The year 7-9 Community Problem Solving Team from Ravenswood Girls School have, once again, offered a unique insight into the challenges of Neurodiversity in a school environment. Abi, Millie, Mia and Grace talk us through their project and what their team of 11 have done for the competition. Unravelling Uniqueness is a wonderful celebration of how we can celebrate neurodiversity.

Where does abuse come from? Is it always someone else's problem or are there parts of our own lives that could be contributing to the global picture because we are taking a level of normal that is not normal at all and yet we are not calling it out for fear of standing out?

This episode is a bit of soul searching and asks us all to consider the impact of what we did and what we do.

Same-sex couples can now marry - yes, it was voted on by the Australian people, it was voted on by our parliament - both houses and the majority have said a thumbs up to #loveislove. But what is the journey to get there? What about those who didn't vote yes? Gabrielle Caplice and Annette Baker join me in the studio to share what their young lives were like and how it felt for the validity of relationships like theirs to be the subject of nationwide discussion. This is an up close and personal interview which will be a wonderful support to anyone who is open to bringing more understanding to loving relationships. They share what it feels like to not fit 'the picture' of what we are brought up to believe a relationship is supposed to look like. 

I was joined in the studio today by Peter Matthews School Captain and Lachlan Walker, Social Justice Prefect from White Ribbon School - Knox Grammar, and Tadhg Richards and Hunter Meaney School Captains from Turramurra High School. I really appreciated how they turned the statistics into practical and meaningful opportunities for young people to be the change they want to see in their world. I will let their words speak for themselves.

Peter - You can talk about it as much as you like but you have to act. If you are not comfortable with the conversation going on around you stand up to and raise the standard.
Lachlan - Don't wait for another to stand up, be the one person, be the change and others will follow
Tadhg - Use your gifts and talents to speak up - paint, write, sing, all forms will make a difference and your expression is needed.
Hunter - have that conversation, don't go into hushed tones, that way people will feel a level of accountability for what they are doing behind closed doors.

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This week’s show on Stay in the Loop with Lucy heads round the world to the UK for a fireside chat with Dragana Brown, a passionate, world affairs and lifestyle commentator with the Huffington Post and someone whose writing always talks about responsibility and accountability for the world we have. In this interview we talk about honesty in politics, in life and its effect on our anxiety levels and health. Dragana questions if we are really ready for truth or if we prefer the less challenging party line. After the news grabbing headline, do we wait around for the unpicking and fact checking or have we moved on with that headline firmly planted in our memories... as fact?!

In this episode I have interviews about how men can be a major part of the change in attitudes about women and domestic violence, as well as the Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Womens Shelter, the Soroptomists, and a number of other participants from the 2016 Hornsby Walk the Talk. Also highlighted this week is an interview with Zohara Mendes who spoke about the work she is doing raising awareness for her generation about domestic violence. the wealth of experience and wisdom in our community is evident in these interviews. This is about people who care, sharing how and why they care and being prepared to step outside their comfort to encourage others to do the same.

​We can be the change we want to see in the world. Listen out for the interview with Zohara Mendes who I suspect you will hear about in the future. She is a passionate yet unimposing speaker and here talks to me about her work around Domestic Violence.

This week's show is the first of a two-parter. The Hornsby “Walk the Talk” Community Walk hosted by Soroptomists International was full of people wanting to take part in White Ribbon Day as well as supporting the start of 16 days of activism against Gender Violence Campaign. The call is to raise awareness - we are asked to ‘Orange the World!’ 

Three members of the Stress Less Future Problem Solving team from Mount St Benedict Emily, Nicole and Jess were in the studio with me today - hot on the heals of their win in the USA. 

And it is the start of Children Week 2016 this week and the theme is 'Children have the right to reliable information from the media.' I discuss with Nadia Kudiarskyj the ways the media influences and how we can be the influencers. 

Be the change you want to see in the world!

This weekends show brought the local to international, then back to the local.

Elizabeth King graduated yesterday - a double degree Arts/Law with honours! In amongst all of that Elizabeth has a passion for human rights and social justice. She has pursued that passion by working with various NGOs and businesses across the human rights and environmental sustainability sector. She has recently returned from a three month internship in the Office of the Co-Prosecutors at the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials in Cambodia.

​In this episode we covered the Boyer Lecture 2016 at the ABC with Professor Sir Michael Marmot, marriage plebiscites and other perhaps more financially sound alternatives as well as the inconsistencies of the lock out laws and who they apply to. It was jam packed and that was before my interview with Tamer Morris from Normanhurst Uniting Church who is directing their production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Check it out - all proceeds go to The Dish, a support service feeding the homeless in our local area.