JANINE
GREENING
- Activist -
G'day guys,
Today I welcome an Australian fighter for victims of crime - Janine Greening. Janine is a force to be reckoned with. She has dealt with lawyers, politicians, law courts, the justice system and our Attorneys General. She still is. Welcome, Janine. Tell us more ...
WHAT’S
YOUR CURRENT JOB?
Volunteer.
Director of the FORGETMENOT
FOUNDATION INC - A REGISTERED CHARITY.
And President of Victoria Homicide
Victims Support Group.
WHY
DID YOU CHOOSE HUMAN RIGHTS?
By being a volunteer at 9 years of age for Red
Cross, and because my mother was involved in human right issues, she inspired
me to take an interest in what is happening around me, and if I want to make a change,
not to sit on the fence
HOW
DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS? WAS IT ONE PARTICULAR INCIDENT?
As a child I was passionate
about Human rights, but it was
my brother who at the age of
11years old ,ended up in the clutches of the mental Health system, he actually
has Autistic spectrum, but no one back in 1966, knew what that was, so shock
treatment and insulin treatment were used on him.
ANY
PERSONAL INVOLVEMENTS?
I am my brother's Guardian since
our mother's murder. I advocate for him
WHAT
IS YOUR DEFINITION OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
Living in an egalitarian society,
a Utopia, but I am a dreamer
WHAT
ARE THE BIGGEST HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES IN THE WORLD AS YOU SEE THEM?
Poverty, Homelessness, Mental
Health, War Crimes, Lack of Education, slave labour and Victims of Crime.
HOW
CAN ORDINARY PEOPLE HELP, OR BECOME INVOLVED?
By writing letters to their local MP’S, and Government
officials, joining together with others
who are passionate about the causes that you
are. People power is the strongest tool, plus petitions and submissions to Parliament.
HOW
CAN WRITERS AND AUTHORS HELP?
By taking up Causes, Human Rights
stories and telling the truth.
DO
YOU BECOME FRUSTRATED BY THE LACK OF POLITICAL WILL REGARDING HUMAN RIGHTS?
Yes, I do. I don’t believe we have
Human Rights as such.
WHAT
HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST VICTORY?
That I have not given up in
fighting to change laws - have been doing it for 13 years
WHAT
HAS BEEN THE SADDEST MOMENT IN YOUR WORK?
When I met a young mother whose
son was murdered by his father, the little boy was a couple of months old, his
mother would carry his ashes everywhere with her, and I will never forget the
pain and sadness in her face.
WHAT
ARE YOUR BIGGEST FRUSTRATIONS?
Trying to get laws changed
regarding Sex Offenders and getting suppression orders taken off young persons
and adults who commit Vicious Assaults, Rapes, and murders.
WHAT
ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW?
Our next forum for Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorder
WHAT
ORGANISATIONS ARE YOU A PART OF? WHY?
Forwards (Forgotten Australian
Justice Committee) for family members who were placed in care.
DO
YOU BELIEVE THAT SOME GOOD THINGS ARE BEING ACHIEVED IN HUMAN RIGHTS?
I‘ll wait and see what happens
with the Royal, Commission into the Sexual abuse in the catholic church and other
organisations in Australia.
WHO
OR WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST OBSTACLES?
Bureaucracy, Governments, Attitudes,
Ignorance and Power.
ARE
WESTERN GOVERNMENTS PROACTIVE OR REACTIVE?
Wish I Could answer this.
ANY
ADVICE FOR A LAWYER CONSIDERING HUMAN RIGHTS LAW?
To be open minded. Human Rights, especially
if you are working with Victims of Crime, should not be one sided. In
Australia Human rights for victims of crime is non-existent. The scales of
justice are not balanced.
IF
YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ALL WORLD LEADERS, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
You have the power to make a
difference, in regards to the world Climate, Environment and the animals that are
disappearing at such a rate. We live in a fragile world and the greatest
disease of all is Poverty.
WHO
HAVE YOU WORKED FOR IN THE PAST?
Department of Human Services
(Disabilities)
Volunteer, St Vincent de PAUL
Volunteer Ardoch Youth Foundation
Volunteer Office of Public
Advocate
WHAT’S
YOUR GREATEST DREAM?
To see respect for the
environment and the animals that live on this planet, then maybe humans will respect each other.
DESCRIBE
YOUR PERFECT DAY?
I love Simplicity, just to sit
back and take in the beauty of each day, and those I love - my grandchildren and
my furry friends
WHAT
ARE YOUR FIVE MOST FAVOURITE BOOKS?
The Call of the Wild by Jack
Loddon
The Moon is a balloon by David
Niven
Thoughts of Nanushka by Nan
Whitcomb
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten
Bloom
The summer that Bled by Anthony Masters
(Biography of Helen Senesh)
HOW
DO YOU SEE THE FUTURE?
With hope in my heart, knowing
that there are many people who are activists for many causes to make a change
to bring about education and
awareness of what is going on around us in the injustices of mankind, and those who will tell the stories with courage
and conviction.
ANYTHING
YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
Whatever your dream hold on to it, never let
go of hope, because it is the last thing to die. Can’t you tell HOPE is my
favourite word; I live in hope every day?
Clancy's comment: Go, Janine! Love ya passion. Keep up the good work.
I'm ...
You're a truly amazing and inspiring individual
ReplyDeleteJanine and the world is a lot better place for having you in it.Thank You for all that you do.
You are a woman that has had to, and continue to, face a huge wheel that turns ever so slowly.
ReplyDeleteYour relentless efforts to make the world a fairer more just world are inspiring to all that know you.
You have a soul that feels empathy for the injustices of this world Janine and I for one am truly humbled to have met you.
As Wayne Simmonds has said, thank you for all that are and all that you do.
Take care of yourself.
Paul O'Brien