MCF - 'MacroMelbourne Initiative'
25 May 2006 at 1:05 pm
Melbourne Community Foundation has embarked on a major project to encourage corporate , organisations, and community leaders to help the vulnerable and needy in Melbourne over the next 25 years.
Called the ‘MacroMelbourne Initiative’, it offers a blueprint of the major issues surrounding disadvantage in Melbourne. The resulting document is set to stimulate discussion and generate strategic ideas centred on Melbourne now and into the future.
Coordinated by the MacroMelbourne Steering Committee chaired by MCF Board Member, Karen Mahlab, the paper has been delivered to high level think tanks in Australia and overseas to stimulate debate.
The Age newspaper in Melbourne has partnered with MCF in developing broad community discussion and outcomes and recently published an opinion piece by MCF Chair Marion Webster and Karen Mahlab on the ‘MacroMelbourne Initiative’.
MCF Chair Marion Webster says Greater Melbourne is projected to grow by one million people in the next thirty years. This presents opportunities and challenges to those committed to making Melbourne an even more inclusive, vibrant, attractive, exciting and liveable city than it is.
Webster says the discussion paper is a first stage in the ‘MacroMelbourne Initiative’ which hopes to move philanthropic and corporate giving in Melbourne towards a more strategic approach which is sensitive to the needs of the future.
She says it offers a blueprint of the major issues surrounding disadvantage in Melbourne. The resulting document is both a map to current research around disadvantage and a document set to stimulate discussion and generate strategic thinking on issues of disadvantage.
The MacroMelbourne discussion paper has been prepared by Linda Hancock and Lucinda Horrocks from the Corporate Citizenship Research Unit (CCRU) at Deakin University, in collaboration with the Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS) for Melbourne Community Foundation.
MCF’s partners in this Initiative include the Committee for Melbourne, Melbourne Cares, Pro Bono Australia, RMIT Centre for Applied Social Research and the Victorian Local Governance Association.
MCF is also holding a Forum in a bid to discuss the findings and implications of the ‘MacroMelbourne Initiative’ in the broader community.
The two part event in July aims to bring together people from the philanthropic, corporate, government and community sectors with a commitment to ensuring that Melbourne becomes more liveable, equitable and inclusive city for all its people.
The first session on Thursday 27th July, 2006 will provide the overview of the discussion paper, the think tank responses and how the community might move ahead from here.
The second session on Friday 28th July, 2006 is an interactive one which aims to develop strategic responses, active partnerships and concrete actions to address the issues raised.
To find out more about the MacroMelbourne Initiative contact MCF on 9412 0412.You can read more about the ‘MacroMelbourne Initiative’ online at www.communityfoundation.org.au .
