Harnessing
Communities' Potential: Thoughts and Perspectives in Tackling Racial
Discrimination
Speech for National Conference on Racism in a
Global Context
By
Haileluel Gebre-selassie
1) Introduction
2) Racism in a global context: overview 3) Reasons for negative perceptions of the African Migrant
Communities Within Australia 4) The role of Media 5) Unjust expectations and Systematic
Discrimination 6) Strategies for harnessing communies’ potential 7) Conclusion
Brief introduction
Thank you for
the opportunity given to me to speak to you today. My name is Haileluel
Gebre-selassie and I am the Deputy Chairperson of the African Think Tank which
is a non profit community based organisation based in Victoria. Some of you may
recall that the African Think Tank organised a successful conference in April
to discuss the broader resettlement issues of the African communities in
Australia. The conference report can be found from the conference website.
Today, I have
chosen to speak about the role of racism in disempowering and limiting
communities and groups’ capacity to participate in the social, economic and
political life of this country. I believe it is timely to speak on behalf of
the voiceless, powerless and underrepresented refugee communities so that we
can share their despair in searching for a collective response to the current
unprovoked racial attack on African refugee communities by some commentators.
Racism
in a Global Context
Overview of
what has happening
Over the last
few months, leading up to the federal election, some political groups and members
of parliament have been playing the race card – apparently to serve their own
particular agendas. Of course prior to that, an academic in NSW and a former
mayor in Victoria labelled the African communities as a failed group in integrating
with the broader Australian communities.
At the same
time there have been violent confrontations involving Africans, a number of
Africans have been racially attacked and one young man tragically killed. 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. This may continue to reverberate over the next few years.
The impact of
racism on communities
Racism and
discrimination have profound effects on refugee settlement. They can create greater
emotional and social effects on refugees as they contribute to triggering
pre-migration traumatic experiences and consequently leading to the long term social
and psychological crises.
They contribute to disempowering and limiting refugee communities
and groups capacity to participate in the broader social, economic and
political life of this country.
Racism and
discrimination destroy the basic social fabric of our society because they promote
division and hatred, that in turn can lead to anti-social behaviours.
Many scholars
agree that the socio-economic cost of racism is way beyond our imagination. It
affects individual trust and integration, reduces productivity and limits the
capacity of people to participate in the day to day activities.
In relation to
the newly emerging African refugee communities, racism and discrimination not
only affect their settlement and integration but continue to isolate them from
the rest of the Australian communities.
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.
At this forum
community leaders also expressed concern about the racist
and xenophobic portrayal of African refugees and migrants in the media as criminals, and the
manipulation of xenophobic fears by the popular press feeding anti-refugee and
anti-African sentiments.
Indeed, the increasing use of racist rhetoric by
politicians and the manipulation of xenophobic fears and
anti-refugee/anti-migrant sentiments, often for short-term political gains,
will not benefit this country. In fact, this rhetoric works against social and
economic integration.
A
climate of intolerance and racism could prove to be a far greater contributor
to barriers to integration than some notion of an inherent inability on the
part of African refugees to properly ‘integrate’. This may include failure to focus on support
and compassion required to assist communities in their settlement process.
There are many
factors and root causes that expose the recently arrived African refugee
communities to unprovoked racial attacks. I would like to highlight a few of
them:
Negative
perceptions
Negative perceptions
may have different sources and I have identified three major sources for this particular
presentation. The first source for the negative perception about the African
communities can be the reflection of deep cultural norms based on the history
of black colonisation by European powers. This includes
Second, the lack of
positive images of the African refugee communities and their success settlement
stories in the broader Australian media in conjunction with the wider
advertisements of poverty to raise funds for Australian charities, increase the
negative perception of Africans.
Third, deliberate misinformation
to the Australian public by some groups in the community in relation to the
entitlements of refugees continues to raise questions. I understand Centrelink
released a statement to discredit the false claims regarding the equity of
refugee entitlements by comparison to other pensions.
Ignorance
Lack of
cultural awareness about how African refugee communities socialise is misinterpreted
and considered as dangerous to the community. For example, a group of young
Africans socialising in public at a park or train station can be perceived as a
gang and lead to reports to local police.
Political motive
Some political
leaders make irresponsible comments about refugees. For example the Minister for Immigration and
Citizenship’s comment at the time of the brutal, racially motivated murder of a
Sudanese boy in Noble Park in Melbourne was completely inappropriate and
unacceptable by any standard.
The role of
media
Media generated
misrepresentations and sensationalism. In fact some
media groups have been fabricating stories to deliberately mislead the
Australian public. For example 3rd October 2007 Channel 7, 9 and 10
reported the following story, I quote “…Put racism claims aside for a
moment. Because tonight we can show you the terror experienced by a
Then security camera
pictures showed what Noble Park shopkeepers said. Police used capsicum spray
after a gang of Sudanese youths decided to take over a bottle shop, fighting
the staff and stealing alcohol, before officers were called. Then new footage
has emerged showing Sudanese gangs terrorising shopkeepers in
In these frames, however, none
of those involved in the violence are black Africans. Further to that the
Victorian police commissioner, Christine Nixon, said that “We don’t believe
there is a gang culture, it’s a group of young people together. Other young
people who are white do the same thing and they’re not called gangs.”
Visibility
African
migrants are visible and easily identifiable within the community. (Mr.
Gebre-selassie expanded on this point)
Unjust expectations
At the Individual level, there
is unrealistic expectation of how quickly long-term refugee camp arrivals can
fully participate in the broader Australian communities. (Mr. Gebre-selassie expanded on this point)
Further to that many
organisations and Government bodies expect African communities to unite in
Australia, while they don’t impose the same expectations on others communities such
as European and Asian communities.
Minister Andrews said that
African community leaders are divided as if they came from the same country…If
the Minister responsible for immigration doesn’t understand the composition of
African communities who do we expect to understand the diverse nature of the
African communities.
Systematic discrimination
Some key settlement
organisations as well as ethnic peak bodies are not inviting active
contribution from refugee communities to their management teams.
In many organisations,
ranging from small to high level ethnic organisations and welfare
organisations, recently arrived Africans do not appear involving in their management
structure. This, despite the fact that they regularly invited for public
photograph opportunities to launch African refugees related projects; to appear
on their leaflets; to provide a letter of support for organisations.
Strategies:
Harnessing Communities' Potential
The
development of an inclusive and welcoming society is a key prerequisite to the successful integration of refugees into Australian society.
The creation of a welcoming
society that encourages and fosters the integration of refugees will require
determined action on a number of fronts.
One of the fronts that
require decisive action is responding to negative factors, such as racism and
discrimination. To do this we all have collective responsibilities. Among many
actions I have selected few areas that we require to work together including:
Public
education
Promoting
a generally positive attitude in the public towards African communities
requires strong political leadership in order to avoid resentment and the rise
of racism. Politicians and the mass media have major responsibility in their
role as educators of public opinion. This message needs to be strongly
promoted.
Further
to that governments should not use or encourage language that promotes racist,
discriminatory or xenophobic reactions against refugees and African communities
generally. Politicians and the media should avoid negative stereotyping and
scapegoating of refugees and migrants.
Also, a campaign is needed to stress that the
integration of refugees as a dynamic two-way process which begins from the day a refugee arrives to their new host society. We consider
it a continuous long-term process enabling refugees and their communities to
live in harmony with the
host population of which they form a part. Refugee integration therefore
places demands
both on receiving societies and on the individuals and communities concerned.
In
fact politicians should promote the positive aspects of immigration among the
general public, including by stressing the value of diversity and the
contribution made by refugees and migrants to society.
Legal
protection
Recently
arrived refugee communities require legal protection from discrimination and
racism. Promotion of citizens’ rights and responsibilities to understand their
legal protection is critical to recently arrived refugees.
It
is imperative to educate them to utilise the existed anti-discrimination and human rights
legislation for possible breaches of various legal rights. State based Equal
Opportunity Commissions and ethnic peak bodies have responsibilities to conduct
community awareness campaigns, particularly in schools to challenge increasing
levels of racism, to ensure that refugee communities have adequate knowledge to
protect their members.
Communities responsibility
African
communities have important responsibilities to ensure their successful
integration into Australian society. If refugees are received by welcoming
communities and given adequate support, if they are empowered and enabled to
make the most of their own resources and skills, they will more easily fulfil
those responsibilities.
Only
through such a dynamic two way process of integration, where all parties
recognise and meet their responsibilities, will cohesive societies continue to
be maintained in
Increasing
participations or opportunities
There are
two key areas: education and employment. First, refugees should be given
sufficient educational and language provision to be able to access appropriate
English language learning opportunities as part of the genuine commitment to
integration and citizenship, including appropriate access to educational
institutions generally and the labour market, so they can participate fully in
Australian society.
Secondly,
the representation of many African refugees as ‘uneducated’ should be
addressed. In fact many refugees arriving are highly qualified, from
professional backgrounds and successful in their home countries, but they have
difficulties in getting their qualifications and work experience recognised.
Refugees
should be able to access mainstream vocational training and education in professional
fields or sectors and have opportunities to re-qualify, in order to adapt their
skills and experience to Australia’s labour market requirements.
Conclusion
In
At this forum
participants agreed
that the ATT can act as a broad umbrella representative group, but a specific task
force will be established with a focus on responding to the issues that have
emerged directly as a result of the recent* inflammatory comments by the (now previous)
Minister for Immigration.
The primary responsibility
of the task force is promoting a generally positive attitude in the public
towards African communities that require strong political leadership in order
to avoid resentment and the rise of racism. In this regard, politicians and the
mass media have a major responsibility in their role as educators of public
opinion.
It seems
we are facing greater challenges in harmonising our community. We are long way
away but with your support and the support of the broader Australian public we
will overcome the current challenges.
To
achieve long term outcomes, however, our politicians and the mass media, must
play their part in making responsible comments. So I finish by calling on our
politicians and the mass media to refrain from making unsubstantiated and irresponsible
remarks that promote discrimination and rather live up to their responsibility
to create a welcoming society worthy of the tag of a ‘fair go’.
Thank you
* September
2007.