Category: News

Ultra-marathon runner, Chris Pye, will combine his passion for running with his passion for social justice when he runs around the SAME block of Brisbane’s CBD for 24 hours starting at noon on Friday 4th April.

His aim in deliberately confining himself to the same restricted space during his “Nowhere to Run “marathon is to focus awareness on the situation faced every day by incarcerated refugees and asylum seekers.

British born Chris who has a background in theatre and has his Masters in counselling only took to the streets, so to speak, 4 years ago.  He will compete in his third 24 hour marathon in Sydney in June followed later in the year by an ultra-marathon in India which will raise money for vulnerable women and girls.

Chris will have a dedicated team of volunteers based in Reddicliffe place (outside Treasury Casino) for the duration of his marathon.  He and they, by engaging with the public during the 24 hours in this unique way, hope to counter some of the misinformation and ill feeling currently generated towards refugees and asylum seekers.

Visitors to the support stall will have the opportunity to sign a petition to the House of Representatives. There will also be a Visitors Book in which people can leave comments about their feelings on refugee policies.  The book will be delivered to the Dept of Immigration in Brisbane.

Four out of 10 immigrants of non-English speaking background arriving between 2000 and 2010 reported relatively high levels of discrimination on the basis of ‘skin colour, ethnic origin or religion’, according to a report from Monash University.

Most Australians support multiculturalism and recent migrants are positive about life here, despite occasional pockets of community dissatisfaction, according to the latest Mapping Social Cohesion Research.

Two new reports – the Recent Arrivals Survey and the Local Area Survey – written by Monash University’s Professor Andrew Markus and produced by the Scanlon Foundation, build on the Foundation’s annual Mapping Social Cohesion Research. It is Australia’s largest study of social cohesion, attitudes to immigration and cultural diversity.

The reports provide the first detailed findings in the last decade on recent immigrant experience of Australia – and the first detailed research into social cohesion in specific local areas outside Sydney and Melbourne.

The Recent Arrivals survey of 2300 respondents focused on skilled and highly educated migrants who arrived between 1990 and 2010, with particular interest in the nature of contact with former home countries, and engagement with Australian society and identity.

Most – 81 per cent – were satisfied with life here. However about four out of 10 immigrants of non-English speaking background arriving between 2000 and 2010 reported relatively high levels of discrimination on the basis of ‘skin colour, ethnic origin or religion’. This is more than double the national average.

Professor Markus said the immigrant experience had been transformed by the communication revolution brought about by low-cost mobile phones and the internet.

“Some seven out of 10 recent migrants are in frequent contact with overseas relatives and friends and close to 45 per cent of migrants from a number of Asian countries visit their former home countries at least once a year,” Professor Markus said.

“However, this does not necessarily result in disengagement from Australian society.”

Like most other Australians, immigrants tend to embrace multiple identities: six out of 10 considered themselves as ‘world citizens’ as well as Australians, and also identified with their country of birth. Those from India or Sri Lanka were most likely to identify as an Australian, and those from New Zealand least likely.

The local surveys were conducted in two urban regions, Logan in Brisbane and Mirrabooka in Perth, and three regional areas ­– Murray Bridge in South Australia, Shepparton in Victoria and the Atherton Tablelands in Queensland. All are characterised by relatively high socio-economic disadvantage.

The Atherton Tablelands residents were most positive about life in their neighbourhood, with 75 per cent agreeing multiculturalism had been good for Australia. However, 59 per cent said the current immigration intake was too high.

Findings varied in Logan and Mirrabooka, two areas of immigrant concentration, but safety concerns were prominent in both, with more than 65 per cent – double the national average – saying they felt unsafe on the streets at night.

Professor Markus said that, overall, Australia remained a socially cohesive nation – and the immigration program, which prioritises immigrants with high levels of education and with skills in demand, is a world leader.

The reports can be found at http://monash.edu.au/mapping-population/public-opinion/surveys/scanlon-foundation-surveys/mapping-social-cohesion-national-report-2013.pdf

WILPF Peacewomen Awards recognise women’s dedication to peace.

Four outstanding Queensland women will be publicly recognised for their important work promoting peace, justice and human rights at the WILPF Peacewomen Awards on 2 May at COTAH restaurant / South Brisbane TAFE.

This year’s awardees are UNAA National Vice President Virginia Balmain, refugee rights advocate Frederika Steen, and Gitie House, President of the Toowoomba International Multicultural Society. For the first time ever, WILPF also recognises the work and dedication of a young and emerging peace woman: Claire Maizonnier has just completed a dual degree in peace and conflict analysis and development, and is currently volunteering for Centro de Bartolome de Las Casas  in Peru, an organisation that focuses on the development and inclusion of Andean culture in Peru’s cultural and economic development.

The Peacewomen Awards were established by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) to acknowledge women’s important contributions to a more peaceful society.

“The event has been an outstanding success in the past”, convenor Patricia Dwyer said. “We are looking forward to another inspiring and uplifting awards ceremony in 2014.”

“This year’s chosen theme is Freedom, a concept with many connotations ranging from freedom from war and oppression to freedom of speech, or freedom of expression,” she said.

The Peacewomen Awards were established in the lead up to the centenary of WILPF, an international organisation dedicated to promoting peace and disarmament. Next year, the first national Peacewomen Awards will be held in Canberra to celebrate 100 years of women standing up for peace.

The Peacewomen Awarrds also raise awareness of UN Security Council resolution 1325 that urges to increase the participation of women in peace processes.

The 2014 awards will be celebrated in an early evening cocktail format with a high profile guest speaker and live entertainment by the Brisbane Combined Unions Choir. The cost for the event is $40 or $20 for full time students, which includes wine and fingerfood. Registrations by 22 April are essential, please refer to http://www.wilpf.org.au/qld-peace-women-awards.

For more information on the registrations please contact Norma Forrest on  3207 7929 or  0407 768 873, email: normarod@bigpond.com

Last week we journalists could do nothing but hang our heads in shame. The coverage of March in March was abysmal by the mainstream media (MSM).

When I heard that March in March Gold Coast was set for Saturday 22, I hoped to read about it the same day it was happening.

I guess such an anticipation falls under the category, wishful thinking. I could not find any coverage of it that day, other than via Twitter from those attending the march.

I have spent this morning trying to find any mention of it in any MSM outlet — nothing.

The chance of seeing pigs fly past my window seems a bit more likely next time around.

In other words, going by the old proverb, if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound, it is fair to ask, did March in March Gold Coast really happen?

It might seem a bit frivolous to claim that the media has failed by not covering March in March, but it actually shows the power the media has.

If an event is not covered by the media, to those who solely rely on the media to keep them informed, it can easily seem as nothing has actually happened.

Journalism is often said to be the first draft of history.

If this kind of writing of history continues, journalism will easily end up writing its own history. Known as the time journalists tried to write history, as in produce it as they see fit, instead of reporting what is happening before their eyes — failing to keep the public informed of what is truly going on in our society.

With that said, it is often difficult to cover everything going on, but when it becomes a bit too obvious what is not covered— i.e. ignored —it then becomes indefensible.

I hope and believe we are better than that.

Featured image credit: Bindi

I have a confession to make.  I am a closet hoarder.  I have too much stuff.  I think most of us do.  I have not escaped my poor student/artist mindset.  I have always had the habit of saving and storing things that might be useful later, might come in handy, that seem like they are good value if free and a bargain not to be missed.  Therein lies the problem.  The poorer people are, the more stuff they seem to have.

“Stuff” has become a lot cheaper, but our attitudes have not changed.  Quite simply, we overvalue stuff!

I recently worked with a client who felt like he needed to be organised to get his business running.  When I entered his home office I realised that clutter was really impacting on his professional persona.

Here are the Top 4 reasons the Clutter is bad for business:

1. Clutter makes you waste time looking for things.
   When you need that document, scissors or business card, a desk or drawer that is cluttered can render them invisible.  And in the process of a search, you can be distracted by the things that you find on your quest.  Paper is one of the top clutter items in the office. Go paperless!. Scan your papers and then back them up. If you must store paper, have a system (other than piling) to store them in an organized manner. Digital files are easier to search by words, names and content.
2. Clutter consumes your energy.
   Things are energy.  You consume energy moving them.  They consume your emotional energy. In Paul Graham’s essay about having too much stuff (www.unclutterer.com) he says:
   And unless you’re extremely organized, a house full of stuff can be very depressing. A cluttered room saps one’s spirits. One reason, obviously, is that there’s less room for people in a room full of stuff. But there’s more going on than that. I think humans constantly scan their environment to build a mental model of what’s around them. And the harder a scene is to parse, the less energy you have left for conscious thoughts. A cluttered room is literally exhausting.”
3. Clutter is a constant and visual reminder of all the things you haven’t done or still have to do.
   Rather than using a developed technique of prioritising or organising this can be distracting and exhausting.   Piles do not equal productivity.  “Someday maybe” should not be in your visual space.  You may say, “I know exactly where everything is.” But, what you are really saying is, “I don’t have the discipline to put things away.”
4. Clutter makes you the slave not the leader.
   Think about what your space says about you?  Are you all over the place?  Are you overwhelmed?  Are you putting off some things?  Are you putting out fires rather than seeing the bigger picture?  If your working day ends at 5:00pm then make it end at 4:45pm.  Use those last 15 minutes to clear your space ready for the working day and setting a list of things to do.  Put away work that is completed.

Email or call us if you’d like some strategies that help you take control of your time and your office environment.

So until then, be kind to yourself, take time for yourself.

The President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Professor Gillian Triggs recently returned from Christmas Island as part of her National Inquiry into the impact of immigration detention on children. Of the 315 children in detention on the island at the time of her visit, most had been there for six to eight months.

The inquiry team included a paediatrician, Dr Karen Zwi and Dr Sarah Mares, a child psychiatrist.

Most of the children were visibly distressed. They told the team “this place is hell”, “help me get out of here” and “there’s no school, nowhere to play and nothing to do.” The children also spoke about their distress at living in closed environment with adults who were sad, angry and self-harming.

Dr Zwi and Dr Mares noted that the conditions of detention are taking their toll on the development of children. They recorded instances of children biting themselves, and others, and banging their heads.

Dr Zwi reported: “If a parent is depressed, anxious, has any health condition that impacts on their capacity to care for their child, or the environment is frightening (as would be the case when witnessing self-harm), then that child’s development is often impacted. This was evident in several of the children we saw, with developmental delay (usually delayed speaking), and regression such as bedwetting.”

Australia has obligations under international human rights law to detain children only as a measure of last resort and to ensure children are protected from harm.

“These asylum seekers are in limbo and many are feeling the stress of uncertainty. They have been detained for long periods by anyone’s measure and they don’t know when they will go to Nauru or PNG for assessment of their refugee status and potential resettlement there,” said Professor Triggs.

It is understood the families and children detained on Christmas Island will eventually be transferred to a third country for processing and resettlement. One teenager told the inquiry team: “Manus Island is now a very dangerous place. Will I will be safe there?”

The visit to Christmas Island was the first undertaken by the Commission in its National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention which is calling for submissions. More information can be found here – http://www.humanrights.gov.au/children-immigration-detention