A year of magical thinking
AS THIS is the final instalment of The Zone for 2011, it seems an appropriate point to reflect on some of the ideas that have united the 60 thinkers and activists who have been featured since we launched this multimedia product in The Age and across Fairfax Media's websites and journalism apps.
A notion shared by many of those guests was that there is no ''them'' - there is only ''us''. Rather than complaining that politicians should do something to fix whatever problem might be at issue, these are people who generate solutions at the community level.
While acknowledging the importance of our elected representatives, they recognised it would be folly to think 226 people in Canberra should be the dominant repository of enlightened policies, let alone always be able to implement them. The extent of innovation these guests demonstrate is evidence of the strength and creativity and determination of communities.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/a-year-of-magical-thinking-20111213-1osyx.html#ixzz1gTTjApJ8