Notes from the field

Cambodia is a beautiful country of gentle, graceful people, yet its peacefulness hides a tragic past, which created the conditions for issues like human trafficking to flourish.

Sitting in the back of jeeps on long rides into the countryside, I asked the Hagar team of their family’s experience during the years of the Khmer Rouge from 1975 – ‘79. Almost everyone lost (or almost lost) family members in one of history’s greatest genocides. The stories are chilling.

We know that under certain conditions good people become capable of terrible things. We also know of the human capacity for great kindness and compassion.

In March ’22, we were in Lismore, NSW just days after the flood waters subsided. It was extraordinary to witness a community come together to support friends, neighbours and strangers who were immediately bonded by a tragic moment that left thousands of homes destroyed.

And yet it seems that once these moments pass, we return to an understandable need for distraction. COVID also made this apparent. We responded immediately when the threat was real and personal, then returned to the daily drama of our lives.

This is obviously a natural human instinct, except that now, when good people do nothing in this uniquely fragile time, the impact – while not immediately apparent – seems to be hurtling us towards another chilling moment in time.

The world is at a critical inflection point. What we do now matters.

The issues of our time can feel overwhelming – from violence against women to climate change – and in the daily project to make meaning of our lives, find joy, feel safe, create moments that matter amongst family and friends, what more can we do? What more is there time for?

In ’23, i=Change will become a destination for us to make a choice: that when we shop, we can shop for change – from a business that gives back from every sale.

These choices have already added up to over $7.3m donated, impacting the lives of up to 1.5m people.

The choices we make each day can collectively change the course of history.

We can be the change.

Shop for Change begins this International Women’s Day, March 8 – 10

With powerful stories, the support of senior journalists and a PR team, we plan to engage and inspire Australians to make our everyday choices count.

If you are already an i=Change brand, thank you for your commitment to supporting life-changing projects and helping mitigate the effects of climate change.