manly42 at the Big Ideas Forum

The Survival of the Kindest: Reflections from the Big Ideas Forum

On Wednesday night, manly42 was honoured to be one of only six organisations showcased at the Big Ideas Forum, hosted by Northern Beaches Council at Glen Street Theatre.

The evening was a celebration of the incredible community spirit that runs up and down our coastline — a gathering of passionate changemakers, social enterprises, and local groups all working to make the Northern Beaches a better, kinder place. The hall was alive with ideas, energy, and connection.

One of the highlights was hearing from the speaker Hugh Mackay, renowned psychologist, social researcher, and author. His talk centred on a powerful idea: humanity is a social project. We are at our best when we connect, and at our worst when we isolate.

Hugh shared a fascinating theory about a significant event 42,000 years ago (yes, that number felt fitting for us!). In a rare event, when the Earth’s magnetic poles flipped, the planet was thrown into chaos, leading to the extinction of four out of five human species alive at the time. The question he posed was: why did Homo sapiens survive? The answer, he said, may lie in what he called “the survival of the kindest.”

Our ancestors learned how to care for one another, to cooperate, nurture and build community, while others such as Neanderthals remained tribal. And those acts of care are what allowed our species to endure.

It really does take a village.

Hugh reminded us that modern life has made us forget what it means to truly be a neighbour. Yet in community groups, in spaces like the one we’re building at manly42, we can rediscover how to live together in harmony.

At manly42, our mission is to create a central community hub in the heart of Manly, a space where locals can connect, collaborate and co-create experiences that strengthen our shared sense of belonging.

The Big Ideas Forum left us inspired, humbled, and energised to keep building. Huge thanks to the Northern Beaches Council for organising such a thoughtful and well-run event, and to all the inspiring people we met who are working tirelessly to make our community cohesive.

Together, we’re proving that kindness and connection is our greatest survival skill. 💛