RESILIENCE AND REFUGEES
(Extract
from a speech given at Box Hill Town Hall, 5th Sept. 2010
to mark the Festival of Refugees, Victoria)
I
know many of you in the audience were once forced to make a very
difficult decision that I hope I never have to make. You made your
decision to leave your homeland because you dared to dream of a
future without fear… you dreamt of a new life and Australia was
the answer.
You
turned your back on violence and prejudice and dreamt of a new home
and a chance to survive. You wanted a place where your children and
their children could live in peace. But as you soon discovered,
dreams don’t come true simply because you want them to. Making
dreams come true means believing in yourself—it’s hard work.
Building a new life takes courage and determination.
Today
we watch disasters, like wars and floods, on television while we sit
back in our comfortable chairs and drink a cup of coffee or eat a
pizza. Australians are very generous at donating money to disasters
around the world—no doubt about it. But sometimes when the people
they see suffering on TV move next door as neighbours—some
of that sympathy disappears—and they only see what they think of
as ‘differences’. And then comes the talk about Australian
values. Love of family, respect for elders, honest work, and
fairness are the same values around the world.
Sadly
some Australian people don’t see the human face of the refugee or
asylum seeker. Why are they hostile?
The
man from Sudan or the Congo worries about paying the rent—just
like them; young men from Sri Lanka
worry about losing their jobs—just like everyone; a young girl
from Iraq goes on a diet—like most teenagers do, Afghan boys swap
jokes—who doesn’t? And the mother from Burma tells her children
bedtime stories—just like mothers everywhere.
As
a writer I love language, I love words. One of my favourite
words is ‘resilience’; it’s a hard word to explain like many
English words.
But
Resilience and Refugees are two words that belong together.
Resilience means facing terrible things that no one should have to
face, or
surviving when others give up; it means laughing when you want to
cry; or being silent when you want to shout at the sky asking ‘Why
me?’
Resilience
also gives you power—the power to dream. You start dreaming of a
better life. Part of surviving means trying to make dreams come
true. This takes energy when you want to lie down and go to sleep
and forget everything … or when you feel sad and lonely
But
you—the special people here today—did not lie down and go to
sleep, you didn’t say ‘She’ll be right mate, don’t worry.’
I
use the word ‘heroes’ to describe you all. It’s the same word
I used to describe the asylum seekers I met years ago at the Port Hedland
Detention Centre, a place that should never have been built….
And
here may I congratulate the friends of refugees in the audience
today. You all look beyond differences of culture and build
friendships. To many of us, history is something we read about in
books or see on our TV, but you, as friends and supporters, know
that refugees and asylum seekers experience the down side of
history; they suffer the consequences when their countries of origin
are torn apart by civil wars, invasions and dictatorships—yes, you
understand.
Through your friendships you show solidarity. You help people
as they learn a new language and new customs. You speak out against
racism when it shows its ugly head. It’s so important to speak out
and not be silent.
Often
when I start complaining. I stop myself! What do I have to complain
about? I’ve been lucky! My husband sitting here today was born in
a refugee camp in Germany after WW 2 ended. Only through the
sacrifices of his parents who worked long hours in factories did he
go to university. Years later he became a Professor of Politics at a
Perth University.
I
remind myself of his story and your stories.
**
Everyone
in this hall has a story to tell and I hope these stories will never
be lost. They should be recorded for your families and as a part of
Australian history. Don’t let them disappear.
And
there’s one more important lesson you can teach everyone. It’s
linked to what a wise old Muslim, Lebanese man in Sydney once told
me. He was a butcher –a halaal butcher who killed meat the Islamic
way, a man without any school education. He told me:
You need a heart big
enough to love two countries if you are an immigrant or a refugee,
it shouldn’t be a case of choosing one over the other. It’s like
having two children; your heart must be big enough to love them
both.
People who think immigrants and
refugees are not loyal because they still remember their homeland
should listen to him. Refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants can be
loyal to their new country and still remember the land of their
birth: the language, the songs—the food their mothers cooked and
the memories they love.
Yes, loving two countries is like
loving two children…you can love them both.
I
know you in the audience today have big hearts and I applaud you
all.
Thank
you
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