The violence of the Australian border is reaching new heights every day. Can we appeal to the compassion of the politicians responsible? Not when they actually want to be seen as the biggest bastards around. Can we vote them out of power? Not likely, with the Coalition and the ALP in a race to the bottom.
Rallies of thousands, outraged editorials, and disapproving commentary on Facebook aren't making a dent on the operation of Australia's border regime. We need something more than the cycle of atrocity, outrage, repeat.
But if we can't change these policies, maybe we can stop them being implemented. Every detention centre, every deportation relies on countless private contractors to function. Government is just one link in the chain. Border violence is a whole industry, and it makes big money. If we make it unprofitable, could it collapse entirely?
The recent call for a boycott of the Biennale of Sydney led to them severing their ties with Transfield, the company holding the 2.1 billion contract to service detention centres on Manus and Nauru. Workers are now pushing their unions to get industry super funds to divest from companies in the detention centre business. But companies and institutions with financial links to those profiting from the border regime are everywhere, and sometimes there's no way to avoid giving them your money. So why boycott anything when you can't boycott everything? What would an effective use of boycott and divestment strategies look like? And what's the best way forward from here?
Join us for a public meeting and open discussion tackling these questions.
Speaking will be:
Angela Mitropoulos, Sydney scholar of xBorder Operational Matters, speaking on supply chains and profits in the border business
Samah Sabawi, Palestinian playwright and activist, on the experience of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions campaign for Palestine
more TBC
and you with your best ideas!