PunchyP's election coverage...I give up - ideas for next time #ausvotes #politics #JayRosen

Jay Rosen's latest blog covers the idea of having a 'Citizens Agenda in Campaign Coverage' and something that could take the frustration of never having questions answered substantially on our only hope #qanda (Q&A, ABC). Have a read and see what you think yourselves, I feel it is something we should work towards for the next election (with whatever happens on Saturday, it will certainly be time for a change by then and having an intelligent and meaningful campaign could lead to having intelligent, compassionate and informed political contenders?) Let's hope.

As Jay suggests, community consultation to decide on what the campaign's focus is a very good start and a voting system of whether the questions posed to the potential leaders were actually answered would be fantastic. This would also avoid the current situation where racist and defamatory political slogans such as "we'll stop the boats" become a focus for voters and politicians alike. And not many people seem to notice that this contradicts our international and humanitarian obligations to the UN Treaty we signed in 1973, yet it is broadcast across TV ads, no journalists have raised its seriousness (in relation to racism and our UN agreements) and yet the politicians themselves choose these random non-issues to create fear in our society and distract from the fact they have no real policies in the nation’s interests or credibility to even be running. Perhaps we can get it started for 3 years time and plan for a better future in politics, media and society in 2013!

Also this essay by Jay which discusses 'Journalism as Civic Leadership' should be considered an essential part of journalism and could be the way of the future in resolving Australia's current media meltdown.

 

 

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Ah fond memories of a happier time#ausvotes

Clare Peterson
Punchy Productions

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Shame Australia Shame #refugees #racism #ausvotes #australian politics #spillard #abbutt

Sue Bolton speaking at the Rally for Refugees, Friday 13 August 2010. Check out my previous blogs for more information.

Sue is explaining the shameful history of Australia's treatment of refugees. Need I say more? I think not. Watch the video and ask yourself if it is ok if Australia's racist policies are continually sustained or is it finally time to change, find some humanitarian policies and well if they doesn't grab you, maybe we should in the very least not ignore international laws and just abide by our legal obligations with the UNHCR Treaty which we signed in 1973.

And watch below for footage of the rally itself, that was uplifting, energising and thankfully marched in by a very large and diverse crowd on Melbourne's streets. I just hope that one day, this rally will seem unnecessary and bizarre, as there will be no racist politicians continuing Australia's shameful past and refugees will be treated with the dignity, respect and compassion that they deserve. Read previous blogs for further comments, links and videos from the rally.

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Taking a 'break' but I will be back...

Well the pressures of new and final university assignments, concerns with the current election campaigns by our major parties and film shoots for my documentary are preventing me from focusing on any further journalism research at this stage. I am going to a talk with Jay Rosen on Tuesday 17 August and will endeavour to make a little post about that, however, I will get back to my journalism site after the above tasks are finished. Check out my favorite links on my blog, which have very informative and current information on all things media!

Hope you enjoyed the research report and if you feel the need to read my daily rantings about the above issues, feel free at http://punchyp.posterous.com/

 

See you soon.

Clare

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Speech by a #refugee at the Rally for #refugees in Melbourne on Friday 13 2010 #ausvotes #greens #socialists

The second speaker at the rally was Gary Anan, a Tamil Refugee who escaped persecution and arrived in Australia in 1996, where he was sent to a detention centre.

He spoke of his false arrests, suffering and pain as a Tamil in Sri Lanka and how he finally escaped to Australia after much abuse and fear for his life. He spoke of his pain in the detention centre in Australia as a 17 year old refugee (and his experience now as a counselor for refugees) and he highlighted the fact (already obvious to me but apparently confusing for the LCD's who continue to mention some form of a queue that is supposed to be lined up in) that refugees do not have a choice, they do not have any other options and that they are escaping persecution and threats of violence.They are running from, not running to.

He also mentioned an experience he had on a tram one day, when a woman came up to him and said,

"If all the migrants left we would have some space"

which he replied "yeah maybe we should all leave and let the aborigines have their land back."

Gary ended his speech with ‘open your hearts, that is all we’re asking.’

Now that’s not that hard is it? Is it Australia? Make a stance against the derogatory terms being publicly broadcast by the major party contenders Spillard and Abbutt. Refugees are not “boat people”, the only real use of the term should be how former Prime Minister Bob Hawke recently used it, “we’re all boat people, that’s how we found the place.” And on the front cover of the Big Issue magazine this week, there was a photo of surf life savers in a boat with the title "boat people, Australia would not be the same without them!" These are the only appropriate uses of the phrase 'boat people', any association with this phase and asylum seekers is immoral, inhumane, illegal, racist and unacceptable.

 Refugees are people, they are fellow humans, they are mothers, fathers, children, they had homes that they loved and lost due to war, persecution and violence, they have friends and loved ones that they miss, they have no belongings, no tangible assets, all they have is their strength, their hearts and their torturous memories of where they have come from and what they have been through to get to a land and beg for help, some of them have spent their entire lives in refugee camps and prisons, with no clean water, no food, no clothing, they left everything to merely try and survive and make it through one more day without being killed or dying of disease. Come on Australia, open your hearts and at least form your political decisions on facts, our proven racist past and not on propaganda, lies and campaigns that focus on causing fear and hysteria in our society.

 

To see some photos and information from this rally check out melbourne protests blog

 

 

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PunchyP's election coverage...why would #ausvotes choose the #greens? Compassion for #refugees and intelligent #debates

Adam Bandt opens his address at the Rally for Refugees on Friday 13 August 2010 with the point that "despite what you see on the television and despite what people may want you to think, there is a very strong undercurrent in Australia and especially here in Melbourne, that says 'we are going to stand up for compassion and we are going to stand against racisim'". Adam Bandt states that the creation of hysteria and the political ads by both Spillard and Abbutt which contain images of boats highlights the disturbing arguments they are both presenting. The deceitful correlations between population, immigration and refugees - "which are entirely separate issues" needs to stop. Adam made the important point that what Spillard should be stating to the LCD Australian public in regards to the very small numbers of refugees that are arriving in Australia (it would take 20 years to even fill the Melbourne Cricket Ground) is "I understand that you feel anxious but there is no need to be." Instead she and Abbutt continue to spread fear and paranoia through our society and fail to draw attention to our international obligations (in signing the UNHCR 1967 Protocol) and humanitarian obligations to help fellow humans who are seeking assylum from persecution and homelessness from war, famine and torture.

UNHCR 1967 Protocol is a legally binding treaty and a milestone in international refugee law. The majority of member states in the UN have accepted responsibility in providing protection for persons obliged to flee their country because of persecution. Australia ratified the 1951 UN Refugee Convention on 22 January 1954, and the 1967 protocol on 13 Dec 1973.

And in a country so large, we only host 0.013% of the world's refugees. Adam's speech was truly relieving to finally hear and can be heard in my attached video. This is why Australia should give The Greens to make a difference in parliment and show political leaders that people do care about the treatment of refugees and the indigenous communities that we (the only actual 'boat people') stole their land from and now have spread our racism and hatred across. As Bob Hawke recently said, 'we're all boat people, that's how we found the place' and this is the only appropriate use of this phrase. Refugees are not "boat people", they have names, they have mothers, children, fathers, they had homes that they lost, that they miss, that they loved, that were taken from them or destroyed, they have friends and loved ones that they miss, they have horrible memories from their torturous past and devastating stories to tell about their time in Australia since they somehow survived long enough to make it here, through no other way possible, with no other options, with all the risks involved, it was their only hope to live. Please open your hearts Australia and all over the world and help these fellow humans that only want to be able to live and work somewhere safe, where their lives are not at risk every second of every day.

 

 

 

 

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Adam Bandt, The Greens contender, Melbourne 2010

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This was Adam Bandt's speech at the Rally for Refugees on Friday 13 2010 in Melbourne. It has some very poignant and persuasive points that need to be addressed with the major party contenders at next week's election. The propaganda, fear campaigns and racism that are expressed by both Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott is unacceptable and this speech can explain why! If you would like to read more about the mistreatment of refugees or on other matters, go to: http://punchyp.posterous.com/