2026-01-15
We continue this series in shining a light on our generous and inspiring volunteers
While our long-term volunteers are cherished, newer volunteers are also incredibly valued, and in this edition we shine a light on the remarkable contribution of one of our newer volunteers, Nobu, who brings gorgeous people-skills, warmth, respect, enthusiasm, and extraordinary professional expertise in systems and technology built during a career with global tech companies.
Could you tell us a little about yourself and how you first became involved with Greens WA?
Well! I was born in Perth on Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar and spent my school and university years here. I really enjoyed literature and history, but I was good at math and sciences, so I chose to study mechanical engineering and computer science at university. I wanted to be financially independent of my parents, and I wanted to get out of Perth, because as a young Asian person growing up here, it felt like a very hostile and bewildering place.
I ended up getting a job with Microsoft that took me to the United States, where I was fortunate to spend time in Seattle and New York. I worked at a company called Etsy amongst people who wanted to end mass production. I started a clothing company that got shut down by COVID. I became a meditation teacher and spiritual counsellor and lived in Bulgaria, Italy and Turkey for a while. Eventually I got the nudge to come back home and start tidying up my issues with my family and their issues with me.
I've always been an avid follower of politics, economics and ecology, and my spiritual work eventually led me back to getting actively involved. It had become clear to me through my work with individuals that most spiritual harm is a result of scarcity in one way or another, and that working on it individually would never be massively effective.
I'd been advocating for ‘Universal Basic Income’ (UBI) in the US since 2017, so I started looking into what UBI advocacy had been taking place in Australia, and the Greens popped up. I started showing up at events and volunteering and I was amazed by the range of people I encountered, and their dedication to improving the relationships between people and the planet. It also felt like every time I spoke to people about their political experience, my mind was blown. In classical Chinese medicine, it's sometimes said that all disease is caused by miscommunication. And what I find when volunteering with the Greens is that so much of what causes harm in the world seems to be possible only because of miscommunication.
And so, I thought to myself this seems like a great place to do work.
What roles have you done as a volunteer, and what aspects of volunteering do you most enjoy?
Well, first of all I would like to acknowledge that I'm very fortunate to be able to dedicate so much time to volunteering with the Greens. I made a lot of money working in the tech industry, and that allowed me to spend the last six years studying with spiritual teachers and folk medicine practitioners. What I learned from them, and applied to my sense of self, made it possible for me to repair my relationship with my families. My relationship with my family is very grounding for me and allows me to, essentially, go on strike against the factions of our political economy that harm people and the planet. And since that's a huge portion of the political economy, I'm left with a lot of time to make repair: what some lineages call tikkun olam.
As a volunteer with the Greens, I've handed out How To Votes, doorknocked, done data entry, phone-banked, rostered other volunteers and talked to plenty of potential voters. I was stoked to hear that Rocket, our rostering tool, recently codified the role of "scrapper", because that's often been my style of engagement at polling locations ;).
More recently I've taken on the role of membership officer for the Perth Regional Group and reconvened the Information Technology Working Group (ITWG). I'm also coordinating policy reviews with the Policy Working Group (PWG), particularly around topics adjacent to UBI and "computer stuff", because of my past experience.
As I said above, I tend to view a lot of my volunteering work through the lens of miscommunication and repairing communication, whether that's between the Greens and the people we would like to represent, or within the Greens, or even individuals. I feel like all the work I'm doing is most enjoyable when it facilitates mutual understanding, and I feel like we're most effective and efficient when we operate in that mode. I also feel like it makes the work we're doing more enjoyable and results in less conflict, which ultimately makes the work more sustainable, which feels especially important given how much of the work is volunteer based.
I also volunteer with an organisation called Basic Income Australia, and you'll probably find me spruiking our events in the Greens Announce from time to time!
Is there a volunteering time, project, campaign, or moment that you feel especially proud of, or a favourite memory you have?
Hmm. What's coming to mind right now is doorknocking for the Stop Cooking The Climate campaign. It felt good to remind voters that politics is not just about elections. One of the best things about being involved with the Greens has been learning more about what happens between elections, in parliament, in the courts, in the streets, as a sport. I've spent a lot of time playing, coaching and writing about (association) football, also known as ‘soccer’, so I like to think that a lot of what I learned in that ‘arena’ is applicable to the game of politics. I've come to find that the complexity of this game, and its stakes, are much higher. Unfortunately, most people probably know more about physical sports than political sport!
Apart from that, I'm just thinking about all of the beautiful weirdoes I've met through the Greens. I never know what to expect! It's always thoroughly entertaining!
What have you learned or gained personally through volunteering?
That's a tough one! I've learned so much in such a short period of time!
Well, one thing that comes to mind is a saying I learned from my editor when I was writing about football, which he told me he learned from the US Army: "slow makes smooth, smooth makes fast". When I was in the tech industry, people used to say "move fast and break things". But what I've learned from sport, especially from team sport, is that often it's necessary to slow things down, including one's mind, to get the details right, so we can operate smoothly. It's only once we've ironed out the wrinkles in our processes that we can move quickly, or at least move quickly in a sustainable way, without having to move so quickly that we get burnt out and crash and have to stop entirely, before we are ready to move again.
What does community mean to you in the context of volunteering with WA Greens?
That's a lovely question!
I love working with like-minded and like-hearted individuals on issues that get to the core of what it means to be part of a community and a society. It seems like fewer and fewer people can handle it, so I appreciate all of us so much more.
What inspired you to volunteer in the first place? Was there a person or experience that inspired your decision?
My grandfather was a politician in Malaysia who sold the land that his family lived on and shared it all out amongst his family equally so that he could dedicate his life to politics. He represented ethnic minorities in his little corner of the world in a country where politics is dominated by ethnic boundaries. I never talked to him that much directly about his work, but I feel like we're both sort of seeing my experience unfold through my eyes.
How do you balance volunteering with other parts of your life?
\I spend a couple of days taking care of grandma every week. She's probably the least political person I know! Apart from that, I'm very grateful for the artists and musicians in this part of the world for creating spaces for people to commune around culture, and the culture itself. For me, it's an indispensable way to recharge my batteries.
\What would you say to someone thinking about getting involved as a volunteer?
I prefer listening to talking!
That might strike some of my friends as ironic, because at times I will find myself talking a lot! But perhaps the source of this confusion is that listening does not make a sound.
\Huge thanks to Nobu for sharing his inspiring story, and for his remarkable contribution. If you would like to volunteer with the WA Greens, we’d love to have you join the team! You can find more info and sign up to volunteer here: https://greens.org.au/wa/volunteer
Header photo: Nobu (left of group) campaigning
[Opinions expressed are those of the author and not official policy of Greens WA]