Online community website Gumtree.com.au is eager to make history by staging one of the largest yoga events in Australian history, a FREE yoga class on Bondi Beach,Friday 3rd October from 6-8am, and thousands are expected to attend. Gumtree is staging this significant event to remind Australians about the health and wellbeing benefits that people experience when engaging with their community.

In September 2007, Gumtree in Spain (LoQUo) held a similar yoga event. Hundreds of participants took part in synchronised poses by an Egyptian temple at sunset.

Gumtree is expecting over 1000 people to partake in this event including local celebrities, VIPs, uniformed lifeguards, surfers, bikini-clad Bondi babes, local businesses, city-suits, backpackers,
and Bondi veterans.

Research has shown that being a part of a community can enrich a persons life and can assist to improve their health, happiness and wellbeing, says Rebecca Attenborough, coordinator for Australias Biggest Yoga Class.

Jo Lamble, resident Psychologist on Channel 7s Sunrise, says: One of the most common problems in society today is loneliness. Many studies have found that one of the keys to happiness and wellbeing is having a connection to and compassion for other human beings. Therefore, taking steps towards being a part of your community is very easy to do and is one very important way in which to lose that sense of loneliness and instead feel like you have a sense of belonging.

Gumtree is encouraging all Sydney-siders and visitors to the city to attend, says Ms Attenborough. And what better way to kick-start your Friday and the long weekend than awakening your body and mind practicing yoga by the ocean with hundreds of other like-minded people.

Yoga gurus from www.BodyMindLife.com - one of Sydney’s leading yoga schools - will guide and teach participants a style of Basic Power Yoga; gentle, slow, and simple poses designed to build a healthy balance of flexibility, strength, agility and grace, bringing your body, mind and life back into harmony. The sound of calming music, the ocean roar and a congregation of hundreds of people will set the mood for the morning. Whether new to yoga or a long-time yoga devotee, this class is for every one.

People are encouraged to arrive early at 6am for a 6.30am class start. Participants should bring a bottle of water and a yoga mat. If participants do not own a yoga mat an ideal alternative option is to bring a large towel. Shower/changing facilities are available at the Pavilion.

For more information or to register for Australia’s Biggest Yoga Class visit www.gumtree.com.au

The Australian local government sector has designated 2010 as the Year of Women in Local Government to celebrate and promote the advancement of women into senior management positions. The announcement follows a national forum of local, state and commonwealth governments, local government associations and peak professional bodies that was held recently in Canberra.

Convened by Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) the forum was officially opened by the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Minister for the Status of Women.

LGMA National President and Chief Executive Officer of the City of Unley (SA), Ray Pincombe said the Year of Women in Local Government is a powerful and proven method of raising awareness and educating the local government sector on the value and capacity of women as senior managers.

The topic of women in local government has been around for a long time, Mr Pincombe said. All levels of government are acutely aware of the barriers facing women in management, yet nationally only a handful of councils are addressing the issue.”

Currently women in senior management roles represent only 20% of local government employees, and only 5% of chief executives or general managers are women. Unless we embrace gender diversity and adopt more transparent and flexible work practices in attracting and retaining our female employees, then the local government sector will not have the depth of talent to survive.

The Year of Women in Local Government will comprise activities and initiatives that address five key themes:

• Removing structural barriers to womens advancement;
• Improving the image of local government;
• Preparing women to lead; affirming womens rights to be at the table; and
• Implementing evaluation methods that measure meaningful progress.

Activities that will make up the year-long celebration include: reverse mentoring, professional development programs, womens and mens only forums, showcasing best practice and other activities that acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of women in the local government sector.

A working party of representatives from local, state and commonwealth governments, local government associations and peak professional bodies has been formed to define the way forward.

For more information visit the Local Government Managers Australia website: www.lgma.org.au

AAP

Having a good laugh at work can do wonders for a persons job satisfaction, according to Swinburne University of Technology researcher Maren Rawlings.

In a recent study, the psychologist found that individuals who use, and are surrounded by, positive humour in the workplace had higher levels of job satisfaction than those who dont. She will be presenting her findings at the Australian Psychological Societys annual conference in Hobart on 23-27 September.

During the study Rawlings surveyed 300 workers from 20 different countries about their individual use of humour in the workplace, and how they perceived the humour used by their colleagues.

I found that the more positive the humour climate was in a workplace, the greater the job satisfaction of employees, said Rawlings. In fact, personality and mood, combined with humour use, explained over 40 per cent of workers job satisfaction.

According to Rawlings, previous research has also found a strong correlation between a workers job satisfaction and their level of productivity. Therefore her findings contradict a common misconception that people who enjoy themselves and make jokes in the workplace, are not as productive.

People bemoan that there is no time for humour, and that being humorous is not appreciated, she said. However there is a body of research out there that shows a strong association between job satisfaction and performance. So if humour makes people satisfied in their job, it should definitely be encouraged.

Just as positive humour was found to increase job satisfaction, Rawlings research also showed that no humour or negative humour decreased levels of job satisfaction in employees.

Workplaces where humour was used in a negative way, for example using a joke to put somebody else down, had a definite negative impact on employees job satisfaction. Workplaces that were humour-free were also perceived as negative, she said.

Rawlings believes it is important for employers to recognise the importance of humour in the workplace in order to keep their employees satisfied in their roles.

If employers take measures to encourage a positive humour climate in the workplace, they are more likely to retain their staff. And with an ageing workforce it is vital for companies to keep good people.

AAP

A national study by RMIT University researchers is examining female fears about food, fat and weight to find out how many Australian women could be at risk of developing eating disorders. The research, conducted by RMIT and La Trobe University, will look at whether a womans dissatisfaction with her body, shape and size contributes to risky behaviours and thought patterns associated with disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating.

Principal investigator Adrian Schembri said researchers needed volunteers from across Australia to take part in the Whats Really Eating You project by filling out an online questionnaire.

We are hoping to identify how often women struggle with fears of gaining weight or becoming overweight, and what factors contribute to these fears, Mr Schembri said.

The behaviours being examined include how often women try to avoid eating certain foods and whether they feel uncomfortable or distressed about other people seeing their bodies. Were also looking at body avoidance, where people actively avoid looking at their body in mirrors or reflections, often as a result of distress associated with body image dissatisfaction.

Researchers hope to determine how these behaviours relate to the development of belief patterns that influence how women view themselves or how they perceive others may view them.

Its hoped that by examining these beliefs and associated behaviours, we will obtain a measure of the prevalence of women who may be susceptible to developing an eating disorder, Mr Schembri said.

If you would like to participate, the online questionnaire is available at: www.rmit.edu.au/psychology/whatsreallyeatingyou

AAP

Australian businesses are being called upon to extend their core business into developing countries in a bid to eradicate poverty and meet the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the Business for Millennium Development Summit in Melbourne on Friday October 24 2008.

With Australias economic future tied to the emerging economies of the Asia Pacific region, Business for Millennium Development (B4MD) is encouraging Australian companies to broaden their core business in our neighbouring developing countries to strengthen their infrastructure, resources, skills and economies.

The Millennium Development Goals were developed by the United Nations (UN) in 2001 to provide a framework for the elimination of the major issues facing those living in extreme poverty, with targets set for each goal to be reached by 2015.

Global forecasts predict that extreme poverty can be ended by 2030 if the MDG targets are reached, however, the world is currently well behind the required effort to reach the MDGs, with just seven years left to the deadline. The MDGs are the most broadly supported, comprehensive, and specific poverty reduction targets the world has ever established.

The Business for Millennium Development Summit 2008 will bring together business leaders to consider opportunities they can apply their core business skills in commercially viable forms to alleviate poverty in the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

Keynote speakers at the event include:

• James Wolfensohn, former president of the World Bank;
• Jeffery Sachs, special advisor to the UN;
• Damien Green, head of Morgan Stanley Investment Management;
• Glen Boreham, MD, IBM Australia and New Zealand;
• Geoff Wilson, CEO, KPMG; and
• Alex Thursby, group MD Asia Pacific, ANZ Banking Group.

Businesses attending the Summit will discuss ways in which they can adapt their businesses to new, developing markets, seek advice on creating new opportunities by aligning themselves with the MDGs and learn from companies which have already begun business with the poor in developing nations.

Two-thirds of the worlds poor reside in the Asia Pacific, in countries like India, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines and Samoa. Over half of Australia’s merchandise trade is now with these developing countries.

B4MD was established in May 2007 to encourage awareness amongst Australian businesses of the MDGs and to align their businesses to support achieving these goals. Simon McKeon, chairman of B4MD, said achieving the MDG targets was more than corporate philanthropy.

The private sector can do business with those at the base of the economic pyramid by employing them, supplying innovative products and services, or purchasing goods from them. The MDGs envisage new commercial opportunities that will allow the poor to sustain themselves, Mr McKeon said.

By looking seriously at this space, Australian businesses can realise new products and marketplace opportunities that deliver increased profits, enhance their global corporate reputation, improve supply chain and investor attractiveness and heighten business innovation.

According to the International Business Leadership Forum and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, without the contribution of the business community, it is unlikely the MDGs will be achieved by 2015.

Australian companies including ANZ, BHP Billiton, Oil Search and Macquarie Group have already established business operations with positive implications for the poor in the developing world and particularly in the Asia Pacific region.

The MDGs are also endorsed by the Federal Government, with the Australian Prime Minister, the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, to attend the United Nations Millennium Development Summit in New York on 25 September.

The eight MDGs include:

1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/ AIDS, malaria and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

To register for the Business for Millennium Development Summit 2008, visit www.b4md.com.au/registration.asp. Registrations close October 10, 2008.

AAP