Bush Telegraphwith Michael
Mackenzie - Country Viewpoint and Country Viewpoint on Pool 11am weekly
More
Rural Stories -
[also find global forum called "Circle
Blue", where Civic Knowledge about Water and Agriculture counts]And, Lake Eyre in full view with the ABC Rural from
Marree , and Roxby Downs, William Creek, Parachilna in outback South
Australia.
Bee's Bee's and
more about Bee's on the Science Show with Robin Williams.
150 days on
a cramped, squalid boat. That is the ordeal faced by 254 refugees from
Sri Lanka stranded in the Javanese port of Merak. The Merak refugees
have become a political football between the political leaders of
Australia and Indonesia, who were also meeting on 10 March, as rights
campaigners staged protests around the world to demand speedy action to
restore the basic right to asylum to the refugees.
Protestors call from across the world to Resettle the
Refugees, living in ill-health conditions on leaky boat in Merak. Protests
in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and London mark
the 150th day of the asylum boat stranded at Merak and coincide with
the Indonesian President Yudhoyono's visit to Australia.
Refugee
advocates and representatives of the Tamil communities are calling on
the Australian and Indonesian governments to end the misery of the
Tamil asylum seekers at Merak. The asylum seekers - among them 109
UNHCR certified refugees - have
been stranded at Merak for five months, 150 Days at Merak.
Speeches today ''We share a commitment to democracy, pluralism and to
maximising opportunities for all our people."... nice words for a
soft touch by two leaders who together have a greater opportunity to
show they can help with the now-time not just the working plan of the
future. As it was said "for all our people" smacks of everyone else
being alien. It is what is the matter here. It is a mindset short on
the all, in human rights and courage to deal pure decency, because of
the heckling of an outrageous opposition. Merak asylum seekers are
obviously not a vote puller. I am disappointed with the soft approach
from these leaders. Proud of progressive relations but fear they
account for less when the tough humane stuff [still unattended] is not
addressed. I cant imagine how the Asylum Seekers, who have a right to
be addressed, in trust, are so easily ignored.
Deadly chickenpox outbreak threatens asylum
seekers, especially the children docked in an Indonesian port of Merak.
What do we do other then act out our fear through all
versions of
primitive
rhetoric?
Emotional Life of Nations or to remind us
of the World Yesterday... not to distort the values
of decency, toleration, humanism, and artistic and
cultural integrity through the truth and action of our
shared endeavours. Need we
be less deaf.
Minimalisation does not Help. It does not
solve a thing yet it marginalises many.
MEANTIME IS
WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW
The thing missing most from the focus on 'boat
people' arrivals is any discussion about their experience and wellbeing
mixed with their 'uncertainty'.
Why do we have boat people turning
up in Australia for protection?
Australia has a real moral problem
while it skirts around the stand-off in Merak.
While we as a nation nullify the obvious. Can not discuss
in the same paragraph of 'people smugglers', the plight of the
boat
people who are caught up in the middle of this sloppy - slipshod
politics, by not dealing with the pressing topic of people, who come to
seek asylum
in their leaky boats.
Are we so grave, cowardice as a nation that we
can't reflect some humanity toward those fleeing a war torn country,
whose internal violence, governance and control we know and report has
due skepticism?
PURE SPIN: "Asylum-seekers `on the beaches', Coalition claims".
This
is when the politics is out of control, dishonest and helps to make
things
worse rather than work to help inform citizens and problem solve.
Counterproductive: More
and more the opposition
looks like it has no human face. The ALP appears weak on the issue of
Asylum Seekers playing into the hands of the opposition.
I wish this were
not true. Political history is
largely an account of mass violence and of the expenditure of vast
resources to cope with mythical fears and hopes. - Murray Edelman, professor, author (1919-2001)
We need to clean-up
some of this mess. Putting
history on the table means we must accept where we came from. What
brought us here and that the trend still continues.... if we fail to
take hold of the cause and consequence..... we are always working
backward.
I urge our Prime
Minister Mr Rudd to forge better ties with Indonesia, to be that
leader and man who spoke on Human Rights while in China. Further I ask
that he help lead the way globally on the world issue. It is about
world security, a international issue of basic health.
Rebuilding H A I T I
Human Rights Watch
said in an open letter that "The United Nations Security Council
should make improving the quality and security of camps for displaced
victims of Haiti’s devastating earthquake a top priority". This is
because of the seasonal rains expected and the pressure this puts on
women, children, among other vulnerable groups. Presently there is zero security in many camps HRW said.
Where is the middle groud: Outback camps was not only racially discriminatory but
ineffective in parts, a UN
official repeats... He questioned whether the federal government's
proposed reforms to the Northern Territory intervention will ensure
Australia meets its international human rights obligations. more
SBS Insight : Rising Tide - How do we
plan for it?
Australia's Future Populations and Housing.*****
Australian
of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry, with a focus
on questions that relate to life experience and mental
health, discussing the importance of early intervention.
SBS Insight, Tuesdays
7:30pm. Repeated
Friday 1:30pm, Monday 3:30pm
Are we politically returning to the pre- 1975 days?Where the Liberal Party stigmatised
the homeless, the unemployed anyone seeking geniune hardship assistance
or support? Requests for accommodation are going through the roof too,
as people
struggle to stay in the private rental market. Abbotts response
when asked was a quote from the Gospel of Matthew: ''The poor will always be with us,'' he explained
that 'there is little a government can do for people who choose to be
homeless'.
AUstralia really
needs a Human Rights Charter be it for immigration, diabilities, or for
cases like the. "Holcroft's custody death 'nothing new". Tragic; Mark Holcroft's death in custody
Inclusiveness and forced Marginalisation? Forced
degrees of disconnectiveness and a reason for Justice is just among the
indepth topics discussed on John Clearly's ABC Online. Where is our
sense of community? ABrilliant audio podcast
[22.2.2010].
The
deserved vs the undeserving? Is there a question? If you are even
mildly interested in the topic of Homelessness, listen to this one. A
top account articulating just what is on my mind at this time and
place. Looking for Significant Solutions, Sacred Heart Mission
in St Kilda talks about chronic homeless and a way to see
through it leading with a innovative program - getting on with the job
in a bold and innovative way. Life
Matters
www.miacat.com backs national
schools curriculum - Well Done Ms Gillard. LIVE INTERVIEW [Monday
1.3.2010] and watching Google News. Wish I was a kid again... the basics
is essential and change is all that hurts the disapproving bemoaners
:)* Here's the My
Schools website.
Education
Revolution must impact all if the barriers hitting the
socioeconomic disadvantage on their life chances, is to be honestly
curbed.
Northern Territory correspondent compares two schools in the top end, one
indigenous and one non-indigenous. National Interest - Peter Mares presents a reason to check in on the
progress of the
ALP Federal government strategies aimed to reduce homelessness.
The program reviews the funding of development in affordable
rental accomodation in Australia. It considers the Prime Ministers
targets of halving homelessness by 2020.
Calls to increase support for homelessMost
people struggling with homelessness are virtually invisible. If they
don't fit into the normal criteria then where do they go? This story
interviews people who live in emergency accommodation. They tell
stories that demonstrate just how difficult the issue is, and how
complicated it will be to solve. Not all people facing homelessness are
on drugs or facing mental illness. The whole debate as it has run over
the past weeks has sfailed to address the vertical and horizonatal
aspects of the issue.
__________________________ CPI under review
It is good to hear that Australia's core measure of inflation, the
Consumer Price Index, is under review. According to PM, in a
series of public hearings around the country the Bureau of Statistics
is investigating what the community thinks of the CPI and whether it
should be changed. The report says, at issue: should price rises be
measured monthly, rather than quarterly. And should the bureau change
it to reflect the full cost of living better.
Topic of
housing. Have a look at the
topic running hot through the media. Go to Tuesdays SBS Insight for
a true citizens discussion. See the repeats. Have a
honest look at Tuesdays 7 30 Report Vidcast and Transcript [as it becomes
available], and [Good work Greg Hoy], Then it is your opportunity to
raise some dust on Life Matters Talkback - 1300 22 55 76 - Wednesday
9am. The chat is about, you guessed it, "HOUSING"..... Perhaps if
the Opposition got serious about their polices then we might gain
something now out of the present relationship between the Federal
Government and the opposition's Joker "say anything" pack. Australians
will go nowhere fast if we don't address some of these national issues
with some common sense. My concern is not just the state of domestic
household debt, the growing number of homeless but how much more stress
communities can cope with as the pressure of high mortgage and no
rental housing afforablity, inflated housing prices hits the underbelly
within the National Spirit. Hear the citizens in the programs linked
above and decide for yourself. Either we are Australian's or we are a
bias, ever dividing population where a majority is left twittering in
thin air.
Refugee
intake 'lowest in 35 years' - The
Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) says Australia's Refugee and
Humanitarian Program has dropped to 6.6 per cent of the nation's total
migration program despite a rise in the number of people seeking
resettlement around the globe. Also find audio on Wednesdays Life
Matters
So Loud is the Silence! The
last report on their wellbeing was 8 days ago. Watching this story!
Could you imagine the courage you'd need if you were among these
people sitting idle on this leaky boat. What could we say
about your world view. Where is the Development?
Who is surprised.Asylum seeker named Alex has disappeared [?]
from a boat moored in the
Indonesian port of Merak. Alex became a de facto spokesman for the
asylum seekers in October after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called
Indonesia's president and asked him to stop their boat sailing into
Australian waters. But now fellow asylum seeker Nimal says Alex has
gone missing.
"A police officer and another navy officer came to the boat and asked
about him," he said. "[At] that time only we know he's escaped from the
ship." About 230 people are still on board, pressing for a special deal
like the one given to those picked up by the Australian Customs vessel
Oceanic Viking about the same time.
Asking the
real questions: Kartrina Sharman, lawyer from Voiceless; Joanne
Tassone, final year law student about 'discrepancies in the laws
protecting animals depending on whether the animal is a family pet, a
farm animal or a circus performer'. Find Bush Telegraph podcast
We need to
Listen, we need to Think and we need to Act. While I find much of
what is said sound, I disagree when we consider what we lose, if we
don't rethink the meaning of 'local' when it comes to the future of the family farm. Do you wish to see the
growth of "food" run by multi-national? If not then what else do we
have in mind rural Australia? *****
Australia, we
are living in a period of unprecedented species loss. More
than 40 environment groups across Australia are signatories of the
'Boobook Declaration'. The Boobook Declaration is a call to action for
biodiversity in Australia. Find the podcast on Bush
Telegraph and go add your name beside others on www.boobook.org.au
A Late Night line Special
Food Chain: Is Australia's foodchain being challenged by climate
change?
Our knowledge
about what needs to be done to help change the world must influence the
politics of our everyday life or we are absolutely nowhere!
MOVIETIME with
Julie Rigg plus a treasure hunt and whats where timetables.
Late
Night
Livewith
Phillip Adams ABC Radio
National Mon-Thur 10pm repeated 4pm the following day [6pm WA]
Why Do We Lie? - Ask
psychologist Dorothy Rowe who argues that our private and public lives
are of the same. She says ' the two are indivisible' [more!]
With more
than 60 journalist dead in recent time, some 9,903 citizens have died
in drug-related violence since 2007, what is really happening on the U.S./Mexico border towns run by the drug cartels.
Colm McNaughton Walkley award-winning freelance investigative
journalist discusses his insights.
'The
unconscious civilisation' and what's wrong with
it. " CLASSIC LNL: Interviews John Ralston Saul - Top Discussion
Tickle me Pink!
Father Peter Kennedy talking with Phillip Adams on Late Night Live.
I wonder if Father Kennedy has ever met Richard Holloway and how
interesting it would be to have these three men in the same room.
Stella
Miles Franklin: A Bioraphy has just won the 2010 Adelaide Festival
Award for Literature (Non-fiction).
JUST
FOR THE RECORD: Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, born in 1879 in
the Australian bush, was a feisty and smart young novelist and
journalist best known for her classic autobiographical novel My
Brilliant Career, published in 1901.
Written by Jill Roe Author of Stella Miles Franklin: A Biography and
Professor Emerita in the Department of Modern History at Macquarie
University, Sydney.
Home Ground
Home
Ground: Language for an American Landscape.Barry Lopez's looks at
discribing words, Their ownership and representation and the ways
we
relate to them in daily life. He put down his camera and take up the
pen.... and spoke about this experience with Ramona Koval in a way that
circled many of the things we feel, think and sometimes try and say in
as many words, only for some it takes an entire lifetime to cover all
that was said in one single interview.
MAGIC MOMENTS
Pico Iyer on
the
the Dalai Lamaand John Sutherland about
his new book Magic Moments among just some of the wonderful
conversations Ramona presented during the Summer Series.
In
conversation with Richard Holloway
Power - Miracles
- Beauty -
Between the Monster and the Saint. Let us turn the
noise down. Let us question all - tis everyday politics to claim back
the right to ask what is morality and religion... Helps
to hear Richard Holloway when we feel there is no point in all the
things we trade or share .... which is our humanitarian "power". We
need to challange Power says Richard
Holloway. I adore him for this. He encourages those of us who act on
what we know. He says, shows, tells and teachs you to see; "No this will not
do and may the heavens fall!"
Lapham's
Quarterly
on Medicine
Lewis Lapham
never fails does he. Now find out how, why and what writer Lewis
Lapham has collected from the last 3000 years on doctors, patients,
nurses, surgery, health and disease. Look in your own mirror as he got
me to look in mune. Can you see yourself gaze? Lapham's Quarterly
on Medicine - and I look forward to what he
present next about time andwriting on religion? [http://www.laphamsquarterly.org/]
Running Wild
Action as
well as words is all in Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo. Among the
most beautiful explanations about writing for children
I have ever heard. A delight for the spirit and why the need to have a
self bound adventure. Michael Morpurgo sounds like a wonderful person
to know, his book a story for anyone who could imagine what it might be
like to take off far into the jungle. An inspiration is the coversation
between Michael Morpurgo and Ramona - here's 10 for the mischief.
The Infinities
John Banville
speaks to Ramona Koval from Dublin. Marvellous work
Ramona. This Irish author does not disapoint those of us who are hungry
to know how the work of such a mind for writing works. Tops!
Biography: A
Very Short Introduction
by Hermione Lee
In one very
long breath. Hermione Lee maneuvers with
our taste for wonder and reason as she discusses different ways to see
strategies, ethics, and principles that might be required for writing
about 'one person compared to another'. On the Bookshow we hear her
tell us about her new book, "Biography: A Very Short Introduction".On the art
of writing biography at the Cheltenham Literature Festival. [Hermione Lee's
webpage.]
Cate Kennedy's
The World Beneath... it was the refreshing way
Cate spoke of her craft that most inspired me. What is the difference
between a short story and novel. Cates audio interview with Peter Mares.
