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 (Formerly the Project to Make Wellbeing a National Priority)
Andrew Gaines, Convener
Given Australia's ecological and social deterioration, many of us believe wellbeing rather than sheer economic increase should be our national focus. We need to reorganise every level of our society to be ecologically viable and humane.
For ecological sustainability and social wellbeing to become priorities at a national level they must be understood at a personal level. Accordingly the Futures Foundation has launched the Project to Make Wellbeing a National Priority.
The Project combines a national grass roots educational program with briefings for particularly influential people.
The goal is for people to systematically think through the many changes that are possible and necessary to create a viable society for the future, and then work within their sphere of influence to actually bring about those changes. At the least, people will be prepared to intelligently support leaders who arise with constructive initiatives.
The vision is to mobilise thousands of facilitated discussion groups around Australia, and also produce events and workshops. As an outcome we want to turn the tide towards environmental sustainability and social health.
To support this effort we have developed:
An 8-week Discussion Group course. The manual, Evolving_a_World_That_Works, explores the systemic connections between ecology, industrial design, economics and psychology, thus enabling us to identify constructive points of change that can shift the system for the better.
There are many suggested_books. Scroll down to find a list of supporting_articles with links to the actual articles.
Workshops and training
1-day Leadership Forums for making Australia a world leader in ecological sustainability and social wellbeing. These Forums give you an integrated overview of how economics, psychology and the environment work together. They equip you, if you so choose, to lead a discussion group using the Manual.
The Project Overview - tells more about the Project
Issues & Ideas Forum
This Forum is a space for us to explore ideas relating to the process of achieving a cultural shift to well-being in Australia. It is an opportunity to present unsolved problems, or to request help on a particular problem... and as well as presenting feedback and observations on what has worked.
Special teaching modules using graphics
This is a growing library of short teaching modules. Only a few people can read and integrate large amounts of information. Using graphics makes it much easier for people to see patterns of connection.
You are welcome to download these modules from this web site, and use them in your own teaching or in conversations with friends and colleagues.
You are also invited to submit new modules or improve the modules we have. Contact andrew.gaines@futuresfoundation.org.au
Friends_of_the_ProjectThese are organisations and individuals who support the Project.
Contact us To find out more about the Project, or to register your interest as a Discusiion Group facilitator, please contact
Andrew Gaines:
(02) 4782 2004
andrew.gaines@futuresfoundation.org.au
Project supported by:
Schweisfurth Foundation (Germany)
Photo Credit: Torvald Lekvam
Supporting Articles
Thinking Skills
Partnership or dominator - which style will shape our future?
Ecological limits and positive initiatives
Economics
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Balson, Scott
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Multinationals have paid little or no tax in Australia
How money is drained out of Australia.
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Global Trade Watch
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The Shrinking Gains from Trade - Global Trade Watch
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Komisar, Lucy
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How Big Business Evades Taxes
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Levy, Nicole
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Mother Nature and Her Dedicated Sweethearts vssweethearts vs. the Problem Children
Charming clarity from a seventh grader who was impressed by Donella Meadows.
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Lietaer, Bernard
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Beyond Greed and Scarcity
Alternative currencies for a positive world
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Littora, Gary
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How freight drives us to unsustainable outcomes in Sydoutcomes in Sydney
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McFadden, Louis T.
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The Federal Reserve as a Public Swindle
Congressman McFadden was angry that a private bank was given control of the United States money supply.
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Montague, Tim
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Re-establishing Local Economies
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Norberg-Hodge, Helen et al
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Ripe for Change - rethinking California's food economy
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Rothbard, Murray
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Fractional Reserve Banking
Clearly explains how money enters the economy in America
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Sapolsky, Robert
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How Income Inequality Makes People Sick
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Steffen, Alex
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Ending Poverty
Explores low cost approaches to ending absolute poverty
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Warby, Michael et al
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Two articles against the Accord plus one for it
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Cellular Health
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Author unknown
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Why GM Free - includes business case for organic farming
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Bate, Phil
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The Health Revolution
Makes the process of sorting out mental issues through supplying key nutrients and eliminating allergies come alive.
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Borlag, Norman
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The Green Revolution Revisited - Norman Borlag
Norman Borlag is the scientist who developed the ‘Green Revolution'
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Clapp, Richard et al
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Environmental and Occupational Causes of Cancer - A Review of Recent Scientific Literature
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Fischer, Douglas
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Half Of Breast Cancers Tied to the Environment
Analysis of 350 studies finds half of cases are unrelated to genetic risk or lifestyle choices
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ox, MagFgie
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Unborn Babies Soaked in Chemicals, Survey Finds
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Mercola, Joseph
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Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US, Causing 250,000 Deaths Every Year http://www.mercola.com/2000/jul/30/doctors_death.htm
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Montague, Peter
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Cancer stats, industrial toxins and the economic system
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Morris, Jeff
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The diseases of aging are a result of toxins - therefore detox older people
A new scientific perspective emerging.
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Rath, Matthias
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Cellular Health Series - Cancer
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The Healthy Foundation
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Children + vitamines = increased school attendance
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Wikopedia
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The Green Revolution - Wikopedia
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CODEX and the TGA
Healthy childrearing
Mental Heath
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Breggin, Peter
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Psychostimulants in the treatment of children diagnosed with ADD ADHD: Risks and mechanism of action.
How Ritalin and other drugs damage kid's brains. Scientific review of the literature.
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Coultan, Mark
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Reduced overall armed conflict and death
Good news that supports deMause's assertion that as childhood improves wars reduce
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Gaines, Andrew
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Quick Renewal Through Nurturing Touch
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Hill, Stuart B
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Spontaneity and being in the present are the most reliable indicators of psychological and emotional wellbeing
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Hoffer, Abraham
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Mental Health Treatment That Works
The key (and cheap) nutrients that will reduce much mental illness.
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Prescott, James W.
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Body Pleasure And The Origins Of Violence
Nurturing touch in childhood is crucial for healthy societies.
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Prescott, James W.
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Pleasurable touch in prisons
Prisons should make people healthier, not more hardened.
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Seed, John
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Rituals to remind us we are par of the web of life are essential
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Stanley, Fiona
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The Real Brain Drain - Why Putting Children First Is So Important For Australia
Links worsening statistics on children's health to economic rationalism
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Von Hilsheimer, George
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Using Biofeedback To Treat The Untreatable
A remarkable account of how bio-feedback reduced prison recidivism to 15- 45 %. Could be easily replicated.
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Whitaker, Robert
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Drugs increase mental illness
Evidence that adult's brains are damaged by common prescription drugs
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Corporate Evil
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Author unknown
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The Revolving Door Between Business and Government
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Britt, Lawrence
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The 14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism
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Gaines, Andrew
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Who Will Stand Up For Democracy?
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Gittins, Ross
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WorkChoices class war By Ross Gittins
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Hartmann. Thom
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Nixon eliminating fear and neo-1Cons Reinvigorating It
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Ho, Mae-Wan
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Puncturing the GM Myths
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Leser, Eric
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Carlyle Empire
How US Presidents and presidential advisors profit through Carlyle, a major military investment company
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Light, Luise
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The Shocking Truth Behind the Original Food Guide Pyramid
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Montague, Tim
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Science Under Seige
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Rapielle, Clotaire
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Reptilian Advertising - Interview with Clotaire Rapiel
A method of finding people's deep emotional resonances with specific products, so that advertisers can play on them. Brilliant & nefarious.
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Projects 
