Please see the message below from the Melbourne Social Forum, www.melbournesocialforum.org.

The Melbourne Social Forum is one of Melbourne’s most diverse and dynamic gatherings of people for social change. The MSF creates open public spaces to discuss, share and act on ideas for sustainable social and ecological justice. Annual MSF events bring together hundreds of community organisers, activists, artists and writers for environmental & social change.

Melbourne Social Forum organisers are planning a forum for April 2009, and are seeking volunteers, organisers and student interns to fill a variety of roles in the following areas:

• Event management
• Media and publicity
• Art and design
• Project management
• Promotion and outreach
• Administration
• Networking
• Web development
• Food and drink co-ordination
• Opening night speakers co-ordination
• Workshop co-ordination

Make a difference! Gain valuable work experience while participating in a global movement of citizens building a sustainable and just world. To find solutions for the issues our society and our planet face today, we need to come together! Building bridges between progressive thinkers and organisations, MSF participants create new community links, strengthen relationships, develop ideas and share visions. Help us build a forum that will make progress on problems big and small! To find out how you can get involved,visit : www.melbournesocialforum.org

This forum will provide an opportunity for individuals, community, business, agricultural sectors, government and academics to share learnings from the evaluation of the 9 local government authorities* involved in the Food for All program. Food for All aims to improve access to foods for healthy eating and food security.** The Hon. Joe Helper MP, Minister for Agriculture and Small Business will open the Forum.

SEMINAR DETAILS
Date: Friday 1 August 2008
Time: 9.00AM – 4.00PM
Venue: Sunshine Convention Centre Victoria University, Sunshine Campus, 460 Ballarat Road, Sunshine

Getting There: The Sunshine Convention Centre is at the Victoria University Sunshine Campus, on the corner of Ballarat Road and Westmoreland Road. Albion Station is a 10-minute walk along Ballarat Road (Western Road) from the Sunshine Convention Centre; buses also pass the venue.

Melways Ref: 26 J10

Parking: All day parking for $2 is available at the back of the Convention Centre (ensure that you park in the white lined areas or risk a fine).

Registration: Registration is free. Places are limited: registrations must be received by 23 July 2008.

Successful applicants will be notified within 1 week of registration.

Wheelchair Access

This forum will feature:

• A presentation by the evaluator of the Food for All program,Dr Meg Montague.
• Six workshops by project officers and/or their partners in which they will share strategies and insights from their activities to improve access to nutritious food and food security.
• Recently funded projects in non-health sectors that strengthen and complement the work of Food for All program, including the Planning Institute of Australia (Vic), Deakin University and the Victorian Local Governance Association.
• Two panels facilitated by Dr Norman Swan, multi-award winning producer and presenter of ABC Radio National’s Health Report:
  • What is Food Security and Why Should We Care?
    Dr Cate Burns (VicHealth Research Fellow) will present a background to food insecurity in Victoria, while perspectives will come from Prof. Boyd Swinburn (WHO Collaborating Centre on Obesity Prevention and Related Research and Training), Mr Ian James (Economic Consultant to the Vegetable Industry), Mr Marcus Godinho (FareShare, formerly known as One Umbrella) and Ms Kirsten Larsen (Victorian Eco Innovation Lab).
  • Reflection and Response to Opportunities and Challenges
    Highlighted by Dr Meg Montague’s Food for All evaluation findings. Panel members will include representatives from several government departments. A publication of case studies illustrating strategies implemented by individual projects will be launched and available for participants on the day.

Learning from the Field Forum - Flyer Registration Form [.doc]

For more than 30 years the Victorians Schools¹ Garden Awards have encouraged school communities to utilise their gardens and grounds effectively, and have supported the full development of every student. Indeed, the Awards provide a great opportunity for students to explore fresh ideas in the face of water scarcity and climate change.

All Victorian schools are invited to enter the Awards program by completing the attached entry form. Schools and regions affected by drought are especially encouraged to participate, thereby expanding traditional notions of what gardening can embrace or lead to.

Judges will visit entrant schools during Term 3, and regional winners and state finalists will be announced during Term 4. In late October, popular gardening personality Jane Edmanson (and her team of judges) will again take to the skies to visit state finalists, and presentation of the Awards will take place in December.

For those schools who received an Award in 2007, don¹t forget to redeem your prize at a nursery listed on the back of your voucher.

Actions Required

• All Victorian schools are invited to enter the Awards by completing the entry form
• 2007 Award recipients who haven¹t redeemed their prizes are reminded to contact a nursery listed on the back of their prize voucher.

Critical Dates: Entries close on Friday 25 July, 2008.

Additional Information: General information regarding the Victorian Schools¹ Garden Awards is available on the Department¹s website:

URL: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/events/garden/default.htm

For further entry information: Contact Debbie Daks, VSGA Program Coordinator, on 0417 507 574, or visit the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria website

Please see some information below about the “Eat Green Design” event.

Take a peek at the program at…. www.eatgreendesign.com

Details of lunch, dinner and afternoon sessions (including chocolate making on Sunday afternoon!) all up there, along with info on each of the speakers/panels. Something for everyone - from foodies to fashionistas, designers and design lovers.

As for the menu - it sounds mouthwateringly gooooood! Will depend on what is available that week as it’ll all be locally sourced produce with an emphasis on live, bio-dynamic and organic foods but a wee taster of what may be on the menu, courtesy of the chef….
“I am thinking a mountain pepper encrusted “really raw” cashew cheese; cauliflour, as a soup with balsamic red onion and wilted lettuce; a beetroot, carrot and artichoke carpaccio; maybe a red heirloom tomato terrine… bio-dynamic chicken rolled, stuffed and slow cooked; sustainably sourced bio-dynamic silver perch fillets stuffed with a scallop and crab mousse. We will also be showcasing a different biodynamic wine producer each day, and serving some amazing non-alcoholic beverages utilising some wild natives like lime, lemon myrtle, celery and mint.

Brave New World
Design Victoria, together with Furnishing Industry Association of Australia, Soft Furnishing Industry Association of Australia, Sustainability Victoria and Textile Distributors Association present the Design Ready Seminar – Brave new world.

Design Ready seminars demonstrate to Victorian small to medium enterprises how to successfully use design to increase competitiveness, innovation and export performance.

Seminar overview
Prepare to be challenged. Welcome to the new world where only design smart, fast thinking, fast acting industries will survive the global juggernaut that threatens to undermine previous successes and immediate futures.

Hear a design-led success story followed by presentations from leading thinkers and designer/ manufacturers who will deliver new ideas, new technologies, new materials and changes that await manufacturing industries in the new world.

Moderator
Annie Harper - Director, Ideanation

Speaker
Michael Bond - State Sales Manager, Zenith Interiors

Dr Ralph Horne - Director, Centre for Design, RMIT University

Robyn Galloway - Director, Galloway Design Collective / ESO - Environmentally Sustainable Objects

John Eussen - Director, Eussen PR Consulting

Dean Gaylor - Director, Mance Design

Who should attend?
This seminar will benefit in-house furniture/product designers, textile manufacturers, specifiers (wholesalers and distributors) and management of manufacturing businesses.

Seminar details
Friday 18 July 2008
7.15 am to 7.45 am - breakfast and registration
7.45 am to 9.15 am - presentation and question time

Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Level 2, Auditorium
2 Clarendon Street, Southbank

Click here for directions to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre

Free bookings
RSVP by Tuesday 15 July 2008
Bookings are essential for catering.
Please book early as places are limited.

To RSVP please login to the Design Victoria and click ‘Register for Event’ and register your details.

Please direct further enquiries to David McLachlan on +61 3 9925 4195 or events@designvic.com

Related links

• Furnishing Industry Association of Australia (FIAAA)
• Soft Furnishing Industry Association of Australia (SFIAA)
• Sustainability Victoria
• Textile Distributors Association (TDA)

Sustainable House Day is a mainstay event on the national sustainable calendar. Previously known as Solar House Day, the event underwent a name change in 2006 to more accurately reflect the broad range of sustainable features in the participating houses particularly in relation to the focus on the sustainable use of water. The annual event is held on the second weekend of September and is entering its 7th year of operation. The aim of Sustainable House Day is to showcase sustainable design and to encourage the adoption of sustainable design features in existing homes and new homes. The focus is to show how simple, easy and cost effective sustainable living can be.