Invisible Heroes

Content Warning: this episode contains discussions of self-harm and suicide. If this raises any issues for you please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or at lifeline.org.au Since arriving on our shores 11 years ago, fleeing persecution in Pakistan, Abdul and his wife Lubna have faced inconceivable obstacles and personal tragedy in their efforts to become Australian citizens. With no home, income, means to support themselves or access to medical care, even in the face of breast cancer, Abdul and Lubna have clung to a philosophy of extreme positivity, striving not only to not give up, but give back. Still waiting for residency, Abdul meanwhile created the All Nations Cricket cup which creates communities and connections for societies disenfranchised, while working the equivalent of a 9-5 job rolling together volunteer work. His story continues and is epic in its intensity. CREDITS Guest: Abdul Razzaq Host: Madeleine West Executive Producer and editor: Elise Cooper Audio Support: North Coast Events LINKS - Abdul Razzaq and the ASRC https://www.asrc.org.au/doctors/abdul-razzaq/ - All Nations Cricket Club https://www.facebook.com/allnationssocialcricket - Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Dandenong https://www.asrc.org.au/ish-dandenong/ - Lifeline Crisis Support https://www.lifeline.org.au/

 

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Have you ever thought – what is the purpose of my life? Am I really in touch with myself? How does one even “get in touch with themselves”? Samart is a shamaness, a spiritual leader. She dedicates her life to finding peace and contentment within herself, and teaching others how to do the same. She does this through a combination of ritual practices and herbal medicines, including one called Kambo – an Amazonian herbal medicine that comes from a poisonous tree frog. Everything about Samart whispers of enchantment and mysticism. From her lightly accented, soft-spoken singing to her willowy frame and knee-length wavy hair Meanwhile her tween daughter is into hip hop and performs Tik Tok dances in their bedroom, as her partner prepares a vegan risotto in the kitchen. As otherworldly as Samart’s life seems, her practise is steeped in logic, and offers another way to navigate this ever-complicated world – using introspection to see more clearly when you look outward. The practices discussed in this episode should not be partaken of without guidance and prior consultation from a medical professional and in accordance with the laws of your region. DO YOU KNOW AN INVISIBLE HERO? We are lining up guests for season two of Invisible Heroes and would love to hear about the heroes in your life. Just send an email telling us at [email protected] about the Invisible Hero in your life, and why they should be featured in the next season. CREDITS Guest: Samart Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest Executive Producer and editor: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper Audio Transfer: North Coast Events https://www.northcoastevents.com.au

 

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Kon Karapanagiotidis is a lawyer, teacher, OAM, activist, and founder of Australia’s largest independent human rights organisation; the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Over 19 years Kon has turned the ‘suitcase of hope’ he began with the ASRC into a formidable force of good. Every day he strives to help refugees and those seeking asylum to find hope. Yet beneath the formidable mind and rabble rousing provocateur exterior is the Greek kid from a small country town, dubbed ‘alphabet’, who still questions if he is enough. CREDITS Guest: Kon Karapanagiotidis Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest Executive Producer and Editor: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper Additional Audio Production Support: North Coast Events https://www.northcoastevents.com.au/ LINKS • Asylum Seeker Resource Centre https://www.asrc.org.au/donate/

 

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Tony Albert of the Kuku Yalanji people is one of the most lauded and prolific Australian artists you’ve probably never heard of. His work has attracted enormous attention and a slew of major art prizes for his extensive body of work centred on ‘Aboriginalia’; his self-coined descriptor for kitsch, divisive representations of Indigenous culture and characters popular in the 50s and 60s. Tony charges these naive objects and their implied stereotypes with highly political sentiments exploring representations of race and difference. We explore Tony’s lived experience as a young gay man, ambitious and educated, confronted with decades of endemic stereotyping and discrimination. And how it is that despite all the reasons for anarchy, Tony’s art is steeped in themes of unity and forgiveness. CREDITS Guest: Tony Albert @tonyalbert Host: Madeleine West @madmadeswest Executive Producer and Editor: Elise Cooper @elisejcooper Additional Audio Production Support: North Coast Events https://www.northcoastevents.com.au/ LINKS: - Duty Of Care, Glassworks https://bit.ly/3kaBtGK - You Wreck Me https://bit.ly/youwreckme - Hyde Park War Memorial https://bit.ly/hydepark-tonyalbert - We Can Be Heroes https://bit.ly/tonyalbert-heroes - Projecting Our Future – Art Gallery of NSW https://bit.ly/projectingourfuture - Catalogue of previous exhibitions and work available online at https://tonyalbert.com.au/#Exhibitions

 

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A senior member of the federal police domestic violence task force, Det Supt Crossling identifies an area of significant focus and deep concern currently attracting little to no attention from the wider public: human trafficking in the form of child brides still increasing in Australia’s suburban fringes. We investigate how and why this practise continues unabated and how our forces are striving to stymy it without tearing delicate cultural fabric or sensibilities. CREDITS Guest: Detective Superintendent Jayne Crossling Host: Madeleine West Executive Producer and Editor: Elise Cooper Additional Audio Production Support: North Coast Events RESOURCES - Crime Stoppers https://crimestoppers.com.au/ - Australian Federal Police https://bit.ly/AFP-human-trafficking - My Blue Sky https://bit.ly/my-blue-sky - Red Cross https://bit.ly/red-cross-support - Sky Warp https://bit.ly/skywarp-help - ThinkUKnow https://www.thinkuknow.org.au If you are a victim of trafficking or know someone who is contact the AFP on 131AFP (131237) or email [email protected] 

 

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What would you do if one day you were hit by a bus. Not a metaphorical bus, a literal bus. For actress Madeleine West, in the middle of her soapy drama career acting on TV soap ‘Neighbours’ she found herself laid out on a hospital bed after a freak accident saw her hit in the head by a bus on a busy Sydney street. What followed was a diagnosis of an acquired brain injury, years of therapy, and a long road to recovery. The invisible hero of this episode is a woman Madeleine will probably never see again. A woman who helped her overcome a trauma that had paralysed her for 18 years. CREDITS Host: Madeleine West @madmadswest Executive Producer: Elise Cooper Technical Production Assistance: North Coast Events For more Smooth podcasts visit our website https://www.smooth.com.au/podcast/invisible-heroes/

 

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What makes a hero? Join actress and story-teller Madeleine West as she speaks to extraordinarily ordinary Australians who are making the world a better place.

 

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