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Founders Message | |||||||||||||||
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Greetings! There must be so many exhilarating ways for us all to respect this gift; to feel and demonstrate daily gratitude; to share with others this amazing verse that life treats us to. After all, life is the very thing that binds us, to treat it with indifference or even contempt only lacerates that bond and inevitably brings suffering and misery. There are brilliant and compassionate individuals and organisations that lift and dignify the human spirit through their inspirational, yet often humble, commitment to care. Isn’t it their direction that encourages and even propels us toward harmony and peace? So let’s validate them; let’s validate their work and hold high and celebrate their values, principles and achievements. Conversely, look at what happens to the human spirit when this gift of life is not respected, when spirituality and psychological health and deep ethics are ignored or even blatantly destroyed. Too many people, animals and forests have had their gift of life stained, abused and even shamefully destroyed by rampant acquisitiveness, greed, corruption, global lies / manipulation, self-servingness and opportunism – symptoms of fear and ignorance. When these things are embraced we can only be propelled into darkness, the darkness that is evidenced by war, destruction and pollution. These poisons pollute our skies, our waters, our earth, our bodies, our hearts, our minds, our animals and our plants. But there are giants among us who throw light on these horrors with their adherence to integrity, humanitarianism, altruism, kindness, compassion, vision and courage. To those people and organisations… gargantuan thanks. Let’s not allow fear and ignorance to, as is the case with cancer, destroy its host (life). Many years ago, inspired by great spiritual and psychological leaders, I went on an adventure into the very ‘soul’ of this gift of life and what it is to be human and to be passionately alive. The answers were simple. Embrace and live a life rich in values – stand for authenticity, passion, integrity, humour, compassion, joyfulness... In 1997 the annual Australian Humanitarian Awards were born. The following year our first awards presentation evening took place. And boy, was it successful. When I saw how so many people yearned for connection with others, it was confirmed that we were on the right track. The richness of living and acting for others will sure get that gift of life dancing inside you. Now we have new awards (The Turtle Awards
– ‘Acknowledging leaders who stick their necks out for the
common good…’), new programs and a zest to joyfully support
positive social change; to play our part in creating an ethically, spiritually
and psychologically healthy Australia. Shane Holst |
Patron Dr. 'Patch Adams and Founder of Altruism Australia, Shane Holst. |
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