What makes an activist? What makes one person speak out against injustice while another will be content to get angry at the TV news? What makes the activist so determined to make her or his voice heard, often against powerful odds? This book looks for answers in the personal stories of 46 Australians, young and old, fighting to be heard in a range of areas including human rights, gender issues, and the environment.
'Being an activist is about being more than yourself. It is about creating a better world.' - Khadija Gbla, cross-cultural activist
'In my time as an activist, I have learned two main things: do what you are able to do, and never lose heart.' - Julian Burnside, barrister, human rights and refugee advocate, and author
'Words have been my principal weapon of choice.’ - Anne Layton-Bennett, environmental activist
'We know instinctively if something is unfair or wrong. The greatest challenge is how to change that idea into the courage, passion and wisdom that enables us to act to make a change for the better.’ Jim Douglas, community activist
Praise for Breaking the Boundaries:
'
Breaking the Boundaries doesn’t shy from acknowledging the significant struggles activists
endure. Yet in the face of challenges, its voices nonetheless resonate with energy and hope, making
this book a deeply inspiring and empowering read for anyone who has ever dreamed of making a
difference.' - Amelia Walker,
Transnational Literature
'Though there are a number of things that make this book worth reading, it is its diversity in contributors that truly makes
Breaking the Boundaries stand out. It is a reminder that activists come in many different guises ... Reading this book as a young Australian is a big reassurance, particularly given how easy it can be to question your worth when you have little experience and less knowledge than other activists might.
Breaking the Boundaries introduces readers to the idea that, though there are sometimes limits to what you can do, it is better to have done something than never to have tried.' - Alyssia Tennant,
Right Now
'These are inspirational stories, stories that give the lie to pessimistic belief that
it’s all too hard and nothing can be done. We need to ensure that each new generation learns this message: that they can make a difference ...' - Lisa Hill,
ANZ Litlovers Litblog
'
Breaking the Boundaries gives many possible ways on how to achieve improvements, what works and what doesn’t ... The stories show that changes can, and have been, achieved by ordinary methods and ordinary people.' - Nic Klaassen,
Flinders Ranges Research
'Readers will enjoy reading the book from cover to cover in order to immerse themselves in the variety of ways in which individual Australians have pursued their causes ... Those who are willing to take up causes will not lack inspiration after reading
Breaking the boundaries.' - Elizabeth Bor,
Read Plus
'Such a marvellous collection - it is so uplifting to read what individuals by perseverance and hard work have managed to achieve. I recommend it to anyone feeling a bit depressed by current world events; it is a great reminder that there are many good and dedicated people working for the betterment of others, and who are continuing in that life work.' - Helen Eddy,
Read Plus
'f you’re looking for a book about Australian activism and what makes someone stand up for what they believe in, look no further.' -
Tinted Edges
Yvonne Allen has a background in education and information services. Her activism began with opposition to the Vietnam War and the rise of the Women’s Liberation Movement in the late 1960s and early 1970s. She was the first coordinator of Adelaide’s Women’s Studies Resource Centre in 1975, and was involved in the women’s health movement. Now retired from the paid workforce, she works with the Kaurna people in her local community and is convenor of a small Adelaide-based NGO working in western Myanmar (Burma), India and Malaysia to improve health outcomes, particularly in relation to HIV/AIDS, and support education for refugee children.
Joy Noble has worked as a social worker and administrator in South Australia, and as a community worker with women in New Guinea. She was the first woman to be appointed, in the early 1970s, to the position of regional director in South Australia’s Department for Community Welfare. Her books relating in particular to volunteering have sold widely throughout Australia. In 2002, she was awarded an AM for ‘services to the development of the principles and practice of volunteering and as a contributor to the
academic body of knowledge in the field of volunteering’.