Changemakers - Milton Brown

Milton Brown, Schools Program Manager for SurfAid Schools Program, is profiled in Changemakers – a regular column which examines inspiring people and their careers in the Not for Profit sector.

SurfAid is a non-profit humanitarian organization whose aim is to improve the health, wellbeing and self-reliance of people living in isolated regions connected to them through surfing. SurfAid, in partnership with communities and government, works to prevent disease, suffering and death through educational programs and health promotion that aim to change poor health behaviours and reduce the risk from natural disasters.

What are you currently working on in your organisation?

I manage the SurfAid Schools Program that is supported by Billabong. This involves assisting my fellow program directors in New Zealand and California. We provide free teaching resources that use SurfAid as a case study for global citizenship, learning about Asia and greater inter-cultural understanding. We also include sustainability studies and promote the view that “ there is more to surfing” than just riding waves. Right now we are redeveloping our website, developing new teaching materials, about to launch “There’s more to surfing” as a campaign and arranging fundraising for SurfAid’s first direct involvement in building a school in the Mentawai’s.

What is the best thing about working in the Not for Profit sector?

The best thing about working for a Not for Profit is knowing that the combined efforts of everyone involved are contributing to improving the lives of others in need.

I consider my greatest achievement to be…

Still out there … but I am very happy with the SurfAid Schools Program and the way teachers around the world contributed to its development and are supporting its growth. If the legacy of this program is the development of students with informed values based on global citizenship and a cooperative world-view then that will something to be really proud of.

Favourite saying…

All’s well that ends well.

What are you reading/watching/listening to at the moment?

Reading – Surfing World magazine. Beyond Religion by the Dalai Lama. Watching – Great Music Cities of the world, Listening – Bob Marley’s last ever concert Live in Philadelphia, Last Record Album by Little Feat.

If you could have dinner with 2 people from history, who would they be?

Jimi Hendrix and Duke Kahanamoku ( the father of modern surfing). The Duke would introduce Jimi to surfing and he would get the natural high we get from riding waves, he would then stop taking drugs and still be creating incredible music today.

School taught me…

I was a teacher for 37 years so I never left school. It taught me who I am.

What (or who) inspires you?

The people all around the world who live with all types of adversity yet deal with life optimistically and nobly. Those people are the world’s real living treasures.