27/12/2010 nch 0009 - western sydney university · monday, december 27, 2010 newcastle herald 9...

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Monday, December 27, 2010 NEWCASTLE HERALD 9 OPINION & ANALYSIS Bologna recipes may suit local ingredients Phillip O’Neill CLEVER CENTRE: Bologna thrives with a skilled population, quality employers and sustainable city. Professor Phillip O’Neill is director of the Urban Research Centre, University of Western Sydney. CHRISTMAS smiles on many, but not all. I am one of the fortunate ones. We are enjoying Christmas and New Year in Bologna, Italy. And we have our family with us. Which makes us luckier still. Bologna is a delightful city. One obvious reason is that it escaped the attentions of 20th-century architects and planners. Damage from World War II bombing, by the Allies, is visible here and there. But the repairs were done with sympathy for this medieval, human-scaled city. And, fortunately, Bologna was spared the concrete civic nonsense and motorway brutality that permanently scar heavily-bombed British and German cities like Birmingham and Dresden. Bologna is a city in which you walk or catch a bus, because cars are banned from its inner parts. But even if you could drive you would walk, just so you could be part of the parade along the wide porticoes that line every thoroughfare, and so you can wander up narrow lanes and across cobbled plazas fronting ornate renaissance churches and proud civic buildings, one after another, past perfect, a functioning present, a certain future. You walk too because you need to shed the calories from every meal, for Bologna is renowned as Italy’s best eating city. Shops and offices close every day at 1pm so workers can eat and rest. By 4pm city streets refill. Being out in the evening, mid- week and all, cold or hot, shopping, eating, walking, watching, talking, smoking, is normal, expected even. Across town you bump into students walking and cycling as well, for this is the world’s oldest university town, older than Oxford or Cambridge in England, and bigger. Bologna University houses 23 faculties and 93 libraries, and hosts 100,000 students from all over the world. As you’d guess, the students over-fill the city with energy and purpose, and buying power and fun. Not accidentally, for this is a clever city, Bologna is home to great industrial designers like Dino Gavina, leader of Italy’s reputation for stylish furniture, and for a remarkable succession of elite motoring companies: Maserati, Lamborghini and Ducati. No prizes for guessing, then, that Bologna is regarded widely as Italy’s most liveable city and capital of one of Europe’s most successful regional economies. Its unemployment rate is low. Its incomes are high. It is charmingly authentic, human-scaled, productive, sustainable and clever. As such it is a lesson to the Western world as we start the second decade of the 21st century. Ten years ago, amid froth and fireworks, we set forth confidently into a new millennium. By September 2008, the global economy was in crisis. Accounts of the eviction of mortgage defaulters and pictures of rows of empty newly- built houses became nightly news. The folly of running economies on easy finance was exposed. Greedy banks and investment funds required expensive government bailouts. Stalled economies required expensive government rescue packages. The US economy remains fragile. Once proud industrial cities are in permanent decline. Here in Europe financial crisis threatens the dream of unity and a shared prosperous future. Ireland, Greece and Spain will struggle for years to pay down public debt and find a way to build competitive economies. New millennium optimism has been replaced by the age of austerity. Australia, though, is lucky. Good fortune – rich minerals, our nearby- Asia location, our separation from Europe and North America – has smiled on us. But in a new decade we will need more. Fortunately, the recipe for economic success has never been clearer, so long as we learn from the experiences of the past decade and resist the temptations of get-rich quick schemes peddled by the purveyors of snake-oil, the white shoe wearers, offering cheap finance, easy gains, get it now, get in quick, off the plan, a guaranteed investment, blah, blah, blah. The decade now gone teaches us, as history always does, that long- term, shared prosperity comes from genuine productivity increases, not from speculative investments. In turn, the recipe for building productivity isn’t difficult to find or follow. Productivity comes from investment in education and skilling, from harmonious labour relations, and from equipping cities and regions with the infrastructure that makes them good places to live and good places to run businesses. The three go together: skilled people, quality employers, sustainable cities. This combination was pretty much the recipe for economic success during the Hawke-Keating years, and for the good years that followed. Like Bologna, but not a lot of other places, Australia enters the new decade well placed. Shared prosperity awaits us, if we are clever enough to assemble it. For now, from Italy, Buon Natale, e un Felice Anno Nuovo. Silent Night in the trenches part of wonder Peace can be ours at Christmas, writes Bruce Robertson. Bruce Robertson is the senior minister at Globe Church, Newcastle and Eastlakes. This article is submitted by the Churches Media Association – cmahunter.com.au THIS year I celebrated my 50th Christmas on the planet. Friends say they are amazed at how quickly this year has passed, but I’ve been thinking how quickly 50 years have passed. I distinctly remember my fourth Christmas; since every gift struck a chord with me and I was filled with wonder . . . and pudding. Not every Christmas was wonderful. The first Christmas after my parents separated was awkward. Two years later when I was 13, my father had died and we were left empty and isolated. In my teenage years it seemed to me that Christmas in Australia became cynically commercial and religiously ‘‘Santafied’’, and I treated it with mercenary contempt. You could say that I became Claustrophobic. At the age of 21 something transformed my cynicism about Christmas and restored the wonder of childlike faith to my soul. I discovered in a series of personal encounters the love of God expressed in the Incarnation; the humanity of Jesus Christ. And this is never seen more clearly than in the Birth of Jesus as our Saviour in Bethlehem. Canon J. John says that at Christmas ‘‘the Invisible God became visible. The Intangible God became tangible. The Unknowable God became knowable. God became a Man’’. Since becoming a Christian, I have never lost that sense of wonder and joy and the peace of Christmas. There had always been a restless hunger for something more. At the birth of Jesus the angels sang about the promise of peace on Earth, but actually Jesus was born into a land invaded by a cruel conqueror. In becoming human, God returned to us the power of peace . . . the power to choose to forgive and be reconciled. Perhaps the best illustration of this took place some 96 years ago on Christmas Eve, amid the trench warfare of World War I. One writer records that: ‘‘On a frosty Christmas Eve, the Germans mounted trees on their parapets and lit candles and lanterns. Thousands of British watched in fascination as the wondrous sight was joined by the distant haunting sound of men singing Stille Nacht ( Silent Night )... Scottish soldiers . . . spotted Germans clambering into the open with no sign of hostile intent. They were on the Western Front, near Lille. Baffled, they held their fire but the Germans came right up to the trench and offered cigars. It was 1914 and the near-mythical Christmas truce had begun, when men laid down their weapons, shook hands and embraced the season’s message of peace on Earth.’’ So peace is really ours for the taking, and we take it by deciding not to spend our lives at war with each other. As Dwight Thompson says: ‘‘You can spend your life any way you want to, but you can only spend it once.’’ It seems to me now that peace on Earth can be ours at Christmas when we lay down our hurt and frustration and remember to forgive, just as we have been forgiven. Topics today Today’s fact Global defence spending is seven times greater than education spending. Today’s word Ululate: howl, wail; make a hooting cry. It happened today From our files – 1932: A considerable quantity of rock and earth crashed down from the side of the cliff yesterday below the lookout at the southern end of the King Edward Park drive. Today in history 1831: Naturalist Charles Darwin sets out on a voyage to the Pacific aboard HMS Beagle. His discoveries during the voyage helped form the basis of his theories of evolution. 1932: Radio City Music Hall opens in New York City. 1945: The World Bank is created with an agreement signed by 28 nations. 1949: The Netherlands transfers sovereignty to Indonesia after more than 300 years of Dutch rule. 1972: Australia halts military aid to South Vietnam, ending its involvement in the Vietnam War. 1979: The Soviet Union takes control of Afghanistan. 1996: Rwanda’s first genocide trial opens for the 1994 slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis. 2001: President Bush permanently normalises trade relations with China; the US announces plans to hold Taliban and al-Qaeda prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. 2007: Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto, 54, is killed by an attacker. Born today Louis Pasteur, French scientist (1822-1895); Louis Bromfield, US novelist (1896-1956); Marlene Dietrich, German actress (1901-1992); Gerard Depardieu, pictured, French actor (1948-); T. S. Monk, jazz drummer/vocalist (1949-). Odd spot A US thief with a long-term conscience sent $45.25 to a Pennsylvania tool company to pay for a hammer stolen decades ago. It was accompanied by an anonymous letter that said: ‘‘Enclosed is $45 to cover the hammer plus a little extra for interest. I’m sorry I stole it, but have changed my ways.’’ Today’s text And Jesus grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:40

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Page 1: 27/12/2010 NCH 0009 - Western Sydney University · Monday, December 27, 2010 NEWCASTLE HERALD 9 OPINION& ANALYSIS Bolognarecipesmay suitlocalingredients Phillip O’Neill CLEVERCENTRE

Monday, December 27, 2010 NEWCASTLE HERALD 9

OPINION&ANALYSIS

Bolognarecipesmaysuit local ingredients

PhillipO’Neill

CLEVER CENTRE: Bologna thrives with a skilled population, quality employers and sustainable city. –

Professor Phillip O’Neill is directorof the Urban Research Centre,University of Western Sydney.

CHRISTMAS smiles on many, butnot all. I am one of the fortunateones. We are enjoying Christmas andNew Year in Bologna, Italy. And wehave our family with us. Whichmakes us luckier still.

Bologna is a delightful city. Oneobvious reason is that it escaped theattentions of 20th-century architectsand planners.

Damage from WorldWar IIbombing, bythe Allies, isvisible hereand there.But the repairswere donewith sympathy forthis medieval,human-scaled city.And, fortunately,Bologna was sparedthe concretecivic nonsenseand motorwaybrutality thatpermanently scarheavily-bombed Britishand Germancities like Birminghamand Dresden.

Bolognaisacityinwhichyouwalkorcatchabus,becausecarsarebannedfromitsinnerparts.Butevenifyoucoulddriveyouwouldwalk, justsoyoucouldbepartoftheparadealongthewideporticoesthatlineeverythoroughfare,andsoyoucanwanderupnarrowlanesandacrosscobbledplazasfrontingornaterenaissancechurchesandproudcivicbuildings,oneafteranother,pastperfect,afunctioningpresent,acertainfuture.

You walk too because you need toshed the calories from every meal,for Bologna is renowned as Italy’sbest eating city. Shops and officesclose every day at 1pm so workerscan eat and rest. By 4pm city streetsrefill. Being out in the evening, mid-week and all, cold or hot, shopping,eating, walking, watching, talking,smoking, is normal, expected even.

Across town you bump intostudents walking and cycling as well,for this is the world’s oldestuniversity town, older than Oxfordor Cambridge in England, andbigger. Bologna University houses 23faculties and 93 libraries, and hosts100,000 students from all over theworld. As you’d guess, the studentsover-fill the city with energy andpurpose, and buying power and fun.

Not accidentally, for this is aclever city, Bologna is home to greatindustrial designers like DinoGavina, leader of Italy’s reputation

for stylish furniture, and for aremarkable succession of elitemotoring companies: Maserati,Lamborghini and Ducati.

No prizes forguessing, then, thatBologna is regardedwidely as Italy’smost liveablecity and capitalof oneof Europe’s mostsuccessful regionaleconomies. Its unemploymentrate islow. Its incomes are high. It ischarmingly authentic,human-scaled,productive, sustainableand clever.

As such it is a lesson tothe Westernworld aswe start thesecond decadeof the21st century. Tenyears ago,amid frothand fireworks, weset forthconfidently into anew millennium.By September 2008, the globaleconomy was incrisis. Accounts ofthe eviction ofmortgage defaultersand picturesof rows ofempty newly-built houses becamenightly news.The folly ofrunning economies oneasy finance wasexposed. Greedybanks andinvestment fundsrequired expensivegovernmentbailouts. Stalledeconomies requiredexpensive governmentrescuepackages.

The US economy remains fragile.

Once proud industrial cities are inpermanent decline. Here in Europefinancial crisis threatens the dreamof unity and a shared prosperousfuture. Ireland, Greece and Spainwill struggle for years to pay downpublic debt and find a way to buildcompetitive economies. Newmillennium optimism has beenreplaced by the age of austerity.

Australia, though, is lucky. Goodfortune – rich minerals, our nearby-Asia location, our separation fromEurope and North America – hassmiled on us.

But in a new decade we will needmore. Fortunately, the recipe foreconomic success has never beenclearer, so long as we learn from theexperiences of the past decade andresist the temptations of get-richquick schemes peddled by thepurveyors of snake-oil, the whiteshoe wearers, offering cheapfinance, easy gains, get it now, get inquick, off the plan, a guaranteedinvestment, blah, blah, blah.

The decade nowgone teaches us,as history alwaysdoes, that long-term, shared prosperitycomes from

genuine productivity increases, notfrom speculativeinvestments. Inturn, the recipefor buildingproductivity isn’t difficult to find orfollow. Productivitycomes frominvestment in educationand skilling,from harmoniouslabour relations,and from equippingcities andregions with theinfrastructure thatmakes themgood places tolive andgood places torun businesses. Thethree go together:skilled people,quality employers, sustainable cities.

This combination was pretty muchthe recipe for economic successduring the Hawke-Keating years,and for the good years that followed.

Like Bologna, but not a lot of otherplaces, Australia enters the newdecade well placed. Sharedprosperity awaits us, if we are cleverenough to assemble it. For now, fromItaly, Buon Natale, e un Felice AnnoNuovo.

Silent Night in the trenchespartof wonderPeace can be ours atChristmas, writesBruce Robertson.

Bruce Robertson is the seniorminister at Globe Church, Newcastleand Eastlakes. This article issubmitted by the Churches MediaAssociation – cmahunter.com.au

THIS year I celebrated my 50thChristmas on the planet. Friends saythey are amazed at how quickly thisyear has passed, but I’ve beenthinking how quickly 50 years havepassed. I distinctly remember myfourth Christmas; since every giftstruck a chord with me and I wasfilled with wonder . . . and pudding.

NoteveryChristmaswaswonderful.ThefirstChristmasaftermyparentsseparatedwasawkward.TwoyearslaterwhenIwas13,myfatherhaddiedandwewereleftemptyandisolated.

In my teenage years it seemed tome that Christmas in Australiabecame cynically commercial andreligiously ‘‘Santafied’’, and I

treated it with mercenary contempt.You could say that I becameClaustrophobic.

Attheageof21somethingtransformedmycynicismaboutChristmasandrestoredthewonderofchildlikefaithtomysoul.IdiscoveredinaseriesofpersonalencounterstheloveofGodexpressedintheIncarnation; thehumanityofJesusChrist.AndthisisneverseenmoreclearlythanintheBirthofJesusasourSaviourinBethlehem.

CanonJ. JohnsaysthatatChristmas ‘‘theInvisibleGodbecamevisible.TheIntangibleGodbecametangible.TheUnknowableGodbecameknowable.GodbecameaMan’’.

Since becoming a Christian, I havenever lost that sense of wonder andjoy and the peace of Christmas.There had always been a restlesshunger for something more.

At the birth of Jesus the angels

sang about the promise of peace onEarth, but actually Jesus was borninto a land invaded by a cruelconqueror. In becoming human, Godreturned to us the power of peace . . .the power to choose to forgive andbe reconciled. Perhaps the bestillustration of this took place some96 years ago on Christmas Eve, amidthe trench warfare of World War I.

One writer records that: ‘‘On afrosty Christmas Eve, the Germansmounted trees on their parapets andlit candles and lanterns. Thousandsof British watched in fascination asthe wondrous sight was joined bythe distant haunting sound of mensinging Stille Nacht (Silent Night) . . .Scottish soldiers . . . spottedGermans clambering into the openwith no sign of hostile intent. Theywere on the Western Front, nearLille. Baffled, they held their firebut the Germans came right up tothe trench and offered cigars. It was

1914 and the near-mythicalChristmas truce had begun, whenmen laid down their weapons, shookhands and embraced the season’smessage of peace on Earth.’’

So peace is really ours for thetaking, and we take it by decidingnot to spend our lives at war witheach other. As Dwight Thompsonsays: ‘‘You can spend your life anyway you want to, but you can onlyspend it once.’’

It seems to me now that peace onEarth can be ours at Christmaswhen we lay down our hurt andfrustration and remember to forgive,just as we have been forgiven.

Topics today

Today’s fact

Global defence spending isseven times greater thaneducation spending.

Today’s word

Ululate: howl, wail; make ahooting cry.

It happened today

From our files – 1932: Aconsiderable quantity of rockand earth crashed down from theside of the cliff yesterday belowthe lookout at the southern endof the King Edward Park drive.

Today in history

1831: Naturalist Charles Darwinsets out on a voyage to the Pacificaboard HMS Beagle. Hisdiscoveries during the voyagehelped form the basis of histheories of evolution.1932: Radio City Music Hallopens in New York City.1945: The World Bank is createdwith an agreement signed by 28nations.1949: The Netherlands transferssovereignty to Indonesia aftermore than 300 years of Dutch rule.1972: Australia halts military aidto South Vietnam, ending itsinvolvement in the Vietnam War.1979: The Soviet Union takescontrol of Afghanistan.1996: Rwanda’s first genocidetrial opens for the 1994 slaughterof 800,000 Tutsis.2001: President Bushpermanently normalises traderelations with China; the USannounces plans to hold Talibanand al-Qaeda prisoners atGuantanamo Bay, Cuba.2007: Pakistan opposition leaderBenazir Bhutto, 54, is killed by anattacker.

Born today

Louis Pasteur, French scientist(1822-1895);Louis Bromfield,US novelist(1896-1956);MarleneDietrich,German actress(1901-1992);GerardDepardieu,pictured,French actor (1948-); T. S. Monk,jazz drummer/vocalist (1949-).

Odd spot

A US thief with a long-termconscience sent $45.25 to aPennsylvania tool company topay for a hammer stolen decadesago. It was accompanied by ananonymous letter that said:‘‘Enclosed is $45 to cover thehammer plus a little extra forinterest. I’m sorry I stole it, buthave changed my ways.’’

Today’s text

And Jesus grew and becamestrong; he was filled withwisdom, and the grace of Godwas upon him. Luke 2:40