Research hopes to offer insight into experiences of African Australians
Launch of the discusssion paper for the African Australians: a report on human rights and social inclusion issues project
Speech by Tom Calma
National Race Discrimination
Commissioner
‘Everyday People Everyday Rights’
Victorian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission’s Human
Rights Conference
Melbourne Park Function Centre
Batman Ave,
Melbourne
Monday 16th March 2009
- See also: African Australians Project
I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we stand, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation and their elders past and present.
Thank you, Helen, for your kind introduction. The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission should be congratulated on bringing so many people together for this important conference.
Abeselom Nega, Steering Committee member of the African Australians project and also immediate past chair of the Federation of African Communities Council, thank you for co-launching with me today.
I would also like to acknowledge:
- The Chair and members of the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission;
- My fellow Commissioners:
- Rosslyn Noonan from the New Zealand Human Rights Commission;
- From interstate – Linda Matthews from South Australia; Susan Booth from Queensland; Yvonne Henderson from Western Australia and Lisa Coffey, acting Anti-Discrimination Commissioner for the Northern Territory;
- Graeme Innes, my colleague from the Australian Human Rights Commission who
is the Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Discrimination Commissioner.
Can I also extend a special thanks to others who are here
representing our partners in the African Australians project:
- Samia Baho
- Steve Francis from Australian Red Cross
- Community Reference Group members
- Maria Dimopoulos, lead consultant for the African Australians project
- Teresa Angelico from AMES Victoria, and
- Anne Brown from the Department of Families and Housing, Community Services
and Indigenous Affairs.
Distinguished guests and friends, I am sure you have found this first day of the Everyday People, Everyday Rights conference to be most thought-provoking.
Before you leave for the day, let us revisit the theme of the everyday experience of human rights.
Some of you would have heard from Kavitha Chandra-Shekeran and David Vincent earlier today, about the Victorian Commission’s recent report ‘Rights of passage’.
This report examined the experience of Australian-Sudanese young people in the City of Greater Dandenong, here in Melbourne.
The main purpose of ‘Rights of passage’ was to provide a voice for African-Sudanese young people by directly quoting their everyday lived experience, often involving racial discrimination and vilification.
For example, at a community meeting with the South Sudan Equatorians Association in Victoria, one participant said:
I went for a job and was told, ‘(I’m) wary of employing Sudanese as they are always late’.
At another session at the South Eastern Region Migrant Resource Centre Homework Program, a 17-year old male said:
I can’t wait at bus stops as I get abused.
These statements are powerful. It is not easy to ignore what real voices are
saying about:
- decreased feelings of safety and security in public and community spaces
- experiencing insulting, racially-based language
- unfair treatment by police based on race
- unmet education, health and employment needs
Similar experiences involving racial discrimination and unmet need
are echoed in other recent research about African Australians from around
Australia, including:
- Dropped from the moon[1] which describes settlement experiences of refugee communities in Tasmania
- The Voices of Refugee Youth[2] - a survey from South Australia
- Integration into the Australian Labour
Market[3] - experiences of three
“visibly different” groups of recently arrived refugees in Western
Australia
Other reports recently completed in Victoria[4], the Northern Territory[5] and Queensland[6] look at ways to address discrimination experienced by African Australians and how to enable better engagement with communities.
This takes me to the reason why I am here today.
Today I am here to launch the Discussion paper for African Australians: A report on human rights and social inclusion issues.
I launch this Discussion paper on behalf of the Australian Human Rights
Commission and our project partners:
- Australian Multicultural Education Services (AMES) in Victoria
- Australian Red Cross
- Diversity Health Institute, and
- The Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community
Services and Indigenous Affairs
We recognise that it is time, at the national level, to find out about human rights and social inclusion issues for African Australians.
It is time to compile all the work that has been done (including those I have just mentioned) and build a national picture about the everyday experiences of African Australians.
It is important to hear African Australian voices from across the country telling us what is really happening in communities.
We aim to construct a comprehensive, national, evidence-base around human rights and social inclusion issues for African Australians.
In order to do this, we want to hear from African Australians and other
interested people about their:
- Experiences
- Concerns
- Solutions
On a related topic, some of you may know that in December the Australian Government announced a national consultation on human rights protections in Australia.
The Australian Human Rights Commission recently began a series of workshops to build community capacity in this area to contribute to the Government’s consultation process.
Just last week one of my staff members was in Queensland speaking with a group of African leaders, as part of this process. Some of the issues that were raised were similar to those mentioned in other community workshops. However it was clear from the discussion that participants felt that there were particular issues for African Australians.
They talked about feeling there is an ongoing stigma about African Australians. They said that racism is part of their everyday life, and that they, and other African Australians, often feel uncomfortable on public transport.
These are not isolated incidences. When we held a series of meetings last year with the Community Reference Group, we heard of similar experiences.
However, while it is critical to hear about what is bad, it is also important to hear about what is good, and what are the many positive contributions made by African Australians across the country.
While this links to the idea of the everyday experience of human rights, those everyday experiences are not always the same for every person.
As I indicated earlier - racism, discrimination, social inclusion or exclusion can happen. Not everyone is able to understand or appreciate a situation or experience that is different to their own. Myths and negative stereotypes can lead to misunderstanding and fear.
At the Australian Human Rights Commission we value the power of personal
stories. You need not be directly involved in the human rights sector to know
about:
- Children in Detention
- Same Sex – Same Entitlements; and possibly most well-known:
- the Bringing Them Home report
These reports have helped share and raise awareness of other people’s everyday experience of human rights – often unlike your own.
These reports have made people think. They have also helped people to understand. In this way, they have helped foster a stronger, more inclusive human rights culture which promotes greater respect and understanding among all Australians.
But – these reports have also led to important policy changes. The impacts have been significant for those involved but, I believe, have advanced Australia as a nation.
In essence, the power of the everyday experiences of human rights cannot be underestimated. Stories need to be told. It is not easy to ignore what real voices are saying. African Australian voices must be heard.
So, by launching this discussion paper today, I ask you to contribute in whatever ways you can. Please consider the discussion paper and write a submission to us and participate in national consultations. I also encourage you to tell your networks to do the same.
We have brought a number of copies of the discussion paper with us today and we also have some translated information available – so please take these with you.
To close, let me repeat the four central values for today’s
conference:
- Freedom
- Respect
- Equality
- Dignity
As we say in the Australian Human Rights Commission: human rights are for everyone, everywhere, everyday. It should be no different for African Australians.
Thank you.
I would now like to invite Abeselom to say a few words.
[1] Flanagan J, Dropped from the moon: The settlement experiences of refugee communities in Tasmania, Anglicare Tasmania Social Action and Research Centre, (2007).
[2] Opi B, The Voices of Refugee Youth: A Survey of the Issues and Challenges for Young People At Risk from New and Emerging Communities, Migrant Resource Centre of South Australia, (2007).
[3] Colic-Peisker V and F. Tilbury, Integration into the Australian Labour Market: The Experience of Three “Visibly Different” Groups of Recently Arrived Refugees by (2007) 45(1) International Migration pp 59-85.
[4] Berman G, Harnessing Diversity: addressing racial and religious discrimination in employment, A collaborative partnership between the Victorian Multicultural Commission and the Victorian Equal Opportunity & Human Rights Commission (2008).
[5] Abu-Duhou I, Engagement of the African Community in the Northern Territory: Their Settlement, Education, Workforce and Community Participation, Northern Territory Government Department of the Chief Minister (2006).
[6] New Futures: The Queensland Government’s engagement with African refugees, Queensland Government Department of Communities (2008).
