By Barbary
Dear All, on Friday I went to a Melbourne consultation on the Aust Human Rights Commission's (AHRC) launch of its Anti-Racism Strategy. The Race Discrimination Commissioner, Helen Szoke (who previously did a good job heading up Victoria's Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission), appealed for assistance in building up an evidence base on what the Australian people think should be done to address racism in Australia.
One of the reasons why she is doing so is that the AHRC has very limited funding to put the Anti-Racism Strategy into practice.
This is not particularly surprising, to me, since the Labor Govt seems intent on pursuing the racist policies adopted by the Howard Govt in instituting the NTER/Intervention, amongst other things.
If you feel like supporting Szoke and the Human Rights Commission in their efforts to show that a number of people are concerned about racism - and that the Strategy needs to be better-supported, please go to www.humanrights.gov.au/antiracism and have your say. Regards, Barbary
Another related issue:
Desert Teaches the Cities
A small grassroots group of people is supporting some (50+) Pitjantjatjara elders' desire to come to Melbourne later this year (?October) to share their culture with the Wurundjeri people and other Australians. If anyone can offer cash/kind/voluntary support, please contact me at barbary@vicnet.net.au .
Comments
Don't blame ordinary people struggling to make ends meet
Australians are not racist - I disagree with this accusation and am insulted that you think that it is ordinary Australians that are racist towards Aborigines.
Most Australians pay taxes which a large part goes to supporting Aboriginal communities. None of my ancestors or family ever directly harmed any Aboriginal person so I do not agree with you at all.Stop blaming us and start to recognise that we do care and wish we could help their plight but do not know what is the best way to do this without insulting them or making them feel that we are just another whitie wanting to take over.
Instead of labelling and painting us all with the same brush why dont you address the issues of the increasing poverty and homelessness, big overseas mining conglomerates and foreign interests coming into this country to reap mining and agricultural lands away from the wealth of all Australians.
It is the government and its policies putting profits before people and not wanting to invest in environmental and sustainable energy and free enterprise, with its commy socialist policies aimed at assimilating the aboriginal races, take your bow and arrow and aim it at them not ordinary people struggling to make ends meet. If I was Ms Rinehardt ( world's richest lady) one quarter of my money would be going back to the traditional landowners but no commy politician today has the guts or balls to make these miners or overseas interests pay their fair share back to our country. shame shame shame shame.
would you want to be any other colour paint than white? I
PROUD WESTIE Australia is racist and the racism is pointed at you because of the colour of your skin (white) they are painting us with the same brush,but would you want to be any other colour paint than white? I think they will call me racist because I am proud to be white, if I was black and said I was proud to be Black that would not be racist, which just goes to show you who the racists really are Hey.
Blame your ancestral generations for any guilt you may feel
Australia was built on racism, from the days they ignored Aboriginals so they could dig up all their wealth (what all australians are benefiting from)to the illogical rants from aussie trying to force assimilation upon recent immigrants, (hypocricy comes to mind as no one (the first boat people) assimilated to this lands laws and customs), lets get one thing clear, racism didnt exsist in terra australis until the brittish arrived, then after 200+ years of ignorant bliss aussies are now trying to deal with evolution, thing change as its the natural process, I guess after being the imperialistic (simplistic) fools with your head in the sand it may be a shock to start living in reality, yes thats right things continue to evolve and time doesnt stand still, and now aussies get a small taste of their own behaviour and the whinging starts, your bloodlines have practiced racism for thousnads of years, harded up, your part of the reason Aussies were voted the biggest whingers in the world for 2011, I say lets trade the ignorant racist for new better immigrants regardless whether they are the first boat people or people who come here today. P.S blame your ancestors and family generations up til today fro any guilt you may feel, our succcessive governments including todays government are still practicing racism and have failed us all with their racist policys and outdated thinking, they create the system, we just live by the rules THEY set, the buck stops with our leaders no one else