADERS OF POSITIVE CHANGE COMMUNITY DIALOGUE

MFO's first Leaders of Positive Change dialogue were with students at the Southport TAFE. Placed into small focus groups, participants from culturally diverse backgrounds voiced their concerns about abusive attitudes and told about their personal experiences of being harassed, because of their cultural heritage and/or religious beliefs.

Their voice, along with the voices of hundreds of others that have participated in our community dialogues, has inspired and helped shape the Leader for Positive Change project, a process owned and driven by the community and motivated, supported and guided by MFO.

LEADERS OF POSITIVE CHANGE CONFERENCE

DINNER AT THE COOMERA COMMUNITY CENTRE ON 27th JUNE 2018

Come Together, Unite our Nations, Reduce all forms of Violence by Promoting Respectful Interactions was an invitation to the communities of the Five Nations of NZ Maori, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and Cook Island.

More than 150 people attended the evening, confirming that now is the time to start evaluating behaviour and attitudes that have a negative effect on our daily life, and educate and communicate about the changes that will positively influence our future.

The evening brought together elders and leaders from the five nations, high ranking representatives from the Queensland Police Services and service providers to be part of an open dialogue about the specific issues affecting these communities and possible strategies to support change.

Very powerful and appreciated was when former NRL players Sione Faumuina and Clinton Toopi shared their personal stories about positive change.

This Leaders of Positive Change coming together was initiated by Vicky Rose from the Nerang Neighbourhood Centre in partnership with MFO and in association with the QPS Cross Cultural Liaison Unit GC.

COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

We need your feedback on What you feel are the major concerning issue(s) within the community? To provide feedback, please cut and paste the questions below into a blank email and rate each issue according to how common it is and please forward to: lillan@mfo.org.au

Scale of rating: Not Affected at all 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Very much Affected

DISRESPECT because of Gender, Culture, Religion, Race within the community

Rating:

UNNECESSARY VIOLENCE within the community

Rating:

DOMESTIC AND FAMILY VIOLENCE within the community

Rating:

BULLYING AND HARASSMENT within the community

Rating:

Do you feel there is willingness to work on changing these issues?

Rating:

MAKE A COMMUNITY PLEDGE

We also invite you to be part of this community pledge.

Please email your name and contact details to us, and we will get in touch with you and find out in what way you would like to be actively involved with Leaders of Positive Change.