The Ethos Foundation has had a year of significant change and growth. It has been an exciting time, a process of transition and now at the start to the 08/09 year and we want to share the highlights of our journey with you our supporters and colleagues.

In its first three years, The Ethos Foundation has established itself throughout the sustainability education movement not only in SEQ and NNSW, but nationally through its programmes and international speakers tours including Satish Kumar Resurgence – UK 2007), and Judy Wicks (BALLE- USA 2008). Ethos would like to acknowledge the tremendous energy and generosity of so many supporters that have contributed to raising the profile of the Ethos Foundation in this period.

Ethos recognises that our partnerships with other organisations has been the key to the significant development in the breadth and reach of our work. The holarchy of our organisation is represented through its understanding of its role, in parts and wholes, as a community facilitator, a regional think tank, an innovator for learning models, and as a participant in the sustainability movement across the globe.

Our beginnings were intertwined with the land at Binna Burra, however the realisation that our work is not located in one place has allowed us to grow beyond this original assumption. The property development at BinnaBurra has changed, and Ethos Foundation is now a self-sustaining independent not for profit organisation.

In 2007/08 we created and delivered a range of programs including:

• August 2007 Climate Change Leaders Roundtable - A 1-day roundtable at the Queensland Parliament House with Education and Arts Minister Rod Welford and Canadian political scientist Professor Thomas Homer Dixon. The focus of this event was bringing together bioregional leaders from government, business and community to engage in transition thinking for SEQ and northern NSW. Out of this event came the desire for community-based roundtables which the Learning4AChange program is now addressing.
• In December 2007, Ethos was awarded an AusIndustry grant, in partnership with the Scenic Rim Regional Council, to deliver a two-year program in the Scenic Rim Region called Building Sustainable Small Business. (BSSB). The program delivers hands-on practical sustainability learning to small businesses and is proving popular, demonstrating the growing interest that the business community has in developing sustainability planning. For more information on this program visit www.bssb.org.au or contact Jan McGregor, the program co-ordinator.
• In April 2008 Sally MacKinnon, our Executive Officer who navigated the organisation through its first successful years, decided to focus her work on our consulting arm, Ethos Consulting. Sally works with progressive governments and government departments, commercial and corporate operations, small to medium enterprises and not for profits specialising in social and environmental sustainability. Ethos Consulting is a vital, self-funding mechanism for the Foundation. We would like to specially acknowledge her drive, energy and commitment to Ethos.
• May 2008 Going Local with Judy Wicks - The Going Local program hosted over 10 days brought together people and organisations interested in building the sustainability and resilience of their local communities. The program included events in Brisbane, Melbourne, NNSW and the Sunshine Coast. Our keynote speaker, Judy Wicks, is an international pioneer of sustainable business and co-founder of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) in the United States.
• May 2008 Time of Transition / Art science project and exhibition with Gold Coast City Art Gallery - A group of ten artists from northern NSW and southern Queensland formed in 2006 as part of an Art/Science project with the Ethos Foundation. Their exploration began with a 3-day Courageous Conversation and has focused on an interdisciplinary dialogue between artist and scientist to deepen their understandings and broaden their responses to both ecological change and crisis. ‘Time of Transition’ examined environmental challenges facing contemporary society from the broad issue of climate change to specific issues of interdependency, the problems of waste and loss of biodiversity.View Time of Transition Gallery.
  
• In June 2008, Ethos was awarded a grant from the Commonwealth Department of Water, Environment, Heritage and the Arts to develop and pilot a sustainability engagement and learning program that operates in collaboration with local government, business, community, youth and education sectors. Engaging4AChange and Learning4AChange (E4AC/L4AC) is a nested model for engaging communities in learning for sustainability across council regions and aims to facilitate the emergence of transition strategies across a given region. There is also a youth leadership component to the project. For more information on this program please contact the project co-ordinator, Angela Ballard

In our transition process over the last few months, Ethos recognised its work has now spread significantly across SEQ and NNSW and it funding resources are changing to include both regional to national programs.

To reflect this direction of growth, our strategic focus is to create learning models and education programs that can be delivered across Australia with other flagship partners.
Ethos Consulting is also in a phase of expansion and is seeking to identify potential consultants to join us in 2009. Please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further information.

One result of our bigger picture thinking is that Ethos now runs a virtual office. We collaborate through a unique producers group that strengthens our partnerships and brings new ideas and projects to Ethos. We are also participating in the development of new projects that have been seeded through Ethos’ support.

One of these future projects in NNSW will be facilitated by Ken McLeod who has been a key contributor to Ethos programme development throughout 2007/08. We wish Ken the very best for the success of this work.

Our board has grown to include Morag Gamble, director of SEED international, and Dr. Ron Tooth, Principal of Pullenvale Environmental Education Centre, Queensland Dept of Education, Sarah Moles, a natural resource educator and Murray/Darling activist; alongside founding members John O'Brien and Tim Medhurst (Chairman). Our thanks to the outgoing Board members - Andrew Perkins, Susanne Knowles, Phillip Crockford and especially to our outgoing Chairmain Alastair McCracken, for all their contributions.

The board provides active support of the team and its projects through our interim Executive Officer Kamya O’Keeffe. Kamya has facilitated the transition process since May and is now focusing on EF’s strategic goals and partnership development.

Emily Pearce’s valuable ongoing work continues on our website and digital communications. We also welcome back Jane Medhurst who will be taking over the bookkeeping.

If you would like to contact any of the Ethos Team click here

We look forward to the year ahead with,- gratitude for our achievements, commitment to our work and the strengthening of our existing relationships, and the joy of acknowledging our shared values in the generation of new partnerships, programs and opportunities to create a more resilient sustainable future.

The Ethos Team