Foreign Correspondence

[fuagf]

Australia urged to tackle 'pockets of racism'
ABC News Breakfast's Amy Bainbridge

fp: "Julian Burnside: Gillard shredding child refugee protections"

Updated January 26, 2010 11:10:00

External Link: Five charged over attack on Indian students
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/01/26/2801170.htm

Map: Australia .. http://maps.google.com/?q=-26.000,134.500%28Australia%20%29&z=5

Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner says while Australians are not
racist people, there are pockets of racism that need to be addressed "head on".

Speaking on ABC News Breakfast, Graeme Innes said he was very sad to hear another
report of an attack on two Indian students in Melbourne overnight. .. continued ..
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2010-01-26/australia-urged-to-tackle-pockets-of-racism/308650

========================

'Room for improvement' - Racism in Australia
20 January 2010 | 03:37:22 PM | Source: AAP

General Peter Cosgrove says Australians have reasons to be
proud of their response to emergencies like the 2004 Asian tsunami.

But he says dark incidents, such as the recent attacks on Indian students and
the 2005 Cronulla riots diminish us in our own eyes and those of the world.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=83f_1263973036

========================

Gallop blasts racism .. PHILIPPA PERRY, The West Australian March 18, 2010, 5:02 am


WA News / Lee Griffith

Australia has significant pockets of racism and has seen a re-
emergence of nationalism, according to former WA premier Geoff Gallop.

In a speech to be delivered to a Human Rights Arts and Film Festival breakfast this morning, Dr Gallop says Australia should have a charter of rights to benefit ordinary people as well as the marginalised and vulnerable in society.

"There are a lot of good things about Australia but one of them isn't the re-emergence of a form of political and cultural nationalism backed up at times by a particularly crude and nasty form of populism," he says.

"We describe ourselves as an egalitarian and tolerant nation but significant and unjustified inequalities remain as do not- insignificant pockets of racism."

Dr Gallop says Australia is the only democratic nation without a national bill or charter of rights and that while our rights receive some recognition nationally, it is very limited.

He says a charter of rights could be given a role in the legislative process, the administration of policy and the interpretation of the law.

Dr Gallop says there is a deep suspicion among elements of the political elite that a Human Rights Act will make it too hard for them to govern when faced with challenges such as terrorism and crime generally. "Not having a charter of rights legitimised by the Parliament sends a message to the community that the government itself is fearful of subjecting itself to serious human rights scrutiny," he said. .. http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/wa/6947779/gallop-blasts-racism/

========================

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-zt3jx6MHQ

Thankfully, there are also MANY prominent Australians speaking out forcefully against Australian racism.

The fear of 'difference' is everywhere.