Bernadette Black, Founder and CEO of SEED Futures
Sir Winston Churchill didn’t want statues as his legacy, but human beings to learn from other countries to strengthen their own. When I found out I was a recipient, my first thought was about the future generations – not statues – whose lives will be set to flourish due to this incredible fellowship. I am oscillating between joy and ‘passionate responsibility’.
In Australia, our systems can exacerbate and hold people in disadvantage, costing us socially and economically. One child every hour (one baby every six), enters Out of Home Care. We are missing a huge window of opportunity to nurture expecting and early parents through primary prevention, before intergenerational disadvantage takes hold.
I will learn how other governments and philanthropy fund long-term primary preventative programs, as well as how they move universal approaches, such as Centrelink, to a primary preventative and nurturing frame.
I am travelling to five countries, learning from the Nordic Council of Ministers, with its vision that the Nordic region is the best place in the world for children to grow up, the inaugural Future Generations Commissioner in Wales, and I’ll be attending the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development.
On my return, I will share my findings with our governments, philanthropy and the public through a speaking tour, as well as publish my report and book – ‘Flourishing Future Generations – our greatest hope.’
It’s been a long road since my own teenage parenting story, I can’t wait to write this part of history with you all.