Ian Tymms

This week on the blog: How can kids who grow up in slavery or on the streets transform into thriving adults with bright futures? lifeisalongstory.com/dreaming-beyon…

If you haven't yet joined the Blue Dragon newsletter, now's the time. Out next week is the story of Hoa, a young mother who was sold into slavery. Sign up to have Hoa's powerful story delivered to your inbox. #Newsletter" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">bluedragon.org/latest-news/#N…

Happy National Poetry Day! This is Helena Bonham Carter reading 'I Worried' by Mary Oliver, with its wonderful message at the end...

Aus historian Henry Reynolds: ‘The minister seems to be unaware of what he is proposing — the appointment of a government official to act as a political censor inside the universities to control what can be said or promoted. Will teachers have to present texts of their lectures on demand? Will the Ombudsman look for suspect books in libraries? Does the minister have any concern about institutional autonomy? And all the minister has come up with is that some students “don’t feel safe” on our campuses. Safe from what? And how many students? And, more to the point, how many of our 37 public universities is the minister referring to? Has he any idea himself?.. .. antisemitism.. provides a refuge from the condemnation of the world and an effective barrier against self- reflection.. .. The recent release of a selection of DFAT papers under Freedom of Information relating to advice provided to the government about the situation in Gaza and the West Bank told us a lot about the tactics used to mollify criticism of Israel. As a result, the public has no idea how critical our professional diplomats are of Israel and the “catastrophic” situation in Gaza. The documents present what journalist Michael West called “a litany of war crimes”. What we can conclude from this sample of DFAT advice is that expert opinion is very similar to the views expressed by student activists on the university campuses. What can we make of this? Is DFAT a hive of antisemitism and covert supporters of terrorism?.. .. Members of the present government can’t even utter the word genocide and believe that antisemitism is the most serious problem we have to deal with. Meanwhile, the world looks on amazed by the high-end hypocrisy about which our leaders seem to be scarcely aware.’ Our leaders have their heads in the sand. Antisemitism and our Universities johnmenadue.com/antisemitism-a…

UPDATE: As rivers rise and communities flee disaster, Blue Dragon is out delivering food & supplies donated by YOU, our amazing global community. THANK YOU to all who have helped already. Please know that the people receiving your help are truly grateful. 1/3

@BlueDragonVN Stay safe @BlueDragonVN we’ll be thinking of you tomorrow in Melbourne.

As Blue Dragon supporters around the world prepare to walk, Typhoon Yagi has delayed our Hanoi event. Instead of tomorrow, we’ll be walking next Sunday. Details to follow!

🚶‍♂️🚶🏼‍♀️Kids walking for kids! Penny, Sylvia, Maiya and Asher are joining the Blue Dragon Walk in Melbourne this Sunday and are excited to help other kids thrive. “We can’t wait to do this walk and raise money for kids who need our help!” bluedragonwalk.org/t/penny-hooper…

I’m looking forward to seeing all the Melbourne walkers next weekend. And best wishes to walkers wherever you are around the world.

On the blog: In an age of disinformation, how can we protect victims of human trafficking - and their families - from false accusations? lifeisalongstory.com/its-not-what-y…

Proud of my Dad supporting the @BlueDragonVN marathon walk examiner.com.au/story/8723689/…

🚶🏽‍♂️He's been a street kid. He's competed in hip hop tournaments. He's studied abroad. He's a qualified social worker at Blue Dragon. And on September 8, Trong will be one of thousands of people around the globe taking part in the Blue Dragon Walk! bluedragonwalk.org/van-trng-trn

This week, the NSW Anti-slavery Commission appointed Blue Dragon's Kim Miller to the 2024 Advisory Panel. Tomorrow Kim swims the Channel to raise money for families in Vietnam. There's much that even a single person can do to make our world a better place. dcj.nsw.gov.au/legal-and-just…

Curious about the Blue Dragon Walk? Join us for a lively online discussion, Wednesday July 24. Learn how we’re working with @IntrepidFdn to end human trafficking with a walk for change — and how you can can be involved! us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Register today to join Blue Dragon founder Michael Brosowski and @Intrepid_Travel co-founder Darrell Wade on July 24. us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regist…

Looking for some inspiration? Meet Trong, Blue Dragon's hip-hop dancing social worker. bluedragon.org/stories/hip-ho…

@BlueDragonVN Huge thanks to @Intrepid_Travel for supporting.

Register for the Blue Dragon Walk on September 8. Do it your own way. Walk 5km, 10km, or a marathon... With friends, your dog, or alone! With every step, you'll be helping the kids of Vietnam. bluedragonwalk.org

Wonderful interview and listen to the end for a great song pick.

On the blog: Blue Dragon’s approach to planning puts people at the heart and centre of all we do. Here’s the history of how we have succeeded doing this for 20 years. lifeisalongstory.com/the-year-that-…

Blue Dragon has just rescued a 31yr old Vietnamese woman from a brutal brothel in Myanmar’s war zone. She has crossed the border and is making a statement to police. Right now, Blue Dragon has 8 ongoing operations to rescue a total of 17 more people.