The bike paths and local parks were unusually quiet, we only passed two couples walking their dogs and one lump in the track, which, as we drew closer, we realized, was a person. It is not uncommon to find people lying on paths around Darwin often sleeping off a hard night on the grog. At first glance it is often difficult to tell if they have simply fallen asleep like that or if something might have happened to them. Thankfully this fella was snoring so I felt comfortable to keep riding past, he will wake up felling pretty bad it was already hot and there were mosquitoes buzzing around. Sometimes I find people lying in such an awkward position that I have to stop and check that their condition is not more serious than a hangover. After the ride we took the dog for a walk and little mate rode her bike around another local park, she’s really getting the knack of riding.
Australian of the YearThe Australian of the Year for 2007 1s Tim Flannery. Maybe the times are changing. It's incredible how the focus toward environmental issues has shifted in light of recent unusual destructive weather patterns and while the threat of running out of water has become so immediate and real. Good on you Mr Flannery.
Citizenship Ceremony
After an early morning start that was slightly more active than usual we headed in to the Australia Day Flag Raising and Citizenship ceremony at the entertainment center. What better way to contemplate the meaning of this day or to celebrate our citizenship than to welcome those who have chosen and been accepted to make Australia their home.
I have mixed feelings about Australia Day; it’s origins, the relevance of this to contemporary Australia and the contradictions between the establishment of the country as a colony of Britain and who we are today. To many Australians the 26th of January represents the invasion and illegal possession of this land by Britain, it is often called Invasion Day and is a day of grief. As no treaty has been entered between the Australian Government and Aboriginal people to resolve the illegal possession of the land I think it is a bit much to ask indigenous people to, 'move on' and join in the celebration of this day. Celebrating this as our national day does nothing to consolidate us as a nation.
Until 1901 Australia was not a country in it's own right, it was a series of British Colonies but on 1st January 1901 an Australian constitution was publicly declared and we officially became a federated country this day would make more sense as our national day however it's a very inconvenient date. Uniting the states into a country was a big move and brought our country autonomy but along with independence it also brought some very negative legislation. The White Australia policy was also adopted at this time. Celebrating federation although more appropriate is still not consistent with contemporary Australian values.
Personally I would like to see Australia as a Republic with a constitution that acknowledges our past but asserts our shared values as a Nation of many cultures. A country that appreciates and acknowledges the contributions made by all of it's citizens. It is not acceptable to think of ourselves as a white nation who sometimes tolerates a certain quota of non-white immigrants. Every immigrant who has accepted citizenship of our country has now in actual fact become part of the fabric of our society.
This was the first time I've attended a Citizenship Ceremony and it really got my head boggling over the significance of these people becoming true Australians. I saw people from all over the world from New Zealand to Zimbabwe confirm their allegiance to Australia, it's people and it's laws. They made an affirmation that the people born in this country are not required to make. Many of them have come full of hope, expectation and gratitude for the opportunity to be citizens of our country. I hope they are welcomed as an asset into the communities where they settle. Our societies can benefit immensely from the views or perspectives of our latest arrivals, they offer us the opportunity to look on ourselves with fresh eyes and possibly change the things that prevent us from functioning in a healthy way. For some it is the first opportunity they have ever had to participate in a democracy and they take this privilege very seriously.
The speeches made by the attending bureaucrats and politicians were somewhat uninspiring. Rather than rallying the new citizens into becoming active members of our democracy, to my jaded and cynical ears, the message sounded something like this. "Welcome to this beautiful land Australia which is very big and pretty and full of stuff that can make you rich. Please join us in the exploitation of it's resources so that our economy can grow and we can become more powerful. As Australians you now have rights that are better and more generous than where ever it is you are from so don't forget it. This isn't a free-for-all you have responsibilities too! We have laws in Australia and you better abide by them! Then a quote from JFK "Ask not what your country can do for you..." THE END.
(This quote is in no way meant to represent the true words as spoken it is my biased interpretation)
There was an acknowledgment of the Larrakia people but there was no official representation or welcome to country I wonder if this has anything to do with the the date? I doubt it is a day they would choose to welcome new arrivals.
I was a bit disappointed at the lack of optimism and encouragement in the speeches but essentially the basics were covered. There was some singing, the flag was raised and we all stood for the National Anthem, Sam sang it, thank goodness there was some sound coming from our vicinity.
Towards the end of the ceremony all Australian Citizens were invited to pledge their allegiance to Australia so Sam and I both stood and made our vows promising our devotion and loyalty to our country and it's people. WOW that was quite cool. Although I have some serious reservations about Nationalism and the way it is expressed in Australia I did feel somewhat patriotic about taking this pledge. We were reminded before and after however that it was a purely symbolic gesture and not legally binding! However I feel I have affirmed my citizenship and couldn't help wondering if the meaning of this stuff should be more available in schools so we can all learn what it means to be an active participant in a democracy, the most fragile yet fair political structure we know.
While I was there I met up with some friends and people I have met through my work, some of them were receiving citizenship and others were there to see friends and family making the pledge. There was a fantastic feeling of unity and togetherness after the ceremony as people from many different backgrounds celebrated the shared experience of being Australian.
Spending my time at the ceremony also meant that I could avoid other gatherings where the standard expressions of nationalistic pride were exhibited. I managed to escape any events where people draped themselves in green and gold, or the flag, while wearing thongs, drinking copious amounts of alcohol and chanting the obligatory Ozy Ozy Ozy bla…bla…blagh…
This year I had a far greater appreciation of what I think it means to be an Australian.
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