Yesterday was the day that Sharing Culture received an important boost. A link to the blog I wrote on Tuesday, ‘The Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Part 1, Answering a Call from the Northern Territory of Australia’, appeared on Peter Gabriel’s facebook page.
Yes, Peter Gabriel, the famous musician and human rights activist! Someone I have admired greatly for both his music and human rights activities for decades.
It’s hard to describe how I felt. Elation would be putting it mildly. ‘Bit of an over-reaction’, you might be thinking… but no!
It was so fantastic that this blog - which contained Miliwanga (Mel) Sandy’s letter and art, and a beautiful picture of Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann and Pip Gordon holding a sign saying, ‘Let’s Grow Belonging’ - was being seen by a large new audience.
Many more people are getting to know about Sharing Culture. [The blog Likes went from 167 to 697 in three hours. We’re somewhere over 1,000 Likes now.]
I also felt a strong feeling of relief. I can’t say it has always been easy putting Sharing Culture together - and working on Wired In, my addiction and mental health recovery initiative for many years before that - and it just felt like we were taking a significant step forward.
It’s a strange feeling to explain, but there are other things happening in the background which just suggest to me that we’re moving forward in the right direction. And so there was this strange feeling of relief. Things are coming together. Just need the fundraising to take off as well and things will get VERY exciting!
Pip Gordon and I were plotting on skype earlier today - some exciting things brewing there. I’ll finally meet Pip, and Aunty Miriam and Aunty Mel when I visit Nauiyu and Katherine in two weeks.
Well, time to get on with other things. I’ll leave you with a film clip… And if you don’t know who Peter Gabriel is, then think:
- innovative musician, Albums include So and Scratch My Back - formerly Genesis
- multi-award winning music video Sledgehammer, most played music video in MTV history
- film soundtracks, e.g. Rabbit Proof Fence’s amazing music
- WOMAD (World of Music, Arts and Dance)
- establishing The Elders (launched by Nelson Mandela) with Richard Branson
- WITNESS, human rights video advocacy movement.
Peter won the 2006 Man of Peace Award during the seventh World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates for his ‘commitment to human rights and for his out-spoken rejection of war as a means to solve conflicts.’