Passions: Travel, animals, a good book, French and folk music, cooking (and eating), the quest for the perfect wardrobe, musicals, cosy nights in, my friends and loved ones.
Your favourite things to do: My ultimate day would be spent in a foreign country with friends, doing, seeing (buying) and eating new things.
Your most treasured possessions: My antique engagement ring, , my beautiful and fierce Pomeranian, my ipad, my dinosaur designs jewellery and, my collection of dresses, my library, my odds and ends (brass owl statues, ghost salt shakers, medical diagrams, chinese dragons, original artworks, postcards from around the world).
Your best books, films or cd’s ever: Impossible question.
Films include: The Wizard of Oz, Amelie, Lost in Translation, The Darjeeling Limited, Mary Poppins, Rocky Horror
Books include: Narnia, The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay, His Dark Materials, Harry Potter, Captain Correlli’s Mandolin, Jeeves and Wooster books, My Family and Other Animals, 1984, To Kill a Mockingbird, Memoirs of a Geisha, Shogun, The Secret History, Persepolis, Obernewtyn, Shogun, The Princess Bride, Notes from a Small Island,
Music: Beatles, Bowie, Laura Marling, Unthanks, Regina Spektor, Tori Amos, The Rolling Stones, Grizzly Bear, ELO, Juliette Greco, Gershwin, Elvis, Elton John, Django Reinhart, Fleet Foxes, The Kinks…
What makes you happy: Smiling eyes meeting over a private joke, a meal that turns out as pretty as in the cookbook, warm sun and cool breeze, really soft green grass, 1950’s style frocks, amazing junk market finds, walking the streets of Paris, when my dog puts herself in my lap, a good book to read and a pile yet to be read, the five minutes my apartment is spotless before it gets messy again, singing along in the car.
Your passions: Coffee, music, art, life, people, vegetables, adventure.
Your favourite things to do: Drink coffee. Preferably with friends on couches. The first is non-negotiable, the latter are tiered in appropriate order.
Your most treasured possessions: My friends, Hebrew Bible, Ginny Weasley wand, a Polyphonic Spree Native American Headdress, my brain and creativity.
Your best books, films or cd’s ever: These go in fives for me.
Books: For the Term of His Natural Life – Marcus Clarke, Les Miserables – Victor Hugo, The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald, Closer - Søren Solkær Starbird, The Bible – God.
Films: Into the Wild, Stranger than Fiction, Walk the Line, Once, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
CDs: Currently obsessed with: Age of Adz – Sufjan Stevens. The normal five are: a conglomerate of my favourite Ryan Adams songs onto one mythological album, Transatlanticism – Death Cab for Cutie, Parachutes – Coldplay, The Fragile Army – Polyphonic Spree, Takk – Sigur Ros.
What makes you happy: Combining as many of my passions with my favourite things while amongst my treasured possessions and engaging in any of the bests. That and sleep. And also ponies.
Jonathan Hirt
Written by Amy Goodhew
A bit about yourself: I am a Christian and an abolitionist. I graduated last year with a Master of Arts in Peace & Conflict Studies from Sydney Uni. I’m currently a fellow at the Not For Sale Campaign in San Francisco. I love to laugh. I can’t function without coffee. I love to cook and write – both I find relaxing, and I listen to music every chance I get. I’m a closet poet. And I especially love being in the sun. Although I currently live in the States and have lived here before, my home is Sydney, the inner west to be precise.
Your passions: My passion, my calling, is to see out the end of modern-day slavery, that is why I am working with Not For Sale. Beyond that I am a relatively passionate person in all aspects of my life – especially when it comes to my friends and family.
Your favourite things to do: Cooking, writing, listening to music and travelling. I wish it was always summer.
Your most treasured possession: My iTunes play list.
Your best books, films or cd’s ever: Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit and the Sicilian (by Mario Puzo). Too many albums to name, maybe “Ten” by Pearl Jam or “Phrenology” by The Roots. Movies are too hard, I guess anything by Scorsese, Eastwood or Tarantino.
What makes you happy: Laughing and making people laugh makes me happy. And a really good coffee.
Miriam Miles
Written by Amy Goodhew
A bit about yourself: I am a chronicler. I am obsessed with documenting what I hear, what I see, what I feel and what I dream. My voice recorder is never further than a few feet away. My handbag is always too heavy because I can't leave the house without pen and paper.
And then I write.
I love to dabble with paints, often ending up shoving my fingers into the gooey colours and slapping them onto the canvas with no idea where it will lead. I am impulsive and passionate. I am a great gardener... in my imagination and one day I am going to check off everything on my bucket list.
I've spent my life pursuing the presence of God and listening for the frequency of His heartbeat, desiring to navigate the paths of 'being' instead of 'doing' so that I may truly understand the Grace afforded me.
Spontaneous songs float up and out of my mouth, sometimes taking even me by surprise. My ministry is to release what I hear and what I see. And so I release.
I've recorded 2 cd's and published my first reflective journal of poetry, 'Pondering Love', revealing some of the love encounters I've had with the Lover of my soul.
Treasured possessions: my antique German iron frame piano. My wedding ring. The impromptu smiles from my 3 favourite men.
What makes you happy: the continual and abiding presence of God; the revelation that Grace looked upon me and chose to give all for me; the knowledge that who I am is worthy.
Bronwyn Thompson
Written by Amy Goodhew
A bit about yourself: All-singing, not-so-much dancing peacemaker and jill-of-all-trades.
Your passions: Learning new things (generally); reading; writing; interfaith dialogue; peace.
Your favourite things to do: Curling up with a good book; chatting to friends; making new friends; sitting at the piano and learning a new song or aria; enrolling in a new course; attending interfaith events; writing stories; composing music; making DVDs; making a fool of myself attempting classes at the gym; having a good laugh and making others laugh; travelling about; taking care of my plants.
Your most treasured possessions: My library of books and CDs, my collection of elephants (figurines, not actual),
Your best books, films or cd's ever: Jane Eyre, To Kill A Mockingbird, Mr Pip, Once Were Warriors, Hand Me Down World, The Book of Everything ...
What makes you happy: Sitting in the café downstairs from my apartment with a coffee and lovely breakfast, reading, and watching the world go by.
Rosemary Hudson-Miller
Written by Amy Goodhew
With a life-long commitment to justice and advocacy for the marginalised and oppressed, Rosemary's skills in working with people were developed through her background in nursing and youth work. Rosemary's faith commitment has shaped her view of the world and has been the driving force behind her efforts to work for change in the community. Rosemary's long-standing involvement and commitment to social justice also reflects her deep sense of calling to a prophetic role in both the church and in the wider community.
In March 2006 Rosemary was presented the Premier's Multicultural Ambassador Award "for demonstrated excellence and innovation in providing leadership in promoting multiculturalism and advancing human rights and anti-racism in our community."
Rosemary is a founding member of the Coalition for Asylum Seekers Refugees and Detainees and a founding member of CASE for Refugees. She has been prominent in refugee advocacy and other matters of social justice for the past ten years both in the public arena and in negotiations with government and public servants. She is currently the Chairperson of CARAD and patron of Case for Refugees, and works for the Uniting Church Synod of Western Australia where she is the Associate General Secretary for Justice and Mission.
Sierra Hirt
Written by Amy Goodhew
I am 32 years old but feel about 16!
I am a committed Christian and would call myself a radical disciple! I attend Liechhardt Uniting Church evening congregation, along with a bunch of other totally radical young and young at heart people who are committed to not only the community of people around us but acting out our faith on social justice issues around the world.
I have a BA from the University in Sydney in Religious Studies and am now studying a Master of Human Rights part time.
I work full time in international admissions at the University of Sydney.
Work and school is very challenging but I am loving being around like minded individuals and being surrounded by a culturally diverse group of people.
When I am not studying I am either reading food blogs or cooking for family and friends.
I am on a journey to find out how best I can serve God, and live out my passions - I haven't figured it out yet, but that's one of the reasons I have gone back to Uni.
I am passionate about good food, good music, liberation theology, restorative justice, indigenous rights, refugee rights, international human rights law, and the issue of modern day slavery (just to name a few!)
