V8s: Chevrolet could race in Texas

I wrote this post originally for Richard's F1 - check it out here!

Exciting times for the V8 Supercars! Following the unveiling of the Austin 400’s race format of Ultimate Sprints on Wednesday, there is now talk of Chevrolet joining the fray as an unofficial manufacturer over the May event!

A spokesperson for Holden Motorsport said that: “A firm decision on its marketing plans with Chevrolet for Texas is yet to be made and that nothing is currently being ruled out.”

The Chevrolet link can be made a number of ways and has been done before by the parent company, General Motors. It is particularly timely as well, considering that the Holden VF commodore will soon be available in the United States, under the Chevrolet SS badge.

Previous cases of rebadging include Todd Kelly’s Commodore VE in Bahrain as the Chevrolet Lumina, and Rick Kelly’s rebadging as a Buick a couple of years earlier in 2005 when the series made its brief foray to China.

Rebadging makes business sense, as the cars are then marketed as exports in that nation. This is likely part of the campaign to introduce Holden to the States, after the rebadged Aussie sedan debuted in at the NASCAR Daytona Speedway earlier this year. Shipments of the Commodore to the US are penned to begin in November.

The Car Of The Future Holden Commodore has already been sent to the southern states of America to market the race, and is already dressed up in Chevy bodywork.

The 28 cars will compete over a weekend in four races of 100km each, two on Saturday and Sunday respectively. The reported crowd estimate is 87,000; however with no major local star looking likely to compete, as well as the NASCAR All-Star weekend and the Indianapolis 500 qualifying action all over the same few days, it might be a tougher sell than expected.

For comparison, last year’s debut Formula 1 race drew crowds of 265,000 over the three days – meaning around 88,000 a day. However a recent two day Grand-Am meet just garnered 27,000.  The V8s will likely fall somewhere in between.

Interestingly for the Australians, this might be a way past the 2016 manufacturing deadline.  Mark Reuss, head of GM in North America, has indicated Holden could keep building the new VF Commodore beyond 2016 if US demand takes off.

“That’s a champagne problem to have. I’m sure the guys at Holden can find a way to keep building it if they had to. General Motors and the guys at Holden can be very resourceful,” he said

Commodore fans will be hoping the Americans love their V8 beast more than ever!

Women in the Workforce: More to it Than Just Numbers

  I wrote this piece for FutureChallenges.org, an awesome site. Check it out originally here.

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The questions of women in the workforce and how that affects society’s fabric have been posed since the early days of the feminist movement.  The question of what is gained – or lost – as women assume a larger role in a country’s economic burden is not so much just about the economic aspect, but spans the issues of the political, social and cultural impacts as well.

Women on the job in Afghanistan, by United Nations Photo, on Flickr, 2012 CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

As a young woman growing up in a Western country with heritage and cultural influences from the East, the question of women’s role in society more broadly has been of interest. The different cultural expectations of women, and the interestingly underlying and sometimes unexpected similarities give an indication of how far women have come, but also how far we still have to go.

In terms of what is gained, there is much to be said. From a numbers point of view, between 1984 and 2009, the number of working women has increased from 44 million to 72 million (in the US).  Not only do the sheer numbers of individuals contributing to the workforce make a difference, but women are said to bring particular skills to industry that change the tone.

Women are said to be more intuitive with different values, including empathy and support.  They are also said to be better team players and are able to look at problems more holistically.  On a more extreme level, workers in traditionally male dominated industries such as oil rigs have anecdotally welcomed women as they “make it seem more like the real world” and “bring a different mentality so we even end up talking about different things”.

These are all sweeping generalisations though; can it really be said that “all women are empathetic” and that is why they are good for the marketplace?  Is it fair to pigeon hole an entire gender into an expected set of stereotyped values?

Perhaps these generalisations are more damaging than beneficial and are part of the reason women are thought of in a particular way, limiting their ability to contribute in a meaningful manner.

An interesting article on the Financial Times also questions this focus on “what women bring”, concluding that perhaps it just comes down to the skill set of the individual and this is where the focus should remain. This particularly applies to women in senior and leadership positions in companies.

Or to put it another way, the women who “make it” perhaps do so because they are far better than the men. It might mean the focus should be less on “what women bring” and more on getting them into leadership roles in the first place.  (Source)

Generalisations aside though, the increase in the number and proportion of women in the workforce does have implications on society more generally. There is no more obvious platform for this societal shift than of the oft asked question “Can women have it all”. Interestingly, it is a question posed usually by women themselves.

“Busy Mom”, by gwilmore, on Flickr, 2005, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Anne Marie Slaughter’s well read essay in the Atlantic, “Why Women Still Can’t Have it All” in 2012 was a profound example of an ambitious, accomplished female role model who argued that women weren’t able to have it all – ‘all’ meaning an ambitious career and a fulfilling family life. The article, based on Slaughter’s personal life as a senior US Department of State employee, provoked responses from around the globe and shocked many, opening up a public conversation about what the result of having women in the workforce meant for our society.

It would seem that from a purely economic point of view, having women a part of the workforce and contributing to nation building in a corporate sense does nothing but improve, gain, increase and enrich productivity and our work place environment. Where things are perhaps lost is not in the office or on site but outside that world – in homes and within families. This is not to say that having women in the workforce is purely detrimental to families, but that society needs to accommodate the fact that women spend more time away from the home and the resultant shift needs to be accounted and allowed for. Society has accepted that women are part and parcel of the working world, now the cultural change needs to follow so that the overall outcome is of one positive benefit for all.

Women collectively breastfeeding for IWD – the right to work and family, by Amadeus Sanz, on Flickr, 2008 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Sometimes images like this suggest that even with women in the workforce and contributing to our society, mentalities still have a way to go.

Links, Links, Links! March 17th 2013

It’s been a big week and these links have been sitting ‘to be published’ for a while now – hope you enjoy nonetheless!  The photo above is of the UNAOC Youth Forum that I had the honour of being a part of…

How was your week?  If you’re not sure yet…take some time to think while reading these awesome pieces!

‎"Though there is inevitably a focus on the constant tug-of-war between work and life for women, I don't think our feminist dream is a simple binary equation. Maybe it would be better if we had a more nuanced view, of a triple bottom line - professional, personal and public."
Nicola Roxon
Former Attorney General

A fascinating and very Godin-like interview with the one and only, Seth Godin. Worth the read.  I particularly enjoyed this line:

Do you believe in “writer’s block”? If so, how do you avoid it?

This is a fancy term for fear. I avoid it by not getting it. Because I write like I talk and I don’t get talker’s block.

I keep coming back to this article on making this year count.

All that stuff's nice — but entirely besides the point. Of life. For the simple, timeless truth is: You'll never find the rapture of accomplishment in mere conquest, the incandescence of happiness in mere possession, or the searing wholeness of meaning in mere desire. You can find them only — only — in the exploration of the fullness of human possibility.

Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock and some words of wisdom…

What is going on with our PM and the Western Sydney Roadshow?

A heartfelt piece by a good friend of mine about her time at the moment in Afghanistan and our asylum seeker policy.

Are you a political influencer, or want to be? Check out this new tool also being started by a friend, BiPolitico. 

I disagree with this analysis of the demise of Google Reader. I think I will write something about it. It’s something that I am not looking forward to indeed…

Something a little light hearted – 27 signs you were raised by immigrant parents. Too many of these made me laugh…because it’s true :)

Speech Notes from IPAA YPN/CEO Breakfast

  This week, I was honoured and humbled to be asked to speak at the Institute of Public Administration Australia’s ACT Breakfast for Young Professionals and CEO’s on International Women’s Day.  Although not focused on IWD as such, it is an opportunity for IPAA to bring young female speakers to share a little about their experiences, and I chose to share thoughts on how to truly and effectively engage young people.

I should note the event itself was fabulous; held at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra in a fabulous hall, it was also playing host to a great concept, bringing the graduates and the heads of department together on the same table.  More of this needs to be done!

The crux of the presentation was around the two following slides:

From an organisation’s point of view (best practices):

From an individual’s point of view (best practices):

I won’t give away all the explanations, but one of the key points from above is the biggest learning I have taken away from my recent experiences:

Looking for uncommon opportunities.

Stretching your mind, erasing the boundaries of the box and redrawing them, finding stimuli and inspiration in unlikely places – this is all related to taking advantage and looking for uncommon opportunities.  Opportunities and experiences that may not have obvious or direct relevance to your current role still have the capacity to broaden your mind and perhaps send you on paths that you may have not considered, but paths that are equally worthwhile.

Personal Example: accepting a role on the Board of the Queensland Museum as a young engineering student.

Unlikely benefit: gaining an understanding and appreciation for the cultural precinct and the important of the museum, but also effectively enabling and encouraging the inclusion of young people (and minority groups) in the Museum’s target audience.

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Offering the skills you have rather than the skills you think they need is also a big learning, and one that really reshaped the way I looked at being involved at the consultative level as a young person.

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So this is just a brief snapshot of some of the things talked about at the presentation, and practical ways young people can be involved and at the same table as the movers and shakers.

Hope this is useful! Would love to hear your thought on true youth engagement!

Day 1 of UNAOC Global Forum: Youth!

The Global Youth Forum took place on the 26th of February at the MuseumsQuartier and brought together 150 young people from around the world to come up with a list of recommendations to present to the 5th Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilisations.

This post will give a brief overview, followed by post or two about particular interesting issues that came up over the jam packed day.

(Photos Source)

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The day started with keynote speeches from a very young State Secretary and various other dignitaries.  The dignitary of the morning however, was without a doubt, the Secretary General of the United Nations, Ban Ki Moon.

His visit was welcome and quite interesting. Interesting in that the paparazzi trailing him was enormous, and the dialogue that was had with young people largely tokenistic (simply due to the nature of the visit and the time available). However the Secretary General should be lauded for his personal commitment to youth, and the excitement brought to the room!  It would seem that the next stage is moving from this visual acknowledgment to true engagement with our ideas and concerns. 

The group were then split up into various groups based on the three themes. 

This is all around the central theme of ”Responsible Leadership”.

The recommendations that were produced were comprehensive and far reaching.  These included...

Freedom of media and diversity:

1. Use social media to “transform media from monologue to a dialogue” and use this dialogue to prompt people to participate in more debates.
2. In regards to the freedom of speech, The UNAOC needs to establish a legal basis for the exchange of ideas.
3. Need to cultivate plural society through culturally diverse art.
4. Need to create training programs for minority professionals in media.

Migration and integration:

1. Must create policy law with an aim to enhance minorities in political society.
2. Must strive for successful inclusion by providing children with education in mother tongue.
3. Need to make the path to citizenship for migrants easier.
4. Must create a taskforce.

Religious diversity and freedom of religion:

1. States should invest in formal and informal education systems.
2. Need to define relationships between youth and stakeholders so that stakeholders will listen to youth members of the population.
3. Must enforce cooperation of various forms of ethical religious education in early childhood years.
4. Need to ensure the right to freedom of religion.

Naturally the wording was slightly more detailed, but the sentiment remains. (Press Release)

**Personal comments – the wording of integration itself is slightly problematic, but that is for another post.  Furthermore, this abbreviated version that has been published on the UNAOC website should be, must be replaced by the full versions as these do not give the actual recommendations justice at all.

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The day was wrapped up by a fantastic and inspiring presentation of the Intercultural Innovation Awards and some true Viennese Music.  The Alliance of Civilisations was truly epitomised in the 10s of different nationalities waltzing and dancing to melancholy Viennese music as well as Greek hybrid jigs. 

So, day 1 down... The next day bringing the big event.   Let's see how it pans out...!

Follow the proceedings and get involved by following the hashtag #UNAOC2013 on twitter!

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***Note that the full topics were -

• Promotion, protection and full enjoyment of the right to religious freedom in a context of religious pluralism which consists not only of greater diversity, but also of perceptions of that diversity and new patterns of interaction among religious groups;
• Media pluralism and diversity of media content and their contribution to fostering public debate, democracy and awareness of diverse opinions;
• Shaping a new narrative for migration, integration and mobility in the global economy.

Motorsport News @ Richard's F1!

A few new articles have been published on Richard's F1 in prep for the big weekend season opener...Head on over and check the news out!

V8s: In-season testing slashed

V8s: A new championship title up for grabs!

V8s: New sponsorship for D’Alberto

V8s: Another 2013 calendar tweak

Hope you're excited! :)

Reporting to you from #Wien!

Guten Tag from Vienna!

Just landed in the beautiful Austrian capital city, and seeing, for the first time in my life, SNOW! (Allow me a reflective moment of pure bliss...)

Ah, now then, a little exciting news!

The reason for being in this delightful cultural city? The most humbling honour of attending the United Nation's Alliance of Civilisation's (UNAOC) Annual Global Forum, as well as the preceeding Youth Event.

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The UNAOC is a political initiative of the Secretary General of the United Nations, its primary aim being to improve understanding and relations among people throughout the world and by doing so, hopefully counter polarisation and extremism. The global forum is the main event of the year where issues of importance to UNAOC's agenda (youth, media, education and migration) are discussed and presented, to then inform activities and initiatives globally as well as potentially be implemented by UNAOC itself.

The Youth Forum is designed to ensure that the youth perspective is communicated; young people aged 18-35 from around the world come together for a day or two to discuss the relevant topics and present a communique to the larger global forum.

The topic this year is quite interesting - 'Responsible Leadership in Diversity and Dialogue'.

Given the times we are living in, the question of what exactly 'Responsible Leadership' is, is an apt question indeed...

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As a representative of Youth Without Borders, I look forward to the experience being a productive, challenging and inspiring few days and hopefully one with outcomes which we can action and use to empower others. Whether through the UNAOC framework or through our own organisations, it is important that activities such as these produce viable and tangible benefits for communities.

I will be keeping you all updated via my twitter (@yassmin_a) and this very blog, so stay tuned to learn all about all the latest, including interesting ideas, discussions and people at the event! It will almost feel like you were there...

Bye for now.... or Auf Wiedersehen!