Voices of Australia

Navigating culture in the workplace with Professor Nareen Young

'Organisations don't do things because it's the nice thing to do...change happens when we put pressure on.'In this episode of the Voices of Australia podcast, Professor Nareen Young helps us navigate how Australian workplaces can become more diverse and inclusive. Nareen is Professor for Indigenous Policy and Indigenous Workforce Diversity at the Jumbunna Institute at the University of Technology Sydney.  In this episode, Nareen sheds some light on:
How forces like BLM and D&I have impacted workplaces across the globe.
Why young people are pushing the dial on social issues.
The inadequacies of current D&I practices and frameworks
Why corporate Australia still has an issue with tokenism and stereotyping.
The need for middle management to show initiative in their advocacy for inclusion.
 
Meet our guest: Nareen Young
 
Professor Nareen Young is one of Australia’s leading and most respected workplace diversity practitioners and thinkers. Professor for Indigenous Policy at the UTS Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research, Nareen leads Jumbunna's highly innovative Indigenous People and Work Research and Practice Hub. Professor Young has previously led and managed two diversity peak bodies (Diversity Council Australia and NSW Working Women’s Centre). She has also worked as the Director and Employment Lead at PwC’s Indigenous Consulting for three years. She is influenced by both her Indigenous and culturally diverse heritages in this work and has received numerous awards and acknowledgements, including the inaugural Westpac 100 Women of Influence honour for diversity.
Nareen is an author of Gari Yala (Speak the Truth): Centering the experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians at work, which is said to be the largest survey of the experiences of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people at work published.

Philanthropy’s role in building social cohesion with Vedran Drakulic OAM

On the eleventh episode of the Voices of Australia podcast, Vedran Drakulić helps us navigate the relationship between philanthopy and social cohesion. Vedran Drakulić OAM is the CEO of Gandel Foundation, one of the largest private family foundations in Australia.In this episode, we chat with Vedran about:
How Vedran's career began as a fixer for Sports Illustrated magazine at the Sarajevo '84 winter Olympics.
Vedran's story of settling his family in Australia.
The challenge of paternalism and the saviour syndrome in not-for-profit sectors.
The cultural shifts taking place in the philanthropic space.
The importance of organisational listening and when to accept you're not the expert.
Voices of Australia is a Scanlon Foundation Research Institute podcast exploring all things interesting in the world of social cohesion. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.Want to contribute to the conversation? Send us your reflections and comments to: info@scanloninstitute.org.auYou can also Tweet us @Scanlon_Inst
 
Meet our guest: Vedran Drakulić
Vedran Drakulić OAM is the CEO of Gandel Foundation, one of the largest private family foundations in Australia. Vedran was born and raised in Bosnia and left Sarajevo while it was under siege, in 1995. During the conflict, he served with the Red Cross as a logistics officer, interpreter and press officer. He worked on both sides of the frontline, providing humanitarian assistance to those in need. Since arriving in Australia as a refugee, Vedran has remained a true humanitarian, committed to promoting social justice and social cohesion. He has spent more than 15 years working in communications, marketing, and fundraising in the humanitarian sector, with Red Cross in Australia and overseas, and with Oxfam Australia, followed by a senior role in the corporate sector and then philanthropy. Vedran is a proud “Bossie” (Bosnian Aussie) and is committed to giving back to his community. He actively supports many community organisations, including the Vinnies’ CEO Sleepout, where in the past eight years, he individually raised over $1 million for their homelessness programs. Vedran received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2017 for his service to the community
 
 

The current state of social cohesion with Dr. James O’Donnell

In the final episode of the first series of the Voices of Australia podcast, Dr. James O'Donnell shares his insights on the current state of social cohesion in Australia. A lecturer at the Australian National University, Dr. O'Donnell is the author of the 2022 Mapping Social Cohesion Report.In this episode, we chat with James about:
Why he transitioned from working as a labour market economist to a career studying social cohesion.
What the key findings from 2022 mapping social cohesion report tell us about Australia today.
The key trends that make James optimistic about the future of social cohesion in Australia.
What we as a society should pay attention to in 2023.
Voices of Australia is a Scanlon Foundation Research Institute podcast exploring all things interesting in the world of social cohesion. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.Want to contribute to the conversation? Send us your reflections and comments to: info@scanloninstitute.org.auYou can also Tweet us @Scanlon_Inst
 
Meet our guest: Dr James O'Donnell
Dr. James O’Donnell is a Lecturer at Australian National University’s School of Demography within the College of Arts and Social Science.
James is currently working on the School of Demography’s ANU Social Cohesion project. This project involves researchers from disciplines across the University working to measure and analyse social cohesion within neighbourhoods and communities across Australia.
James is the winner of The Australian Population Association’s 2014 WD Borrie Prize and was awarded a PhD in Demography in 2019.
He was recently the author of the 2022 Mapping Social Cohesion Report published by the Scanlon Foundation Research Institute.