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The Forum > Article Comments > War and peace: the Government’s engagement with Indigenous realities > Comments

War and peace: the Government’s engagement with Indigenous realities : Comments

By Andrew Jakubowicz, published 18/7/2007

The Government has a war aim, the total dissolution of Indigenous communal life and the atomisation of Indigenous communities into indistinguishable Australians.

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I disagree - of course, but FrankGol, let me tell you why:

Your core issues of:

* power/powerlessness,
* racism,
* the entrality of land rights,
* structural inequality, and
* the failure of recent governments to support reconciliation,

are all manifestations of Andrew Jakubowicz's 'state of war'; they are non-indigenous assessments.

The power to demand:

* equality under the law,
* compliance with anti-discrimination legislation,
* integrity of title, and
* dedication to reconciliation,

exists solely within the consciousness of non-indigenous Australia.

We must return, YET AGAIN, to the author's inquiry:

"What will it take to make peace in this troubled land? How do we end the war? What are the terms and conditions for building trust between the parties?"

History has (previously) foretold that 'truth' will set us free:

In truth, indigenous Australia has had a landscape care for its ancestors, whereas non-indigenous Australia has not; indigenous Australia has triumphed in sustainability stakes, where non-indigenous Australia has not!
Posted by Neil Hewett, Monday, 23 July 2007 8:42:27 PM
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Neil Hewett

How can one disagree that "The power to demand:
* equality under the law,
* compliance with anti-discrimination legislation,
* integrity of title, and
* dedication to reconciliation,
exists solely within the consciousness of non-indigenous Australia"?

But while it's one thing to demand those things, it's quite another thing to have those demands agreed to. People rarely give up power. They usually have to have it wrenched away from them. This is far more than an exercise in consciousness. It's a war.
Posted by FrankGol, Monday, 23 July 2007 11:01:29 PM
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Frankgol “In the real world, assimilation means that you pretend that everyone is the same with the same life chances and the same life choices, “

That is the aspiration, in your rejection of assimilation, you are rejecting that aspiration and replacing it with what? (as stated previously, the same dross as the KKK, SA Apartheid etc)

“when they clearly have neither equality of opportunity nor equality of access to resources.”

That may be the present “reality” but I ask again, what nobler goal could there be to aspire to treating all men are women as equals (regardless of resource distribution)?

What are you proposing in place of assimilation?

Oh frankgol, complain all you like about how I am using gutter debating tactics and I would ask you – defend yourself and come up with a real and “moral” alternative to assimilation but as it is, to reject assimilation, you must be accepting some form of separate and segregated development based on a less noble ideal than real human equality.

As for “In his illogical bipolar world of assimilation, Col is blind to alternative democratic processes such as Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela struggled for. They would be appalled to have their name invoked as supporters of assimilation.”

“Assimilation” Here are a couple of definitions from dictionary.com

“people of different backgrounds come to see themselves as part of a larger national family “

“the social process of absorbing one cultural group into harmony with another “

Get this Frank, I think that is exactly what Dr Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela stood for and what I would hope we could aspire to. Unfortunately we are continually obstructed by small minds who see assimilation as a threat and seek to maintain their small existence by obstructing the aspirational endeavours of others.

“bipolar”
“having two poles, as the earth.”
“Relating to a major affective disorder that is characterized by episodes of mania and depression.”

Wrong!

I am happy and consistent in my views and can relate the worth of separate values as to how they consistently reflect in each other.
Posted by Col Rouge, Tuesday, 24 July 2007 12:03:06 PM
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Col Rouge, my reference to bipolar related to your authoritarian and limited view of choice of social policies. In your bipolar world-view you’re either for assimilation or you’re not; and if you’re not, you’re a supporter of the Klu Klux Klan, the Apartheid government of South Africa and every tin pot dictator might have opposed assimilation.

Repeating garbage doesn’t make it any truer Col. Not even when you deploy a sanctimonious display of anti-racism, and not even when you invoke the names of good people who struggled against assimilation equally as much as they struggled against racial and economic oppression.

Assimilation (notwithstanding your cherry-picked definitions) has demonstrably failed because it ignores power and inequality of resources and opportunity. It leaves little or no room for negotiation among unequal groups – every thing is on the terms of the power holders. And it denies minorities the right to self-determination.

What do Indigenous Autsralians think of assimilation? Here’s the National Indigenous Times last month:

“With the tenacious rolling back of basic rights, the neglect of key areas such as health, housing and education and the reintroduction of the ideologies of mainstreaming and assimilation, there is little wonder those working to end Indigenous disadvantage feel that nothing will move forward until Howard and his approach to Indigenous issues are on the scrap heap.” (http://www.nit.com.au/Opinion/story.aspx?id=11550)

You say, Col, that I have no alternatives. To quote my previous post: “Assimilation is but one of a number of possibilities - there are various versions of democratic interaction including positive models of cultural diversity within a framework of common laws.”

If you’re really interested in other options, you might care to read an Australian Parliamentary Briefing Paper called: ‘Indigenous Affairs in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Norway and Sweden’ (http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/bp/1997-98/98bp15.htm)

But I doubt you'll read this - your world-view can't see over the horizon of assimilation.
Posted by FrankGol, Tuesday, 24 July 2007 1:32:44 PM
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Long-term COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT or as you said "What are the terms and conditions for building trust between the parties?"

I find communities at all ground levels, are just the same as families when we consider the macro-micro parts which help glue "trust and equality"" in our human and daily inter-relationships.

Inclusive Vs Exclusive practices need focus. Breaking up government silo's, cultural getto's and in this case introducing the dire need to "Share Service Provision" - (Alma Ata, Alma Ata) is the civic perceptive that needs real political work from the bottom up, across all boundries, if social cohesion is desired!

I feel that our making-out 'War-like' (fear of tomorrow and control) is something we must ALL address. Attitude is everything. ie: Collective Securities - Demand a safer world for every ONE.

Good debate Andrew and unfortunately one we DO need to have if we are to understand what we are doing and WHAT is happening to us (each) in this period of Australia and ALL human existance.

http://www.miacat.com/
.
Posted by miacat, Tuesday, 24 July 2007 4:23:07 PM
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FrankGol, “With the tenacious rolling back of basic rights, the neglect of key areas such as health, housing and education and the reintroduction of the ideologies of mainstreaming and assimilation, there is little wonder those working to end Indigenous disadvantage feel that nothing will move forward until Howard and his approach to Indigenous issues are on the scrap heap.”

The above is not an issue of Aborigine community life per se. These effects are an issue of another "society" dictating and managing an others affairs regardless of culture, race, etc. It's another fine example of your oft lauded multiculturalism at work. Australia, nor any other country, "needs" a political/governmental, policy/department, that is caretaker or responsibility manager of any other peoples/society extricated from the overall function of the greater society by terms of culture.

The only way the Aboriginal culture of any country will survive is if it is by the efforts of that culture internally. Not the dictates of another external culture. This said, the Aborigines quality of life will continue to be manipulated and marginalised as long as they are dependent on the greater Australian society for their existence. The Aboriginal must be willing to take the steps necessary to free themselves from this bond of dependency.

No single person or group of persons can ever self-actualise while dependent on another person or group of persons.

The existence of a Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Department with in government is criminal. It's physical and psychological enslavement through management policy of one over the other. Only the left think this is good government.
Posted by aqvarivs, Wednesday, 25 July 2007 12:32:18 AM
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