Report from Newkind Festival

After coming down from the high of the inaugural Australasian Nutrition in Healthcare Conference, I headed off to Hobart for a very different type of gathering (although with complementary themes) – the third annual Newkind Festival.

Newkind bills itself as a masterclass for change makers. Its themes of exploring and promoting human- and earth-friendly approaches to Environment, Education and Economics are woven together over 5 days of lectures, discussion panels and workshops, while nights offer a smorgasbord of documentaries, live music, deep conversations around campfires… or just gazing at the full moon and panoply of stars in the clear Tasmanian sky.

The contrast between the hustle and bustle of Melbourne and the deep quiet of Marion Bay was as striking as the juxtaposition between the Nutrition in Healthcare Conference’s swanky Docklands venue and the rustic charm of Newkind’s outdoor gathering spaces and communal dining tent.

And did I mention, accommodation was in tents? Quite delightful in the daytime, but let’s just say the night-time temperatures were bracing.

No Instagram-ready fruit platters at Newkind either, but the 100% plant-based menu was simple and hearty, and prepared and served in the communal dining tent with love by the largely volunteer catering crew.

Newkind is the brainchild of writer and social change activist Erfan Daliri, who has worked as a consultant and advisor to wide range of organisations including Amnesty International, Beyond Blue, Malaruch Aboriginal Corporation, Risdon Prison and the Townsville Intercultural Centre.

My role at Newkind was to serve as a panellist for the Plant-Based Nutrition forum, as a representative of Doctors for Nutrition, the new not for profit behind the Nutrition in Healthcare Conference, and to present a workshop on the gut microbiome and its role in health and disease.

Also on the panel were my dear friend and Melbourne-based dietitian Dr Peter Johnston, and my new friend Dr Portia D’Anverrs, a radiologist-in-training based at Royal Hobart Hospital, who in addition to her ‘day job’ also runs a plant-based personal training business!

Our panel discussion, ‘The Why and the How’ of Plant-Based Nutrition, was well-attended despite there being two other wonderful panel discussions on different themes, running at the same time.

Newkind’s Lawrence Toye skilfully facilitated an introductory discussion, and then threw the panel open to audience questions which provoked a lively and constructive interchange on matters ranging from the social challenges of following a plant-based diet, to the ins and outs of vitamin B12 supplementation.

Afterward, the cosy meeting room where I ran the workshop on the gut microbiome was almost bursting at the seams. I’m always grateful for an audience that appreciates learning about the fascinating science of our intimate relationship with the multitude of invisible life forms that inhabit our gut, and this audience did not disappoint – believe me, we got nerdy!

One of the most appealing aspects of Newkind is the relaxed atmosphere, in which festival attendees, organisers and presenters mingle in the lunch lines and around the campfires, pursuing topics that piqued their interest during the education presentations.

I was thrilled to encounter Helena Norberg-Hodge, whose panel and workshop on economic injustice and its solutions were simply riveting, at the washing-up station after dinner – yes, there was no special treatment for presenters at this event!

I quizzed her about how her experience of living among the people of Ladakh gelled with the presumption of most historians and anthropologists that humans are inherently tribal in their consciousness – that we divide the world into ‘us’ and ‘them’.

Helena acknowledged that even the peaceful Ladakh see themselves as different to ‘outsiders’, but shared that in her experience, when people live in a social system that preserves their sense of safety and security, the perception of difference does not lead to fear and persecution, but to curiosity and willingness to learn from and interact with other cultures.

Regretfully, I was unable to stay for the entire 5 days of Newkind due to competing commitments, but I will definitely attend – and hopefully present at – this event in future years. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to discover solutions to our pressing health, environmental, educational and social justice issues, and find their tribe of like-minded souls. Join the Newkind mailing list and also check them out out Facebook.

Want to learn more about tailoring a plant-based diet to your personal needs? Concerned about your gut health? Apply for a Roadmap to Optimal Health Consultation today!