Deadly Connections

With special guest:

• Keenan Mundine
  … in conversation with Bill Kable

Dreamer, nothing but a dreamer. That might be where it started for our guest today Keenan Mundine after a beginning in life that really didn’t give him a chance.

But after Keenan had spent the first half of his life in the criminal justice system he came to a realisation. Keenan either had to change his ways or face up to spending his life behind bars. Fortunately for us and for Keenan he decided to make a worthwhile contribution to society. And so was born Deadly Connections where he is the co-founder along with his wife Carly.

Keenan established Deadly Connections over a year ago and the charity is officially recognised with DGR status meaning that any donations of $2 or more will bring a tax deduction.

So what is Deadly Connections? What does “deadly” mean anyway? You can be sure that in this context it does not mean life threatening. In Keenan’s community it means something very good. Keenan and Carly do their work by getting right into the community with several approved programs. They aim to get to the Koori kids at risk and turn them around before they become candidates for entering the criminal justice scene.

Deadly Connections reaches out to these kids and shows them a different way forward. Keenan has the authentic voice to let young kids know what lies down the path once you get on the cycle of crime/prison/crime/prison. He has been there himself and looked over the edge.

Keenan speaks with great emotion about what life is like on the streets for an orphan trying to survive with no family support. He has survived after being surrounded by violence, drug and alcohol addiction in a general atmosphere of hopelessness and death.

We have never had such an emotional and yet inspirational guest on Dads on the Air.

Keenan Mundine

Keenan Mundine is the Co-Founder and Ambassador for Deadly Connections. Keenan is a proud First Nations man with connections to the Biripi Nation of NSW through his mother who is from Taree and ties to the Wakka Wakka Nation in Queensland through his Father who is from Cherbourg.

Keenan is the youngest of three boys, born and raised on Gadigal land - Keenan grew up in Redfern, notoriously known as “The Block”. Keenan had a rough start to his childhood after losing both parents at a young age, being placed in care, separated from his siblings and growing up unsupported with negative role modelling.

Keenan faced his own difficulties in life and made some poor decisions in his adolescence which resulted to his lengthy involvement with the justice system. Keenan found his passion in giving back to his community and working with people who have similar experiences to him.

Keenan’s journey inspired him and his wife to create a unique, community led solution and response to the current mass incarceration crisis of First Nations people. With the combined practical experience of Keenan’s lived experience and his wife’s professional skills and academic qualifications, as First Nations people they are committed to changing the narrative for their mob and communities.

Song selection by our guest: Happy by Pharrell Williams

Note: This program is an encore presentation of the one aired on 23 January 2020.

Podcast (mp3)