Citizen Rude

Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest.  Lady Bird Johnson

Social media is not about the exploitation of technology but service to community.  Simon Mainwaring

What was our local municipal council thinking when it overlooked RUDE to present at its Energy and Sustainability Expo on 31 January, 2015 at the local library?  This event is being held in the city’s sustainable and award-winning library and community hub [a democratic space if you agree with the quote above].

Rude Record  presents at local workshops and festivals in cities and shires surrounding the city where we live.  It’s great to be invited to share our frugal and unique lifestyle with people in other municipalities.

Photo above:  A flyer on a board at the library in Bacchus Marsh featuring Rude Record to present at BacchChat the brainchild of the Central Highlands Libraries.

The Energy and Sustainability Expo in our own town of Melton is an opportunity for us to present and share within our own municipality the City of Melton, Melbourne, Australia.  As a ratepayer forking out approximately $AUD 1,300 per year [and ever-increasing] to the municipality, RUDE certainly has an expectation that it can and will participate in local civic events.

Feedback has it that this expo is about energy [power] savings and that’s why RUDE was not invited due to our  REcycling [REuse & REpair] focus. However, this explanation does not wash with us, when the main attraction for this ‘energy/electricity/power’ expo is a celebrity gardener!  And most of the other invited groups are not specifically focused on electricity savings.

RUDE administrates Melton Bowerbirds a 24/7 on-line Facebook group with over 60 local members.  To give our local municipal council the benefit of the doubt, it may not have considered Bowerbirds a ‘real’ group.  Melton Bowerbirds is definitely a ‘real’ group and many of its like-minded members know each other in ‘real’ life.  Some of us meet up from time to time and share our passion for REcycling.  Some of us are members of other local sustainability groups and we cross-pollinate.

RUDE also administrates a very tight-knit ‘nest’ of interstate and international members at Facebook group Bowerbirds Journal.  Our local municipal council probably has little, if any idea of the amount of exposure across the globe that our city gets, as a result of this group.  And yes, members have also met up, and will continue to meet up as a result of this group.

The quote by Simon Mainwaring above, strikes a cord with RUDE in relation to this post because Melton Bowerbirds and Bowerbirds Journal are social media on-line forums, that are unique platforms for a like-minded community from across the globe, to engage in the vast area of sustainability.

RUDE is extremely proud of Bowerbirds Journal because of its members willingness to participate by sharing, inspiring and posting regularly.  One of the followers of Bowerbirds Journal crocheted a bowerbird.  Her beautiful creation is the front cover photo for the group.  And her son, for a school project showcased RUDE Girl as a committed citizen in her community.  I [Karen] have not met this woman or her son but each day I am grateful for their goodwill and friendship.  We hope to meet face to face in 2015.

Above photo courtesy of Maretta Bertram

Good news is that the Mayor of our city is focusing her new term on a return to grassroots community involvement and sustainability.  She went into bat for us, along with some Bowerbirds from across the two groups, who sent emails of support to the municipal officers organising the expo.  Melton Bowerbirds and RUDE will now be attending this event.  YEY!!

Thank you also to a Bowerbird from Brisbane, for introducing RUDE to the term greenwashing.  We have since payed this knowledge forward to our city’s Mayor who was not aware of the term either.

In keeping with this expo’s energy/power theme, RUDE’S presentation focus is on emPOWERment.  That is the power and energy that can be harnessed from people in the community to do more with less.  We will have a stall promoting Melton Bowerbirds and Rude Record will be presenting in the Balum Balum Room at 11.10am

Beat The Man by engaging the power of the people, and using social media for community good!

Graphic above is courtesy of Maretta Bertram and her son