Nothing would mean anything if I didn’t live a life of use to others. – Angelina Jolie

Across the world, there’s a woman just like me with the same abilities and the same desires, same work ethic and love for her family, who would most likely make better films and better speeches. Only she sits in a refugee camp, and she has no voice. She worries about what her children will eat, how to keep them safe, and if they’ll ever be allowed to return home. I don’t know why this is my life, and that’s hers. I don’t understand that, but I will do as my mother asks. – Angelina Jolie

OK, so I’m a cry baby. I cry easily. It’s my sensitive heart. So yes, I cried when I listened to Angelina’s acceptance speech. It was beautiful and inspiring. But it also made me feel small, overwhelmed and helpless. Especially, in the context of Australia’s current asylum seeker policies. To date I haven’t been a particularly politically minded citizen. However, the current Australian government has woken something up in me that I’d tried to run from for a long time.

And it makes me ask… do I live a life of use to others? Is that ‘use’, really ‘useful’ in the broader context of humanity? So straight to it, every public social media and content marketing event I run from now on, will have a least one place available for a non-for-profit organisation gratis, to help their efforts in living a life of use to others. More to follow.

Read about the current state of Australia’s political immigration football being played:

• The Dream Boat, by Luke Mogelson for the New York Times 17 November 2013

*MUST READ

• Scott Morrison, Australian Immigration MP hard line on mother/infant separation, and mandatory offshore processing as reported by Bridie Jabour for The Guardian 15 November, 2013
• Alienation to alien nation, Julian Burnside QC for The Conversation

19 September *MUST READ

• The New York Times was right to send reporters on a refugee boat to Australia, by Oliver Laughland for The Guardian 10 September 2013

We came by boat – how refugees changed Australian business, Michael Bleby, Caitlin Fitzsimmons, Nassim Khadem for BRW, republished by Sydney Morning Herald 10 September, 2013

• All Manus Island detainees show signs of anxiety and depression by Oliver Laughland for The Guardian, July 2013

Ten myths around asylum seekers arriving on boats in Australian waters by Candace Sutton for news.com.au 10 July 2013
Asylum seekers and refugees: What are the facts, Parliament of Australia, updated 11 February 2013