Chain Reaction Foundation Ltd
Is Social Media Distorting Traditional Concepts of Belonging and Connecting?
Culture and Country Is Social Media Distorting Traditional Concepts of Belonging and Connecting?

Human beings are hard-wired with a need to belong. From our hunter-gatherer ancestors, through the formation of our cultures, right to the present day, humans have been sociable animals. We form thousands of tiny connections and interactions over the course of our daily lives.

Connection Through Dreaming - Do We Still Take Time to Daydream?
Family Skills and Parental Development Connection Through Dreaming - Do We Still Take Time to Daydream?

Dreams are powerful things, and still represent something of an enigma for the scientific community. At night time, as we sleep and recharge our batteries, our minds delve into a rich treasure trove of memory and knowledge, forging connections between these often unexplored or forgotten pockets of data, and presenting us with a myriad of images and experiences.

The Search for Freedom: Expectation vs Reality
Ethics Religion and Tolerance The Search for Freedom: Expectation vs Reality

In Australia, all of us are said to be 'free.' We can practice whichever religion we want, explore any sexual orientation we wish to, provided it is carried out between consenting adults, and we do not live in fear of an authoritarian or oppressive government.

But how 'free' are we?

Respect, Safety, and Responsibility - How Do Leaders Model 'How to Belong' in Today's World
Leadership Respect, Safety, and Responsibility - How Do Leaders Model 'How to Belong' in Today's World

Leaders, at all levels of society, are called to model these attributes, demonstrating how they can be applied rather than simply extolling their virtues. This means the politicians that serve in government, but also the managers and team leaders in our workplaces, the teachers in our schools, the community figures who work so hard for our society, and the parents and guardians in households across the country; so often the unsung heroes of society.

Religion and Tolerance: Accepting the Differing Beliefs of Others
Ethics Religion and Tolerance Religion and Tolerance: Accepting the Differing Beliefs of Others

Spirituality and religion are personal things. Prejudice and intolerance are not born from these personal quests for meaning and deeper understanding. Instead, they are byproducts of the political and social structures which have been grafted to religion over centuries and millennia of human history. If we can recognise this, 

The Awakening of 'The Spiritual Me': An Age-Old Search for Core Truths
Learning Ground Relevant The Awakening of 'The Spiritual Me': An Age-Old Search for Core Truths

A spiritual understanding of the self is equally as important as a physical, social, or emotional understanding, but it is perhaps the aspect of our self-knowledge which is most often misrepresented. Over the centuries and millennia...

Take a Deep Breath: Getting Caught Up in Those Truly Memorable Moments of Life
Ethics Religion and Tolerance Take a Deep Breath: Getting Caught Up in Those Truly Memorable Moments of Life

Life has a habit of moving fast. No matter how old you are, no matter what you have experienced or accomplished, there will have been a time at which you cast your mind back to recollect a moment from the past, and were shocked by just how long ago that moment was even though it seemed like yesterday.

The Social Me: The Online Experience vs The Physical Presence
Ethics Religion and Tolerance The Social Me: The Online Experience vs The Physical Presence

Let's consider communication and connection in the current landscape, taking into account both the modern experience of online communication and the more traditional one of face to face physical contact. Both are valid and relevant in today's world, and both need to be carefully considered if we are to promote a genuine understanding of ourselves and our positions in society.

The Future of Our Social-Selves: The Effect of Social Media on Australian Parents and their Children
News The Future of Our Social-Selves: The Effect of Social Media on Australian Parents and their Children

There are few modern lives, particularly among the younger generations, which have not been touched by social media. Relationships begin or are nurtured on Facebook. Life milestones are accompanied by a slew of Instagram posts. Debates and conversations - both friendly and acrimonious - are more likely to be conducted on Twitter than face-to-face.

Learning Ground Relevant "Who Is Driving My Bus?": Our Choice for the Road Ahead

As we get older, this should become clearer, but for teenagers, the disconnect between reality and perception can be enormous. Too many adults put this down to teenage apathy and narcissism, but this is doing our young people an enormous disservice. A Mission Australia survey in 2015 found that