There are 9 posts in this category
March 28th, 2019
It’s a Long Walk from 1788 (when British sovereignty was declared) to January 26 each year in Australia. Much of the country celebrates Australia Day, but others mourn the mistreatment of First Nations people. The journey of truth-telling may be painful, but necessary, if we are to shed the cocoon of white dominance and work towards a healing future.
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January 26th, 2016
Is this a good time to talk about racism? Probably not. Nobody WANTS to do that. Not when the barbie’s hot, and the beer’s cold. Just the same, it’s way past time, don’t you think, to pin white privilege with a steely eye, chip away layers of white fragility, and LISTEN to Aboriginal voices?…Joan Beckwith
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July 10th, 2015
NAIDOC Week (5-12 July in 2015) celebrates the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The quiz included in this post was put together by “Blackfulla Revolution”. They describe it as “a citizenship test to see if people have knowledge and respect in order to have a true connection to our land”. Give it a go and leave your comments.
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January 23rd, 2015
26 January – Australia Day for some, Survival Day/Invasion Day for others – and a good time to think about the proposed referendum on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal people. How do you vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on such an issue? Is there any way of reconciling conflicting positions – inside and outside the white establishment? How can we bridge the gap between the Recognise Campaign and the Freedom Summit – in conversations that honor 60,000 years of history?…Joan Beckwith.
(See update on this post arising from May 2017 “Statement from the Heart” by Indigenous leaders.)
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April 8th, 2014
The debate on freedom of speech in Australia, as I see it, is a struggle to own the right to determine whose freedom and what speech we are talking about. We, as members of community, need to make sure our voices are heard by those who are making the decisions…Joan Beckwith.
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March 21st, 2014
It is supposed to be Harmony Day; a day of cultural respect. But it’s not very harmonious, given the treatment of asylum seekers. It is also International Day for Elimination of Racial Discrimination. But our government is looking at repealing section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act. We are heading seriously off-course…Joan Beckwith.
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May 22nd, 2013
May 26 is Sorry Day, and this year coincides with the Long Walk; both are linked to the campaign for recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the Australian constitution. This post traces some of my connections to Sorry Day and the Long Walk, and supports the campaign…Joan Beckwith.
(See update on this post arising from May 2017 “Statement from the Heart” by Indigenous leaders.)
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April 21st, 2013
“Indigenous people want very little. They just want justice.” Indeed, it is not much to ask, even if not simple to achieve. In this post I reproduce some ideas from a seminar recently attended…Joan Beckwith.
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December 4th, 2012
Cultural identities and languages of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are not (yet) specifically recognised in the Australian constitution. Well known Aboriginal musician, frontman for Yothu Yindi, advocates such recognition as even more important than recognition by other musicians; a strong statement indeed…Joan Beckwith.
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