Page 3260 - Week 10 - Thursday, 25 August 2005
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
Whilst violence, unfortunately, has been a part of our daily lives for a long time, acceptance and tolerance of difference are also a part of the Australian way of life. However, in recent times it seems that many more of our fellow beings are using their different values as an excuse for such violence and using difference as a motivating factor for unspeakable acts of terrorism.
This violence, of course, is as terrible as it is hard to bear. The world seemed to wake up to this horror on September 11, 2001; and of course we all keenly felt the Bali bombings. However, acts of terrorism by different people across the world did not just suddenly emerge on September 11. Recently, we all mourned those who died or were injured in London as a consequence of the suicide bomb attacks. On behalf of the Stanhope government, I attended the memorial service for victims of that tragedy held in Canberra. I felt the pain keenly as a person who spent her childhood as a Londoner.
During this time of reflection on my London youth and the tragedy that has befallen the city still very close to my heart, I reflected, as many others did, on the global spread of terrorism. We do not just mourn those who died in London; we mourn those who die or are injured daily in acts of intolerance, war or terrorism throughout the world—in Iraq, Africa, Israel, Palestine, Egypt and the United Kingdom. Of course, I could add many more countries to that list.
Unfortunately, the cowardly perpetrators of terrorism seek to increase the divide between people and between nations by falsely claiming religious and cultural justification for their appalling acts. This simply will not work. That which unites us as global citizens of a tolerant and free world is much greater than that which divides.
Canberra has long set an example in the application of such tolerance. We consistently seek to celebrate difference and cultural diversity through community and government collaborations. The internationally renowned National Multicultural Festival continues to go from strength to strength, for instance.
I lived in the Northern Territory for many years, in remote indigenous communities. There, I was the different one. I looked different. I spoke differently. I ate different food. My children were certainly a different colour to the majority of their school friends. I now realise, to my regret, that the organisation I worked for at the time was probably partly responsible for the undermining of their wonderful culture and their way of life.
Despite this, from day one, my family and I were completely accepted, loved and cared for by the indigenous people that we lived with. At no time was I required to give up my values or my way of life. I was just shown, by their example, the way people from diverse cultures can live together in harmony.
Values based on respect do not necessarily evolve from any particular religion. In my experience, they are more often based on a development of human conscience that every human being develops over their lives. We are an active, vibrant community—one that encourages community participation and community involvement, that celebrates the many achievements of our wonderful volunteer work force, a place where just a few people getting together can make a difference to so many. I have raised this matter of public importance in order to discuss with members of this place the communal values of
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .