“Some people have a lot to say about the lives they have never lived.”

This quote really resonates with my work.

In community services, especially when working alongside people who are vulnerable or marginalised, I keep coming back to this question: who am I to decide what is right or good for someone else?

Yes, evidence matters.

But does what works in Canada necessarily work in Tasmania?

Maybe. Maybe not.

What I see time and again is that impact happens when evidence is informed by lived experience, shaped and adapted to local needs, and grounded in what people tell us actually works.

If we don’t start by talking with the people whose lives we are trying to support, it’s easy to miss the mark: low engagement, unintended consequences, and scarce financial and human resources wasted.

So the real question is this:

Am I meaningfully engaging with the people whose lives I aim to impact, or do I just have a lot to say?

As Bob Marley reminds us:

“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice”

— No Woman, No Cry