Welcome to the ESP community online. ESP is a non-profit collective started by students with a shared interest in international development, that aims to promote awareness of and engagement with issues of equality, sustainability and peace for all people, everywhere.
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1pm-2pm Thursday 13th of May 2010 at La Trobe University Agora Cinema
Brian Walters is a Melbourne Barrister who has been involved in a number of human rights and environmental cases and campaigns. A founding member of the Greens Party in Victoria in 1992, he is standing as the Greens candidate for the state seat of Melbourne in the upcoming 2010 Victorian state election.
A captivating public speaker, he is coming to La Trobe to talk about the up and coming 2010 election and the future of the political green movement in Australia.
4pm-7pm Monday 10th of May 2010 at La Trobe University Room SS423
Many activists use nonviolent tactics but don’t achieve the full value of the action because it’s not connected to a strategy, or to a richer understanding of how nonviolent action works.
People turn to tactics of nonviolent struggle when other channels of social change seem blocked: when the electoral arena seems inadequate, lobbying and the courts hold little promise. Across the world there is growing alienation from the conventional institutions of change, and yet change is needed. Cliamte change action is an example of when change is clearly needed but our governments and corporations are unwilling to change. This is precisely the situation when, historically, mass movements have turned to nonviolent struggle. The question is: will we learn the hard-won lessons from people’s movements or try to re-invent the wheel every time?
This Non-Violent Direct Action training run by long time non-violence trainer is kicking off this years Environment and Social Justice Week at La Trobe University. Even if you do not see yourself being and non-violent activist it is worth coming along to understand the principles of non-violence and the ideas behind creating more peaceful communities.
Coming from small beginings the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival is now one of Melbourne’s premier events. HRAFF features film, art, music, dance, literature, speakers, poetry, forums and community initiatives which illuminate a range of stories from people from all over the planet.
While many events simply preach to the converted, HRAFF gets the message of human rights to the wider community. If you get a chance you should check out what’s on offer this year.
HRAFF’s film component will showcase powerful, thought provoking and moving human rights features and shorts from local and international film makers. Taking place in Melbourne from April 30 – May 9 at Capitol Theatre and Cinema Nova.
The Art Exhibition, entitled Compassion and Commitment: Starting from Home, runs from the 23rd of April to the 6th of May at the Collingwood Gallery.
Following the event in Melbourne from April 23 – May 9, a selection of the program will then travel around the country to Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Brisbane.
The last Friday of every month people meet at 5:30pm in front of the State Library in Melbourne to take back our roads from cars. This is a great opportunity to have a bit of fun in a relaxed environment and show others that riding is a better way to travel.
It’s clear we need to move away from our obsession over petrol and combustion engines, and start moving around our environment in more sustainable manner. However this is only one of the reasons why we should ride bicycles…
- -Peaceful: Cycling causes no harm to others, riding a bicycle does not pollute, injure, or impede others personal growth.
- -Social: Riding allows for interaction with others. Unlike the car you can talk to the person next to you.
- -Cheep: No more paying for petrol, parking, insurance, costly repairs, or public transport.
- -Healthy: Cycling improves health, fitness and well-being.
In addition to all of this the bicycle do not pretend to free us from our natural environment. When you ride a bike you are forced to notice your surroundings and appreciate the world for it for what it is.
This program introduces students of anthropology and some other social sciences (archaeology, cultural heritage, environmental management, history, human geography and sociology) to career opportunities in native title, policy, social justice and Indigenous affairs.
Welcome to the ESP community online. This is the new site with a layout we hope will mean easier access to informaion and more updates.
Who we are:
ESP evolved from the La Trobe University international development students’ club, in Melbourne, Australia. We welcome the involvement of all people who wish to contribute positively to the way in which equality, sustainability and peace are experienced around the world.
Our values and principles:
We believe that equality, sustainability and peace are inherently related, and that to uphold people’s equal rights and access to resources and to develop and learn sustainable ways of living, is to naturally promote peace.
The ESP Manifesto by Dr Alberto Gomes outlines the basis of our ideas and concepts about ESP. Dr Gomes introduced the concept of ESP for AlterNative Development in his unit on ‘Development, Globalisation and Culture’ at La Trobe University in 2008. He is currently writing a book on this concept.
Additionally, we believe that development, and the well-being of all people, can very often be attained by learning from principles of indigenous knowledge and the practices of many native peoples. We believe that development should also address the ways in which people of the Global North affect and promote environmental degradation, underdevelopment and poverty through their ways of life.
We believe that ESP can be achieved for all people.
Our approach:
We aim to promote awareness of and engagement with issues of ESP, or Equality, Sustainability and Peace for all people around the world. We aim to build networks, to develop educational activities and engender change by providing information, resources and tools for action, both here and globally.
Weekly Meetings:
We meet each week on Thursdays at 4:00pm in room SS423 on the Bundoora campus of La Trobe University. Please come along to our informal gatherings for a chat.