Basil
Varghese as Education Co-ordinator for the Brotherhood of St Laurence has been a key
figure in challenging and changing teachers' attitudes, curriculum responses and the
education communities attitude to poverty.
He has presented keynote addresses at
teacher and subject associations, conferences, workshops, and strategic planning and
consultations seminars. Particular highlights have included
working
with seven disadvantaged school communities engaging them with their principals and
teachers in the Elizabeth area (South Aust.),
input
into Koorie curriculum in Catholic and State schools in Victoria and South Australia and
helping to run a national leadership course with the National Schools Network.
Basil’s engagement with the business
community, local communities, church, unions, schools and tertiary groups is a key and
ongoing plank in the Brotherhood's work of involving and partnering community. .Highlights
of this role have included
a
National Conference on Poverty held at Ormond College for Yrs. 11 and 12. This was filmed
by the A.B.C. and shown nationally -titled Flight Into Poverty.
appeared
in Compass with Bishop Challen on the A.B.C.
represented
the B.S.L. at "People First" National Catholic Conference on Social Justice.
participated
as a keynote speaker and ran workshops for the South Aust. United Trades and Labour
Council's Summer School.
invited
to the Aboriginal Reconciliation Convention.
Basil also works with a wide range of
Government and Educational Agencies. These include
teaching
in Bachelor of Education and in Bachelor of Community Development
adviser
and co-planner of many initiatives associated with the Institute for Youth,
Education and Community(IYEC) which is integral to the Key Research Area, Social Diversity
and Community Wellbeing at Victoria University Involvement with various IYEC projects
working
with FASST (Families and School Support Team), funded as one of he pilot prevention of
youth homelessness projects by the Commonwealth Departmentof Family and Community Services
(planning day facilitator)
CONNECT
Drug Education Project, funded by the Department of Education (Victoria) (member of
Advisory Committee)
Critical
friend of NYERNA Bachelor of Education program offered in Echuca for Aboriginals
Initiator
and lead role in recent Brotherhood community theatre projects which have involved and
showcased the talent of people otherwise marginalised .Two recent examples of this
wonderfully empowering work are Planning in community theatre "The Torch" and
"All my Love Project"
- Involved with National Campaign Against Poverty (NCAP)
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