Copykatcopy

Today I attended the Summer Symposium with the Victorian Skills Authority : Disability, VET, and the Workplace.
And it is one of those days that stays with you.
The room was filled with honesty, vulnerability and lived experiences that people so generously shared.
Hearing directly from individuals about the barriers they’ve faced - and also importantly, what actually works - was both confronting and incredibly powerful.
It’s a reminder that many systems are designed for people, instead of with them. And that’s where the real shift happens.
Consultation. Co-creation. Co-design.
It’s the difference between something that looks good on paper and something that genuinely works in the real world. Disability inclusion, gender equity, intersectionality or cultural diversity, if we want people to thrive, we need to build systems that reflect realities, not assumptions. The mould does not represent many. Often, if someone doesn't fit, they get told it's them that's the issue, not the system. Today was a brilliant exampling of the possibilities of listening, including, and positioning people with lived experiences to design systemic changes. We have such a history of not seeing people with lived experiences as being an authority on their own lives, whether it's trauma, disadvantage, homelessness, family violence, disabilities, the list goes on.
It also reminded me of the quiet strength of single mums who fought for years to overturn the ParentsNext program - despite it being found to breach human rights, it continued for far too long. It took sustained advocacy before their voices were truly heard. It reinforced something I learned during my counselling training: at the heart of person-centred practice is the belief that, given the right conditions, people already hold the answers within themselves.
If we applied that thinking to education and workplaces, the focus shifts. It’s not about fixing people - it’s about creating environments where individuals have the support, autonomy and conditions to thrive in their own way.
And when we do that - everyone benefits.

Well that's a wrap 🎁 on the Christmas comp!!

It's been a lot of fun to put together over the last several weeks - behind the scenes it's also been weeks of planning, adding website pages, app settings, graphic designing, copywriting, laughing at terrible Santa jokes 🎅🏼 (and keeping the best ones), trying to keep up with socials, scheduling, and trying to remember which week it is we're on whilst announcing the previous week's winner and prepping the following week!

It's taken a lot of conscious effort to get it all right 😅😅😅😅and figuring out how to make something genuinely fun for our members at the busiest time of year.
 
What started as a simple idea turned into a great reminder of why we do what we do at FTMA Australia - connecting people, supporting our members, and creating moments that feel a little lighter during an otherwise tough year for the industry.
 
Seeing the engagement roll in each week, celebrating our winners, and watching members jump into the competition via the new FTMA members app has honestly been the best part. Having everything in one place - competitions, HR resources, industry reports and community connection - is exactly what we’re aiming for, and it’s been rewarding to see it in action.
The members app is part of a bigger project - implementing the new CRM for FTMA -which has taken up a chunk of my life for nearly this whole year! Just sayin' 😂😅😂.
 
Huge thanks to everyone who entered, shared a laugh, and helped make this such a fun way to wrap up the year.
 
Sometimes the best work doesn’t feel like work at all - this one’s been a joy from start to finish 🎄✨
 

I recently purchased a copy of Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice by Virginia Roberts Giuffre via eBay.com.au
What arrived was confronting — not because of the content, but because it was an illegally reproduced version. The book had no copyright page, no publishing information, no ISBN, and consisted of photographed pages rather than a legitimate print or digital edition. Slapped together on cheap paper, and retailing for a similar price to the local shops.

This might seem minor to some, but it’s not.
When books like this are pirated or illegally reproduced, it actively disempowers survivors, writers, and creators — particularly those who have already had so much taken from them. Memoirs like Nobody’s Girl are not just books; they are acts of courage, labour, and truth-telling. They exist because someone chose to relive trauma in order to seek justice and help others feel less alone.

Stripping away authorship, publishing rights, and royalties silences that work. It removes agency from the very people whose voices deserve protection and respect. It also undermines ethical storytelling, survivor advocacy, and the creative industries that support these stories being told safely and responsibly.

If we care about justice, equity, and amplifying survivor voices, we also have to care about how we consume these stories.
Support authors. Buy legitimate copies. Report pirated material when you see it.
Because justice doesn’t stop at believing survivors — it includes respecting their work.

And yes, my lesson is that I will not be buying anything more online this Christmas if retailers cannot confirm the legality nor validity of what they sell. I felt so sick when I realised what I held in my hands that I went straight to my independent bookstore and bought another copy. A legal copy! One that will fund sales back to the publishers, and the recipients of Virginia's legacy.

I've worked with victims and survivors of abuse, I have been through my own, and I will not turn away from something that directly sabotages our ability to honour survivors’ voices and protect their right to be heard.

I have registered a complaint with eBay... and now I decide the fate of something that shouldn't exist.

Yesterday's VSA Summer Symposium on Skills, Gender, Intersectionality & Equity was a powerful reminder of how much possibility exists when diverse voices come together.

It was an honour to sit alongside such thoughtful, passionate people at my table — each of us bringing our own insights, lived experiences, and personal journeys. What struck me most was how quickly a group of strangers can build trust when the conversation turns to equity, opportunity, and the stories that shape who we are.

We spoke openly about the barriers we’ve faced, the progress we’ve seen, and the work that still lies ahead. The data on the gender pay gap remains significant, and it’s clear that structural inequities continue to affect women and gender-diverse people across Victoria’s skills and training system. And you know what? That's a massive proportion of our population - not a minority.
Yet yesterday's discussions also highlighted something just as important: the power of collaboration, shared understanding, and collective resolve.

Events like this matter. They remind us that change isn’t just driven by policy — it’s shaped by the people willing to speak up, listen deeply, and push for a more inclusive, equitable future.

Thank you to the Victorian Skills Authority and the inspiring speakers for creating a space where real conversations can happen. And thank you to the incredible individuals at my table — your stories will stay with me. Sameera Aduru Michaela Sargeant Shingie Pasi Daniel Zambello

Here’s to continuing the work, challenging the gaps, and lifting each other as we go.

https://annotationk8.wordpress.com/2025/12/12/reframing-equity-reflections-from-the-vsa-summer-symposium/

Hey just wondering how environmental your sports gel packaging is? Over a 2.5km stretch of my local beautiful countryside trail, I picked up 9 of these. 7 of them are your product. Would love hear if they can be recycled? Or can they biodegrade? I tried checking your website, but couldn't find any information.

Hard trying to work with such sweetness ❤️