The Centre for Regenerating Futures
Trimester 1 is underway and we start to settle into our new ways of working. We trust that you are now able to bring your focus around to research and to think about how to enact and enliven your program across this year.
This week we will hold our first of four On Country events for the year. Although it can be difficult to carve out time for these days, those who attend always report that it is time well spent. On Thursday we’ll be taking some time before the start of Trimester 1 for walking and sharing research, the arts, culture, yarning and food on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung Country, Naarm. The details are in the newsletter, read on
Regenerating futures is what our centre is about, and as you will see in the news below, there is a great deal being generated both within the CRF and beyond. In times when we see so much that is degenerative and extractive, there is hope when seeing people taking action and putting ‘life and connection at the heart of every decision’. Damon Gameau’s Regenerators platform and short film is a call to action, and we amplify this and many other initiatives in our fortnightly newsletter and through our CRF strategies.
Wominjeka, welcome back to 2025 – a new year that brings change, challenges, and possibilities. We ignite our third year as a Faculty Centre knowing there is much to do and being mindful of how we go about it. The imperatives of the Centre: Anthropocene challenges; Decolonising knowledge and practices; and nurturing our supportive community or researchers, are more needed than ever before.
What a year… Jo and I feel pleased with the CRF developments, achievements, and outcomes… and we hope you do too. We feel CRF is co-constructing a community that is actively engaging in a wide range of important considerations and undertaking practices that are engaging and inclusive. We are attempting to provide opportunities for you to continue to build your capacity as researchers through targeted strategies and funding. We are growing our networks to develop a broad ranging community that can interact and mentor.
This week we welcome new allied members – Kathie Ardzejewska and Jane Merewether (both from Edith Cowan University). Along with Sandra Wooltorton (The University of Notre Dame – Australia) and David Rousell (RMIT) they are part of the group who are leading the appreciative inquiry called “Culturally Regenerative Universities”. The CRF will be participating in this project, and we are looking forward to designing and conducting our own appreciative inquiry next year.
As the weather remains variable across the state and the week, we must be ready for anything. Our seasons shift from poorneet to Gurru – the grasses are seeding and drying. The CFA – Country Fire Authority are gearing up for a big year this year.
Have you planned your Goal Setter meeting yet? See below for details about this strategy for CRF members (only) at the end of 2024. The closing date for this strategy is the 13th December.
The CRF has a number of activities left this year: Futures Fora, On Country #5 – a Critical Forest Collaboratory, and strand events. All strands now have significant programs underway – please read on.
The CRF reported our annual activities at the SoE gathering this week. With two slides and an audio report we represented the importance of building our community and strengthening our research capacity. We did not report the metrics – we did not conform to the neo-liberal rhetoric that more is better. We focussed on our community and capacity building strategies, and we showcased the great On Country event we shared with Lowell Hunter.