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The Power Of Hope
A powerful, inspiring memoir from Kon Karapanagiotidis, founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which argues that by putting community, love and compassion at the centre of our lives, we have the power to change our world. 'I hope you take from this book the message that we all matter. That there is a place for all of us. That once we know our own voice, live the values close to our hearts and follow our dreams, we can be unstoppable. Hope is only exhausted if we forsake ourselves, otherwise no one can take hope away from us. It is both our sanctuary and our destiny to live a life with love, belonging, connection and community.'A powerful, heartfelt and inspiring memoir from one of Australia's leading human rights advocates, Kon Karapanagiotidis, The Power of Hope tells the story of how Kon overcame his traumatic childhood of racism, bullying and loneliness to create one of Australia's largest and best-loved human rights organisations, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, which has gone on to transform the lives of thousands of refugees and has helped build a movement.A book about how love, compassion, kindness and courage can transform our communities and ourselves, The Power of Hope shows us in times of darkness, both personal and political, that if we stand as one we can shine brightly and fiercely - as together we are powerful.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 18, 2018
19 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
July 23, 2018
This book is pure sunshine. If I was composing a list of essential reading for life, The Power of Hope would be on it.
June 30, 2018
Please don't mind me, I'll just be over here starting the revolution now.
Kon's genuine, fundamental kindness and generosity shine through this book and in so much of his vulnerability I saw something of myself. In his acceptance and forgiveness of his own flaws, I was able to see and forgive my own. I read this book in a day, which is good because it leaves tomorrow free for me to start trying to change the world.
Kon's genuine, fundamental kindness and generosity shine through this book and in so much of his vulnerability I saw something of myself. In his acceptance and forgiveness of his own flaws, I was able to see and forgive my own. I read this book in a day, which is good because it leaves tomorrow free for me to start trying to change the world.
July 2, 2018
Hands down, this is the most inspiring book I have read this year. The central message is "the power that hope can bring.. that we have to keep helping and we have to keep fighting, for all our sakes". Kon is passionate, uplifting, motivating, raw and vulnerable and every word spoken is a call to arms to make things better for everyone in the community, including yourself.
A must read!!
A must read!!
April 24, 2020
Kon Karapanagiotidis is clearly a passionate and compassionate man and learning about the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre that he founded was informative. I have heard he is also a great public speaker and he has done so much with his life that it’s hard to be critical.
However, I don’t think writing a book is one of his stronger points. The book rambles from one topic to the next and hasn’t been pulled together in a coherent and logical way. It starts with some of his early life, the hardships his grandparents endured in Greece and the racist bullying he experienced growing up in Australia.
He goes on to turn the bitterness he feels from these injustices into harnessing his energy and passion for good. He tries all manner of things, gets himself six degrees and makes a difference in so many people’s lives.
I can’t help feeling that he would have been better working with a ghost writer to capture his story as it’s definitely one all Australians should hear and understand.
Sadly, I couldn’t recommend the book though due to its rambling style, repetitiveness and me being at a complete loss to know whether it’s trying to be a biography, a motivational book or a self-help book to work through difficult things that happen in your life.
My favourite chapters were “The Power of Hope” and “How to be a Man”, which both spoke to people who are struggling and in need of acceptance and support.
However, I don’t think writing a book is one of his stronger points. The book rambles from one topic to the next and hasn’t been pulled together in a coherent and logical way. It starts with some of his early life, the hardships his grandparents endured in Greece and the racist bullying he experienced growing up in Australia.
He goes on to turn the bitterness he feels from these injustices into harnessing his energy and passion for good. He tries all manner of things, gets himself six degrees and makes a difference in so many people’s lives.
I can’t help feeling that he would have been better working with a ghost writer to capture his story as it’s definitely one all Australians should hear and understand.
Sadly, I couldn’t recommend the book though due to its rambling style, repetitiveness and me being at a complete loss to know whether it’s trying to be a biography, a motivational book or a self-help book to work through difficult things that happen in your life.
My favourite chapters were “The Power of Hope” and “How to be a Man”, which both spoke to people who are struggling and in need of acceptance and support.
August 18, 2018
I thought I knew what I would be reading. As a monthly contributor to the ASRC and a long-time follower of Kon on Twitter, I was expecting an exploration of the journey that led to his magnum opus, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. And it is that. But it is so very much more. In this book, I found a shy and vulnerable man who has chosen to completely expose himself in order to be understood. The parts of this book about love, self esteem, body image and self-loathing will stay with me. This book will come with me into my classroom where I will show the boys, so many boys, all the boys, that it is strong, brave, empowering and courageous to be open and honest, to reject toxic masculinity, to be authentic and real. And this book will come into my classroom for its sections on how to ‘help shape the best community’ and ‘one week of change’. I’m proud to say that I’ve already read some of the books on the suggested reading list, but I look forward to reading the others. I’m hoping that at some point in the future, I’ll be encouraging people to vote for Kon Karapanagiotidis, but in the meantime, please buy this book (from Booktopia because they’re donating part of the purchase price back to ASRC).
September 16, 2024
“But refugees shouldn’t have to be exceptional to get our protection. No one expects that of you in return for your freedom and safety.”
expected this to be pretty average but really enjoyed it!! a short little book that covered so much more than i expected - part memoir/history of the ASRC, but more about self-development/growth, the experiences of refugees, and politics
there were a few moments where he felt a little preachy.holier than thou but he balanced it with his honesty i suppose. also appreciated the acknowledgement of women’s and first nations specific issues
also loved all the suggestions - for self-love, being a better ally as a man, to help in causes, improve the community, how CEOs can change their workplace etc - they felt realistic, achievable, practical! some things i specifically want to do: look into volunteering at ASRC, community garden, donating blood, intergenerational programs, visiting/writing to refugees, see if there are more ethical supers i can join
parents and family
- how much parents sacrifice for their children/families - i will never be able to fully appreciate this sacrifice/love - nor how it influences these parent/child relationships, sense of obligations etc
- the daily consistency of his dad buying him that scorched peanut bar ??? its really the little things sometimes
- “My mum…No one has loved me more and yet at the same time created so many issues for me.” (and the quote i saw in a tiktok slideshow once that made me sob…. “and your mom is the person that has most deeply hurt you but your mom will not let anyone else but her do the hurting”)
we all just need some basic empathy for others
- “The cold, hard truth is that people really don’t want to leave their homes unless they have to. They don’t want to say goodbye to their family, community, culture and friends, and to start all over again in a foreign land where so often they are greeted with suspicion, racism and resistance… This is what is so often forgotten in the debate about refugees, that it’s just a birthright lottery and nothing more.”
- “If everyone who talks about ‘helping our own’ actually did just that, we wouldn’t even have a homelessness problem. As a society we invest so much time and energy into not helping people by raging against people who really do care. What a waste. People need to be valued and helped back on their feet. You can never help by asking people who are barefoot to lift themselves up by their bootstraps.”
- “Love uplifts us. It is the scaffolding of our humanity. It provides sanctuary to the oppressed because it sees them as human beings in need of welcome. Love asks, What would I want if my family knocked on the door of a stranger seeking refuge from harm? What would I want for my children for whom I had sacrificed all that we had known to bring them to safer shores? Love asks, If I were to lose my job and become unemployed, would drug-testing me rehabilitate my hope of a new beginning? Would being punished for my poverty make me more willing to give back to society? Love asks, If I lose my way and break the law, is locking me away with no regard for my own lifetime of trauma the best way forward? Love asks, Once I have served this sentence will I be a citizen ready to contribute and assimilate, or will I be filled with anger and hurt and take that out on my community again?”
- “No one wants to be a burden, a problem, an issue, a target for people’s rage, anger and bitterness. And by that I’m not saying that people aren’t accountable for their actions or that they’re perpetual victims; of course people have agency and choices and need to be held responsible, but it is not always that easy or clear-cut. It assumes that there is an even playing field for all, that there is an equity and equality of opportunity to contribute, participate and succeed. The truth is there is not.”
failure and self-improvement and self-love
- love the phrase ‘fail forward’: “And I think we often miss this moment and retreat back into old habits when instead we need to let go and ‘fail forward’ – to see the opportunity of failure to reflect, learn and grow – so at least there’s some progress.”
- importance of being open and letting people in and trusting them: “Allowing yourself to be loved means letting people decide for themselves whether to love you, not you doing it for them. “
- “I know it’s hard to let your long-held patterns and the past go. It’s because you then have to face the grief of the life not lived. And with it the realisation that it could have been different so much sooner. The grief is often too much to let in, so we double down on the status quo. Forgive yourself and know you could not have come to this point sooner as you were in self-preservation mode.“
- “So take a moment to consider that if we own our failures with perspective, patience, forgiveness, reflection and kindness, we open ourselves up to the most incredible opportunities for growth, development and success. How can we ever truly fail if we’re just honouring ourselves, our journey, our voices and trying to live an authentic life? The short answer is that we cannot…The truth is, though, that in not taking action, in not taking risks, we have already paid the highest price. That price is our own happiness.”
learning more about the ASRC was so interesting!
- i’d heard of the ASRC but didnt know a huge amount about it - definitely keen to learn more/get involved
- “It was that simple: we saw a need and we did something about it, with no excuses. ..It didn’t matter if we lacked the resources or know-how, we learned by doing. The greater risk was in not helping, the greater risk was someone dying or being sent back to their home country to be tortured.”
- ASRC started as a class TAFE project!!!
- doesnt accept any govt funding
- easy as asking for help sometimes - people want to help!! (all his examples of the public exceeding what they needed when he asked e.g., funding, supplies)
our government sucks
- “And John Howard rode our fear and ignorance all the way to another convincing election win, while refugees have been paying the price ever since.”
- “The government and these law firms had cut corners because they thought no one would care about these human beings. That’s how injustice becomes endemic – it relies on the apathy and indifference of people not to care enough to stand up and be counted. And that’s what our government continues to rely on when it comes to its abuse of refugees.”
- “To be neutral in times of injustice is to be complicit with it. Indeed, Desmond Tutu once said, ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.’ Neutrality is for those lucky enough to engage in debates around human rights as abstract conversations rather than real life-and-death challenges. If we choose not to protest, choose not to speak out, we’re more than just a bystander, we’re an enabler. Oppression thrives on our collective silence, apathy or indifference, but it cannot prosper when we refuse to cooperate.”
expected this to be pretty average but really enjoyed it!! a short little book that covered so much more than i expected - part memoir/history of the ASRC, but more about self-development/growth, the experiences of refugees, and politics
there were a few moments where he felt a little preachy.holier than thou but he balanced it with his honesty i suppose. also appreciated the acknowledgement of women’s and first nations specific issues
also loved all the suggestions - for self-love, being a better ally as a man, to help in causes, improve the community, how CEOs can change their workplace etc - they felt realistic, achievable, practical! some things i specifically want to do: look into volunteering at ASRC, community garden, donating blood, intergenerational programs, visiting/writing to refugees, see if there are more ethical supers i can join
parents and family
- how much parents sacrifice for their children/families - i will never be able to fully appreciate this sacrifice/love - nor how it influences these parent/child relationships, sense of obligations etc
- the daily consistency of his dad buying him that scorched peanut bar ??? its really the little things sometimes
- “My mum…No one has loved me more and yet at the same time created so many issues for me.” (and the quote i saw in a tiktok slideshow once that made me sob…. “and your mom is the person that has most deeply hurt you but your mom will not let anyone else but her do the hurting”)
we all just need some basic empathy for others
- “The cold, hard truth is that people really don’t want to leave their homes unless they have to. They don’t want to say goodbye to their family, community, culture and friends, and to start all over again in a foreign land where so often they are greeted with suspicion, racism and resistance… This is what is so often forgotten in the debate about refugees, that it’s just a birthright lottery and nothing more.”
- “If everyone who talks about ‘helping our own’ actually did just that, we wouldn’t even have a homelessness problem. As a society we invest so much time and energy into not helping people by raging against people who really do care. What a waste. People need to be valued and helped back on their feet. You can never help by asking people who are barefoot to lift themselves up by their bootstraps.”
- “Love uplifts us. It is the scaffolding of our humanity. It provides sanctuary to the oppressed because it sees them as human beings in need of welcome. Love asks, What would I want if my family knocked on the door of a stranger seeking refuge from harm? What would I want for my children for whom I had sacrificed all that we had known to bring them to safer shores? Love asks, If I were to lose my job and become unemployed, would drug-testing me rehabilitate my hope of a new beginning? Would being punished for my poverty make me more willing to give back to society? Love asks, If I lose my way and break the law, is locking me away with no regard for my own lifetime of trauma the best way forward? Love asks, Once I have served this sentence will I be a citizen ready to contribute and assimilate, or will I be filled with anger and hurt and take that out on my community again?”
- “No one wants to be a burden, a problem, an issue, a target for people’s rage, anger and bitterness. And by that I’m not saying that people aren’t accountable for their actions or that they’re perpetual victims; of course people have agency and choices and need to be held responsible, but it is not always that easy or clear-cut. It assumes that there is an even playing field for all, that there is an equity and equality of opportunity to contribute, participate and succeed. The truth is there is not.”
failure and self-improvement and self-love
- love the phrase ‘fail forward’: “And I think we often miss this moment and retreat back into old habits when instead we need to let go and ‘fail forward’ – to see the opportunity of failure to reflect, learn and grow – so at least there’s some progress.”
- importance of being open and letting people in and trusting them: “Allowing yourself to be loved means letting people decide for themselves whether to love you, not you doing it for them. “
- “I know it’s hard to let your long-held patterns and the past go. It’s because you then have to face the grief of the life not lived. And with it the realisation that it could have been different so much sooner. The grief is often too much to let in, so we double down on the status quo. Forgive yourself and know you could not have come to this point sooner as you were in self-preservation mode.“
- “So take a moment to consider that if we own our failures with perspective, patience, forgiveness, reflection and kindness, we open ourselves up to the most incredible opportunities for growth, development and success. How can we ever truly fail if we’re just honouring ourselves, our journey, our voices and trying to live an authentic life? The short answer is that we cannot…The truth is, though, that in not taking action, in not taking risks, we have already paid the highest price. That price is our own happiness.”
learning more about the ASRC was so interesting!
- i’d heard of the ASRC but didnt know a huge amount about it - definitely keen to learn more/get involved
- “It was that simple: we saw a need and we did something about it, with no excuses. ..It didn’t matter if we lacked the resources or know-how, we learned by doing. The greater risk was in not helping, the greater risk was someone dying or being sent back to their home country to be tortured.”
- ASRC started as a class TAFE project!!!
- doesnt accept any govt funding
- easy as asking for help sometimes - people want to help!! (all his examples of the public exceeding what they needed when he asked e.g., funding, supplies)
our government sucks
- “And John Howard rode our fear and ignorance all the way to another convincing election win, while refugees have been paying the price ever since.”
- “The government and these law firms had cut corners because they thought no one would care about these human beings. That’s how injustice becomes endemic – it relies on the apathy and indifference of people not to care enough to stand up and be counted. And that’s what our government continues to rely on when it comes to its abuse of refugees.”
- “To be neutral in times of injustice is to be complicit with it. Indeed, Desmond Tutu once said, ‘If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.’ Neutrality is for those lucky enough to engage in debates around human rights as abstract conversations rather than real life-and-death challenges. If we choose not to protest, choose not to speak out, we’re more than just a bystander, we’re an enabler. Oppression thrives on our collective silence, apathy or indifference, but it cannot prosper when we refuse to cooperate.”
December 24, 2018
This book is a complete rambling mess. The only thing preventing it from imploding into incoherence was the self-inflation of unwavering pretentiousness.
January 4, 2023
Reread in 2023
Still one of the most inspiring memoirs I've ever read!
_______
2021
One of the most honest books I've ever read!
Still one of the most inspiring memoirs I've ever read!
_______
2021
One of the most honest books I've ever read!
June 18, 2019
Was feeling sick and miserable, but after reading this, I'm ready to fight the world.
Am still sick, but no longer miserable, yay. Fight the good fight!
Am still sick, but no longer miserable, yay. Fight the good fight!
August 15, 2018
as others have said the power of hope is powerful, unreserved and speaks to the very essence of the soul. Kon’s passion and work is inspiring, and he is someone to whom i can aspire to be.
April 25, 2020
Unfortunately I feel three stars is generous for this book. What let this book down is that the author is not really a writer. It reads like a ‘wanna be’ self help book that resulted from a psychologist telling the author to write down all his issues. His story is an interesting and very important one but the book needed to be written in a less repetitive and rambling manner. It would have been interesting for the author to expand more about his family’s history as well as more stories from individual refugees.
I think it is a worthwhile read as the author should be known for the amazing work he has done to help refugees, especially in the sense of raising public awareness of the refugee issues in the political context in Australia.
I think it is a worthwhile read as the author should be known for the amazing work he has done to help refugees, especially in the sense of raising public awareness of the refugee issues in the political context in Australia.
July 8, 2018
Kon is truly an inspiration. I would describe this as part memoir/part manifesto. He shares honestly some deeply personal experiences and how they have shaped his life and world view. He has done some incredible things all due to following his passion and purpose and has used his failures as fuel to grow and do better. Every time I feel despair at the state of the world I will pick up Kon’s book and be reminded about what is good.
September 9, 2018
I read this book after seeing Kon speak at the Brisbane Writers Festival this weekend. To describe that discussion as inspiring is an understatement.
Frankly, the book pales in comparison to him in person, but that is a testament to the force of his personality rather than because of any real shortcoming in the book.
That said, while I’m loathe to criticise the work of one who achieves more in an average day than I have done in a lifetime, I think this book could have been improved by some more aggressive editing.
Still, the message is enormously powerful. Read it.
Frankly, the book pales in comparison to him in person, but that is a testament to the force of his personality rather than because of any real shortcoming in the book.
That said, while I’m loathe to criticise the work of one who achieves more in an average day than I have done in a lifetime, I think this book could have been improved by some more aggressive editing.
Still, the message is enormously powerful. Read it.
August 18, 2020
The Asylum Seeker Resource Centre is undoubtedly a lifeline for asylum seekers in Melbourne, with passionate people undertaking valuable and essential work to provide services and meet basic needs.
With that said, I found myself wishing Kon would take a step back from the rambling and repetitive telling of his story to instead centre the voices of those for whom he claims to be working: asylum seekers. Kon seems to have little self-awareness or reflexivity regarding his own privilege, and this book would have benefited from applying an intersectional lens. Kon is clearly passionate about this work; however without this necessary reflection, he comes across as a white saviour, centring himself in the narrative about these 'poor' and 'vulnerable' others whilst increasing his standing and power as a leader in social justice and asylum seekers rights. While Kon is unquestionably a powerful force for the ASRC and an evocative speaker, this book may have been better had it had input of those with lived experience, or stuck to being a memoir for Kon to explore his personal trauma.
With that said, I found myself wishing Kon would take a step back from the rambling and repetitive telling of his story to instead centre the voices of those for whom he claims to be working: asylum seekers. Kon seems to have little self-awareness or reflexivity regarding his own privilege, and this book would have benefited from applying an intersectional lens. Kon is clearly passionate about this work; however without this necessary reflection, he comes across as a white saviour, centring himself in the narrative about these 'poor' and 'vulnerable' others whilst increasing his standing and power as a leader in social justice and asylum seekers rights. While Kon is unquestionably a powerful force for the ASRC and an evocative speaker, this book may have been better had it had input of those with lived experience, or stuck to being a memoir for Kon to explore his personal trauma.
November 3, 2018
I struggled through 184 platitudinous pages of this book before giving up. It’s an endless laundry list of oppressions without any thread of connecting narrative, coherent arguments, or concrete solutions. It’s like something a child would write to Santa Claus (if that child was particularly precocious and left-wing, I guess?)
Rather than starting with Kon’s childhood, working through his adolescence and the founding of the ASRC, then talking about some of the challenges and developments that occurred over the years, The Power of Hope ping-pongs back and forth between past and present with little to learn from the former and little of substance to do with the latter.
The most worrying thing of all is that I am probably in the target audience and, somehow, feel even less optimistic about Australia’s future after reading it. If this is the best argument the left can muster, no wonder the current far-right Government still controls the political narrative.
Rather than starting with Kon’s childhood, working through his adolescence and the founding of the ASRC, then talking about some of the challenges and developments that occurred over the years, The Power of Hope ping-pongs back and forth between past and present with little to learn from the former and little of substance to do with the latter.
The most worrying thing of all is that I am probably in the target audience and, somehow, feel even less optimistic about Australia’s future after reading it. If this is the best argument the left can muster, no wonder the current far-right Government still controls the political narrative.
February 25, 2019
This is a wonderful autobiography from Kon Karapanagiotidis, founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. He is an inspiration in his ability to demonstrate resilience, keep hope in the face of overwhelming darkness, love for all humanity and an unwavering fiery passion to keep fighting for his beliefs and values no matter what. His memoir has even inspired me to continue writing my own novel about my Dad to overcome my crushing grief after losing him. Thank you Kon for this wonderful memoir and for the exemplary man you are. I highly recommend everyone read this novel for self preservation, to be the best version of ourselves we can be and to help the most vulnerable in Australian society.
November 24, 2019
I certainly support the positive messages of this book. Kon has dedicated his life to helping others and built the ASRC, which are wonderful achievements. There were interesting references to Martin Luther King Jnr's philosophy but overall I found the writing style self-indulgent and repetitive. It would have been a better read with further editing and concision.
August 4, 2018
I have just read the final chapters and I’m left wishing that some kind of Oprah Winfrey’s ‘ Everyone has a copy of this book under their chair’ style thing could happen and see each and every household own a copy.
I was nodding, cheering and often moved to tears throughout. Kon's raw honesty and compassionate heart is so refreshing. We are really all more the same than different. I felt such resonance with so much of what he wrote.
At least 50% of the book is now highlighted . I feel like I’ll be forever sharing parts of it in any way I’m able. I know I will come back to much of the book time and time again. The lists of practical steps towards change in the back so useful. Again should be distributed widely.
The chapter entitled ‘ Facts’ ❣️❣️ I want everyone to absorb. I take on the point he made about just winning over your base, preaching to the converted and I will continue in any small way I can to be a voice on these issues and pray that the critical shift towards absorbing the facts can happen sooner than later. That cruelty can become a vote loser rather than a vote winner.
Such admiration and gratitude for this mans work and voice in this world. His book is wonderful and so so important. This is a quickly written review just after finishing. I suspect I may reflect and perhaps write something more eloquent with some quotes, although I'm unsure how I'd narrow down the parts I feel stand out the most. I'd love to see this book on school reading lists.
I was nodding, cheering and often moved to tears throughout. Kon's raw honesty and compassionate heart is so refreshing. We are really all more the same than different. I felt such resonance with so much of what he wrote.
At least 50% of the book is now highlighted . I feel like I’ll be forever sharing parts of it in any way I’m able. I know I will come back to much of the book time and time again. The lists of practical steps towards change in the back so useful. Again should be distributed widely.
The chapter entitled ‘ Facts’ ❣️❣️ I want everyone to absorb. I take on the point he made about just winning over your base, preaching to the converted and I will continue in any small way I can to be a voice on these issues and pray that the critical shift towards absorbing the facts can happen sooner than later. That cruelty can become a vote loser rather than a vote winner.
Such admiration and gratitude for this mans work and voice in this world. His book is wonderful and so so important. This is a quickly written review just after finishing. I suspect I may reflect and perhaps write something more eloquent with some quotes, although I'm unsure how I'd narrow down the parts I feel stand out the most. I'd love to see this book on school reading lists.
March 14, 2019
What a truly inspirational man. Kon lays bare his heart and soul as he describes his achievements and includes reference to what he perceives as failings or weaknesses through his adult years. He talks about racism, bullying and loneliness in his childhood. Yet he was able to overcome these challenges as he established the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in 2001 which he has managed in tough times as it helped thousands of desperate people in need.
Kon is a fighter for Human Rights. He uses his skills and qualifications in Social Work and Law to help those in need - those under threat of deportation; those banished to detention centres such as Manus Island and Nauru; those who have been "accepted" into Australia on temporary visas but without support or a means of income; those who are homeless; those in minority groups such as LGBTI; and our First Nations people.
Kon's message is promoting the power of goodness, the power of kindness and especially the POWER OF HOPE. Kon is thankful for workers, volunteers and donors at the ASRC, but these people would not have the opportunity to be part of "the tsunami of kindness" if not for Kon.
There is so much that is powerful in this book. I could not include all the quotes and concepts that are so inspiring. I strongly recommend it to all readers to find your own inspiration and hope.
Kon is a fighter for Human Rights. He uses his skills and qualifications in Social Work and Law to help those in need - those under threat of deportation; those banished to detention centres such as Manus Island and Nauru; those who have been "accepted" into Australia on temporary visas but without support or a means of income; those who are homeless; those in minority groups such as LGBTI; and our First Nations people.
Kon's message is promoting the power of goodness, the power of kindness and especially the POWER OF HOPE. Kon is thankful for workers, volunteers and donors at the ASRC, but these people would not have the opportunity to be part of "the tsunami of kindness" if not for Kon.
There is so much that is powerful in this book. I could not include all the quotes and concepts that are so inspiring. I strongly recommend it to all readers to find your own inspiration and hope.
October 8, 2020
This is not what I was expecting. I guess based on the description I was expecting a whole lot of positivity and motivation, and there was a bit of that, but most of the book was telling sad, and eye opening stories.
There book roughly follows a pattern of dark personal stories, either about his own or other people’s struggles, followed by a positive outcome. He is honest about his personal struggles and how the issues he encountered effected him. This is refreshing as we often see high profile charity workers being portrayed as always happy and helpful, and not the struggles they have dealing with the issue they try to address every day.
This book is really eye opening about asylum seekers lives in Australia and detention centres. Spoiler alert the they do not have a fun time. It is good to know that they have someone like Kon fighting for them as they need it. Despite everything he continues to remain positive and advocates for asylum seekers rights. For all the sad stories Kon does have some amazing positive stories as well.
I recommend reading this book if you want to learn more about asylum seeker issues (and other issues of inequality and disadvantage as Kon has worked in many fields) in Australia.
There book roughly follows a pattern of dark personal stories, either about his own or other people’s struggles, followed by a positive outcome. He is honest about his personal struggles and how the issues he encountered effected him. This is refreshing as we often see high profile charity workers being portrayed as always happy and helpful, and not the struggles they have dealing with the issue they try to address every day.
This book is really eye opening about asylum seekers lives in Australia and detention centres. Spoiler alert the they do not have a fun time. It is good to know that they have someone like Kon fighting for them as they need it. Despite everything he continues to remain positive and advocates for asylum seekers rights. For all the sad stories Kon does have some amazing positive stories as well.
I recommend reading this book if you want to learn more about asylum seeker issues (and other issues of inequality and disadvantage as Kon has worked in many fields) in Australia.
October 14, 2018
Way back in 2005, I volunteered in the legal program at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Kon was an absolute inspiration to me and I have never forgotten him. He once told me that when he first started out on his journey of compassion, he was volunteering for about 10 different organisations; I decided that this was a person I wanted to emulate! And I hope I have, in some small way, having been volunteering my way around the world for the past 14 months, and with no end in sight. So imagine how delighted I was to receive this as a birthday gift from my best friend this year. It came into my life at exactly the right moment, when I was overwhelmed by the negativity, hatred and anger of the guy I was dating, and needed a reminder of who I was: a person who seeks 'to live a life with love, belonging, connection & community', as Kon writes. There's such a wealth of warmth and wisdom in this book that I know I will return to it in low moments, as well as seek out Martin Luther King Jr's Strength to Love for further assurance that passion and compassion are the greatest gifts we can share.
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November 1, 2022📖
I purchased this book at the 2019 Clunes book festival after having the privilege of seeing Kon’s address, which was inspiring and a rallying cry. I was honoured to meet Kon and I have a beautifully addressed sentiment on my copy of the book.
Without a doubt this book is an example of Kon jumping in, with all heart, grit and intention to share his message more broadly and enable others to learn from his perspective.
I continue to be inspired by Kon’s mission, especially the work through the ASRC. I closed the pages knowing there are more actions I can do within my sphere of influence, to be guided by my values. So it is a great achievement.
Kon is not a trained author, so perhaps there were elements that could have been crafted differently, edited, omitted and honed. I forgive any of these aspects in my reading as I see more importantly the commitment to make imperfect changes and stir momentum in others.
I purchased this book at the 2019 Clunes book festival after having the privilege of seeing Kon’s address, which was inspiring and a rallying cry. I was honoured to meet Kon and I have a beautifully addressed sentiment on my copy of the book.
Without a doubt this book is an example of Kon jumping in, with all heart, grit and intention to share his message more broadly and enable others to learn from his perspective.
I continue to be inspired by Kon’s mission, especially the work through the ASRC. I closed the pages knowing there are more actions I can do within my sphere of influence, to be guided by my values. So it is a great achievement.
Kon is not a trained author, so perhaps there were elements that could have been crafted differently, edited, omitted and honed. I forgive any of these aspects in my reading as I see more importantly the commitment to make imperfect changes and stir momentum in others.
September 22, 2018
This book was nothing like I thought it would be, and was all the better for it. Kon has got the be the most humble, beautiful human around and to read his words of immense vulnerability, passion, courage and hope was an experience. This book did things to me!
While Kon is well known for having founded the Asylum Seeker Resource Center, this book is not really about the center, or even refugees. It's a book about Kon's personal struggles, what he's learnt about being a man and a human being, and as the title suggests, the power of hope.
Yes this is a biography, but in parts it's also a manifesto for those of us who wear the label "social justice warrior" with pride. I cannot wait to read this again.
While Kon is well known for having founded the Asylum Seeker Resource Center, this book is not really about the center, or even refugees. It's a book about Kon's personal struggles, what he's learnt about being a man and a human being, and as the title suggests, the power of hope.
Yes this is a biography, but in parts it's also a manifesto for those of us who wear the label "social justice warrior" with pride. I cannot wait to read this again.
January 20, 2019
I recommend everyone read this book, as Kon Karapanagiotidis has such an important story to tell. He founded the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Melbourne, Australia and he and the people he works with have saved so many lives. He is a generous soul and he shares many stories that have been painful for him, he makes himself vulnerable.
The book alternates between memoir & biography of the ASRC, and pages that are more a self-help style. I feel that it could have been edited better to strengthen Kon's retellings, and wisdom he shares with us. In my mind it's almost two books, or three. Kon's life experience, the history of the ASRC, and advice for a more humane world. I hope to read some of those in the future.
The book alternates between memoir & biography of the ASRC, and pages that are more a self-help style. I feel that it could have been edited better to strengthen Kon's retellings, and wisdom he shares with us. In my mind it's almost two books, or three. Kon's life experience, the history of the ASRC, and advice for a more humane world. I hope to read some of those in the future.
December 28, 2018
There is no doubt about Kon being a good man who has endured personal struggles in his life and feels passionately about social justice. But I did find the book a bit all over the place between self help, facts about a range of social issues and the valuable things he has done for the community, notably ARSC . It is very heart on sleeve and could have done with some editing in my opinion. I would love to have read more about the Centre and more factual focus on the issues we face here in Australia. This book was given to my grandson at his school graduation, which is an impressive way to send students off into the wider world.
August 25, 2018
An inspiring memoir along with a comprehensive action plan towards living an authentic life. It’s two books in one. Having followed Kon’s work over the years, and met him briefly and heard him speak, reading his personal story was not what I expected. But reinforced the genuine sincerity I felt when he met me and thanked me for my contribution (though not much) and that he was not just paying lip service but was heartfelt. Five stars for the inspiring people to care and be hopeful. But most of all the power of being kind.
November 7, 2018
“The Power of Hope” is a non-fiction by Kon Karapanagiotidis, founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. I didn’t know much about Kon before reading this but now have a bit of an intellectual crush on him. He writes about his youth as an introverted Greek Australian and how his desire for social justice has driven so many of his life decisions. Despite all the suffering he has seen, Kon continually speaks of hope and his belief in the human race to be inherently caring. He’s a truly admirable man and a wonderful role model for men in an age when we need to put an end to toxic masculinity.
December 19, 2018
This was a good book. It was interesting to read about the origins of an organisation that I support and respect, and I am impressed with Kon's tenacity and honesty - this couldn't have been an easy story to write, let alone make public. I feel it could have had a closer edit, and it was stylistically a little one-note, but ultimately a helpful guide to being a good person. Some good practical tips on making simple changes in your own life and workplace too. I'd give it somewhere between 3 and 4 stars.
January 6, 2019
I thought I wouldn't enjoy this book that much simply because my childish self was like "I only like fiction" but honestly I read this book in like 3 days and absolutely loved it. The author is such an inspiring person and has done things that some people could only dream of. He has dedicated his life to helping those in need and honestly is such an inspiration. His story reassured me that there are others who see what the Australian government is doing and want it to stop. It made me laugh, cry (a lot) and made me feel super angry too. Most of all though, it gave me hope.
July 21, 2018
A brave, powerful and inspiring book which I recommend to everyone, not just in Australia, but the entire world. By sharing his story and experiences, the author offers a blueprint of how to lead a life of love and compassion. Talk about timely - as many go the narcissistic/individualistic route, here's a book that champions community and humanity.
I just loved it. Thank you Kon Karapanagiotidis!
I just loved it. Thank you Kon Karapanagiotidis!
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