Kay

I wish everyone was as bold as this and could own their mistakes. 15 years ago the Australian Prime Minister Paul Keeting owned the mistakes made by people who first stole Australia from the indigenous people. He also acknowledged the mistakes that have been made in the 200 years since his ancestor's arrival. I only came across this speech this evening and have been astounded at the drift back into the dark ages of the Australian governement over the past 15 years. Keeting's speech is sensitive to the reality of the terrible history of Aboriginal Australia at the hands of white Australia. It is sensitive and compassionate. It would be good to see some of that sensitivity and compassion in today's government...which is being heavy-handed to say the least...Profile modified by: The CricketSoda Myspace Profile Editor Hello...my first venture into myspace...what would you like to know?Short life story?...born in Reading, brought up in Farnham Common, Bucks, moved to Brighton 1987 where I still live. Travelled solo for a year when I was 21 and had many, many adventures. I fell in and out of love a couple of times in my 20s. Got my teaching degree in Northampton and worked full time teaching for 4 years before deciding to choose a more unconventional career path setting up my own company, Gyroscope, that sources artists and creative tutors for schools. Education is not just about getting qualifications, it's about believing in your own ability to learn, adapt, grow and share. It's about enabling young people to be brave enough to question things they don't understand instead of ignoring them or being afraid of them. Some of the most alive people I know are creative and children have a right to have their lives touched by these exciting individuals.In 2004 the universe decreed that I would leave this country and travel to a semi-remote Yolngu community in Arnhem Land, Australia. The experiences I had there and the people I met changed my life. What beautiful, strong, resilient beings the Yolngu are! I went back there in 2005 and worked as a volunteer teacher at the local community school that has been developing a bilingual educational system that values the children's indigenous culture and languages whilst encouraging them to acquire skills that will help them be able to make decisions about their futures. I worked with indigenous student teachers on arts projects preparing for the Garma Festival. I stayed with my friend Djapirri, who adopted me as her sister. She is a constant source of inspiration to me.I travelled round India, solo again, for 2 months in 2005 - what a crazy, beautiful, unexpected, shocking, inside-out country that is!I am a teacher, artist (painter/photographer), musician (singer-songwriter - guitar/vocals), poet, eclectronic dj, sometime rock-climber, party diva, traveller, friend, joiner-inner, giggler, optimist.life is a journey and you've got to remember to look out of the window...and occasionally step off the train! There is a reason for everything and many lessons wait to be learned. I am blessed - in my experience the universe always provides (though not always at the time i want it to!!). I trust it implicitly.