PROGRESS
and PRIORITIES : Report Card since 2007 African Resettlement Conference
National
AFSAAP conference
from 31
January -
The
Friday,
1 January 2008
By
Haileluel Gebre-selassie
Deputy Chairperson of the
African Think Tank
1) Abstract
2) Introduction 3) Establishment of the African think tank Inc 4) Recommendations
and Progress: African Resettlement
Conference at the University of Melbourne 2007 a) youth b) Education C)
Employment D) Overcoming Stereotypes 5)
Conclusion.
Abstract
In April 2007,
the African Think Tank hosted the inaugural African Resettlement Conference at
the
The African
Think Tank is a research and advisory body on African and refugee community
issues.
INTRODUCTION
·
Good morning.
·
My name is Haileluel
Gebre-selassie and I thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today.
·
Before I begin, I’d like to
acknowledge the original custodians of this land, and pay my respects to elders
past and present.
·
I’d also like to commend the
organisers of this weekend’s Conference and thank everyone for taking the time
to be with us today.
·
Conferences such as this are
vital for communities such as the Africans here in Australia to come together,
compare experiences, network, and form partnerships in pursuit of common goals.
·
I should know.
·
As the co-founder and Deputy
Chairperson of the African Think Tank – a non-profit community based
organisation based in Victoria – we organised a conference in April last year
bringing together representatives of African communities around Australia to discuss
the broader resettlement issues of the African communities in Australia.
·
During my talk today I’ll be
re-examining some of the key outcomes that came out of our conference in 2007.
·
In the form of a number of key
recommendations concerning issues such as healthcare, justice, employment, and
education opportunities, as well as youth and gender roles within African
communities and broader society.
·
More importantly, my presentation
will examine what progress has been made in addressing these points of concern,
and discusses what the priorities of
·
It can be an enthralling beast - progress.
·
At times the pace can be exhilarating, at
others maddeningly slow.
·
Sometimes it can lurch forward in the most
erratic stops and starts, or stall indefinitely without warning or
explanation.
·
There are periods when it feels like the
wheels are spinning in thin air, or for some inexplicable reason, the gears
suddenly click into reverse.
·
The direction too can be of endless intrigue.
·
Sometimes wholly predictable and immensely
satisfying; other times haphazard, unprecedented, and downright horrifying.
·
But I guess, if everything went exactly as we
would like, I wouldn’t have as interesting a presentation to make.
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AFRICAN
THINK TANK INC
·
First, some brief history on the African
Think Tank itself which was established in 2006 to advocate on behalf of the
African communities in
·
As well as
representing African interests to all
levels of governments on all areas of strategic policy, we also work to promote
a positive public profile for Africans in the media and throughout broader
Australian society.
·
This latter area especially has
kept us busy over the past three or four months, but more of that later.
·
A final key area of activity for
the African Think Tank – or ATT – is in fostering partnerships and networks
among diverse African communities, and creating forums for concerns to be raised
before policy makers and service providers.
·
The
most significant example occurred in April 2007, when we hosted the inaugural
African Resettlement Conference at the
·
Over 550 State, national and international
participants attended the two day conference which created opportunities for
governments, service agencies, academics and the broader grass root communities
to engage on a face-to-face basis and debate on issues evolving the settlement
needs of the African communities.
·
This conference identified and documented the
emerging issues with the African Australian communities and came up with
specific recommendations to address the current challenges.
·
I won’t go over all the recommendations.
·
For those who are interested, the
report of that Conference can be found on the conference website.
·
But there are a few key recommendations which
I’d like to focus upon, mainly because they have been the centre of much
discussion in media and political circles in the months since the Conference
was held.
·
The first comes under the banner of African
youth.
YOUTH
·
Perhaps the most poignant recommendation to
come out of the Conference was to develop an adequate, effective, culturally
sensitive on-arrival program for at least 6 months, introducing them to all
facets of life in
·
Poignant in light of the comments made by
former Federal Minister for Immigration, Kevin Andrews, that African communities failed to
integrate into the broader Australian population.
·
As well as events in the
·
Events involving an unfortunate confrontation
between African youth and members of the Victorian police.
·
I mention these developments to
highlight the the frustration that many Africans feel with a lack of progress
made in this important area.
·
In April last year, delegates at
the ATT Conference pointed out – to their great credit – that
significant numbers of African youth arriving in Australia as humanitarian
entrants had difficulty making the
transition into life here.
·
In April last year, a
recommendation was made to introduce a specific program to target this area of
need.
·
What happened ?
·
Instead of that recommendation being
acted upon.
·
Instead of a pilot program being
fast-tracked and enacted, the African youth not only have to continue to
struggle to adapt to a markedly different way of life without the benefit of a
transition program, Minister* Andrews caricatures their difficulties as some
kind of character flaw inherent to Africans to justify implementing a
whole-scale black ban on African refugees entering Australia.
·
To call this a failure to progress is a
massive piece of understatement, but we shouldn’t cast all blame upon Minister
Andrews.
·
At State level too, there has been a
notable gap between the rhetoric put forward and the action put in place.
·
The example of African youth in
Flemington is a case in point.
·
I am not about to paint all the young
Victorians of African origin as merry innocents, but neither are they all the
demons hell-bent on reeking crime and disorder – an image that was perpetuated in
the wake of the Flemington incident.
·
Again, I return to the recommendations
made the previous April at the ATT Conference.
·
Where aside from the implementation of a
6 month transitional program, there was a recommendation put forward regarding
the development of meaningful programs and activities for young Africans, run wherever
possible by young Africans.
·
Programs that will develop the leadership and administrative skills that will
give young Africans self-reliance, and the chance for social mobility.
·
These youth are disengaged and urgently need
access to meaningful programs and activities to engage them in positive ways.
·
Yet apart from the odd exception, often
instigated at local council or community group level, such programs have been
few and far between.
·
As a community, we must do better.
·
Because the image that is created by
sensationalist coverage of incidents like those in Flemington has the potential
to grave and long-lasting harm to the esteem of young Africans in this country.
·
In the way in which they perceive themselves
and interact with others.
·
Closely associated with this are the
recommendations the Conference put forward in the areas of education, not just
for youth, but humanitarian entrants of all ages and backgrounds.
EDUCATION
·
Perhaps the most pertinent recommendation
concerned a review of the placement of adolescent humanitarian entrants in the
schools system by chronological age despite their lack of curriculum readiness
across all subjects.
·
Simply put, the system as it stands, is
not working.
·
Young Africans, new to an educational
structure they do not understand, are finding themselves out of their depth,
entirely at a loss, and quickly disillusioned.
·
The net result, a high drop-out rate
which also contributes to the aforementioned issue of young African youth left
to wander the streets.
·
So, this recommendation for a review was
put forward to Commonwealth and State Ministers for Education in mid-2007 and
yet any sign of a shift in thinking is largely non-existent at any level.
·
With
African youth already forced to grow up well beyond their years, this is one
area where the pace of change matters.
·
It must
urgent, it must be decisive, and it must be effective.
·
The
same applies for the recommendations put forward in the area of employment.
EMPLOYMENT
·
Among the recommendations put forward
last April, the ATT suggested the establishment of a 'one stop shop web site'
for employers/job seekers that want assistance in recruiting CALD clients.
·
The site could be similar to the Job
Access web site for persons with disabilities and include information about ‘on
the job’ English classes, training or retraining, relocation assistance to
rural and regional areas and other resources.
·
As yet we have seen little indication
that such a site has been considered.
·
We are more optimistic, however, about
problems migrants and refugees from African Australian communities have in
getting their qualifications recognised by potential employers.
·
There
is a greater appreciation at least, that this is an issue to be addressed,
although the pace of action has not been as swift as we would like.
·
The
final area of concern that I would like to discuss at some length concerns the
perceptions of African communities as whole, or more precisely the need to
confound unhealthy stereotypes.
OVERCOMING STEREOTYPES
·
I have mentioned the alarming portrayal
of Africans put forward by former Minister Kevin Andrews.
·
Some of you may also be aware of
similarly abhorrent views put forward by an academic in NSW and a former mayor
in
·
I mentioned earlier about media
coverage of the Flemington coverage in November last year.
·
Some of you may also be aware of stories
about Africans in the suburb of
·
Without wishing to dignify these examples
with repetition, it involved so-called “Sudanese gangs” terrorising
shop-keepers.
·
One particular disturbing example
involved accusations being made when the vision on the screen did not feature
any black Africans.
·
This did not stop the voice-over
declaring:
“tonight we
can show you the terror experienced by a
They’ve
been identified by Police as predominantly Sudanese youths caught on camera
stealing and striking fear into those around them…”
·
I repeat my earlier remark, that not all
Sudanese youths are perfect innocents, but the media does have to better ensure
it does not unfairly stigmatise an entire community and age-group in the
interests of a juicy story.
·
It is irresponsible.
·
And yes, it is racist.
·
And the impacts are serious.
·
We all know that victimization
and discrimination destroy the basic social fabric of our society.
·
In relation to the newly emerging
African Australian refugee communities, racial attacks and discrimination can trigger
pre-migration traumatic experiences and consequently leading to the long term
social and psychological crises.
·
Racism and discrimination also continues
to isolate them from the rest of the Australian communities.
·
It contributes to the disempowering
of refugee communities and groups and the limiting of capacity to participate
in the broader social, economic and political life of this country
·
For example, at the recent
community forum organised by the African Think Tank, an African woman expressed
her fear and the fear of many other refugee women to walk alone on the street.
·
She also expressed her particular
concern about the racial abuse African children experience at schools.
·
Anecdotal data shows that many
people from the African communities such as taxi drivers, women, students and
factory workers have been facing daily mistreatment and racial abuse.
·
Worse still, the division and
hatred that is created can, in turn, lead to anti-social behaviours in the
refugees themselves, perpetuating the stereotype and making a bad situation
worse.
·
This is where community leadership is
vital.
·
In
·
Following the recent media attack
on the refugee communities, we were involved in several activities including the
organisation of a forum to explore collective responses to the escalating
tensions and uncertainties that were being felt at the time.
·
But leadership must come from the highest
levels too,
·
Thankfully, the early signs are good from
the Rudd Government in terms of its aims to combat inequity, injustice and social
exclusion.
·
I’m sure we all look forward to hearing
more about the detail of these programs in the months and years to come.
·
But in the immediate term, there is still
much that needs to be done to make African refugees feel safe and accepted in
Australian society.
·
And overcoming unfavourable stereotypes
means more than combating the image of African as unruly threat and thief.
·
Equally, we must do more to combat the
image of African as helpless dependent.
·
The stereotype perpetuated by some
quarters that every time an African opens their mouth it is to ask for
something.
·
When many want to do, and have the desire
that ability to do, is contribute something.
·
Africans have much to give.
·
We want to offer the benefits of our
experience and insights, and it is vital that we have the opportunities to do
so.
·
To achieve long term
outcomes, however, our politicians, service agencies, our community and the
mass media, must play their part in making responsible action and
activities.
CONCLUSION
·
I mentioned earlier
about the nature of progress.
·
Right now, it seems the
African Australians are facing greater challenges in harmonising our community.
·
But progress does happen
and there is evidence to prove it.
·
In the next few weeks,
Australia will see a landmark moment in social change when a formal Apology is
made to the members of the Stolen Generations.
·
It is long-overdue, yet
it gives us all for confidence that progress comes.
·
And in terms of summing
up what it is that Africans in this country aspire to, I can do little better
than this extract from the Aboriginal Charter of Human Rights.
Give us
welcome, not aversion,
Give us choice, not cold coercion,
Give
ambition, not prevention,
Confidence, not condescension;
Make us
mates, not poor relations,
Citizens, not serfs on stations.
Banish
bans and conquer caste
Then we'll win our own at last.
·
They may have been written in 1962 in another
time about another people, but the sentiment is timeless and universal.
·
With your support and
the support of the broader Australian public we will overcome the current
challenges.
·
And all enjoy a future
of dignity, security and prosperity for generations to come.
·
Thank you
*Now previous minister, since the election of the Rudd government in 2008.