AUSTRALIA DAY SPEECH given by DR HUSSEIN NUR HARACO to BANYULE CITY COUCIL
Ladies and gentlemen
Welcome to all of you, who have come together to celebrate as part of your community, this special day.
I wish to pay my respect to the Wurundjeri people, the indigenous custodians of this land and to any elders who may be present today.
Thank you for inviting me to come here to Banyule City Council to spend Australia Day with you.
I am proud to be part of this Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony because it is the same Hall which I received my Citizenship certificate in 2005.
I left my home country when I was 19 years old. At the age of 19 I started my university studies In India. Before I came to Australia I lived in India almost 17 Years.
I have chosen to migrate to Australia for many reasons such as climate, establishing business, Australia’s democratic values and justice. Australia is one of the best western countries in climate terms, not too cold and not too hot. To establish a business is too easy, there is no corruption which delays in opening business. When I came I really saw how fair the justice system is in this country.
We are one of the luckiest countries in the world and we have to preserve what we have today.
Today I run two different businesses in the Bell Street Mall in Heidelberg West. I encouraged my follow Somali Australian’s to also involve themselves in business and today as a Somali Australian, we have 15 different businesses in the Bell Street Mall. Not only business but we own five buildings in the Mall.
Besides my business I am currently the secretary of the Bell Street Mall Traders Association. Every year we run a Community Christmas festival as well as an Eid festival (to celebrate the end of Ramadan) in the Mall to promote good business and create an environment of cultural harmony.
I am also a Board member of the African Think Tank, a peak body for all African organizations in Victoria. In 2008 I become a council member of Victoria Multicultural Business Advisory Council, which advises the Minister of Small Business.
We have so much to celebrate and be proud of in terms of this nation’s achievements. Australia Day is about to celebrating our heritage, but this celebration is also about a young nation which believes its best days lie ahead.
The things that excite me about the future are our justice system and our diversity.
In reflecting on our history, there are three themes I would like to draw upon. One is respect; it is the word I used to acknowledge the indigenous people of this land. Respect is a way in which we can forge productive relationships with others, even where differences occur. Respect allows us to treat others as we would like them to treat us.
Respect recognizes the contribution of elders and the energy and enthusiasm of our young. We can respect other cultures even when they are not part of our personal experience.
Respect is the essential element of the Australian love of the fair go. We believe that all Australians should have equal opportunity and that merit is the best criterion for advancement and success (not money, status, gender or race).
Last year my friend Dr. Berhan Ahmed was honoured in the Victorian of the Year awards. I went with him to Canberra in support of his nomination for Australian of the year. Although he did not succeed as Australian of the Year, in honouring him as Victorian of the Year is evidence that Australia is the land of fair go.
A fair go has been a guiding principle in many issues over our history as a nation- in establishing wages and conditions, rights and protections, safety nets for those most at risk, education and health care.
It has been a hallmark of Australia’s History of immigration and of providing a new future for those who have been dispossessed or threatened and those who seek freedom and justice
Respect and democracy are critical parts of Citizenship. Australia Day is a great time to revitalize our own commitment to Citizenship, to be active citizens. Our communities depend on, and thrive through, the actions of good citizens driven by friendship and collaboration.
Good citizenship fires the friendly hand that helps with meals on wheels, or joins the CFA or cleans up Australia. Good citizenship is about volunteering time, energy and commitment to the wellbeing of others. Good citizenship is a model for others.
Every Australia Day new citizens formally become a part of our community and our nation. It’s a powerfully emotional time for many of them. For those of us who are already citizens, let’s make Australia Day a day to again think about how we can contribute in small ways or large, to making our community and our nation a better place.