|
|
|
|
|
 |
AUSTRALIA: Island Home or Isolated Gaol? By Phoebe Onal Australians have an inherent fear of ‘others’. This is proving to be a distressing reality, especially now as the world progresses towards a global community, where problems and the consequences of actions (or inaction) are being unavoidably shared. This fear of the ‘other’ is not a recent revelation. In fact, there were times when it was politically and socially publicised, with prominent examples being the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 and more recently the Howard government’s immigration policies. Presently there is debate surrounding reverting back to something similar due to the alarm caused by the arrival of Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Some of us will continue to see these measures as justified through the very fear I am referring to. That some are swayed by the idea that Australia could be physically and culturally invaded is a true and irrefutable testament to the existence of a paradoxical and ignorant social mentality. The very foundation of this country is recorded as an invasion, both physically and culturally, of Aboriginal land by the first immigrants, whose descendents now determine what it is to be Australian or un-Australian (whilst carefully avoiding the ambiguity behind being Australian in the first place.) This group, who I will refer to
as ‘they’ since the terms Australian and un-Australian are ultimately
meaningless, are poor judges when their interests are seemingly at stake,
giving governments a useful motive
to control and manipulate them. This weakness will, unfortunately, contribute
to the downfall of the very way of life ‘they’ so ardently try to protect. To view certain groups, particularly minority groups, as threats to an entire nation exposes an underlying insecurity that stems from the dubious circumstances in which Australia was annexed. The weakness is further exposed when even vulnerable people such as a boatload of asylum seekers can also ignite this insecurity. ‘We’, those of us who are alarmed at the existence and prevalence of this fear, see this as an indisputable reflection of what people value: a sense of security and exclusive privileges to the land. Nowhere, in any argument, is there an aspiration to protect the ‘Australian way of life’ by promoting it so that ‘others’ have a chance to adopt it and, perhaps, enrich it. This is the way things survive – through extending it to others, not making it exclusive. This fear of the ‘other’ also reflects our inherent racism. Australia could and should improve the way it responds to, supports, protects and incorporates minority groups and its indigenous people into society. ‘They’ seem to allow 1.2 million UK residents, by far the largest ethnic group in Australia, to slip under the radar whilst Lebanese less than a quarter of that number Australia-wide, cause them concern. There is a belief that assimilation means people ought to let go of how they identify themselves, give up what connects them to their ancestry and history, and adopt a completely new set of values and identities. However, assimilation is a two-way process, getting to know one another and sharing values. This cannot be achieved if larrikinism is the defining characteristic of what it means to be Australian. National identities take
hundreds, if not thousands of years to forge. This is what makes the loss of 40,000
years or more of Aboriginal culture and way of life detrimental and shocking. But all is not yet lost. Australia, being so young, can benefit from history using the past struggles for identity of other countries as a guideline of what to do or, more importantly, what not to do. If Australia is to survive these times of great global uncertainty, not just environmentally but socially as well, we need to stir passion for land in a way that invites positive contribution from everyone, because it will affect everyone. This can begin with the incorporation and application of indigenous land practices, such as the back-burning of bushland. This traditional practice of Indigenous Australians has contributed to the fact that Australian flora is one of the most resilient in the world, able to recover from disasters such as bushfires and even drought. Ceasing this practice has seen, particularly in southern parts of Australia, an increase in the severity of bushfires in the last few decades. We can solve these issues, first, by acknowledging the unique and spiritual connection Indigenous Australians have with the land. This will, at least, continue the process of reconciliation, as well as preserve vital information held by Indigenous peoples regarding the diversity of Australian flora and fauna. There should also be a national push towards identifying what it truly means to be Australian, and this should include contributions from immigrants, refugees, Indigenous Australians, the elderly, the young and anyone who has and looks to make Australia their home. These changes do not have to be made through holding conferences or large scale debates, but rather returning back to the basics such as ‘treat others as you wish to be treated yourself’. Lastly, and most importantly, the crippling fear of ‘others’ needs to be eliminated. This fear can never be justified but rather highlights the fact that people are reckless and bad judges of what they have personal interests in. Everyone can benefit from and provide benefits to a nation so long as there are no ulterior motives behind what individuals (and governments) want to achieve. As Benjamin Disraeli said, “Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither.” Things to Do Digg it Save This Page
Opening Up Closing the Gap |
|
|
||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
| © Copyright 2010 Australian Fabians. All Rights Reserved. |
Australia: Island Home or Isolated Gaol?
