ISSUE 86.8
Upcoming Issue Contribution Due Dates Elle Dit: 19th August Final Issue: 16th September We’d love to hear your ideas! Email us at onditmag@gmail.com
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ON DIT CONTENTS Editorial Meet the Guest Editors State of Union What’s On Vox Pop Left, Right, & Centre Econ Dit Iso-Topic
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ARTICLES Where is the sympathy for the children of Gaza? My Mother POC at the University of Adelaide Artist Feature: Chiranjika Grasby Artist Feature: Marie Jeanne Racial Microaggression So, where are you actually from? Making Spaces Sustainable Development in Australia and Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Spaces
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EDITORS Aiden Bedford Ethan Penglase Nuer Deng GUEST EDITORS Diana Aloung Bol Kynesha Temple Varcoe SUBEDITORS Austin Frape Dylan Rowen Hilary D'Angelo DESIGNERS Anzelle de Kock Jennafer Milne
COVER ART "Home Office" By Chiranjika Grasby
ARTWORK "Rupa" by Chiranjika Grasby
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"Untitled" by Chiranjika Grasby "Untitled" by Chiranjika Grasby "Diversity" by Gemma Mckinna
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PHOTOGRAPHY "Breath" Kynesha Temple Varcoe
On Dit is produced on the land of the Kaurna people. We acknowledge them as the traditional owners and custodians of the Adelaide Plains. Their land was stolen, never ceded. It always was and always will be Aboriginal land. 2
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EDITORIAL
Welcome to our very first issue of DiversiDit! As the name suggests, this issue was created to showcase and give voice to students of colour who may not necessarily see themselves represented in the student culture here at the University of Adelaide. We tried to cover as many issues as we could focusing on topics currently relevant in the
The aim of this issue was not only to showcase diversity but to explore the issues surrounding it that may seem resolved but in reality still require attention and discussion. The issue brings to light the fact that diversity, although a significant part of Australia and the University of Adelaide in particular, is something of a sensitive topic to discuss. We hope to inspire further open, respectful and challenging
media and our society as diverse Australians and students.
discussions across campus on diversity in all aspects.
In this issue we touch on a variety of experiences with stereotypes and their impact in society, education and everyday life. We explore diversity across the obvious, looking at race, gender and ethnicity and how they’re seamlessly present and growing.
Diana, Kynesha and Nuer
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DIAN
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Hello, my name is Diana Bol. I am South Sudanese and was born in North-West Kenya in a rural town called Kapenguria. I’m lucky to be this issue’s guest editor. It has been really exciting to work on something new and inclusive of part of the University's population that’s not usually heard from and especially since it’s such a large and growing part. It was an amazing experience to collaborate with and listen to the different experiences the other editors had to share. Although it was somewhat difficult putting this issue together I think we did a good job and I really hope you guys enjoy it. I encourage open and respectful discussions about racial, ethnic, gender and disciplinary diversity at university and in life in general. I would love to hear your thoughts on the issue and your experiences on campus! Happy reading.
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KYNESH
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Hi, my name is Kynesha Temple Varcoe. I am a Ngarrindjeri and Narrangga woman from the lower Murray River region in South Australia. I am very excited to be a guest editor for On Dit for the "Diversi-Dit" edition. The social narrative in our society is transforming. With the Internet we are able to hear of people’s experiences from all walks of life. I think it is so important to share our stories, particularly as a space for healing. It is also important that we hear more women’s voices, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women! This year’s NAIDOC theme, "Because of her, we can", is a great example of celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. We still have a long way to go but it is important that we start to hear from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students at university and within society more broadly. 55
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The AUU failed to submit a column for this issue
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The SRC failed to submit a column for this issue
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UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE AFRICAN STUDENTS ASSOCIATION 9th August @ 18:00-21:00 Holey Moley, Level 1, 162-170 Pulteney St Come down for some Mini golf at Holey Moley and while you are there socialise, make friends, and find out all about the University of Adelaide African Students Association. There will also be a bar.
CULTURAL NIGHT 21st September @ 19:00-22:30 Adelaide University Rotaract Club, Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute Get your tickets through Eventbrite, (find the link on the Facebook page (students $10)) and come and taste food from around the world.
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FRI-YAY MEMBER LUNCH 17th August @ 12:00-14:00 Professions Hub The AUU is holding their very own Fri-yay Member Lunch. Members come in for free and non-members can enjoy the feast for $5.
LOCAL BANDS 21st-24th Augusts @ 19:00-22:00 UniBar Come watch local bands perform at the University's very own Unibar.
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Vox Pop Where we ask students the important questions.
T.K.
Oscar
Engineering and Finance
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
1. I would say on a scale of 1 to 10, 7. It’s based on what I’ve seen. 2. The community and extended family ( I’m from Zimbabwe) 3. My faith. 4. When people try to mimic my accent. I don’t mind because I find it funny, I know I don’t sound like that.
1. I would say 7/10, compared to other cities like Sydney and Melbourne it’s more diverse in the sense that multicultural students are able to feel comfortable. There’s a good ratio of domestic to international students I would say. 2. I like the food and celebrations, especially the Moon Lantern Festival. 3. My understanding of how to live in a multicultural country (Malaysia) and being able to work in a diverse team. 4. “You are a Chinese from China”.
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1. How diverse (out of 10, 1 being the least and 10 the most) do you think the student population is here at the University of Adelaide? 2. What is the one thing you’re most proud about from your cultural background? 3. What is your favourite thing about yourself/favourite feature? 4. What is the funniest racially insensitive thing anybody ever said to you?
Akshobhya
Chan
International Studies
Petroleum and Mechanical Engineering
1. I’ve seen a lot of different races and ethnicities around campus so I would say pretty diverse, especially for Adelaide.
1. I think it is pretty diverse. 2. The language, Thonjang - it’s very unique.
2. Our cuisine, I’m Indian. 3. My chiseled jaw, eyes full of sparkle and wonder and my great fashion sense lol. 4. You know how Drake’s Instagram handle is "champaigne papi" well someone called me “curry papi” and I’ve kinda stuck with it.
3. Although I don’t fit into the stereotypical mold of the typical Sudanese, I think that’s what’s the best part about myself. 4. Some guy in my first year at uni asked “where are you from?” and I answered South Sudan so he goes “where’s that?” I told him North-East Africa and then he asked “do you guys, like, live in a hoochie (hut)?”
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LEFT, RIGHT, & CENTRE LEFT
CENTRE
SOCIALIST ALTERNATIVE
ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY LABOR CLUB
TOM AULD
1. The Northern Territory has outdone apartheid-era South Africa, with 100% of youth in detention being Indigenous. The governing Territory Labor Party is responsible for this outrageous state of affairs, and is proceeding to invest more than $70 million in the expansion of the prison system. South Australia also has a racist injustice system, with 28% per cent of the adult prison population being Indigenous, despite making up only 2% of the state’s population. We should oppose racist policing, and demand that governments build houses, not prisons. 2. The encouraging, or otherwise forcing, of migrants to rural areas is authoritarian, racist bullshit. Bipartisan consensus is that people migrating to Australia should be allowed in only if they fulfil strict economic criteria. Essentially people are reduced down to whether they can serve the interests of strawberrypicking magnates, whether they can be coerced to third-class 12
ALI AMIN
citizenship. It's the ongoing logic of "strong borders" that creates and reinforces the ability for governments to get away with this degradation of humanity. 3. The main problem is that the student union is effectively controlled by the student factions of the Labor Party, which has been a bastion of Australian racism ever since the party’s inception in the days of White Australia. White or otherwise, can we really expect that Labor students will campaign aggressively for refugee rights, or against intensifying antiChinese sentiment? Their adult idols, in the halls of power, bang on about stopping the boats and the new Yellow Peril.
1. Indigenous people have the knowledge, resilience and strength of culture passed on to them which will allow them to make it through difficult times and emerge stronger than ever. The government’s role should be to equip Indigenous people with the skills and resources to help themselves. This is the selfdetermination Indigenous people have been calling for, and we know self-determination works. The key to decreasing Indigenous incarceration rates lies in addressing the entrenched disadvantage and underlying factors that drive violent and criminal behaviour and contribute to the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the child protection and justice systems. 2. If they are coming under the 489 visa which is specifically designed to address regional skill shortages, then I do not think it's an unreasonable expectation that they stay in that area for a certain amount of time. However, I am also hesitant on having policy
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1. Do you think that the government has the responsibility to address Indigenous overrepresentation in the criminal justice system?
2. The current federal government is said to be revising a policy that would require migrants to relocate to regional Australia and live there for a significant amount of time before being permitted to live wherever they want. Do you think that the government should have the right to dictate where migrants live and when they leave?
3. Do you think that students of colour are well represented here at the University of Adelaide when it comes to student politics?
RIGHT
RUCHIRA FONSEKA ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY LIBERAL CLUB that is impinging on the right to freedom of movement. This is clearly part of a much bigger debate about the unattractiveness of rural areas, which needs an edition of its own to discuss. 3. Almost half the SRC and 20% of the AUU is made up of POC. Furthermore, two of the largest factions on campus have POC leaders. I don’t think there is underrepresentation in terms of POC being on the various student bodies however with Labor ‘Left’ being too caught up in making the Uni a "safe-space" for "non-binary people" and the international student faction being too caught up in blatant careerism and opportunism, actual POC representation is limited and issues affecting POC are rarely discussed or addressed.
1. Yes, the government do have a responsibility to address Indigenous overrepresentation. Indigenous people make up 2-3% of the Australian population, but around 28% of all inmates. Malcom Turnbull’s overturning of the Party’s opposition to a federal justice target is a step in the right direction. It also wouldn’t hurt to think about introducing a defence of diminished responsibility for Indigenous offenders in the process. 2. In terms of voluntary migrants, I think the government should have a right to dictate where they live. Individuals are being allowed to enter the country and make a life here. However in doing so, the government needs to permit living here in a manner which benefits the nation.
Ultimately the whole point of allowing people to become permanent residents and such here is because we need their skills, and those skills, and the individuals possessing them need to be placed in the areas in which they are most needed. I’m saying this as an individual whose family migrated here. 3. In terms of actual students of colour being present in student politics, no. However, as a student of colour myself, I don’t feel like I’m underrepresented in student politics, or that my voice isn’t heard. But that’s just me.
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Luther and Confucius at Work: The Convenience of Stereotypes Words by Rui Sihombing
There’s a peculiar narrative of what lays behind the enduring stagnation of the European economy. You’ve probably heard some sort of variation of it, you might even believe it, and just for the sake of rhetoric allow me to present a stylised and exaggerated version of it. The diligent, productive industrial workhorses in Germany and the Netherlands have had to pull their weight and beyond to keep the engine of Europe running in the face of an unbearable burden. And what is that burden? Of course, the carefree Greeks and Spaniards having a party and/or siesta on the beach, sangrias and frappes paid for by the unfortunate German taxpayer. To (mis)use an ancient Greek analogy, you basically have the myth of Sisyphus, but substitute Sisyphus for Northern Europe and the boulder for Southern Europe. And don’t imagine Sisyphus happy (like Albert Camus suggested once), imagine him voting for Neo-Nazis instead. Actually, the boulder is also voting for Neo-Nazis. The reason that I’m writing about this isn’t to discuss the actual reasons behind Europe’s economic woes. Rather, it’s because it presents perhaps the most familiar contemporary narrative of work-ethic stereotypes. The 14
Germans work the longest hours in Europe and the Greeks work the shortest. Obvious, right? Except that it’s the other way around. The average Greek works 42.3 hours a week, in comparison to around 35.6 hours for Germany. Accounting for differences in employment rates and leave, Greeks still work far more hours than Germans. Now, we could go into issues of productivity, efficiency and whatnot, but that’s not the point here. The point is that Greeks, despite working the longest hours of any European country, are generally portrayed in discourse and media as lazy. Similar stereotypes have befallen other ethnic groups at different points in time. Let’s take the so-called industrious Germans, for example. Believe it or not, prior to the 20th century, Germans were usually disparaged by the British as lazy, dishonest, overemotional alcoholics. And it was for this reason, apparently, that Germany would never be as wealthy as Britain. Literally none of these are applied to Germans now, except maybe the alcoholic label. The idea that Germans were doomed to feudal backwardness due to their lack of work ethic sounds ridiculous today. As for the Japanese? Today we often think of the robot-like Tokyo salaryman working 70
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hours a week until eventual Karōshi (death by overwork). Yet even as recent as the early 20th century, the Japanese were depicted in the media as ignorant farmers who couldn’t even be trusted with punctuality, never mind operating a factory line. Likewise, a similar stereotype of peasant indolence fell upon the Koreans. And as such, it was believed that lazy old Asia would never become an industrial powerhouse. Now, ethnic stereotyping itself is probably as old as the very first interactions between human societies. The Cretan philosopher Epimenides is supposed to have claimed that “all Cretans are liars”. But beyond these logical paradoxes by long-dead philosophers, it’s worth expanding on the manner in which cultural stereotypes act as a supposed explanation for the economic fortunes of certain states or peoples. Max Weber’s 1904 classic “The Protestant Work-Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism” laid the successes of Northern European industrialisation in the much earlier Protestant Reformation of the dissident monk Martin Luther. The Protestant ethos of hard work, in Weber’s eyes, was especially conducive to capitalist growth. On the other hand, Western scholars also claimed that the economic development in Asia was being held back by Confucianism, which allegedly stifled entrepreneurial spirit by privileging philosophers and placing the merchant class at the bottom of the rigid class system. Then unexpectedly, post-WWII Japan and Korea industrialised at a rate unparalleled in human history. Suddenly Confucian values
of hard work and saving were lauded as the secret behind Asian development successes. One dubious stereotype replaced with another. Today, it appears that Africa is the one mostly bearing the stereotype of lazy and uneducated peasants destined to perpetual underdevelopment. But we’ve heard this all before. As history has repeatedly shown, these views offer little more than a convenient and opportune generalisation, often to be discredited later. Now of course it can seem that talk of the potential link between Luther & Confucius and 19-20th century industrialisation matters little to the average Australian university student. But at least consider how stereotyping applies to job prospects for students coming from ethnic minority backgrounds. Studies conducted in the USA, Canada and Australia have all repeatedly demonstrated that job applicants with foreign-sounding names are constantly at a disadvantage compared to Anglo names with the exact same qualifications. This isn’t to say all hiring managers are white supremacists. If it were that explicit, it’d be a relatively easier issue to deal with. It’s the subconscious nature of foreign-name bias which makes it so difficult to combat. Stereotypes of cultural work ethic may have a grain of truth to it sometimes. Other times, they don’t. But at least keep in mind that whenever you engage in the sphere of work and employment, there’s probably a set of presumptions, conscious or subconscious, positive or negative, trailing right behind you. 15
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Diversity in STEM Words by Diana Aluong Bol Title? Diversity: "the condition of having or being composed of differing elements". One could say that the world is a diverse place with ongoing and integrating diversity in all areas of life and rightfully so. However, the segregation, discrimination and alienation that often accompanies it is not often considered. It is widely apparent that with diversity and change comes the victimisation and oppression of a minority. It is often the case that change is welcomed and even celebrated as equally if not more so than its criticism. However, society unfortunately tends to focus and amplify
sensitive include race, ethnicity and sex. Those with foreign backgrounds, be it their race or ethnicity, along with women are often looked down on and thought to be inferior and treated accordingly. These thoughts and perceptions are based in the conditioning by people in power such as the media, large corporations and governments, manifested in subtle and often ignorant racism and sexism in everyday life. It is astonishingly easy to habituate adults and even more so children, to respond to a false model of diversity. These models universally and traditionally have presented foreigners as lazy
the differences of a small part of a larger whole effectively generalising a whole class of people based on the faults of less than one percent of their population. The ones that suffer from these orchestrated tactics are hardworking individuals in a wide variety of fields, students and especially those trying to make an honest living in fields they’re passionate about.
and simultaneously a threat to local job prospects. This can be seen in Australia’s past response to the immigration of Greeks and Italians in the 1950’s, South East Asians in the 1970’s, Middle Easterners in the late 1990’s and the following influx of asylum seekers from war torn countries across Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Asia.
The reality of the current state of the world is that diversity is present, and it is growing however with this growth there is an undeniable increase in disputes against change and those who bring it. There are many areas in life in which this is the case, areas spanning fields of work such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Within STEM and even more prominently in schools and universities, diverse elements that are socially 16
The fluctuating influx of asylum seekers in Australia post-1990’s, both "authorised" and "unauthorised" attracted significant criticism surrounding speculated violations of human rights within offshore detention programs. Paralleling the nations strong stance on asylum seekers and policies surrounding their integration, it’s worth acknowledging that Australia has opened its doors to migrants. The nation has accepted roughly 190,000 permeant new arrivals each year for the last 5 years and
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roughly 400,000 temporary new arrivals, including international students and workers, between 2015 and 2016. The focus of Australian migration policies since the 1980’s has been on selecting migrants who satisfy skill criteria. However, this focus has been challenged with the current Turnbull government moving to restrict the skilled visa system in 2017 and increasing requirements for citizenship including re-establishing a difficult English-language test. These proposed changes were faced with strong opposition showing the solidarity of the nation in the face of adversity against diversity.
evolving existing sectors. The defining characteristic of STEM is its diversity and naturally it attracts and relies on diverse individuals and groups. It becomes more and more difficult to clearly define who is and isn’t a "STEM worker" as the field continues to increase, and disciplines begin to merge. As is the case in most areas of life, STEM has a hierarchy both in individual disciplines and cross-disciplinary. This hierarchy has created an environment in which discrimination and sexual harassment continue, although less frequent it should not be left as it is. The perception of being female as an impediment in
The impression of acceptance and celebration of diversity Australia tends to exhibit to the rest of the world although true to an extent is also misleading. Particularly within STEM this impression can make a significant impact on diverse individuals. With around one quarter of Australia’s population having been born elsewhere or at least having one parent who was, this impression of seamless integration and equality hinders the nations movement towards true equality.
STEM is unfortunately a current reality, one which is far too common with roughly one quarter or more of females being paid less and getting less support than their male counterparts. The movement towards equality has made significant progress over time, however it still has a long way to go.
STEM is a broad set of distinct and complementary approaches to knowledge. Each element or sector of STEM has a critical role to play and collectively enables interdisciplinary discovery and progress. Australia’s future will rely on disciplines of STEM at the core of innovation with businesses currently relying on it to compete in new emerging and 17
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Where is the sympathy for the children of Gaza? Words by Lawrence Hull
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict has recently seen an eruption in violence. Hamas has fired rockets into southern Israel and Israel has conducted multiple air-strikes in the densely populated Gaza strip. Both sides blame each other for the violence which follows four months of mostly peaceful protests by
Recently a 15-year-old boy was gunned-down by an Israeli sniper for merely climbing the border fence, a response that would seem egregiously disproportionate to anyone with basic moral fibre. Graphic footage was released online which clearly show the unarmed teenager attempting to climb the
Palestinians at the border fence separating Israel and Gaza.
fence before being shot down and killed.
Palestinians are protesting for the right to return to their homes from which many were expelled in 1948. In that year, 700,000 Palestinians were forced to flee their homes to make way for the creation of the state of Israel. The recent protests have borne witness to gripping scenes of Palestinian protestors, most of whom were unarmed, killed by Israeli sniper fire. At the time of writing this over 100 Palestinians have been killed, including journalists and medical staff, and thousands have been injured. There have been no casualties on the Israeli side.
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Two days later in an Israeli airstrike, two boys aged 15 and 16 were killed while playing on their roof. And before the old tune of Hamas using children as human shields is brought out to play, there has been not a skerrick of evidence that this was the case. While Hamas is far from an innocent party, and indeed firing rockets and mortars indiscriminately into Israel is a war crime that should be condemned, the simple fact is that the Israeli violence is heavily disproportionate to the violence used by Hamas. The blood of these innocent children stains the feet of Israeli snipers, their cries drown out the excuses about self-defence.
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The sad reality is that Israel has a deplorable history of killing innocent children in Gaza. One only needs to look to the recent past. In 2014, Palestinian civilians bore the brunt of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Of the 2,200 Palestinians killed, 1,300 were innocent civilians and 500 were children, according to the Israeli-based human rights group B’Tselem. The most shocking incident was witnessed by many visiting journalists staying at a hotel by the beach in Gaza. Four Palestinian boys aged between nine and 11 were killed by an Israeli missile while playing soccer on the beach. There was no fighting on the beach, no Hamas militants anywhere within the vicinity, and in fact, there was pretty much no one else in sight. It was cold blooded murder. Sadly, the incident failed to draw the sort of international condemnation one would expect. On the other side, the 2014 violence saw Hamas kill 69 Israelis, six of them civilians, including a child. One can only speculate about the reasons behind Israel’s wilful killing of innocent children. Norman Finkelstein, one of the world’s leading scholars on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, claims that it is a tactic used by Israel with an objective purpose. Finkelstein claims that it is designed to make Gazans capitulate and turn against the democratically elected Hamas. This would allow the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank and is a body easily manipulated by Israel, to take control of Gaza. Regardless of the motive, the scenes of dead children and the crying howls of their mothers are enough to move most people.
Now, four years after operation ‘’Protective Edge’’, similar scenes are beginning to emerge; the bloodied bodies of lifeless Palestinian children, the cries of their mothers, Hamas rockets soaring through the air and Israelis ducking for cover. The world came together in an outpouring of sympathy to rescue the young members of a Thai football team who were trapped in a cave. We were touched by their situation, and all of us tuned in attentively hoping they would be saved. The world must again come together and heed the lessons of the disastrous attack on Gaza in 2014 and let the Israelis know that we are all watching the events unfold, and that a repeat of 2014 will not be tolerated. It is sad enough that no one has been held accountable for the deaths of over 500 children in the 2014 Gaza conflict. The spilling of innocent blood should be condemned wherever it happens. Excuses and justifications for such abhorrent war crimes should be unequivocally condemned. As the violence escalates in Gaza we should all be concerned for the children of Gaza. It is no longer an acceptable narrative that killing children is somehow self-defence, or that somehow it is all the fault of Hamas. Hamas has been widely condemned and even listed as a terrorist organisation for the atrocities it has perpetrated against innocent Israelis. It is now time that Israel must also be held to account. When one analyses the facts and figures, Israel’s crimes are far greater than Hamas’, and they should therefore be condemned just as harshly.
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My Mother Words by Anonymous My mother, 29 and five kids strong 1999 and she’s wrong About life and about dreams It’s rainy season and she’s strong! Standing on top of her hut But she’s wrong. Still, she peaks She captures fields and walks on I’m five and she’s so tall! Filled with love but tainted by woes Should I laugh or should I cry? She looks at me and she laughs! All is well in this world My mother, 39 and factory strung Chickens hung but she’s smells of them She sleeps at 8 and wakes at 8 I’m in year 8 and but somehow I hate her gait She missed my flight and here I stand Hungry and mad that I still ain’t ate! Too busy with her coins to look at my gains I guess my love is lost when she peeps my face Fly away I go, Miles away I was But still, consumed by her gaze Did I tell you about the time she set me ablaze? With them eyes she shunned But I stood still and held my ground, And she frowned and frowned Her chocolate face and scent, Still to this day I weep Remember to turn and run My mother, 49 and strayed Not grey but still young Clothed by youth Nurtured by adversity She stands tall Graceful Proud Hero
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POC at the University of Adelaide Words by David Biar
“As a person of colour studying at the University of Adelaide. You can dare to dream without judgement. You can dare to excel without a barrier of expectations. And you can turn your dreams and aspirations into reality.”
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Artist Feature:
Chiranjika Grasby Adelaide based Chiranjika Grasby works through illustration, installation, and video performance to explore personal notions of identity and place. Her practice provides an exploration into her Sri Lankan x Chinese x European heritage, creating a visual response to the ongoing cultural disconnect that exists within her, and the ways in which that intersects with her Queer identity. Influenced by symbolism, ritual, and differing social behaviours, Grasby studies the correlations between century old tradition and contemporary Australian life, attempting to juxtapose material opposites into potentially uncomfortable points of harmony. Often her works manifest as multimedia
The cover art of this issue is called “Home Office” and is actually based on an image of Marilyn Monroe from a photoshoot where she’s sitting in an empty space counting money. It is meant to be about the idea of living like the "Australian Dream" but in reality that’s share housing, working on the kitchen floor, receiving letters from family members you’ve never met, and making just enough money to cover rent and break even on groceries ahahah. Snuck in some Australian references to with the food items ahah
self-portraits; becoming a device to record her experiences, or physically incorporating elements of her own body.
@chichi.lk
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Check her art out at: @poko_ono
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Artist Feature
MARIE JEANNE When psychology and criminology student Marie Jeanne is not working as a stylist at her local boutique, she is off designing clothes for her fashion label Maz(Z) Prints. Originally from Rwanada, Marie is passionate about creating edgy, luxurious and aesthetically pleasing clothes in African print (commonly known as African Wax). “Growing up I felt confined by Her label mainly caters to women but she the similarities of designs that also finds time to make unisex streetwear I saw being worn, especially pieces. Whilst her designs are rich in when it came to African Prints. African culture, they are also unique and In my mind, the designs came radiant. If that isn’t enough, Marie also with traditions and expectations does professional fittings for custom that held women down. Being made pieces which suit all body types. grown now, I’ve found freedom
Instagram: @marietizzah @mazzprints
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in combining influences from Australian and African styles, so both parts of my identity and through all that I was able to start my own fashion label. The label reflects my values and beliefs; I’d like to think that my label could inspire people to express themselves and find their own identity.”
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Diversity requires commitment. Achieving the superior performance diversity can produce needs further action – most notably, a commitment to develop a culture of inclusion. People do not just need to be different, they need to be fully involved and feel their voices are heard.
ALAIN DEHAZE
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Real cultural diversity results from the interchange of ideas, products, and influences, not from the insular development of a single national style.
Tyler Cowen
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Racial Microaggression Words by Nuer Deng
You may be wondering why on earth On Dit would do a themed issue based on race/identity? That’s a reasonable question especially if you are someone who is predisposed to the notion that we, as a society, have reached racial equality and that there is no longer a need to fight racism per say. Whilst some may believe that racism has been eradicated here in Australia, particularly in environments like universities where everyone is presumably “educated” and relatively intelligent, those who claim this particular narrative simply fail to acknowledge that what was traditionally considered “racism” has warped into a less explicit but equally harmful form commonly dubbed “racial microaggression”.
Before I go any further, let me relay some specific examples of microaggressions. Some of these examples arise from my personal experience and others from stories I’ve heard from friends here at University. As black/Asian etc students at a predominantly white institution, my friends and I have often come across some obscure forms of prejudice. They range from simple conversations to witnessing subtle racism towards other students of colour. Another example is the classic case of being in a classroom/group discussion and a bunch of classmates presumptuously turning to look at us whenever the conversation of race comes up. Or having to prove both to instructors and peers about being intellectually capable of deep comprehension of texts written in English.
Microaggression is defined along the lines of: indignities (whether intentional or not) committed towards minorities either through words, acts or environment. Essentially, microaggressions communicate hostile and derogatory messages
A friend of mine once relayed a story about overhearing some students complain about the over abundance of international students from Asia and how they were sick of seeing them everywhere
to people from disadvantaged backgrounds ( i.e. minorities). They are usually ambiguous and fleeting and go unnoticed to the majority of people (the majority is usually white people). Microaggressions can have detrimental effects on the individual which the act is being committed against. There are a few different types: “microinsults” are subtle snubs or displays of insensitivity (such as referring to a black person as “aggressive” irregardless of context); “microassaults” are either verbal or non-verbal derogation or avoidance whilst “microinvalidations” are the acts of negating the experiences of a minority ( i.e. telling them that their experiences with racism is not real). Microinsults, microassaults and microinvalidations can range from innocuous interactions to more sinister and intentional degradations such as overt racism.
they went on campus. Another friend who was of Indigenous background showed me screenshots of a conversation she had with a fellow classmate about the state of Indigenous people and poverty. In the conversation, the people discussing this topic, including the tutor, made no effort to facilitate the language used to describe Indigenous people and subsequently, words like “drunks” and “violent” were used to describe them as a group. Sometime, it’s small things like being stared at whilst making your way around campus and white people expecting you to vacate and make spaces for them. During my first year, I avoided studying at the Hub for as long as I could remember because I would always feel anxiety over the thought of having to walk there and seeing nobody that looked like me whilst having almost everyone stare at me. I
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could only assume that the stares were innocent and that they’ve never seen a black person before or…? Who knows but they felt like they were questioning my place here at Uni. For most of us, attending class or working in group projects often consists of mentally preparing to fight for your ideas/voices to be heard. It means being prepared to be diminished or dismissed. Since the premise of microaggression relies heavily on the subjective perception of the aggressed and does not take into account whether the aggressor meant to intentionally inflict or not, it is often easy to deny that a microaggression has occurred in the first place. The reason being microaggressions are often ambiguous and fleeting so I don’t blame you if they don’t appear to be apparent to you. Nevertheless, we find ourselves having to deal with them through unpleasant everyday to day interactions with our white peers. When we make an effort to report theses incidences, the conversation is derailed with notions about “race cards” or “oversensitivity” and “political correctness”. In other words, reporting microaggression is branded as promoting “culture of victimhood”. That narrative suggests that victims of microaggression are pathologically oversensitive. To anybody who has never experienced racial microinvalidation, these exclusions and negation of our psychological thoughts, feelings or experienced reality may appear trivial and neurotic or overlysensitive but it is important to understand the accumulative effects they can have on psychological health. Extensive research has connected experiencing unrelenting and unacknowledged microaggressions with symptoms
of anxiety, depression, substance abuse and even suicidal ideation. Being microaggressed can leave SOC feeling hopeless, frustrated and dissociated from the of their peers. Although some psychologists don’t consider microaggression a form of racism, most agree that it is a form of racial prejudice and is essentially a form of modern racism. They argue that explicit racism has simply become implicit bias. That is, the majority of people in our society no longer accept or tolerate obvious discrimination based on skin colour or ethnicity. For that reason, people with racist tendencies tend to deploy a more subtle kind of racism in their everyday interactions with people of other races. So, what can you do about this as a well intended white person? Start by checking your inherent biases; the next time you see a person of colour or hear someone make a generalisation about a group of people, stop and really think about your thoughts. Do you agree with what is being said? Why do you think that? Go out of your way to chat or even befriend that quiet POC in your tutorial, watch how you speak to them; are you being condescending? Presumptuous? Next time someone explains their experience with racism tell yourself to really listen. Do you automatically assume that they’re being too sensitive? Do you find yourself wanting to tell them “it’s not that deep”? Or are you simply choosing to be color blind? Just...check yourself and be a decent human being.
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“So, where are you actually from?” Words by Sarah McLean
My favourite question. A question never satisfied by, "I was born in Adelaide." A question that never fails to alienate me. A question that is always asked out of ignorant curiosity, rather than cultural interest. I am half Malaysian and half Australian. I feel the effects of being half Asian every day. For a country that prides itself on being a melting pot, Australia struggles to identify any race other than black and white. I used to think that cultural prejudice was an unchangeable feature of children that would be outgrown with time. I have now realised that most adults and peers are unable to grasp the basic concept of cultural sensitivity. My mixed background was a dreadful feature of my school experience. I attended a school sterile of any cultural background other than Anglo Celtic, Italian, Greek, and Serbian. Being only half Malaysian, I was the most – and only – Asian person at my school. Nothing reflects the astounding cultural sensitivity of my peers like the sound of, "she’s good at maths because she’s Asian" or, "she looks like one of those Japanese exchange students." I learnt my identity from my peers. I learnt that it is not good to be Asian. After finishing school, I was certain that my luck with racism would evaporate outside of a high school environment. I was very wrong. At the start of this year my driving examiner asked me "what
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was wrong" with my middle name on my driver’s licence. His question was unprofessional, offensive, and derogatory on many levels. My middle name is Malaysian and was given to me by my mother. After hearing me defend my mixed background, my examiner responded by saying, "Oh, I didn’t know if there was a spelling error on this licence or if your parents were coo coo." I don’t know what’s worse: having your name compared to a spelling error that shouldn’t exist or witnessing your family and entire culture be labelled as crazy. Just like that, I had paid him two hundred and fifty dollars to be racially insulted. Surely an Arts degree would be free of culturally insensitive maggots, right? Arts students celebrate progressive ideas, bright pink hair, and trendy metaphysical books; surely, they would have some basic understanding of cultural offense, right? Think again. A few weeks ago, a friend said to me, “It must be really hard applying eye shadow with your shaped eyes.” In this moment, I responded in the same way as my nine-year-old self; I suddenly felt embarrassed, ugly, reduced, frozen, and quickly excused myself.
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This statement might seem trivial to someone who has never been the victim of prejudice, discrimination, or racial degradation. Now, the girl who made this remark prides herself on being half British, and, hence, "cultured". My eyes are not, in fact, hooded. Her assumption was based off of a stereotype. In this regard, I was offended that she would blindly ascribe a stereotype to me and have the audacity to question me about it. Even if I had the most slim and hooded eyes, her comment could only have negative associations. Australian media and culture favours Western beauty standards. For example, large eyes, large lips, and defined facial bone structures are praised. Asian eyes are different from the Western ideal of beauty. By asking me if I had difficulties in applying makeup and looking beautiful due to my eyes, this girl suggested that I struggle meeting Australia’s mainstream beauty standards. Would she have asked a black person if they had difficulties finding their shade in nude foundation? I highly doubt it; surely a cultured person wouldn’t ask such an
offensive question. How am I supposed to respond to these comments? “Yes, my parents are coo coo because they are Asian”. “Yes, it is very difficult for me to do anything at all to my face because I am Asian. Asian movie stars never wear makeup because they physically can’t apply it. But let’s talk about how you meet Australia’s beauty standards, because your comment came out of nowhere and it was clearly a prompt to talk about you.” Universities are full of young social justice warriors. Yet, how many of these young activists have actually talked to an Indigenous person? How many have talked to exchange students with broken English? I cannot count the times when an entire tutorial class has sighed when an exchange student struggles to articulate their point. I am aware that cultural understanding can take a lifetime to develop. But, before you joke about a racial stereotype, or avoid pairing up with an exchange student, or decide to ask an "interesting" question to your friend, stop and think about how YOU would feel if you were on the receiving end.
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There is a change in the social narrative within our society. We are beginning to hear people’s stories from all walks of life through platforms such as blogs and social media, amongst others. We need to open our awareness to listen to all peoples’ experiences, especially the voices of people who have been silenced. More representation of diverse voices within the media is an important step to achieving this awareness. It is also important to recognise that there are more knowledge systems than the ones that dominate the mainstream media
MAKING SPACES Words by Kynesha Temple Artwork by Charlotte Allingham
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and academia. Decolonising academia, research and mainstream media coverage is critical to creating a more inclusive society. To this end, there should
For example, not devaluing a person when they say: "this is offensive", or to the point of saying, "I’m not racist but…" This can go with any social issue that
be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and People of Colour (POC) in the writing rooms, curating in art galleries and generally sharing their stories without it being romanticised or without them having to worry about "passing". If there is going to be genuine inclusion in our community, we must acknowledge that racist attitudes still exist in our society. It is important to note that racism can go over a person’s head, especially when they do not understand the historical implications that have occurred. It is the often that case that people view others from their own positioning, placing others under a certain category in relation to themselves. From my perspective, by far the most important part of changing racist attitudes relates to the social aspect.
marginalises and oppresses others. These issues can be seen as invisible because the historical storyline is not inclusive. Nor is it accurate. The historical narrative is based on the ideology of one man for themselves and more importantly, individual success. There are excellent examples of young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are changing perceptions and contributing to social change.
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In light of this year’s NAIDOC theme, Because of Her, We Can, I want to introduce some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who are doing amazing things and definitely people to look out for. Magnolia Maymuru is a Yolngu woman from Yirrkala, a coastal Arnhem Land community near Darwin.
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Magnolia says, "I wanted to break the cycle of how people see life back in community". As the first Aboriginal model representing the Northern
Racheal Perkins is an Arrente woman from central Australia. Racheal is a TV and film director, producer and screenwriter. She has her own production
Territory in Miss World Australia, she is changing the narrative of how the broader Australian community views traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life. Charlotte Allingham is a Wiragjuri woman who is a young illustrator in Melbourne. Her art is very empowering. Charlotte uses Instagram as a platform for her art and to connect with others – check out instagram.com/coffinbirth/. Her piece, "Always Was", went viral on January 26, 2018 and within two days her Instagram followers had multiplied from 1000 to more than 14000.
company, Blackfella Films, and was the creator of the SBS series First Australians, a multi awardwinning production. I’ve mentioned only a few examples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people sharing their culture and passion; there are many more amazing women and men that could feature here and are worth looking at. As an Aboriginal woman I feel inspired and empowered to have people to look up to as artists, musicians, models and film visionaries. I believe it is so important to create and do what inspires you. As much as it may be a cliché, be the change you want to see in the world.
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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AUSTRALIA AND ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER SPACES Words by Kynesha Temple
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders of Australia have the oldest cultures in the world because we have learned to live sustainably with the land. Traditional ecological knowledges are now being implemented within dominant Australian systems. Local fire management knowledge can be the solution to preventing destructive bushfires in Australia. Cultural burning is making a big comeback as the broader Australian society recognises the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ connection to the land. In a time where climate change could result in more and worse bushfires, this knowledge is invaluable to all Australian communities.
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Incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ knowledge has shown to regenerate certain plant species and promote seed germination. Cultural burning is quick and "cool burns" can regenerate the environment where small trees can actually survive the fire. Through this practice, the fires also extinguish themselves. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people understand that fire is part of the healing process of the land. If burning is conducted in the early period of the dry-season these "cool fires" trickle through the landscape and burn only some of the vegetation and growth (fuel), creating a network of burnt firebreaks. These stop the late dry-season hot fires, which can be much more destructive.
Dean Ah Chee created artwork, which has been made into a poster that shows the importance of seasons when burns occur and how the country responds. It is important to note that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have an understanding of seasons that differs to mainstream Australia. This brings an opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to utilize their fire management knowledge. This co-operative approach can rekindle and sustain a tradition of caring for country, which the Wangkangurru people and Lower Southern Arrernte people have been doing for hundreds of years. As Witjira NP CoManagement Board Member, Marilyn Ah Chee highlighted, fire has always been a part of caring for country.
The first cultural burn in South Australia was conducted in the Witjira National Park in summer earlier this year. The Witjira National Park is in the north of SA near Oonadatta and has been co-managed since 2008 by Traditional Owners, represented by the Irrwanyere Aboriginal Corporation, encompassing the Wangkangurru people and Lower Southern Arrernte people, and the Department for Environment, Water and National Resources. The area of the cultural burn covered over 300 acres around the Dalhousie Springs area. Cultural Ranger, Dean Ah Chee, used fire sticks to start the burn and explained which areas needed to be avoided for cultural reasons. The cultural burn reduced reeds in the area which will allow a more diverse range of native plants to grow and will then help native animals in the region to grow in numbers also. This should allow plants that are currently endangered to start regenerating bringing healing to the land. The burn was held at the same time as the release of the Witjira Waru Pulka (Fire Management Strategy).
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We are all different, which is great because we are all unique. Without diversity life would be very boring. Catherine Pulsifer
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MAYA ANGELOU
It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.
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We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community – and this nation. Cesar Chavez
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Malcolm Forbes
DIVERSITY: THE ART OF THINKIN INDEPENDENTLY TOGETHER. – On Dit –
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Diversity is about all of us, and about us having to figure out how to walk through this world together.
Jaqueline Woodson
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Embrace a diversity of ideas.
disagree with people and not be disagreeable. Embrace the fact that you can find common ground – if you disagree on nine out of ten things, but can find common ground on that tenth, maybe you can make progress. If you can find common ground, you can accomplish great things.
David Boies
Embrace the fact that you can
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Events Discounts Advice $20 for 6 Months $40 for 1.5 Years
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We need to give each other space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion. Max de Pree
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HU JINTAO Diversity in the world is a basic characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world as we see today.
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IVES E ARCH H T M O ) FR 2.4 (2014 ISSUE 8
K BY ARTWOR ELLONIE NICKY M
14 - 27 August, Hub Central Artwork from over 40 University of Adelaide student scribblers, doodlers and creatives. More info at: auu.org.au/scribblearchive
Wednesday 22 August 11.30am - 2.30pm Hub Central
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