WHAT I'VE LEARNT

California has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country and according to the National Center for Education Statistics, around one in five adults cannot read.One Costa Mesa father is working hard to change his own personal stats and encourage others in the world to read.Thirty-five-year-old Oliver James says he was forgotten in school and was seen as a bad child. He felt like adults gave up on him. But it wasn’t just in school, he says he didn’t have that extra push at home either. "There was not one book in my house. No, no, there was nothing," James recalled. "There were no books, no magazines. There was nothing."As the world slowed down during the pandemic, James decided that could be his chance to learn to read."It opened my mind to see if you can grow this little bit in this little time. Imagine what you can do in a time that you really focus. Like getting up every day, and spending five years reading. You don't know who you're going to be in front of," James said.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Hi, Welcome to the What I’ve Learnt podcastFrom food to fashion and art to music we’ve got you covered. We wanted to highlight some amazing moments of the podcast from July to September.This Episode FeaturesCaitlin Marshall & Lizzie Rose:  Are founders of the award-winning MakeShift. This not-for-profit org is one of the first creative prescribing agencies in Australia. Lizzie and Caitlin are known and respected internationally for their work on creativity and mental health.  They have worked with thousands of individuals, communities and businesses, including first responders and communities affected by bushfires, floods and other natural disasters, to provide trauma-informed creativity programs. Tammy Casseslon: A surviour of Domestic Violence and Inspiring people to amplify their strengths and live their best lives with kindness & compassion is her passion. She's an advocate for education, awareness building and social justice change. Annabelle Hickson: The editor of the award-winning independent print magazine GALAH. Despite having no publishing or business experience, Annabelle started the magazine from her kitchen table to document regional Australia and the people who live there.Michelle Stanton: The founder and CEO of Complete Success utilises her expertise to empower people to achieve exceptional results through innovative speaking, teaching and coaching programs. Formally, the CEO of her family's 8O­ year-old business Bevilles Jewellers, Michelle led the company out of receivership, driving exceptional growth and orchestrating a lucrative sale to a global multinational.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Michelle Stanton, Founder and CEO of Complete Success utilises her expertise to empower people to achieve exceptional results through innovative speaking, teaching and coaching programs. Formally, the CEO of her family's 8O­ year-old business Bevilles Jewellers, Michelle led the company out of receivership, driving exceptional growth and orchestrating a lucrative sale to a global multinational. Michelle is a true student of leadership, business, and personal transformation and has dedicated over 10,000 hours to learning and being mentored 1 on 1 by many of these renowned luminaries: Bob Proctor, Mary Morrissey, John Assaraf, Jean Houston & Darren Hardy. Additionally, Michelle is a Certified Life Mastery Consultant at the Brave Thinking Institute and also serves as the founding partner and Board Director of the Life Changer Foundation. Happily married for over 28 years, Michelle takes pride in raising two accomplished teenagers excelling in Downhill Mountain Biking and Snowboarding. Michelle is super passionate about helping people achieve exceptional results both personally and in business, whilst empowering them to create a life they love with far more ease and speed than they ever thought possible.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Annabelle Hickson, editor of the award-winning independent print magazine GALAH. Despite having no publishing or business experience, Annabelle started the magazine from her kitchen table to document regional Australia and the people who live there.In the past, young people left country towns to find opportunities in the Big Smoke.But the big rural story of the past few years is where young people returned. The Covid-19 pandemic supercharged the regions in a way that surprised Australians. Nearly a third of Australians, over 7 million, now live outside the cities. The latest quarterly data shows that more people are moving out to the regions than back into cities. Capital-to-regional migration is tracking at 11.7 per cent above the pre-pandemic average. Sydney accounted for a whopping 80 per cent of all people moving from capitals to regions, up from 61 per cent in the previous 12 months. Millennials are the largest group making the move. So what is life actually like outside of the cities? Annabelle Hickson is the embodiment of the Australian tree-changer.Annabelle didn't plan to live in regional Australia, but she fell in love with a handsome farmer from western NSW and thought she'd give it a shot. She knew there'd be some sacrifices - her journalism career at The Australian, the beach and takeaway food that is still hot by the time you get home - but she had no idea how many opportunities there would be for her in this new life, too.While her husband Ed planted pecan trees, Annabelle looked after their three young children and began to learn what it was to be part of a community, all in it together. She saw smart, clever and resilient people everywhere she looked who talked about opportunities instead of limitations. This was in stark contrast to the simple-country-people stereotypes she'd bought into in the city. Annabelle wanted to read stories from regional Australia that weren't about disadvantage.  Stories that reflected her sense of luck at living out of the city. And she wanted a publication that acted as a bridge between the city and country divide. So, she made Galah the magazine.For the first time, Annabelle has collected the most loved and enduring stories from all issues of her award-winning magazine in book form - GALAH: Stories of Life Outside the City, published by Murdoch books The changing face of regional and rural Australia1. The COVID-19 pandemic supercharged the regions in a way that surprised Australians.2. The latest quarterly data shows that more people are moving to the regions than back winto cities.3. Capital-to-regional migration is tracking at 11.7 per cent above the pre-pandemic average. Sydney accounted for a whopping 80 per cent of all people moving from capitals to regions, up from 61 per cent in the previous 12 months.  (RAI data. The most significant demographic making the move is millennials.  Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Tammy Casseslon was just 15 years old when she first saw him from across the room. They smiled at one another, and that was it. She was smitten. "He was 17. Charming, funny, very good looking and looked at me like I was special," says Tammy. Their relationship began with laughter, love and lightness. "He was so proud of me and showered me with adoration. I loved being loved. I loved how funny he was. I thought we were building a very strong foundation of trust."The pair became fully enmeshed in each other’s lives and families. "He wooed my family with his magnetic character and his wicked sense of humour. They fell in love with him."Looking back now, Tammy says the behaviour screams of 'love bombing'. At the time, it just felt like love. The couple built a life together, they had two children - a pigeon pair. They were the picture perfect family - well educated, good jobs, attractive. But behind closed doors, the picture looked a little different.Watch: Can You Spot The Red Flags Of Domestic Violence? Post continues after the video.Coercive control is so insidious, so sly. It creeps up in a way that it’s almost impossible to notice," shares Tammy. It started with the occasional joke or jibe at Tammy’s expense, tiny little comments that made Tammy wonder if she heard right, made her question if she misunderstood. "What I only realised later was that he was always in control. We started saving money together before we were ever married. I had no access and never even questioned it. I trusted him completely, naively," says Tammy. After they got married and Tammy began to make independent decisions, discovering a need to explore her own purpose, things escalated. "It began with jokes at my expense and subtle, almost like under your breath insults, and later there were long periods of controlled calm, then bursts of extreme anger and yelling, including threats and very cruel comments. "When I stepped out of his rules, he started saying unacceptably disgusting things." Then the physical threats of violence started.  "Threats of violence against myself and our children and himself. Pretending to punch me to within a millimetre of my face, using looks to control and threaten me, smashing things."A picture perfect coupleDespite the prolific gaslighting, the verbal abuse, the emotional and financial abuse, the isolation and the physical threats, to the outside world, they were the perfect family.My ex-partner painted a picture and I went along with it. Until the very end I would not have labelled it abuse. I did not understand the enormity of all we were going through and had been through."Tammy grew up in a comfortable middle-upper-class suburb of South Africa before moving to Australia. Her childhood was carefree, happy, protected. She was well educated, had lots of friends, a close family and a large extended family. "I have an educational background in commerce, psychology, education, counselling, and teaching. When people think of a typical abuse victim, I wouldn’t come to mind, however there are many like me out there."It can happen to anyone, from any background, no religion is exempt, no education makes you exeDeborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Turnonthesubtitles Extensive research from top academics in many countries has shown that simply turning on the subtitles for children’s television improves literacy. Dramatically. In fact it may double their chance of becoming a proficient reader, in particular those children between the ages of six and 10.As former ministers, secretaries of state, civil servants, charity CEOs, business leaders and academics, we all now call on Sky, Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube Kids, ITV, Channel 5 and the BBC to all turn on the subtitles, by default, for children’s TV programmes. This needs to be done as a matter of urgency. This simple change will make the world of difference to millions of young people at this extremely challenging time. You can find out more at the website www.turnonthesubtitles.org.On Sunday 12th April 2020, The Guardian published a news article introducing the TOTS Campaign and what it was trying to achieve, alongside a letter in their commentary section. The letter was signed by over 30 former ministers, secretaries of state, civil servants, charity CEOs, business leaders and academics urging broadcasters to turn on their subtitles by default for children’s content.This isn’t a company. This isn’t a charity. This is just some like-minded people who think this idea is so blindingly obvious that it just has to happen.It was devised by Oli Barrett MBE and Henry Warren, they are old friends who have started multiple businesses and charities over the years.Henry WarrenHenry is a multi-award winning innovation expert and entrepreneur specialising in Education Technology. He is the co-founder & Chairman of the African education company Watobe and sits on the boards of several other charities and companies – almost always around education and technology.He’s the former Director of Innovation for Pearson plc and the former Head of Innovation for GEMS as well as an advisor to His Highness The Aga Khan’s schools. Prior to that, he founded the school’s network Rafiki and the charity Gemin-i.He’s a dad of three and is the alter ego of Barry T Tooth Fairy. Henry holds one of the more stupid Guinness world records involving sumo wrestlers and has also rafted the Nile holding a London traffic cone for reasons best known to himself.Oli Barrett MBEOli Barrett is a serial founder who enjoys making useful connections between people and ideas. He created Tenner, the UK’s largest schools enterprise challenge, in which over 250,000 pupils have made money and made a difference in a month, starting with just ten pounds. He co-founded Volunteer It Yourself (VIY), the social venture supported by Wickes, which has helped thousands of young people to fix their own youth clubs. His first job was at Walt Disney World in Florida, and his first experience in television was working on the launch of Bob the Builder. He co-founded The Rainmakers (an innovation and incubation company) in 2004, which continues to operate out of San Francisco. From 2008, he co-created and led eleven international trade missions (including WebMission and the Clean and Cool Mission), to help companies succeed overseas. In 2011, hDeborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Caitlin Marshall & Lizzie Rose, founders of the award-winning MakeShift. This not-for-profit org is one of the first creative prescribing agencies in Australia. Lizzie and Caitlin are known and respected internationally for their work on creativity and mental health.  There’s so much ground to cover, your audience will love it. They’re available for interviews in February and March.🌺 they have worked with thousands of individuals, communities and businesses, including first responders and communities affected by bushfires, floods and other natural disasters, to provide trauma-informed creativity programs. For the first time, they have distilled their decades of knowledge and practice into a new book, Creative First Aid: The Science and Joy of Creativity for Mental Health, published in March 2024. Here’s a digital copy and I’ve attached the media release. Please let me know if you’d like a review copy, it’s ace!Caitlin and Lizzie are at the forefront of the creative prescribing movement in Australia. Their remit is to ‘jam the joy’ into mental health restoration, recovery and collective resilience. They firmly believe that you don’t need to be good at art for art to be good for you.  🌺Research shows that just 15 minutes a day or a couple of hours a week spent doing something creative significantly improves your mental health. It might be art, craft, singing, dancing, gardening, cooking, playing ukelele badly – even drawing dodgy stick figures can reduce anxiety. Knitting regulates our stress levels, just like jogging does. And singing calms our trauma response. Creative practices soothe our nervous system, reduce burnout and help us feel present and connected.   The book offers 50 hands-on creative prescriptions anyone can try. They can guide your listeners through practical, hands-on activities that can take as little as a few minutes, to demonstrate the powerful impact of creativity in practice. And have fun with it!Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Hi, Welcome to the What I’ve Learnt podcastFrom food to fashion and art to music we’ve got you covered. We wanted to highlight some amazing moments of the podcast from January.This Episode FeaturesDr Gina Cleo: a behavioural scientist, world-renowned habit-change researcher and Adjunct Professor at Bond University. Gina’s new book, The Habit Revolution: Simple Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Powerful Habit Change, will be published in Jan 2024.Jason Kimberley: an adventurer, photographer, author, and the founder of Cool, an education organization dedicated to inspiring students to learn for life. Jason is an altruistic-realist, his uncompromising focus is on equitable access to quality education for all students.Jacob Klein: Social-organizational psychologist, coach, group and workshop leader, organizational consultant, lecturer. He has been working as a self-employed psychologist and organizational consultant in Israel and Austria for around 25 years. He taught at two universities in Israel; regularly leads workshops for the faculty in the technical Universities in Vienna and Graz, Austria Was in the Israeli Army for 24 years (Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserves) as a psychologist and organizational consultant. Nicki Gostin: A Page Six digital reporter who covers red carpets, the royal family and all ‘70s and ‘80s megastars. She has interviewed hundreds of celebrities about touchy topics and even took the now-infamous video of an aghast Anna Wintour being asked for her ID at an event. Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Nicki Gostin is a Page Six digital reporter who covers red carpets, the royal family and all ‘70s and ‘80s megastars. She has interviewed hundreds of celebrities about touchy topics and even took the now-infamous video of an aghast Anna Wintour being asked for her ID at an event. Nicki attended college in Melbourne, Australia, and has worked for many newspapers and magazines over the years. When she's not stalking celebs on the red carpet, Nicki loves to watch “The Great British Bake Off” and true-crime murder mysteries, and nag her children. You can follow her red carpet escapades on Instagram @nickigostin.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Born in Romania in 1953 to two Holocaust survivors who lost their family in the Holocaust. Immigrated to Israel in 1962.Married and father of three children, all living in Israel.Social-organizational psychologist, coach, group and workshop leader, organizational consultant, lecturer.Is specialized in -• Positive psychology and humor training• Effective interpersonal communication;• Crisis management and dealing with stress and burnout;• Leadership development and leadership consultants.• Conducts regular workshops and lectures on these topics.He has been working as a self-employed psychologist and organizational consultant in Israel and Austria for around 25 years.He taught at two universities in Israel; regularly leads workshops for the faculty in the technical Universities in Vienna and Graz, Austria Was in the Israeli Army for 24 years (Lieutenant Colonel in the Reserves) as a psychologist and organizational consultant. He was responsible for maintaining dialogue and finding alternatives to the use of force.Among other things, he was chief psychologist at the officers' school; psychologist of special forces; founded and directed the Assessment Center for the selection of senior officers in the Israeli army; and led the organizational advisory system.During the Oslo Accords with the Palestinians (1995-98), he was a consultant to the General of the Central Command and the Chief of Staff and, at times, to Prime Minister Rabin. In this context he took part in the negotiations with the Palestinians.Analyst and lecturer on the conflict in the Middle East from the psychological and systemic aspects.Jacob is involved in the Israeli peace camp and strives to maintain dialogue with the Palestinians wherever possible.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Stepping out of the limelight to become Cool Jason Kimberley is an adventurer, photographer, author, and the founder of Cool, an education organization dedicated to inspiring students to learn for life. Jason is an altruistic-realist, his uncompromising focus is on equitable access to quality education for all students. Prior to his success in education Jason was restauranteur of uber-successful, Veludo, the limelight of Melbourne's culinary and nightlife scene in the 90's, he then joined the family rag trade juggernaut Just Jeans for a number of years before doing a 180 and finding his passion in education. Jason’s enthusiasm for adventure has taken him around the world, to the highest peaks and most remote places on our planet. He is also a published author, Australia Exposed (2003) was the result of a yearlong camping trip around Australia, and Antarctica, A Different Adventure (2007) cronicles his journey across the frozen wilderness. In researching his Antarctica book, Jason came to understand the environmental, social, and economic challenges we face as a society. How everything is connected to everything else. Jason identified and understood that these challenges must be addressed through education, he respects the power of education and how it can be used to create positive change in children's lives. Through Cool, his vision is a reality: creating educational materials that teachers use to inspire students and engage them in meaningful learning experiences. Cool provides students with the opportunity to develop a clear purpose, a growth mind-set, greater responsibility, resilience, and entrepreneurship. By combining a life of adventure with a passion for education, Jason Kimberley has established himself as a unique leader in this essential field. Through his work, he is contributing to a better future by helping teachers and parents to be the best educators of children that they can be. Jason inspires and is inspired by the work he does and has leveraged every skill he has, all his energy and all his resources to make Cool.org the success it is today.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Dr Gina Cleo, behavioural scientist, world-renowned habit-change researcher and Adjunct Professor at Bond University. Gina’s new book, The Habit Revolution: Simple Steps to Rewire Your Brain for Powerful Habit Change, will be published in Jan 2024. 3 years ago, Gina discovered her husband, who she thought was one of the good guys, was cheating on her. As a behavioural scientist, Gina is very aware of subtle changes in connection or behaviour inconsistencies; how did she miss this? Overnight, her world fell apart. She went from running a successful global business to being too scared to leave the house. The devastating betrayal triggered something deep within. Nothing made sense. Gina lost the ability to do anything and developed agoraphobia and severe PTSD. “Because my mind felt so fractured, I had lost the ability to do anything, even basic things to look after myself. When you think of your morning routine, it might include a habit chain like getting out of bed, going to the bathroom, taking a shower, brushing your teeth, getting dressed, etc. I had somehow lost all that familiarity, and the basics of my daily routine were no longer normal for me because nothing was normal, nothing was certain, nothing was safe.” 20-40% of intimate relationships see at least one incident of sexual infidelity. Traumatic events challenge our view of the world as a safe, fair, and predictable place. Gina read all the books, did A LOT of therapy and implemented a few key healing habits. She found safety and security in regular routines and habits. With time Gina started to rebuild herself, redefine her self-worth and rethink her identity. The key to Gina’s recovery was implementing simple micro-habits every day and building on them. Fast forward nearly 3 years and she’s on the other side of the healing journey. But every now and then, there’s an unexpected trigger or salt thrown on the old wound, and the trauma feels like it was just yesterday. When that happens, she goes back to her healing habits to reset herself. The practice of micro-habits might seem simple, but research shows they’re extremely effective. Drawing on personal experience and her years of practice as Australia’s leading habit change expert, Dr Gina Cleo can discuss:• Habits big and small - How implementing simple micro-habits can help you recover from minor setbacks or major trauma. This applies to every age group and aspect of life - careers, parenting, business and relationships.• The science of habits – how habits are formed in the brain, how to rewire your brain and ditch bad habits to create positive change.• The gender gap – the latest research shows that gender plays a major role in the experience of habits• Men are more triggered by external or environmental cues whereas women are more triggered by internal and emotional or social cues.• For example, men are triggered by photos or images, whereas women are more triggered by stress.• Men and women are both able to create new or break old habits, but the strategies to focus on should be different for each.• New Addictions – to dating apps, social media, mobile phones. How technology is creating new addictions and tips to help with self-control• NeDeborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

A father of two small Nimrod children aged 4 and 7, Nimrod lives in Israel he is a Major reservist in the IDF. On 7 October at approximately 6am he received a phone call from his Commander to immediately drive to Jerusalem and collect his uniform and weapons, as they had heard murmurs that something was happening but unsure what exactly. Unaware of the gravity of what was unfolding during the 30 minute drive, Nimrod kept receiving messages that something was happening in the South. He demanded to his Commander that instead of going to Jerusalem he would divert to the South towards the Gaza border and see what he could do to help. Against his Commander’s demands, he drove south – armed only with a small pistol, to volunteer to see what he could do to help.  It was during this hour drive that along the highway towards the Gaza border he saw the takeover that Hamas had created, and saw a dead Israeli soldier on the road, so he took his machine gun and kept on travelling – all against his Commander’s orders, now he thought that it could be a fair fight, and he was willing to take on the terrorists.  As he headed towards the Kibbutz he knew that his life was in danger and this could result in his own death. He stopped driving, pulled over to stand under a tree, took out his phone and recorded a short video to send to his kids to say goodbye. When he finished he continued along the road he witnessed hundreds of dead bodies splayed all over the road, some were slaughtered, mutilated, raped, some where children, women and innocent civilians, together with other Soldiers they engaged in a battle with 30 Hamas terrorists who were on their way to enter Kibbutz Alumim and on the bodies of the terrorists they found very clear instructions as to what to do in the civilians in the Kibbutz which included murder, rape, behead, kidnap men, women and children. By taking on these terrorists, Nimrod predicts that a further approximately 500 lives were saved.  While he walked through the Kibbutz to help save the families who had been hiding in their safe room for over 18 hours, he witnessed and filmed what he can only describe as reminiscent of the vision from the Holocaust.He has shared his story internationally here are some clips. Here are some examples:1. Fox News, 2. ABC News UK, 3. CBN News, 4. Sky News, 5. The Australian, 6. The Jerusalem Post  Here is some of the footage he shot on October 7 – including the video he took to say goodbye to his kids before he went into combat.Nimrod has spent the last two months in battle, but his Commander insisted he takes 2 weeks of rest before he goes back into combat next week, but he insisted on travelling the world to tell his story and to help fight anti-Semitism. He has just returned from Berlin, London, Sydney and Melbourne where he addressed over 1500 people including government officials. Now's he's back, ready to go back into combat, and would like to share his story with you and your audience. Nimrod can share what he is doing as part of his NGO that he started called ISRAEL-is – a social and educational program to stop anti-Semitism globally and educate the world about Israel. He is launching a new program that is interactive called Be The Witness, a VR program allowinDeborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

URGENT: U.S. Citizen taken hostage to Gaza in dire medical need. (Updated Wed Oct 13, 8am IST) Hersh Goldberg-Polin was wounded and violently abducted at the Nova Music Festival in Southern Israel on October 7 by Gazan terrorists. He needs urgent medical attention.Hersh Goldberg-Polin was among the thousands of young people attacked by terrorists from Gaza at the Nova Music Festival near Kibbutz Reim in Southern Israel.Eyewitness accounts confirm that Hersh was taken hostage along with several others around 9:00 am Saturday morning by the armed terrorists, after his arm was blown off. He and the other hostages were forced onto a pick-up truck and believed to be taken from Israel into Gaza. He is in need of urgent medical attention.Hersh moved to Jerusalem at age 7 with his parents, Jon Polin and Rachel Goldberg, and his two sisters, Leebie and Orly. He is an avid soccer fan – championing the Hapoel Jerusalem team, loves to travel and attend music festivals.Hersh travels to the US annually to visit his grandparents and family. His parents, both Chicago natives, instilled in him a love of American sports and culture. He was able to recite every US president by the age of seven.At 8:11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct.7, 2023, Hersh messaged his parents “I love you,” and then, “I’m sorry.” That was his final communication.We are hopeful that he is alive and can be located. We just want him returned home safely, along with all other hostages.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Josh Piterman In 2023 Josh Piterman  returned to the stage in London to star as Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Misérables. His West End debut, actually came as he took on the most coveted role as The Phantom in the brilliant original production of The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s theatre in 2019, a role he was delighted to reprise in 2022 in the Opera Australia production both at the Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne. Josh is a superlative musical theatre performer and classical crossover artist who has been working consistently on Australian and UK stages for more than 15 years. His past credits include being a part of international pop opera group The Ten Tenors, Tony in the 2010 Australian production of West Side Story, Bustopher Jones/Gus/Growltiger in the 2015/16 Australian season of Cats (a role that won him the Green Room Award for best supporting actor in a Musical), Corny Collins in the UK tour of Hairspray and Gerry Goffin in the 2017/18 Australian tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. The initial, 12 month COVID deferral of the 2021 Phantom of the Opera season allowed Josh to perform at a staggering array of events including; Performance of a Lifetime with the MSO at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the Australia Day Live Concert outside the Sydney Opera House, the National Anthem at the MCG Boxing Day Test, and he wowed audiences with his performance of Music of the Night at The Australian Open Tennis Finals. Josh also performed numerous solo concerts, events and fundraisers in just about every Australian state in that time.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

TinyIvy Lamek Odero Program leader for sun books Kenya and Mary Rosenzweig from Tiny Ivy here to discuss their collaboration with the World Literacy Foundation As the literacy crisis is universal the World literacy Foundation joins forces with Tiny Ivy and Sun Books in Kenya to unite in educating those less fortunate The key is to share resources to assist in tackling the illiteracy epidemic which is endemic globally The collaboration between TinyIvy and World Literacy Foundation, Example developing courntry which is Kenya and how this collaboration is making significant impact  Unique aspect TinyIvy, technology is use to improve literacy rates. * 3billion people do not have internet connection to technology. Schools in Kenya and his region don't have internet, electricity It is incredible how young people love, 30 years ago to be introduced the program and  it is so effective,  kid love it  Lameck is putting together the results of regular assessments, and he says that all the schools using TIPS® are showing remarkable improvement, so that's exciting! The commitment of the teachers in Africa is awesome. They are truly dedicated to improving the quality of education for their students. A KenyaConnect school in Wamunyu is beginning their summer program using TIPS in the next few weeks, and that will be an important program to watch. All great things to share.  Christmas time is approaching and invite listeners to support Lameck project by visiting our website  https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/I’m thrilled to have Program leader of Sun books Kenya and Mary Silversweig  from Tiny Ivy here to discuss their collaboration with the World Literacy Foundation .Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

As the Middle East war rages and innocents on both sides are caught in an unspeakable tragedy  I’m grateful to speak to a beautiful family who have been utterly devastated by the Oct 7 horrors. A Father's agony: it’s so Heartbreaking On Saturday morning, Yoni Asher was sent a photo of his two young daughters playing in a family safe room before losing contact with his wife; He later found a video showing they had been taken to Gaza, turning his life into a nightmare; ‘We've had no new information about them since’My wife and the girls, four-and-a-half-year-old Raz and two-and-a-half-year-old Aviv, went to visit Doron's mother and her partner at Kibbutz Nir Oz for the celebration of Simchat Torah. I didn't go with them,” he said.After losing contact with her and receiving no response to his calls, Asher located his wife's phone at 11:30am, discovering she was in the Gaza Strip’s Khan Yunis.He subsequently found a video on Telegram showing the terrorists loading Doron and the girls onto a cart, covering Doron's hair and taking them into Gaza. "Since then, we've had no new information about them," he says in pain. Ravid Katz, 51, was also taken captive by Hamas terrorists on October 7, when they attacked Kibbutz Nir Oz where Katz lives with his family and other relatives.On that Saturday, Ravid made sure his wife and four-month-old baby were safe with neighbors in their sealed room and went to fight the terrorists with the kibbutz security team.Ravid’s wife and baby survived the assault, after hiding for hours.His mother, Efrat Katz, 70, was killed and her partner, Gadi Moshe Mozes, is also captive in Gaza. Ravid’s sister Doron Katz Asher and her two daughters were taken hostage separately.The family was unable to locate any sign of Ravid for many days, but received word that he is in Gaza. Our common humanity and the story of the hostages pervades the global consciousness — you feel the ache of it in every conversation. Shops and restaurants may be open, but there’s little enjoyment to be had knowing that there’s a young Israeli woman who gave birth in Hamas captivity.Colonel Elad Goren told me he hasn’t had a good day in the job since the war, not while he walks past posters of the missing in the middle of Tel Aviv everyday. There are yellow these ribbons are for them. They’ll fly in the wind until they’re returned.Guy, is the cousin of Ravid Katz and Doron Asher KatzGuy speaks about the trauma his family has faced how they’re coping more than a month later Firstly let me say hearts all over the world are aching for your family we are all with you So welcome to the WhatIveLearntPodcast a special edition shining light on this tragedy It is with our shared humanity that we shine the light and hope to help bring them home now Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

A Brilliant Life book by Rachelle UnreichI’ve known Rachelle as a fellow journalist for many years sometimes working together and I’ve always respected and admired her - so as she embarks on this very personal story I’m thrilled to have her join me on the WhatIveLearntPodcast podcast In her new book “A Brilliant Life” Journalist Rachelle Unreich interviewed her mother Mira—a Holocaust survivor—in her final months of terminal cancer, and discovered stories of human goodness and love, which would impact her own life for the better.• Mira’s incredible survival through WWII and the Holocaust is because of ‘human goodness’. Mira used to say that in the Holocaust ‘I learned about the goodness of people.’ Her survival is due to people of all races, religions, ages, and circumstances helping her live to the next day. It’s a lesson Rachelle holds dear.• The historical background: In the late hours of 30 April 1945, MiraBlumenstock was liberated and the camp gates opened. It was also her 18th birthday. She’d survived four death camps, including Auschwitz, and a death march. But there was a mystery to Mira’s survival. Seventy years would pass. A life lived joyfully in France and Australia would start to wind down. After Mira was diagnosed with cancer, her daughter, Rachelle, a journalist, would interview her to distract Mira from her illness. What she discovered about her mother is astonishing.• The incredible bond of mothers and daughters: This story traces both Mira’s relationship with her mother Genya as well as Rachelle’s with Mira. Genya guided Mira through the Holocaust, while Mira helped Rachelle through tough experiences like a near-death motor accident. It reminds us that one of the most powerful forces of the universe is a mother’s love.• The mysterious ways of the universe: All her life, strange, inexplicable, mysterious occurrences took place around Mira and her family. A Brilliant Life looks at the role that fate, destiny and chance plays in one’s life.• Caring for a parent at the end of their life: Rachelle explores the inverse relationship of a mother and childat the end of life when the child becomes the carer.• Rachelle was bereft after Mira’s passing. During the Melbourne lockdown, her jobopportunities look dwindling, and feeling unsure she would ever write a book - Rachelle began to write Mira's story in what would become A Brilliant Life.• The weight on the next generation of Holocaust survivors: Australia has the highest number ofHolocaust survivors per capita outside of Israel. So With the world spinning on its axis and  antisemitism on the rise again, weaving Holocaust stories into our present is so important for many among Rachelle’s generation. So many echoes of the past have been heard within the present, and it's more important than ever that we learn from history. Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Afghanistan World Literacy Foundation youth ambassador  About N. (Maryam)She is a young leader from Afghanistan. I have a working background as Senior Human Rights & Gender Officer with the Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) in north east region. She worked there until mid July 2022. When working with SCA, she had the chance to connect with students and teachers in rural areas of north eastern of the country, including students with disabilities. Throughout my work, I realized how education affects the life of individuals and communities; in culture, social behavior, domestic violence, and families’ economic situation. Especially the vulnerable people such as young girls, minorities, and people with disabilities. Even medium educated communities' cultures and behaviors are far different from the low educated and uneducated communities. Communities with medium or high number of children (girls, boys) at school are more open, looking happier, and have moderate religious thoughts rather than low educated communities. You can find lower types of hard traditional practices such as, forces marriage and early marriages in those communities too. I observed it and felt it when field visiting different parts of the country.I have a bachelor in economics with a first class honors degree (2015- 2018). I had the honor of offering a free English course to the young girls and boys who had passion in learning the English language when I was a student at university.Beside my work at SCA, I established my own coffee shop in 2020 in my city Taloqan, Takhar, which had a small library for children and adults. (the books were collected by a voluntary campaign). BBC made a report about her coffee shop which you can find its link here: https://youtu.be/J0IrPA97EKY.I enjoy loving history books and novels. I love Persian poetry. I sometimes write my daily life too. I really love to write a book someday. As the world spirals the value of literacy education and words is poignant Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850

Hi, Welcome to the What I’ve Learnt podcastFrom food to fashion and art to music we’ve got you covered. We wanted to highlight some amazing moments of the podcast from July to September.This Episode FeaturesKevin Murphy Is recognized as one of the world's most respected and sought-after session hairstylists and the owner and creator of KEVIN.MURPHY hair products, Kevin has been at the forefront of fashion, runway, editorial and film for decades within Australia and internationally.David McAllister AC former principal dancer and former artistic director of the Australian Ballet has launched his second book “Ballet Confidential: A Personal Behind-The-Scenes Guide, in a powerful overview of one of the performing arts' most alluring and mysterious, physically demanding and mentally rigorous art forms. Donna Lyon is a Film Producer and founder of Left Write Hook , The program provides survivors of sexual assault a space to release their memories, reclaim their bodies and imagine new lives for themselves. Documentary Left Write Hook follows eight female survivors of childhood sexual abuse who participate in a 2-year experimental recovery program that combines the physicality of boxing with the emotional power of expressive writing. Through powerful participatory filmmaking, unprecedented access, and full engagement with all of those involved, this feature-length documentary captures an amazing journey of recovery, transformation, and friendship.Deborah's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/what.ive.learnt/Mind, Film and Publishing: https://www.mindfilmandpublishing.com/Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-ive-learnt/id153556330Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3TQjCspxcrSi4yw2YugxBkBuzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1365850