Hear about the People Power project to represent and empower families and carers

You are invited to hear Mr Vern Hughes of Melbourne speak on the People Power project.

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Deborah & Greg Locke
loc...@bigpond.com
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September 09, 2004

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Thursday 7 October - Burwood RSL - 7.00 pm - 8.30 pm

There are 2.7 million family/carers of people with a disability or a chronic or mental illness in Australia, but we are not represented in politics. We are the most unrepresented and hidden community in Australia. The Greens have shown how to put environmental issues on the agenda - every election their preferences decide the outcome of seats. Is it possible for us to put our issues on the agenda using the same strategy?

If you haven't already joined, we need your support to complete our registration as a Federal Party. So please print off a copy of the attached form and post it back as soon as possible. Or download a copy from our website - http://www.peoplepower.org.au/Membership.htm. (Membership is free of charge.)

Vern Hughes is a parent of two children with autism and mental health issues. He is a committee member of the Autistic Family Support Association in Victoria, and is Executive Director of Social Enterprise Partnerships Ltd. He will answer your questions about the road ahead in putting families and carers on the political map. (Our Steering Committee members are listed below.)

Date: Thursday 7 October
Time: 7.00 pm
Venue: Burwood RSL Club, 96 Shaftesbury Rd, Burwood
(near Burwood railway station)

Entry: Gold coin donation.

Put the date in your diary now!

RSVP: to Deborah Locke: loc...@bigpond.com by 4 October. Tel: 0425 266 834

Debbie Locke
http://www.peoplepower.org.au

PS Over 250 people have already completed our online Family Carer Survey. Add your stories and comments to strengthen our coming campaigns - http://www.peoplepower.org.au/FamilyCarerSurvey.htm.

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Frank Lynch

Proprietor Leisure Footwear, Australian Disability Support Alliance, Melbourne

Frank is a Melbourne businessman and founded the Association for Children with a Disability in 1979. A quarter of a century later, he formed the Australian Disability Support Alliance. Frank was previously active in the Liberal Party.

George Vassilou

Founder, Person by Person, Melbourne

George is an activist in the disability and families field, and is the founder of the pioneering Person by Person project, which enables families to exercise choice and self-governance.

Dell Stagg

Parent and disability/carer activist, Adelaide

Dell is a carer for her 39 year old daughter, and a pioneer in consumer self-management and empowerment strategies. She is currently preparing a proposal for the South Australian Government on the implementation of consumer self-management models.

Anthony Cappello

Catholic social activist, Melbourne

Anthony is a parent, educator and networker in the Catholic community. He is working to re-invent 'distributism', a philosophy which emerged in the Catholic community as a challenge to big government and big capital, with a commitment to devolution of authority to the lowest level of practical decision-making.

Victoria Wardlaw

Entrepreneur and disability activist, Perth
http://womenwa.communitydevelopment.wa.gov.au/pdf/wardlaw.pdf

Victoria is the founder of a company in WA that enables formerly passive recipients of care to become employers and self-managers. As Western Australian Women's Fellowship recipient in 1999, she toured North America in search of strategies for consumer empowerment.

Stephen Mayne

Proprietor, crikey.com.au, Melbourne http://crikey.com.au

Stephen is well known as an internet journalist and business commentator. His daily email bulletin is the most influential e-news outlet in Australia.

Robyn Allcock

Consultant, Sydney http://www.propopuli.net

Robyn is the director of a Sydney-based consultancy which specialises in the development of fundraising, marketing and community education programs. She has spent the past twenty years campaigning for health, environment and social justice causes; and has been active in The Greens.

Maree Wood

The Disability Network, Melbourne

Maree is a parent and family activist in the disability area. She is a long-time networker and activist for the empowerment of families.

Cameron Andrews

The Reid Group, Sydney http://www.reidgroup.org

Cameron is a former staffer for a NSW Independent MP and a former NSW President of the Democrats. He brings an insider's knowledge of the political system to assist outsiders like us to break in.

Tim Wishart

Lawyer, Brisbane

Tim is a partner in a Brisbane city law firm, practicing mainly in litigation with an emphasis on commercial disputes and employment law. He has a passion for political renewal in the state of Queensland.

Vern Hughes

Social Enterprise Partnerships, Melbourne http://www.partnerships.org.au

Vern is Executive Director of Social Enterprise Partnerships and a long-time networker in social enterprise, church, community and co-operative movements. He is also a writer on civil society, empowerment, social policy and political reform.