THE PIVOTAL POINT

If there was a point when I realised I would eventually be doing this kind of work it would probably have been in November of my 16th year. As a year 10 student with a passion for world politics and uncovering injustices through Google, I decided to go on an adventure. So I boarded that long train from Wollongong to Sydney and escaped my safety net to face the outside world.

Luckily for me I had an accomplice, my friend the innocent Charlie Sue (who is not so innocent anymore)





I must say I can’t help but feel slightly responsible for this loss of innocence. There are many reasons for my guilt, this little adventure being one of them and me introducing her to alcohol the year before was another of these times. Although I still believe till this day, she was very well guided into that stage of her life. I reinforced the golden rule of teenage drinking and she will never forget it. When money is scarce and the night is young; “Never waste alcohol” even if it is only a $10 bottle of vodka that tastes more like moldy plants, than the juice of a potato; NEVER tip it out, never….ever.






We were on our way to Sydney in the safe hands of Cityrail to watch the Sydney Peace Prize Conference. The Peace Prize conference is the follow up ceremony to the Peace Prize award giving ceremony where that year’s winner would be giving a speech. We were blessed enough to hear the wise words of Arhandahti Roy;. I’m still completely inspired by this woman if anyone has a chance to check her out please do so. http://www.weroy.org/arundhati.shtml

So we turn up to the Seymour theatre, a little late as these young beachside girls had no idea where we were going up in the big smoke. We were greeted at the entrance with the ‘warm’ angst of university students, all campaigning for their various causes…..Green peace, Amnesty international, Gay rights etc. I was in heaven, soaking up all the information nicely printed on the slaughtered tree handouts I could get my little paws on.
As we got into the theatre I was close to running pace, consumed with the ecstasy of excitement, a child experiencing the new. Only to be pulled out of this euphoric cocoon within minutes, and slowing having my new wings severed from my back by the lady at the ticket counter.

Yep, finding out that all tickets had been sold out weeks ago to the event was something my young sixteen year old mind had not prepared for. Those of you who know my amazing organisational skills were probably expecting this part of the story, however as you may also know I would not give up that easy.

I can’t quiet remember what Charlie’s reaction may have been, but I definitely do remember her reaction when I informed her of our next move. I immediately put on my criminal cap (don’t ask me where I became so good at this) and began “sussing“out all the entrances to the theater. To my great delight there was hardly any security at this event. I informed Charlee that we would be walking straight through the doors past the ticket collectors pretending we had tickets. After all we were not about to travel 2hours on a school night to be told to go home. This fake ticket entrance scheme can just about work anywhere if you have the right attitude and cause.

• Tips - YOU OWN THE PLACE and have every right to be there, no one would dream of stopping you if you are oozing the confidence of the Queen of Sheba.

The Queen of Sheba


I knew I would get in with no problem at all using this technique. However I was a little worried about the beads of sweat forming on Charlie Sue’s upper lip. She knew we were already lacking the subtle edge we needed to achieve our mission, being close to a decade younger than the rest of the crowd was not improving our chances of success.

Oh the thought of condescending elderly eyes, fiercely looking down at us after our capture, definitely a little daunting.

Blessed by the heavens we were to succeed, Charlee flew through that door (a little too quick to look natural) but natural enough to allow me to slide right through after her.

We spent the rest of the night hiding in a dark corner, in awe of an amazing woman, clapping on cue every time she made a shot at our government and its support of the bush administration (Roy was one woman who was not fooled by the war on terror).

This is just a little story I thought I would share with you about when I realised my passion was deeply rooted within the core of me as a ‘being.’ I knew someday I would use this passion for something far greater then sneaking into a Peace Prize Conference.

If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.

T. Alan Armstrong

Peace and love Amanda xo

'A post with love'

“Life begins with questions and ends with questions, but the tears, smiles and moments of love in between are what really count”.

I wrote this quote last year, at a time when I realised how truly blessed I was to have come into contact with some of the most amazing creatures of our world, slum children in Bangladesh www.jaago.com.bd . I dedicate this blog to them, and every other child in this world who is fighting daily for the basic needs of a human being Love, Food, Clean Water, Health, Shelter and a chance for an education.

So the time has come for me to get a little bit more technologically advanced in letting people know what I have been up to. Welcome to Amanda Ryan’s BLOG “A cape and a Tiara will save the world”.

I have decided to make it a little easier for everyone to track down my movements by posting it all in one spot. So welcome to my world, where being different is cool according to the weird. Me being ‘weird’ and my ‘cool’ probably not being anything similar to the coolness of ice sliding down your chest on a hot summer’s night.

I don’t want to be one of those people who starts a blog because I believe everyone in the world MUST think I’m the most interesting person in the world. I want to start a blog to report something a little more interesting than my choices of food for the day. I would like to share with you the amazing experiences I have had and hopefully will continue to have whilst trying to make a little change in the world.

So many people who know me are probably wondering how exactly did I get from this.

To this

In the space of two short years?

Simple I woke up.

Yes, yes, Amanda Ryan was once well know for being able to party and has possibly attended at a party with you somewhere ( I was the one doing back flips into the baby pool). I am not pretending to be some kind of saint and I want to make this clear to everyone who ever graces me with their internet presence to read my blog.

After the work I have done lately http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2BoMHOFLmM many people have given me some amazing compliments that I am still trying to digest. Despite having heard so many beautiful things, I still hurt when people say nasty things, I still have ugly days that make me forget the bigger picture of the world and I still have times where I feel like I have achieved nothing in my life.

I have come to the conclusion that these are feelings that everyone has from time to time and would probably identify with. We should recognise that these emotions are just a natural part of being human; we can overcome these barriers and climb mountains like my friend Laura Frot did (literally) http://davmaya-everestbasecamp.pledgepage.org/ or we can just be happy enough knowing this and share that happiness with those people around us (apparently happiness is contagious try it).

So now I have clarified I’m just like you; warts and all. I would like to tell you all about something that I am proud of and do feel a little special about. That is my decision to do something with the gift that nature gave me; to help those who have not had the good fortune and opportunities that I have had.

I am only one, but still I am one.
I cannot do everything, but still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do...

Edward Everett

Peace and love Amanda xo