real australians say welcome

A project to be celebrated at a time when asylum seekers - and migrants in general - are being treated appallingly; and when current global shifts are dislocating millions of people. 

listening to the doctor

And then J and I went to hear Dr. Cornel West in the Big Top.. Such a powerful speaker - not holding back one bit on criticism of social injustice whether in Ferguson or in Redfern (where an Aboriginal Tent Embassy is currently resisting property development). He comes so strongly from that radical Baptist tradition. We were all his brothers and sisters; and love - with integrity, honesty and decency- the ultimate answer to everything. Which didn’t mean that whiteys should be allowed to hang onto their vanilla privilege.  

Supported by other amazing people -  Aboriginal activist Jenny Monro, comedian Nazeem Hussain and poet Luka Lesson. Stunning in every sense of that word..

becoming an australian

So proud of K; she is now an Australian citizen. The ceremony was in Sydney Town Hall and was a fabulous mix of the serious, amateur and surreal which I found completely touching. About 500 people from all around the world becoming Australians, and being welcomed by politicians using it as a chance to have a dig at Tony Abbott by calling for much more support for refugees.

Interesting to see how nations decide to define their identity at these moments. This one involved the Mayor, a small kind-of-jazz band playing Waltzing Matilda, a group pledge, the handing over of certificates with official photograph-takaing, and then a jolly version of Advance Australia Fair followed by tea and 'typical' Australian cakes. Which are lamingtons, anztac biscuits and miniature pavlovas. I think of these as Aussie 'battler' foods, by which I mean, poor people's comfort foods. So lamingtons are squares of stale victoria sponge, made palatable by rolling in cocoa powder and desiccated coconut (both dried foods that could be kept for ages in remote ranch kitchens). And all the Australians I know feel incredibly nostalgic about them. 

life and times of Tony Abbott

In the circles in which I mix Tony Abbott has never been that popular. Was pointed at these biggest blunders and Shit Tony Abbott Says compilation videos almost as soon as I arrived in Australia. And my local pavement has been inscribed with 'Abbott Liar' for some time.* Now, with the more recent 'blunder' of giving a knighthood to Prince Phillip without asking anyone, Tony's position seems ever more wobbly - its just no-one quite wants to be responsible for the final push.

* Interestingly, the sections with this inscribed graffiti have been replaced since I took this picture: but of course the problem of using in-situ concrete and then leaving it to dry is that miscreants have plenty of time to scrawl in wet cement - and have indeed written 'Abbott liar' all over again. 

patriotism?

Of course, Australia Day is slightly complicated; because it celebrates the arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships in 1788, it also marks the invasion of Aboriginal lands - so has been a key moment for demonstrations by indigenous peoples and their supporters.

As an attempt to circumvent such difficulties, the media seems to focus on the positive side of citizenship, printing lots of feel-good interviews with immigrants telling us just how much they love this country, and how good it has been to them.  Was talking to a friend from work, J, about the wholesale appearance of goods of all types with the Australian flag on them. These days, she suggests, people wear the flag without any thought; when she was younger it was a much more problematic symbol (and looking patriotic was definitely not cool).


For an alternative version of the Straya national anthem click here. And note (unfortunately) all the White comments that follow. For the original - "Advance Australia Fair" - not an easy singalong, I'm afraid, click here. 

siege

In the aftermath of the siege in the Lindt café in Martin Place, there has been much sadness, and some debate about whether this was a terrorist attack, or the actions of a mentally unstable man. Unfortunately – if perhaps not surprisingly, - there are continuing anxieties about more terrorist threats, something that has not yet touched Sydney or the Australian mainland. It feels weird to be a bit blasé about this - having experienced the London IRA attacks back in the 1970s, as well as the more recent bombings both in London and Moscow.

This doesn’t mean not being affected by the awfulness of it, just less willing to allow an impact on everyday life. I was talking to someone yesterday who was no longer planning to go to the NYE events in central Sydney. He clearly felt very vulnerable, and all too willing to be suspicious of, and conspiratorial about, what happened and/or could happen.