Living in Harmony - now Diverse Australia Program

The Living in Harmony initiative is now called the Diverse Australia Program.

Newcomers Network continues to support this initiative.

See further information online at http://www.newcomersnetwork.com/advertise/diverse_australia_program_everyone_belongs_harmony_day.php

What does the ‘Harmony Day’ mean to me?

What does the ‘Harmony Day’ mean to me?

After growing up in conservative, ‘big country town’ Adelaide, I loved visiting my family on Kangaroo Island and mixing with the international guests staying at Ellson’s Seaview Motel. They told interesting stories, looked different, sounded different and seemed so much more fascinating than the ‘twin set and pearls’ brigade that was more familiar to me.

I remember in high school how children with Italian parents could not go out with children of Greek parents. How Catholics were not allowed to marry Protestants. Worse still, that awful comment ‘spot the Aussie’ when there were many people of a non-Caucasian background in the one location. Or the insulting, he couldn’t get an Aussie woman so he married an Asian.

So you can imagine how excited I was to come to Multicultural Melbourne in 1994. Despite not recognizing anyone for months (until I spotted a well known television actor), feeling as though everyone was staring at me and being struck by the overwhelming presence of black clothing, I felt more at home here than I ever did in Adelaide.

Six years later, I had a surprise birthday party and I looked around the room at all of my multicultural friends and I burst into tears – these people were my second family and I loved them just as much as my own family.

So I continue to support diversity in Australia in everything that I do. Moving to a new country and changing your life is the ‘last frontier’ left to us as human beings. So many things have been achieved and added to the record books, but choosing to live in a new country requires guts, courage and the ability to face constant challenges and rejection.

But what got me through my own transition was a woman who had also moved (albeit another Australian from Queensland via Canberra to Melbourne). She knew how hard it was to relocate and after 10 years of research, service and stories, I know that the most critical ingredient to success in a new location is friends. They make you feel as if you belong.

Our civilized, western, mostly secular and democratic culture understands the need for all people to belong and for everyone to get along. In Australia, we really are the lucky country and this constant mixing of cultures enables us all to see new perspectives, challenge our thinking and strive for a better life for our children. For me, it is peace on earth. That is the beauty and charm of diversity. Long may it continue.

But on our journey ahead, let us celebrate the successes but also seek new ways to capitalize on our strengths. The media still has an important role to play. Our society is shaped by thought and opinion leaders who get ‘air time.’ Labels are something that have been placed on people for way too long.

It is hard to believe that 100 years ago, people with disabilities were hidden from society. Now buses carry wheelchairs. People of different faiths have fought wars against each other – and yet Australia will host the World Parliament of Religions. The first migrants to Australia killed many Indigenous Australians and more recent migrants have instigated programs of respect and care for the original custodians of our land.

I believe that the increased diversity in Australia has helped remove labels from many people. The only label I want is that of my own name. I proudly declare that I am a Victorian, Australian, from South Australia and thanks to my education and technology, I am a citizen of the world.

All of us have the right to be who we are (within the laws of the country we live in). I don’t want labels. I want friends. I want harmony and peace. I want respect and dignity. And lastly, I want everyone to feel that they really do belong.

What can you do for yourself and for your neighbour to ensure that ‘everyone belongs’? Once you get the idea, DO something about it. And enjoy Harmony Day on Saturday 21 March 2009.

(686) words

Sue Ellson BBus AIMM MAHRI
Founder and Director, Newcomers Network http://www.newcomersnetwork.com

Supporter of Diverse Australia Program http://www.newcomersnetwork.com/advertise/diverse_australia_program_everyone_belongs_harmony_day.php

Sue Ellson first started supporting the Australian Government’s Living in Harmony initiative back in 2003. With the change of government, it has been changed to the ‘Diverse Australia Program.’

With humble beginnings 10 years ago, these programs have had a focus on reducing racism – and Sue is pleased to see the new direction towards the key message of ‘Everyone Belongs' and celebrating Harmony Day on Saturday 21 March 2009.

Letter to the Editor - unknown source - a different view

I found this post on the Aussie-expats Yahoo Group and thought I would post it here as an alternative view to the nature of other posts on this blog. Comments appreciated. Cheers, Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network.

Fw: Letter to Editor

Maybe we should turn to our history books and point out to people why today's Australian is not willing to accept the new kind of immigrant any longer.

Back in 1900 when there was a rush from all areas of Europe to come to Australia, people had to get off a ship and stand in a long line in Sydney and be documented. Some would even get down on their hands and knees and kiss the ground.
They made a pledge to uphold the laws and support their new country in good and bad times. They made learning English a primary rule in their new Australian households and some even changed their names to blend in with their new home. They had waved good bye to their birth place to give their children a new life and did everything in their power to help their children assimilate into one culture. Nothing was handed to them. No free lunches, no welfare, no labour laws to protect them. All they had were the skills, craftsmanship and desire they had brought with them to trade for a future of
prosperity.

Most of their children came of age when World War II broke out. Australians fought along side men whose parents had come straight over from Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Czechoslovakia, Russia, Sweden, and so many other places.

None of these first generation Australians ever gave any thought about what country their parents had come from.
They were Australians fighting Hitler, Mussolini and the Emperor of Japan.
They were defending the Freedom as one people. When we liberated France, no one in those villages was looking for the people of France, they saw only Australians. And we carried one flag that represented our country.

Not one of those immigrant sons would have thought about picking up another country's flag and waving it to represent who they were. It would have been a disgrace to their parents who had sacrificed so much to be here. These immigrants truly knew what it meant to be a Australian.

And here we are in 2007 with a new kind of immigrant who wants the same rights and privileges. Only they want to achieve it by playing with a different set of rules, one that includes an Australian passport and a guarantee of being faithful to their mother country.

I'm sorry, that's not what being a Australian is all about. Australians have been very open hearted and open minded regarding migrants, whether they were fleeing poverty, dictatorship, persecution, or whatever else makes a person adopt a foreign country. And I suppose when we say adopt, we think of those aforementioned immigrants who truly did ADOPT our country, and our flag and our morals and our customs, and left their wars, hatred, and divisions behind.
I believe that the immigrants who landed in Australia in the early 1900s deserve better than that for the toil, hard work and sacrifice in raising future generations to create a land that has become a beacon for those legally searching for a better life. I think they would be appalled that they are being used as an example by those waving foreign country flags,
fighting foreign battles on our soil, making Australians change to suit their religions and cultures, and wanting to change our country's fabric by claiming discrimination when we do not give in to their demands.

P.S. KEEP THIS LETTER MOVING!! I hope it gets read by millions of people all across the nation

National identity in spotlight - Lachlan Heywood, The Courier Mail

It seems as though our 'jargon' is about to change again, this time to 'shared identity' - both Lachlan's article and the copy of the Hon Andrew Robb AO MP's speech is below. Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20832674-953,00.html

National identity in spotlight

By Lachlan Heywood

November 27, 2006 11:00pm

THE term "multiculturalism" is out and "shared identity" is in under a new framework for Australian society.

The Federal Government yesterday moved to redefine what it means to be a nation that accommodates people from many ethnic backgrounds and different parts of the world.

In an address to the Australian National University, parliamentary secretary for immigration Andrew Robb said the term "multiculturalism" which had loosely defined Australia's ethnic policy for the past 30 years was vague and open to misinterpretation and abuse.

"Some Australians worry that progressively the term multicultural has been transformed by some interest groups into a philosophy, a philosophy which puts allegiances to original culture ahead of national loyalty, a philosophy which fosters separate development, a federation of ethnic cultures, not one community," he said.

The Howard Government has long been a critic of so-called "mushy" multiculturalism.

But this is the first time an alternative doctrine has been articulated. It is part of wider debate on Australian values and the failure of some Muslim immigrants to integrate, including a proposal by Opposition Leader Kim Beazley to make all new arrivals in Australia sign a values pledge.
Fuelling the debate was the universally condemned statement last month by Australia's leading Muslim cleric, Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, comparing immodestly dressed women to uncovered meat.

Mr Robb said shared values – not a shared homeland – should be the "glue that binds" Australians. "A shared identity is not about imposing uniformity. It is about a strong identification with a set of core values, whilst permitting a large measure of personal freedom and 'give and take'."
Mr Robb said said simply "co-habitating a space" was not a strong basis for a cohesive, trusting society.

"A community of separate cultures fosters a rights mentality, rather than a responsibilities mentality. It is divisive. It works against quick and effective integration," he said.

"Those who come here should unite behind a core set of values, a shared identity."

Labor's citizenship spokeswoman Annette Hurley said changing a word would not improve a sense of shared identity. "I think the public is looking for some action," she said.


--
http://www.andrewrobb.com.au/news/default.asp?action=article&ID=179

‘The Importance of a Shared National Identity’ Email this page Back

Monday, 27 November 2006 Printer Friendly Version

Address to the Transformations Conference
Plenary Address

27 November 2006
Australian National University, Canberra

CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
E&OE…

Australia has been good for migrants, and migrants have been good for Australia.

To continue this success in a developed world which is getting rapidly older, and a third world whose people are on the move, means dealing with some confronting issues.

These issues all concern the imperative of our community being “one community”.

It is about promoting a shared national identity. It is about making citizens.

At many citizenship ceremonies there is a 1987 song, ‘I am Australian’, written by Bruce Woodley and Dobe Newton, which invariably steals the show.

For me, the first line of the chorus says it all – “we are one, but we are many”. It tells the story of a nation of immigrants, a strong community built around a large measure of give and take.
It shows how Australia has prospered with an intake of migrants that sees one quarter of our 20 million population born overseas.
It conveys how each wave of new settlers has broadened and deepened our culture and character, helping to mould new attitudes and traditions.

Yet it powerfully illustrates that the fruits of this diversity can only be realised if taken within the framework of the common values that unite us as one community – respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, a commitment to democracy and the rule of law, the equality of men and women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, fair play and compassion for those in need.

Importantly, the verses of the song speak with pride of the values, traditions and accomplishments of the Australia of old, including our proud indigenous history.

This sense of shared values is the glue that binds our nation together.

It involves the maintenance of a shared national identity. It is about how we define ourselves as Australian.

A shared identity is not about imposing uniformity. It is about a strong identification with a set of core values, whilst permitting a large measure of personal freedom and “give and take.”
A shared identity is about commitment and avoiding the emergence of a community of communities. But within this framework of core values it is also about an openness and respect for the “dignity of difference” that has so enriched our cultural and economic life in Australia.

As the Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, it is my responsibility to help forge this sense of shared values and national identity so that we are in a position to draw on one of the enduring strengths of our nation, our ethnic diversity.

It is a vague term multiculturalism. Clearly it means different things to different people.

To the Government multiculturalism has meant capturing the benefits of a culturally diverse community around core institutions and core values. For the Government Australian multiculturalism was something unique – an expression of inclusiveness, an opportunity for everyone to be part of a cohesive whole.

The ‘I am Australian’ song which goes – “we are one, but we are many” can be seen as an expression of cultural inclusion. However, some interpretations of multiculturalism reminds many Australians of the “we are many” at the expense of “we are one”.

We are a nation incorporating many cultures, and as a community we are the stronger for it. The concept of Australian multiculturalism is intended to reflect this reality.
However, some Australians worry that progressively the term multicultural has been transformed by some interest groups into a philosophy, a philosophy which puts allegiances to original culture ahead of national loyalty, a philosophy which fosters separate development, a federation of ethnic cultures, not one community.

And there is no question that there is a live debate on just what is implied by the term multiculturalism.

In the recent Discussion Paper looking at the merits of introducing a formal citizenship test, I stated in the foreword that Australia, in the main, has embraced and drawn from the wealth of diversity of peoples from over 200 countries, and that we are all the richer for it.

I went on to say that this has been achieved because “Australia has successfully combined people into one family with one overriding culture, based on a common set of values”. I believe this overwhelmingly to be so.

In responding to the Discussion Paper, the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria said it does not support the underlying premise of the Discussion Paper that Australia has “one overriding culture”, based on a common set of values. The Council says it believes that Australia is a multicultural society where people unite around democracy, the rule of law and our shared homeland.

This particular interpretation of multiculturalism assumes that communities with separate identities can live together peacefully, united only by the rule of law and common geography, rather than a shared understanding of nationality, a shared identity.

Simply sharing the streets we walk and drive in, sharing public transport, sharing the shops, and jobs and schools and sharing in democratic choices – a mere sense of simply “co-habiting” a space - is not a strong basis for a cohesive, trusting society.

All these acts of sharing take on meaning, and build one community, only if we share and unite behind a core set of values, a shared identity.

When a group as prominent as the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria rejects, in the name of multiculturalism, the notion of an overriding Australian culture based around a core set of values we have a problem because this is essentially a separatist view.

In particular, new and emerging communities, who increasingly come from cultures far different to our Australian culture, are effectively being told that they have no obligation to do their best to become “Australian”.

Advocating the equality of cultures, or a community of separate cultures, fosters a rights mentality, rather than a responsibilities mentality. It is divisive. It works against quick and effective integration.

The one point on which there must be universal agreement is that those who come here should unite behind a core set of values, a shared identity.

This ‘shared identity’ imperative for effective integration is driven by significant emerging challenges.

The combination of globalisation and an ageing population is creating labour and skills shortages across the wealthy OECD countries, and will increasingly do so to a remarkable degree.
In the last two decades of the 20th century 120 million people entered the working age category across OECD countries. This is a figure which will fall to just five million people reaching working age during the first two decades of this new century.

This is also prompting a continuing increase in the numbers of people coming to Australia from countries whose cultures are quite different from our own culture.

Our migration mix is changing.

Overall the largest migrant intake continues to be from the United Kingdom and New Zealand. Yet, last year the third biggest group of migrants came from China, at over 10% of the total intake.

Over the last 10 years, around 200,000 people have come from Africa and the Middle East.

By way of example, last year (2005/06) African migration represented 55% of our offshore humanitarian intake, with more than 30,000 arrivals over the last four years.

These changing migration patterns reflect a changing world, and in cultural terms represent the arrival of many from cultures which are far more removed from the Australian culture than were the cultures of those earlier waves of largely European migrants.

At the same time as the makeup of our migration intake is changing, the nature of our economy continues to shift.

Not only are the people coming to our shores not of the same, predominantly European cultural mix, as those that came previously but the Australia that accepted immigrants in the 1950’s is not the Australia that accepts migrants today.
Back then, we were a far more industrialised nation, rather than the services based economy of today.

A services economy relies heavily on a good grasp of English and the ability to interact with fellow Australians.

Furthermore, our industrial sector was low skilled and labour intensive.

Migrants walked off the ships at Melbourne or Newcastle or other ports, and typically within days could be working in low skilled jobs on assembly lines at the Ford factory, or at the BHP steelworks in Newcastle. They acquired progressively their English language skills ‘on the job’.

Visit the Ford factory today, as I have done recently, and you still see assembly lines, and you still see migrants, but the sophistication of the manufacturing process is breathtaking, the skill levels of the workers remarkable, the training programmes challenging and continuous.

Outside of our traditional resources sector, the extraordinary emergence of China and India as major growth countries further highlights Australia’s future role as a high value services provider, as well as a very high value, highly skilled manufacturer, with a need for increasing flexibility to capture niche, and changing opportunities.

All of this presents opportunities – and on the migration front the reality of introducing new perspectives, new experiences, new talents into the Australian family – but it also presents challenges.

There is no sense putting our heads in the sand, and hoping for the best.

As we have done in the past, we have to ensure that the new arrivals develop the English language skills and a general understanding of our community, so that they might integrate quickly and make the most of the opportunities available in Australia.

But the greater cultural differences creates an even stronger imperative, and bigger challenge.

The recent discussion paper canvassing a formal citizenship test as a means of prospective citizens demonstrating their knowledge of the English language and of Australia seeks to complement the whole-of-government measures being explored to improve settlement outcomes for humanitarian entrants, and the National Action Plan to address extremism and intolerance in Australia.

I see a citizenship test providing aspiring citizens with more incentive to learn English, understand our way of life and the commitment they are required to make to become Australian citizens.

Encouraging people to obtain these skills will help migrants maximise their ability to get a job and participate in the economy as fully as possible, and as soon as possible.

With the impact of the ageing of the population across the rich OECD countries, the greater movement of peoples around the world and the changing mix of migration it is critical to maintain broad community based support for Australia’s large migration and humanitarian programme.

Requiring people to pass a formal test before applying for citizenship, and receiving greater undertakings from applicants for permanent and long term temporary visas, sends a clear signal to the broader community that new citizens have the skills and the knowledge to participate as full members of our society.

Against the background of all the matters I have just spoken about, I have been reviewing the advisory structures for this portfolio, in particular the Council for Multicultural Australia and the Muslim Community Reference Group.

These two bodies have had a project rather than a strategic focus, and they have performed these tasks well. I thank them sincerely for their valuable contributions.

However, it is important to review the operation of such bodies to ensure that they reflect current community expectation and are continuing to enhance out culture of inclusiveness and integration.

In this regard I note that, many Muslims have expressed to me a concern that the Muslim Community Reference Group only serves to highlight the Muslim communities as separate, rather than part of our broader community. I agree.

As well, with a new century and these major new challenges, there is a growing need for strong strategic advice.

These are issues I want to ensure are addressed as I currently consider the future structure and role of such advisory bodies.

Conclusion

The Australian culture of “having a go” has stood us in good stead for over 200 years but we have always sought as a nation to do things better. In fact, it can be argued that some of the reasons why our migration program of the last sixty years has been so successful are that firstly, we have had a deliberate programme of migration, a deliberate program of border control and a deliberate program of settlement measures, and secondly, we have always kept adapting, fine tuning and improving these programs.

This approach is even more important today as we are living through a time of great change in the world, especially in regard to migration matters.

I don’t underestimate how confronting and tough the debate is on some of these issues. But we must not follow the path of least resistance for fear of offending. We must continue to seek to manage effective integration of new arrivals so that we continue to build one Australian family which draws on the diversity within our midst.

Media Contact: Kathryn Hodges 0409 132 567

Surf Life Saving On The Same Wave With Australia’s Multicultural Communities

This is great news - Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network

23/11/2006
Fifteen students from Oatley Senior School in Sydney's south west hit the beach at Wanda today as part of 'On the Same Wave', a partnership between Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA), the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) and Sutherland Shire Council.

In one of the most important initiatives in almost a century of surf lifesaving, On the Same Wave aims to attract members of Australia’s culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities into the surf lifesaving movement and to share the love of the beach. The program was made possible due to a $600,000 grant from the Australian Government in March 2006.

Brett at On The Same Wave launch
Caption:
SLSA's CEO, Brett Williamson OAM, speaking at Wanda Beach today.
SLSA Chief Executive Officer, Brett Williamson OAM, said that over the course of summer, it was hoped that hundreds of members of Sydney’s CALD communities would have the opportunity to learn basic surf safety, with some going on to become active surf lifesavers.

“At the end of its first 75 years of existence, SLSA’s predominantly mono-cultural, male-dominated organisation was at risk of becoming irrelevant to the broader Australian community,” he said. “In 1980, females were finally admitted as full members of SLSA, and quickly moved into the ranks to now make up more than 41 per cent of the organisation. Now, as we stand on the threshold of our second century of service, we are embarking on another program of recruitment – and we hope that members of Australia’s multicultural communities will be a big part of that.”

Oatley Senior College
Caption:
Students from Georges River Campus, Oatley Senior College about to get into their surf training.
The program with Oatley Senior School is just one of dozens of programs which SLSA has been rolling out recently and will continue to do so throughout the course of the summer. The programs have been developed after consultation with more than 100 people from CALD backgrounds, discussing their perceptions of and interest in surf lifesaving, particularly in the wake of last December's Cronulla riots.

The result has been surf education presentations to youth from CALD backgrounds in south western Sydney, women-only CPR courses for Muslim women, cultural awareness training at the four Cronulla surf life saving clubs and surf awareness courses for school students. There is even a Bronze Medallion squad in training with 22 young people of Muslim background taking part with the aim of qualifying as volunteer surf lifesavers.

Over the course of the summer, hundreds more people from CALD backgrounds will take part in surf survival and surf awareness courses, ten young people will be put through a five-day accredited Surf Survival Certificate course, CPR courses will be conducted with the Lebanese Community Council and Arab Council of Australia, and Sydney-based international university students will attend surf education seminars. Plans are also in place to expand the program outside of Sydney and integrate surf education into English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching.

"On the Same Wave proves just what can be achieved when cultures come together in such a positive manner," said Tom Zreika, President of the Lebanese Moslems Association. "The beaches and surf lifesavers of this great country are as iconic as its multiculturalism, and it is wonderful to see these two elements combined in such a constructive way. If just one life is saved through the surf education, awareness, safety and CPR courses which people from CALD communities are gaining access to through On the Same Wave, then this has been a thoroughly worthwhile project and one which I hope will continue to receive backing into the future."
On The Same Wave - tube
Caption:
The 'On The Same Wave' program is part of an integrated program to promote surf safety and surf lifesaving to Australia's culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Kate McRae, Head Teacher of VET (Vocational Education and Training) at Georges River College, Oatley Senior Campus, said that basic surf safety skills were important for anyone growing up in Australia, which is the main reason the surf lifesaving module is compulsory for students at Oatley studying Certificate II in Sports Coaching. “We have students from many different backgrounds and to include surf lifesaving as part of the core curriculum was a good way to get them to the beach and to learn to enjoy it,” she said.

Surf Life Saving will also be conducting two FREE surf awareness courses at Elouera (13 January 2007) and North Bondi (20 January 2007), specifically for 13-year-olds and over from CALD backgrounds, and their families. Elouera SLSC will also be conducting a low-cost week-long surf awareness course in January for all children aged 12 and under. For more information on these courses, please contact Surf Life Saving NSW on 02 9981 8636.

For further information:

Sean O’Connell
SLSA Communications Manager
M - 0407 286 619
E - soconnell@slsa.asn.au

Brett Moore
SLSNSW Media and Communications Officer
M – 0409 394 889
E – bmoore@surflifesaving.com.au

Letter From Australia: Learning to talk and live as one - K.C.Boey - New Straits Times

This article highlights a number of studies on race and the media that may be worth investigating further if you are interested in this topic. As always, cross cultural training is encouraged - in this case, with people in the media, so that the 'elites' of society don't enforce their own views on the public...
Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Sunday/Columns/20061015074811/Article/index_html

Letter From Australia: Learning to talk and live as one
15 Oct 2006
K.C. Boey

Academics are critical of the shallowness of the media with regards to its treatment of migrants and race relations.

A COUNTRY with a racist history, trying not to have a racist future, is how sociologist Andrew Jakubowicz describes the country of his parents’ adoption.

Against this backdrop, institutions are put in place to curb discrimination. Laws abound at state and national levels. Statutory bodies safeguard opportunity for all — against all manner of discrimination.

By most measures, Australia has been exemplary in facilitating one of the most successful migration processes in modern history. Yet race so often gets drawn in on every form of social conflict.

Anger over the violence on the surf beach in Cronulla, outside Sydney, last December simmers 10 months on.

Over the week, a proposal to have a "MEA" (Middle Eastern appearance) youth march on Anzac Day carrying the Australian flag met with such outrage, it was withdrawn the following day.

The scars are deep from Cronulla. Whether the ugliness is as cut and dry as raw racism, Jakubowicz is not so sure.

The professor of sociology at the University of Technology, Sydney, suggests the clash of white Anglo and Middle Eastern youth may have as much to do with "male tribalisms".

Yet race, in an atmosphere of inter-group tensions and stereotyping, adds a volatile dimension to the competition for public space. Cronulla has come to be analysed as a case study on race relations, and what government and community organisations can learn from it.

Central to the analysis has been the media and its performance in a multicultural setting.

Academics are critical of the shallowness of the media.

"The role of the media in communicating and reinforcing ideas about folk devils, through the creation of moral panics, is well documented," Jakubowicz said at a Sydney conference on ‘Everyday Multiculturalism’, examining Cronulla.

"Amplification of apprehension on all sides, polarisation of views, and mobilisation of action required active media involvement."

At a community forum in Melbourne, journalism educator Lynette Sheridan-Burns wondered if she should reverse the title of her presentation on ‘The Mob, the Media & Multiculturalism’.

A case might be made to put the media before the mob in Cronulla, the way sections of the fourth estate became makers of the news, she suggested.

In the broader scheme, participants at an academic workshop in Melbourne explored the possibilities of academics and the media collaborating to enhance understanding in a multicultural Australia. The workshop sought to bring together concepts of Islamic culture(s), nation-building and the media.

Contrasting understanding of the role of the media is well documented in a book from a 1996 conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia,‘Communicating with/in Asia’. Papers from that conference have been compiled into a book, Foreign devils and other journalists.

The conclusion is of a gulf in understanding between media practice in Western perspectives, and the "development journalism" in developing countries.

As the editors of Foreign devils note, the traditionally accepted role of the Western media is that they act as a watchdog over public affairs — to scrutinise governments and official institutions, and to offer a voice to the public.

A more critical view is that of media in a free market that essentially reflects the views of controlling elites.

The development view is that of the media having a role in the enhancement of the lives of people.

Stances in the first two are adversarial, and the third consensual. Can the opposing stances find accommodation in a changing Australia? Is there a need for adjustments to be made?

A report being finalised for a ’Living in Harmony’ project funded by the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs suggests a media needing encouragement in the reporting of multicultural affairs, and in the training of journalism students.

A more controversial study has been Race for the headlines: Racism and media discourse, which the New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Board undertook in 2003, in the wake of Sept 11 (2001).

Respected journalist Peter Manning, now professor of media studies at the University of Technology in Sydney, is critical of how the media demonises Arabs and Muslims in his book Us And Them, released last month.

The newsworthiness of ethnic minorities was no different from how other news events were evaluated, journalism lecturer Eric Loo tells the New Sunday Times of his PhD study in the mid-1990s.

"Ethnic minorities have to compete with other news events for equal space in the daily news operations. The consciousness that journalists have a moral obligation to help improve race relations at the community level, or ‘nation building’ is somewhat ambiguous, if not completely dismissed.

"Nation building is a term alien to Australian journalists, unlike ... in Malaysia," says Loo, co-editor of Foreign devils, now senior lecturer in the School of Journalism and Creative Writing at the University of Wollongong. Loo has worked as a journalist in Malaysia.

Media coverage of cultural diversity has improved in the 20 years Loo has been in Australia. But he would like his students more sensitised to the cross-cultural dimensions of issues, to give them the confidence and ability to live and work with people of other countries and other cultures.

Ethnic diversity 'breeds mistrust' - Peter Wilson, The Australian

It seems that there has never been a better time to get involved in your local community...Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,20552784-5006003,00.html

Ethnic diversity 'breeds mistrust'

By Peter Wilson

October 10, 2006 12:00
Article from: The Australian

ETHNIC diversity seriously undermines the trust and social bonds within a community, according to important new research that casts a gloomy shadow over optimistic theories about the benefits of the social melting pot in immigrant societies such as Australia.
The worrying findings about the effects of ethnic diversity were developed by Robert Putnam, a Harvard University political scientist whose previous research on community dynamics has been highly influential among policymakers in the US and cited by Australian prime ministerial aspirants Peter Costello and Mark Latham.

Professor Putnam has delayed releasing the results of his research for fear of the impact it could have on politicians and other policymakers, but he revealed its thrust yesterday in an interview with London's Financial Times newspaper.

His extensive research found that the more diverse a community, the less likely were its inhabitants to trust anyone, from their next-door neighbour to their local government.

The loss of trust was even felt within ethnic communities - people were more wary of members of their own ethnic groups, as well as people from different backgrounds.

The impact of the research will be amplified because of the status of Professor Putnam, whose book Bowling Alone was closely studied by governments and academics around the world after its publication in 2000.

Bowling Alone spelled out the extent to which "social capital" has fallen away in recent decades as fewer people join the volunteer and community groups that have long played a role in social cohesion.

The title referred to Professor Putnam's finding that many people were dropping out of groups such as bowling clubs and spending time alone, rather than in social networks.

Both the federal Treasurer and the former federal Labor leader Mr Latham borrowed concepts from the book in speeches on social capital.

Professor Putnam, who is now working in Britain, told the Financial Times that, after several years of research, he had held off publishing his results until he could develop suggestions that might help compensate for the negative effects of diversity, saying it "would have been irresponsible to publish without that".

His most important finding was that "in the presence of diversity, we hunker down".

"We act like turtles," he said. "The effect of diversity is worse than had been imagined.

"And it's not just that we don't trust people who are not like us. In diverse communities, we don't trust people who do look like us."

His research was conducted in the US but he believes its findings are likely to be mirrored in other countries.

It will be studied closely in Australia and most European countries, where governments are increasingly struggling with the political and social fallout of immigration and ethnic and religious diversity.

Professor Putnam found that trust was lowest in Los Angeles, "the most diverse human habitation in human history", but his findings also held for rural South Dakota, where "diversity means inviting Swedes to a Norwegians' picnic".

When the data were adjusted for class, income and other factors, they showed that the more people of different races lived in the same community, the greater the loss of trust.

"They don't trust the local mayor, they don't trust the local paper, they don't trust other people and they don't trust institutions," he said.

Apparently fearing that his research would be used to justify clamping down on immigration and ethnic diversity, Professor Putnam stressed that immigration benefited the "importing" and "exporting" societies, and that trends "have been socially constructed, and can be socially reconstructed".

"I think we can do a lot to push change along more rapidly," he said.

An American at a Foreign Students' Party - David Kessel, American Chronicle

I hope this never happens in Australia - unfortunately, I suspect that it does...Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=14166

An American at a Foreign Students' Party
David Kessel

September 30, 2006

It was early in the evening on a beautiful campus of a mid-sized university in Upstate New York. The time was the first week of October, the season of foliage and balmy post-Indian summer weather, with just a crisp hint of the approaching winter.

The University housed some 5,000 students among which you could encounter every major, minor and also, every professional and non-professional interest and human race imaginable. The place where students would congregate the most was the large Hasbrouck Dining Hall located not far from the Sports Hall, a large structure in the very center of the Campus. Upon entering the cafeteria, one would be drowned in the clangor of dishes and hundreds of conversation going on at the same time- your typical restaurant noises, that is, but magnified manifold by the huge number of people present.

The University, in addition to its large multi-cultural American student body, also catered to a small minority of foreign students, who, for a few years now were being called “International Students”; the word “foreign” now being considered “politically incorrect”.

The foreign (oops, international) students, who have been saving money for a long time to experience life in America, were, after the initial excitement of being there, a bit disappointed by the social segregation that they were witnessing all around them. In the dining hall, for example, black students would sit with other blacks, Spanish speakers (or those who looked like Spanish speakers) would sit with other Spanish speakers, Asian people would sit in their own groups, and the “real” Americans, meaning, “white” people would also sit at a table with other white people. The groups did not seem to interact with each other, but coexisted in matter-of-fact, peaceful, separate, and parallel avenues of development with very little meaningful interaction among the groups. The groupings were polite to each other, but seemed to be living independently of one another, as if there were several different Americas happening at the same time: the white one, the black one, the Asian one and the Hispanic one.

This was not how many of these foreign (oops, international) students had been imagining America to be. They learned about it from the movies, and one thing they knew was that while there were some bad white people in the US who hated Blacks, most white people were very noble and kind, and extremely friendly and sociable. However, the young Americans that they met at the university seemed to them to be extremely stuck up; very much into their little groups who did not pay any attention to anything that was going outside of their little cliques.

Incidentally, it was also big news to these students that there were actually so many people in the US who had non-white and non-Black features. Are these immigrants? Why are they sitting around and speaking English? They sure can’t be Americans! They don’t look like Americans! And all these brown-looking people! They had never seen them in the American movies before. Were these Americans, too? They later learned that brown people were called “Hispanics” but could not quiet understand what the word meant. Did it mean “Spanish”? Many of them had faces like they were South East Asians, but they spoke English to each other, and, sometimes, they would hear Spanish voices. Were these Americans? They sure did not look like the Americans they saw in Hollywood movies back on the subtitled TV programs in their home countries.

And then, there were many black people but they looked quite happy and confident. They would sit in a group of their own and none would have the suffering expression that so many Blacks had in all those American movies they saw back home; like they were martyrs or something.

The students in the international program have also found out that making friends with young Americans was not that easy. If your English was not fluent, some people would frown at you and give you dirty looks. If you were not American, some young Americans would give you the cold shoulder. And they also became aware of all these associations and clubs that were all over the place- Asian American Student Union, Hispanic American Student Association, and African –American Student Organization, etc. It was as if Americans liked to pull themselves apart from each other. Now which one could you join as an international student? None, as far as they knew. They did not fit the parameters.

You could join some other clubs, such as the Fencing Club and all, but many of the foreign students were too shy or simply did not know how to go about joining such groups. They were also afraid that they would be treated badly because of their accent. So, they just followed suit and created their own group- the International Students’ Association. They had parties, plenums, committees and other goings-on, but there were no American students ever present at any of those activities. The only Americans that they had met were the faculty and staff and these were very kind and friendly people. Meeting young Americans, on the other hand, proved to be very difficult, because of social obstacles on both sides. American students appeared to be too independent and arrogant; plus, foreign students were too shy and too scared to integrate. So, such segregation was accepted as something normal, and the students proceeded with their studies while creating all the social life they needed among themselves. They weren’t going to stay in the US forever, anyway, so why even bother? Many did have a hope of making friends with young Americans, maybe being invited to their homes and just forming friendships but these were not easy to form, unless you paid for a home stay, and many did not choose that route. Plus, a lot of young Americans were also too busy to have time for faltering International Students.

However, one day, something extraordinary happened. On a balmy early October evening, one American student, Bob Hines, stumbled by mistake into an international student party which was held at Hasbrouck Dining Hall, one floor up from Rathskellar Bar in the basement. He was visibly inebriated and was going to attend a dance which he had heard was being held on the second floor, but, instead, he inadvertently crashed the International party at which he was met with friendly curiosity and sincere surprise:

“An American!” “A real young American of our age!” exclaimed the foreign students in unison. “Finally! We are going to meet one of our hosts, our contemporary from the United States. So far, we have not had any chance to make friends with even one of them. Finally, we do. Come in, what is your name?”

“Bob” said Bob in a slurring, drunken voice.

“Hi Bob, I am Kumiko”

“Kumiko? “ What kind of name is that? Chinese?”

“It’s Japanese; I am from Japan”.

“That’s great! Welcome to the United States! Hey, where in Japan are you from? Hong Kong? I mean, the capital?”

“No, I am from Osaka, and the capital of Japan is Tokyo; not Hong Kong.”

“Gees, I always thought it was one and the same. You mean, it’s not?” Bob uttered in his still tipsy voice.” So, how long have you been here in the United States?”

“About one year?”

“That’s great, Kuniko, hey sorry about that Hiroshima and Nagasaki deal, and that recent tsunami. You know, it was all our government; I had nothing to do with it. And I am really sorry your capital city was taken over by them Reds in 1997 and you are now a communist country”.

Keiko giggled in embarrassment but pulled Bob by the hand and said: “Come’ on, I’ll introduce you to the rest of the international students. Here is Mohammed from Malaysia.”

“My-lay- what? What the hell is that?”

The Malaysian student lowered his gaze and shrank away in shame.

“And this is Sutti from Indonesia?”

“Nice to meet you, what was the name of the country you were from again? India?”

“Not, not India; Indonesia.”

“Where is that?” Bob asked in his innocent sincerity. Sutti lowered her gaze and slipped away ashamedly.

Kumiko continued her introductions: “And this is Jonas from Lithuania.”

“Where is that?” Jonas turned his eyes away and moved towards the table to the left pretending now to be nibbling at some snacks. He looked visibly upset and never again made eye contact with Bob.

“And this is Johnny Rodriguez, he is from the Philippines”. “Hi Bob”, said Johnny.

“Wow! You speak English very well, where did you learn it?” “In the Philippines, of course! You know, we are an English-speaking country, actually the third or the fourth largest in the world, and English is the medium of instruction in our schools.”

“Really? I didn’t know that.” “Hey, you know what they say- You live and learn.”

“And here is Somchai; he is from Thailand and that is Ponthip- his sister.” “Somchai, this is Bob, the first young American that came to our party”.

“Hi, Bob, welcome!”

“Cool, welcome to the United States! I’ve got a computer from your country made by what was the name again? The ” BenQ” company”, said Bob.

“No, Bob, BenQ is not Thai, it is Taiwanese. I am from Thailand, not from Tai-Wan”.

Bob scrunched up his features in a grimace of annoyance: “What’s the difference? Thailand, Taiwan? They are all the same to me. Say, so do you guys have big buildings in your country?”

“Yes, we do”, said Somchai, “actually, Bangkok, our capital has huge skyscrapers”.

“Get out of town? And how do you guys get around? Bicycles, mostly, and then you ride elephants to work, like the rich dudes in your country? “

Somchai was now visibly annoyed: “No, actually, we use cars and we have some of the worst traffic jams in the world. I am surprised you have not heard about them.”

“Well, I’ll be! I thought you guys were too poor to have cars there”, Bob said with an expression of sincere surprise. Somchai looked down and excused himself. Bobby hemmed and hawed and talked to Pontip- I think I am starting to remember something about Thailand now. You know, that Asian dude that has just walked away was right- it is a different country from Taiwan. Is that the place where there are many hookers? I saw a program on it once. Yeah, Bangkok, the Prostitution Capital of Asia. Hey, baby so, since you are from Thailand, why don’t we go to my place and you know… I can give you $20 bucks for one whole night.” Ponthip turned red, her eyes filled with tears and she ran towards the exit. Bobby herd the door slam.

“Hey, what’s the matter with all them Oriennuls?” “Can’t they take a joke?”, grumbled Bobby as he reached for yet another bottle of beer.

Kumiko again took Bob by the elbow: “Shall we continue the introductions? Here is Mbugua Mutilili, he is from Kenya, East Africa.”

“Hi, Booger, who gave you that funny name?” smiled Bobby.

“ It is Mbu-gu-a. It is a common Kenyan name.”

“ Africa, huh? Really? So, where did you buy your clothes? London? You dress like us. I thought you guys in Africa didn’t wear any clothes. And also, can I see your bow and arrows?”

“ No, we actually wear the same clothes as you, and I have never used bow and arrows in my life”. Said Mbugua with a frustrated smile.

“And do you guys live in houses there? Or ,like, in trees, with snakes around your necks? Bwahahahah!”

Mbugua straightened up and his eyes became glossed over with anger ” Bye, man. I’ve got stuff to do. Here, talk to my friend. This is Jan Van Buren from South Africa. Jan, this is Bob, the only American student that has ever come to our party”.

“Hi, Bob, nice to meet you!” Van Buren said with his clipped Afrikaans accent. “Nice to meet you, too. Where did you say you were from?” asked Bob.

“Pretoria, South Africa?” said Jan proudly.

“You come from Africa, too???” uttered Bob in complete amazement.

“Well, yes, why does that surprise you?” asked Jan.

“Africans are supposed to be black; how come you are white? And you’ve also got an American name- Van Buren; just like one of our presidents. You are from Africa and you are white, and not naked, and you are not carrying a spear. You are kidding me, aren’t you?”

“No, not at all,” Jan was now smiling with a condescending smile of an adult talking to a child. He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a little green book. It said: “Republic of South Africa, Passport.”

“Get out of town! So, were you parents Americans; related to our President Van Buren?”

“No, actually, my parents and grandparents, and great-grandparents were all South Africans; but sometime in the seventeenth century one of my ancestors migrated to Africa from the Flanders, so, that’s why I‘ve got a Flemish name”.

“Incredible, a white African with an all American name. Just like Michael Jackson, Bwahahaha!” Bob roared with laughter that no one else shared. Jan gave him a half-hearted smile and walked away while Kumiko appeared again and asked him, “Enjoying the party, Bob? “ “Yeah, girl. Anyone else you want to introduce me to?” “Yes, as a matter of fact, there are some people that want to meet you. Here they are: this is Miklos; he is from Hungary”.

“Really? Wow, is everybody Hungry in Hungary? Don’t you love being in America, Mick-whatever your name is? Or is it Milksop? There is plenty of food here. Enjoy, Mick, ‘cause when you go back home, you’re gonna be hungry again”.

Miklos turned red and disappeared. “And here is Jimmy Smith; he is from Australia!”

“Australian? Yeah, I know; just like that action star; what’s his name? Arnold Swarthy- whatever. The one that says “I’ll be back” with that funny accent.”

Bobby thought he was being funny. Jimmy corrected him- “No, that’s Arnold Schwarzenegger, he is from Austria; I am from Australia”.

Isn’t it the same thing? And you speak good English, you sound like a Brit; where did you learn it, taking ESL classes here at the University? I know Arnold had to learn English here in the US, I saw a documentary on him; did you also learn English in Austria, I mean, Australia? From some British teacher? “

“Well, yes, Bob, I did. We, in Australia, speak English. As a matter of fact, one cannot immigrate to Australia if one does not speak the language . And our accent is not really British; it is Australian. If you listen well; you will hear the difference.

“Gee, really? I didn’t know that. I thought only Americans and well, Brits and Canadians spoke English; not the French Canadians, of course.” And you, hey, I am talking to you, man” Bobby was now trying to have a conversation with a lanky gentleman who was leaning over the salad bowl. “Where are you from? “ England”. “England? Cool, man; far out! Say, dude, what language do they speak in England?”

Jimmy and the Englishman excused themselves to ostensibly go to the men’s room, and Bob was left looking for another group of students to talk to. There were two students speaking Spanish, and Bob decided to introduce himself to them. “Hi, I am an American; my name is Bob.” “Hi, Bob, I am Ricardo Mueller from Argentina, South America, and this is Jose Gomez from Puerto Rico”.

“Hey, Ricardo-ooh, you don’t look Argentinean to me. I mean, like you are blond and you’ve got grey eyes. How come? You people down there are supposed to be brown with black hair; kind of like this dude here; what was your name again?” “ Jose”- whispered Jose full of embarrassment.

“Hoe-zay, yeah, man like this here Hoe-zay; hey, Hoe-zay; I am not racist; you know, but aren’t you the guy I see every day working in the cafeteria?” Bob looked at him with mock suspicion.

“Well, yes, I am; why?”

“I mean, like, you know, have you got the Green Card? I don’t mean to stick my nose where it don’t belong, but if you ain’t got no Green Card; you can’t work here in the US, you know that, right? I mean, like you are not an illegal alien, are you?”

“I am from Puerto Rico, Bob; we are American citizens!” exclaimed Jose with rising indignation in his voice,

“Really? “ Bob reeled with surprise. “How come you guys are US citizens? Why? Are you a state of the United States?”

“No, we are not, but we are a US Commonwealth. That makes us American citizens!” Jose was gnashing his teeth now, and his fists were clenched with helpless anger.

“Hey, Hoe-zay, let’s keep it friendly, OK, man? I didn’t mean anything bad; just checking, man; just checking. Don’t want you to get into trouble with the Immigration and get deported back to Costa Rica or wherever you came from”.

Jose bolted away mumbling something under his breath that sounded like: “Gringo Estupido”. Bob was left facing Ricardo Mueller from Argentina. “So, as I was asking you, Rick; how come you come from Argenta, or whatever the name of your country is, and you look like an American; I mean like you are one of us. I mean, like you people from down south of the border are all brown and stuff; we are the ones who are white; but you are blond and not like a Latino; how come? Were you parents, like; Americans?”

“No, actually, not at all. My grandparents were from Germany, but in Argentina and also, in Uruguay, in general, the population is mostly European. We pretty much look like the majority of you, guys”.

“Well, I’ll be darned! I thought you guys and that other country, you-rooh- whatever, all looked like them Mexicans that come to cut our lawn on Sundays, hahahaha.” Bobby again thought he was funny. Ricardo coughed and excused himself. Bobby was left alone.

Not far from him, another young, African-looking man was having a cake. “Hi, I am Bob, Bob approached the man with his hand outstretched, “ I am an American! Whereabouts are you from? Africa or the Harlem?”

“Oh, neither one. I am from Brazil, my name is Joao”.

“That’s cool. Nice to meet you, what was your name again? Chow? Sorry, Chow, I no hablo espanol”.

“Well, I don’t hablo espanol, either,” answered Joao,” in Brazil, we speak Portuguese; not Spanish.”

“Really? I didn’t know that. I thought all of you people spoke Spanish down there. And, also, you mean, like there are black people in Brazil, too?”

“Listen, Bob. I’ve gotta run”. Joao suddenly moved to the other end of the hall. Bobby shrugged his shoulders and approached two what he perceived to be “gay-looking” students. “ Hey, look, fellas, I kind of dig the Village People and some of my best friends are gay, but I am straight so, I just wanna let you know from the start that I am not trying to hit on you, you know what I mean? but I like soccer and you kinda look like a cross between soccer players and Freddy Mercury, so I thought I’d say:” Hi”. The two students looked at him with squeamish expressions on their faces and asked him: “ Where did you get the idea that we were gay?”

“Hey, guys, it’s written all over you, I mean the way you are dressed, for one- the colors- they are kind of bright and you know, then the hair cuts and the mannerism and all.”

“But this is how we Europeans dress and behave, especially we, the French people. We want to look good; we follow the latest fashions, we dress well and in different colors, not just denim and grey and solid colors. And we also wear shoes and not just sneakers, you know. And we do have mannerism when we talk, it shows that we are refined and educated; it does not mean that we are gay and we like to have sex with men”.

“ Yeah, I guess you are right; it is just that when I see a dude dressed like you, I kind of figure he is a homo, you know what I mean? But the fact that you may be a homo is nothing against you; I don’t mind, some of my best friends are gay, no problem with me”.

“But we are not gay!!! We are French! We are taught to be sophisticated and dress well, and we do it to attract women; not men. Francois, let’s get out of here!” And the two French friends made a hasty retreat.

All these people were starting to piss Bobby off. Like they were stuck up or something and did not want to stick around and talk to him. “A bunch of ingrates. America feeds them and helps them, and we teach them, and save their asses in all these wars, and look how they are treating us! I think I am gonna kick somebody’s ass tonight”.

He gulped down three more beers and as the alcohol rose to his brain, he felt brave. Actually, he felt so good, his urge to prove himself in a fight got bigger. Out of nowhere, Kumiko appeared again, and inquired if he was enjoying the party. She took him along to have him try some “international foods”. A tall blond guy with a round face and a pug nose was standing in front of a large dish housing big dumplings with sour cream poured all over them.

“What are these, raviolis? “ inquired Bob? “No, these are Russian pelmenis.” Answered the tall guy. Bobby voice took on sinister, suspicious tones. “ What are you..from ….Russia?”

“Yes, I am an exchange student here, my name is Yevsey Cherkov.”

Bob began frowning: “ And they allow you people in the country?”

“Yes, why not? Our countries have diplomatic relations; we are not enemies, or anything.”

“But aren’t you people all commies and bloodthirsty warmongers and pinko liberals and enemies of the United States and a bunch of faggots, KGB agents and spies?” Bobby was now drunk from the beers and starting to gather momentum for a fist fight; and other students, quickly realizing that something was wrong, came closer. “ Get out of my country, now, you Russkie commie bastard! “ Bob yelled at Yevsey.

Yevsey backed away: “Easy friend, easy, I am just an engineering student here, and I don’t want any trouble”. Another student walked up to Bob and grabbed him by the sleeve of his shirt. “And you, where the f--ck are you from?” “I am from Saudi Arabia?

Bobby was now turning livid- “A terrorist? What are you doing in my country! First a commie, now a terrorist” . Bob’s hand was beginning to form a fist and he raised it above the Saudi student’s face: “ You, Iranian; you goddamned terrorist! Get out!” “I am not an Iranian, I am a Saudi”, said the student. “Same f--king s-it!!!” shouted Bob.

The international students were now frozen in place, faces full of concern and budding fear. As two more students tried to restrain Bob, three security officers, attracted by the noise, made their way through the crowd, grabbed hold of Bob and lead him away. Both the Arab and the Russian students were looking at each other with relief mixed with genuine trepidation. If the security had not been called, who knows what a bloody fight could have ensued.

Bobby was given a reprimand and asked to take a class on “Diversity”. Kumiko found out what room he was staying at and bought him an Illustrated Atlas of the World, so that he, at age 22, could finally learn where at least some countries were located, know something about their basic history and what their cities, and the people in them, looked like.

The International Students continued having parties, but were now a bit more cautious about whom they would let in, and made their gatherings as private and exclusive, and as by-invitation-only as possible. And could you blame them after the unpleasant incident with Bob Hines?

Eventually, Bob graduated, passed the Foreign Service exam and became embassy staff in Papua New Guinea. He is still struggling with the map of the place and is perennially amazed that there are, in fact, black people living there even though it is not Africa or America.

The foreign students had graduated, too, and went back to their respective countries. They constantly tell stories about the incident with Bob on their TV, the radio and to all of their friends, and the American residents there have become laughing stocks of the local communities. The most popular joke that they have played on them is when people walk up to them and ask them: “Where are you from? America? Where is that?” and then loud guffaws follow as the American residents hurry on back to their apartments, red-faced with shame.

And local politicians, having learned about how their constituents were treated at that party, have no qualms now about buddying up to Iran, China, Belarus and North Korea. At least, when they travel to those countries to sign yet another oil, weapon or nuclear deal they know they will not be talking to a bunch of geographical ignoramuses; and when they get there, the general population there will not be asking them every five minutes: “Where is that?”. The hosts do have enough wisdom to know that the way guests are treated now will be the way they will be treated when they, too, become guests, and the former guests become their hosts.

The Australian Citizenship English Language Test Debate: Can we forget about terrorism for a moment? - Sue Ellson, Newcomers Network

Online at http://www.newcomersnetwork.com/mediareleases/060922.php

The Australian Citizenship English Language Test Debate: Can we forget about terrorism for a moment?

22 September 2006 - 1265 words

by Sue Ellson BBus AIMM MAHRI Founder of Newcomers Network

Points raised in this article include:
. As an Australian, I would fail a basic Australian History Test
. Bring on the English Language Test for New Australian Citizens
. Life and living skills need to be learnt to live in First World Australia
. It is much harder to be extreme if you understand mainstream
. Everyone needs someone to say 'welcome' when they arrive

Have you been subconsciously groomed to be fearful and scared of someone who is different to you? Just because someone speaks with an accent, it doesn't mean that they think with an accent. Every religious group has its own share of extremists. Clothes worn in Melbourne are different from those worn in Brisbane - and not just because of the weather!

I am a born and bred Australian. Every day, I choose to work with people who have chosen to live here because I am inspired by their passion and commitment to a fresh start. I believe that one of the greatest blessings of living in Australia is our opportunity to participate in a democratic society where we can speak our mind. After all, you are reading this because it wasn't censored.

If I feel strongly enough about a proposed change in policy or procedure for the collective benefit of Australian society, I can rally people power, the media, the internet, lobby groups, my local Member of Parliament etc to help me get my message heard.

Despite an Australian education, I must admit that I do not have an extensive knowledge of Australian history and culture. Sorry about that. In fact unless I studied hard, I would probably fail a basic Australian History test. I was shocked by the graphic portrayal of what 'white' Australians did to indigenous Australians in the recently released Australian movie 'Kanyini.' I don't remember ever covering this topic in my Social Studies class at primary school.

Thanks to living in Adelaide for the first 28 years of my life, I have a subtle 'British' accent - quite well regarded really - far better in social situations than one that comes from America or New Zealand. I still talk far too fast and I find it difficult not to include all of the sayings and slang I heard in my youth.

Now, I am 41. I can tell you that the world we are living in is changing at an exponential rate in the 21st century, not an incremental rate as it has done over the last 2000 years.

When British migrants were encouraged to move to Australia between 1945 and 1972, can you imagine them hiring a migration agent to complete the visa application process? International students in some universities now outnumber local students. All levels of government are moving their information, resources and services online so that residents can have up to 24/7 access.

At the local level, people with busy lives are taking refugees for driving lessons, shopping expeditions and medical appointments. They are passing on information about the closest shop, bus or swimming pool to the new neighbour next door. How many times have we trumpeted to the world our commitment to volunteerism - and showcased it at the Olympics in Sydney and the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. This is not the Australia that Greek immigrants arrived in shortly after World War II. How many of these people still recoil at the phrase 'new Australian?'

But where does this leave us in 2006? How do we as a society remain welcoming yet safe in the context of global unrest? For a start, with so much change occurring every single day, we need to ensure that everyone who lives here has the opportunity to actively participate in their community and one of the most obvious common denominators is the ability to read, write, speak and understand the English language.

Every effort must be made to ensure that this happens - and in some cases, this will mean that the quality of English classes and the associated external support network will need to be improved so that people can reach a suitable standard within an agreed time allotment.

One way to increase a new arrival's ability to participate in Australian life is for them to have the necessary life and living skills for our first world country. A South African person told me how safe she felt in buildings in Australia simply because she knows that there are requirements on fire systems, occupational health and safety and so on.

One of the reasons we enjoy a safe and secure lifestyle in Australia is because of regulations - so if they are in the general interests of all residents - why do we fear their implementation?

Children educated in technology savvy Australia use a plethora of equipment far beyond a desktop computer. Information booths, automatic teller machines, EFTPOS facilities, forms, regulations, health records, street signs, tickets, mobile phones, MP3 players, EVERYTHING in writing is in ENGLISH. And one of the best ways to learn English is as a child does - through living. If our lifestyle in Australia does not provide people with that opportunity, how can new arrivals learn English quickly?

Here is a quick anecdote, just one of many I have heard. An international friend of mine asked a school mum to repeat something she had said because she did not understand it the first time. The mother told her 'don't worry.' Wrong. The woman wanted to know what she had said and all that she had asked her to do was repeat a sentence and this school mother refused. Is this a part of Australian culture that we would like to warn newcomers about? Do we need to inform all newcomers that there is every chance they will be treated differently in schools, shops, workplaces, etc?

The newcomer might be able to speak three languages and have multiple qualifications but because they have a thick accent when speaking English and the local person cannot understand it immediately, they can be treated as 'stupid.' Shame, shame, shame. What about how they will crave a meaningful friendship in their new country but they will be forced to endure conversations about sport and the weather to ensure that they have more than one meeting with a new acquaintance?

As far as I am concerned, bring on the English Language Assessment for new Australian Citizens. How many of us need a deadline or a test to make us do something? Would you want a driver on the road that didn't know the road rules? Then why would you expect a newcomer to be an active participant in Australian life if they cannot communicate and learn the everyday life skills they need to make the most of their new life in their new location? It is much harder to be extreme if you understand mainstream. For a start, you will have access to the same resources so many of us take for granted.

And if you are the person reading this because you DO have English skills, perhaps you could share a bit of your time with someone who needs to improve their skills. You might learn something new, perhaps just a few words in their language - like 'Hello, how are you today?' At the very least, you might be able to teach them something about Australia's fixation with sport and join them at a game. Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi, Oi, Oi. Everyone needs someone to say 'welcome' when they arrive - and if this format doesn't suit you, show them what 'Australia' means to you. After all, it is your destination of choice too.

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Sue Ellson BBus AIMM MAHRI is the Melbourne based Founder of Newcomers Network, Australia's first independent online guide for people moving to and within Australia that started in 1999. Newcomers Network has been hosting Welcome to Melbourne and Welcome to Sydney events for up to 70 guests every month since January 2005 and provides around 1000 pages of website content free of charge to over 50,000 website visitors per month.
sueellson@newcomersnetwork.com or sueellson@yahoo.com.au
+ 61 (0)3 9812 7288 or +61 3 (0)402 243 271

You can submit your views on the proposed changes to Australian Citizenship online via http://www.citizenship.gov.au/news/discussion_paper.htm before 17/11/06.

The Questions to comment on are available in the Citizenship Discussion Paper and include:
Question 1
Should Australia introduce a formal citizenship test?
Question 2
How important is knowledge of Australia for Australian citizenship?
Question 3
What level of English is required to participate as an Australian citizen?
Question 4
How important is a commitment to Australia's way of life and values for prospective Australian citizens?
Question 5
What form should a commitment to Australian values take?
Question 6
What level of knowledge and understanding of the Australian way of life and English language skills should
people have to be approved for permanent residence in Australia?
Question 7
Should they be required to demonstrate this knowledge?
Question 8
If so, how could they demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of Australia and their English
language skills?
Question 9
Should the same be required of people to be approved for long term temporary residence in Australia, such
as for business or study?
Question 10
How important is a commitment to Australia's way of life and values for permanent residents and long term
temporary residents?
Question 11
What form should a commitment to Australian values take?
Question 12
What things do you think are important for prospective citizens to have an understanding of before taking
up Australian citizenship?
Question 13
Should prospective Australian citizens be formally tested for their level of English? If so, would it be
necessary to test oral, written, reading, and listening skills?
Question 14
Should the requirement be expanded beyond needing a knowledge of the responsibilities and privileges of
Australian citizenship and an understanding of the nature of the application? Should it instead encompass
a broader knowledge of Australia?
Question 15
If knowledge of Australia is considered important for Australian citizenship, what elements do you think are
necessary? For example, should people choosing to become Australians know something about our history; our culture and traditions; our common values; national symbols; our laws; and our Australian system of democracy? What other things do you think are important?
Question 16
If a formal citizenship test were to be introduced, should certain groups (for example, older people or long term residents) be exempt?

Career paths to harmony - Klaas Woldring, New Matilda

I agree, there does need to be a much stronger physical presence of migrants from many backgrounds in the senior roles within our communities. Sue Ellson, Newcomers Network


http://www.newmatilda.com/policytoolkit/policydetail.asp?PolicyID=507

Career paths to harmony By: Klaas Woldring
22 September 2006

Kim Beazley’s recent comments have suddenly focussed attention on what the ALP may want to offer on immigration and multiculturalism policy. Beazley suggested that immigrants, even tourists, should sign up to a whole range of glorified Australian values in writing if they are to make the grade. Several Labor MPs have publicly disassociated themselves with this appeal to the Hansonism which was so successfully hijacked by the Howard Government. The appeal to xenophobia from both sides of politics makes it clear that the time has come for a new generation of multicultural policies, to prevent further regression to assimilation and notions of cultural hierarchy and inequality.



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Starting from 2000 and reinforced after the 2004 federal election, the Howard Government adopted a new direction in immigration policy: seeking out and encouraging skilled workers and professionals to migrate to Australia shores. There is little doubt that, with the severe skill shortages in the current labour market, this policy makes sense. It also makes sense given that the quality of Australian executive management, as the Karpin Inquiry into Management (1995) clearly demonstrated, leaves a lot to be desired. But what actually happens to the skilled immigrants themselves over time? If we look back to the Hawke years - the ‘clever country’ years - in the late 1980s, skilled immigrants often had difficulty finding appropriate jobs. Their unemployment rate was generally higher than average and they had to settle for jobs that were less suitable than expected. A high percentage returned to their country of origin. This was especially the case for engineers. The prejudices of prospective employers and their preference for locally educated workers were found to be major reasons for their departure (Hawthorne, 1994; Murphy, 1994; Smith, 1994).

From 1948 to 1980 Australian mass immigration was based on attracting unskilled and semi-skilled labour. Research in the early 1990s (Iredale, 1992; Woldring, 1996) indicated that non-English-speaking migrants (NESB1) were severely under-represented in managerial, executive and professional positions – comparable to the number of women in the workforce. This was particularly the case in the upper echelons of the public service, corporate boards in the private sector, the police, the judiciary, universities, parliaments, prisons and the professional sector. These elite groups were dominated by a near closed-shop of White Anglo-Australian Males (WAAM) and their old boy networks. Looking at the cohort of the second generation of non-English speaking migrants (NESB2) in the mid-1990s, the situation had only marginally improved. Better education has not significantly benefited them (Woldring, 1996). More recent assessments don’t seem to be available. Australian management received a scathing report card in the Barraclough study commissioned by the Karpin Inquiry into Management (1995), yet the remuneration of many of the modestly competent WAAM executives, or imported Americans, has gone through the roof in recent years.

In the meantime the deregulation of industrial relations has not helped ethnic immigrants either. Teicher et al (2002) found that, after the Workplace Relations Act of 1996, ‘the transition in the Australian industrial relation system from a centralized system of conciliation and arbitration to a deregulated industrial relations system of enterprise bargaining has compounded the disadvantage suffered by these workers’. This combination of trends does very little to favour multiculturalism and ethnic harmony but instead propagates class conflict and risks destroying what egalitarianism is left.



Thanks to Bill Leak



The encouragement of larger numbers of skilled and professional immigrants brings with it the need to accept that, after an initial period of settling-in and familiarisation, these people will seek access to elite positions in society. If these positions are made unavailable or very difficult to achieve on account of an ‘ethnic ceiling’, they may well leave again. Even if they do choose to stay in Australia and concede to work in jobs which they are overqualified for, their valuable contribution to society is likely to be diminished. Australia may waste the real skills of these people if their careers are thwarted and their contributions and ambitions frustrated.

This has happened before. In the past job offers were only likely when foreign skills were not in competition with local talent. This may be ‘human nature’ but Australia can hardly afford a repeat of this type of hidden discrimination.

Have the WAAM attitudes changed now? Has the establishment composition changed? Hardly. The skills of professional immigrants are still under-recognised and submitted to substantial questioning despite extensive official checks on their formal qualifications.

The role played by migrants in the political sphere is limited indeed apart from being used and abused for branch stacking purposes by major parties. As aspiring political activists they are often simply not accepted. This situation is in itself a major barrier in the renewal of a political system that even many Anglo Celtic Australians regard as ossified. The problem is that discrimination against skilled ethnic migrants is usually very subtle and hard to demonstrate. Of course, one can point to some highly successful ethnic migrants but these are mostly self-made entrepreneurs in the private sector. Like Anglo-Celtic women who have given up trying to break the glass ceiling and started their own businesses, many individual ethnic immigrants have made the most of their own talents and some have done very well. There is also a long tradition, particularly in the Italian, Greek, Lebanese and Vietnamese communities, of families who have banded together to form successful family businesses.

Australia’s latest search for highly qualified individual immigrants, from anywhere, is likely to be as opportunistic as it was in the late 1980s. It is focused on quickly filling gaps in the workforce of technical and professional skills which take considerable time to develop locally. Naturally, these newer migrants bring their own social, political, and lifestyle values that impact on the wider society. They also have views on political arrangements, not just as voters, but also as members of parties and advocates of change. Once integrated as part of the Australian community, they are not prepared to be treated as second class citizens or apprentice citizens who must learn the Anglo Celtic ways and behave accordingly.

The contribution of migrants beyond the immediate functional job context is often valuable and should be optimised, not ignored or merely tolerated. Australia must give them a voice at high levels of decision-making in mainstream public and private organisations, parliaments and educational institutions. Only then will multiculturalism progress to the next stage where it will mean more than food diversity, multicultural festivals and the SBS, however valuable these aspects are. However, if voter attitude surrounding the Tampa incident and the appalling, hypocritical legislation to prevent the boat people from reaching mainland Australia as refugees are any indication, one could well conclude that multiculturalism is no more than skin deep for a majority of Australians. The essentially ethnic conflict between Anglo Celtic and Lebanese communities at Cronulla in 2005 provided yet another failed test of multicultural values.

In the context of recent ethnic strife between the Anglo Celtic and Muslim and Lebanese communities in an environment where police, government institutions and the judiciary are heavily Anglo Celtic, the preservation of ethnic harmony in Australia is central. Band-aids won’t work. The key question that must be asked is how many ethnic representatives are actually in mainstream executive positions in Australia? Are they a substantial, visible segment of the ruling class? At present there are far too few high profile ethnic role models and therefore no adequate links for integration with mainstream society. While it may be correct that Australia has no ethnic ghettos, the absence of such role models is a distinct drawback. The mainstream leadership of this country must become visibly multicultural.

The time to fast-track ethnic minority individuals to the highest decision-making levels of mainstream society seems long overdue. That is what an alternative ALP Government should have as its policy. There are many ideas that come to mind: the very first would be to examine to what extent the much-glorified Australian values are actually practised in the society. There is great opportunity to boost multicultural values by improving ethnic representation at the very top. Why for instance are there no reserved seats in the Parliament for indigenous people? Why is there such limited cultural diversity in the Parliaments? Why is there no provision for enhancing and constitutionally protecting the multicultural character of our society? Stepan Kerkyasharian, the NSW Ethnic Affairs Chairman had this to say in 1998:

‘Multiculturalism is central to national identity – it is not and cannot be a fringe issue at the heart of any discussion of national identity and our national future – the 1998 Constitutional Convention affirmed the centrality of multiculturalism to our sense of national self – they recommended that our most important document – the Constitution – be amended to include recognition of Australia’s cultural diversity in the preamble’.



About the author
Dr. Klaas Woldring is a former Associate Professor in Management of Southern Cross University. He immigrated from the Netherlands in 1964, and was naturalised in 1969.

Letter from Australia: Silver lining in cloud of Cronulla - KC Boey, New Straits Times Malaysia

This sounds like good news for the future - let's wait and see what the The Reporting Diversity project report says later this year! Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network http://www.newcomersnetwork.com

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Sunday/Columns/20060903091233/Article/index_html

Letter from Australia: Silver lining in cloud of Cronulla
03 Sep 2006
K.C. Boey

IF it were the case that behind every cloud is a silver lining, participants at the community forum in Melbourne would have left gratified for the lessons of Cronulla.

The more circumspect might conclude that the riotous behaviour on the surf beach south of Sydney last December was no aberration.

For all the protestations at the time of Prime Minister John Howard and New South Wales premier Morris Iemma to the contrary, Cronulla is symptomatic of a deeper malaise, the circumspect would argue.

It would be worrying enough if Cronulla were indicative of alcohol-fuelled and drug-induced misbehaviour taken to extremes. Or mere competition for leisure use of public space.

It would be devastating that after more than a century, the ghosts of racism of a white Australia had been resurrected in clashes between mobs of white and Middle Eastern youth.

It would be an indictment of the liberal democratic tradition — which Australians lay claim to championing — that sections of the media, a cornerstone of the institution, should stand accused of being party to inciting the impressionable to violence.

Which of the conditions comes closest to the truth? And what can Australians learn from the experience?

It is a massive undertaking for a one-day seminar of local government, community and non-government participants to come to a conclusion.
The organisers were realistic. A panacea for the social ills of community was far from the agenda.

The aim was to explore the events of Cronulla and see what local government could do to prevent such events from happening in the first place, Dalal Smiley, Darebin co-ordinator of multicultural affairs, tells the New Sunday Times.

China-born mayor Stanley Chiang posed the questions: Was Cronulla a law and order issue; was racism a main or a contributing factor; was it a one-off incident; could it happen elsewhere in Australia; why did it happen; what lessons should be learnt; to what extent was it a local issue?

The seminar title captured the issues and the objective: "Place, Power and Privilege: The Challenge for Local Government".

The seminar brought together academic theorists, the police, and the person caught in the crossfire of Cronulla — councillor Kevin Schreiber and mayor of Sutherland Shire, the semi-rural suburb Cronulla is in.

Anthropologist Ghassan Hage provided the theoretical backdrop against which participants grappled with the emotions of conflict, strategies for resolution, and the role of State Government, local government, and non-governmental organisations.

"The seminar provided an in-depth examination of the dynamics that led to Cronulla, and the relationships between the various players which contributed to it," says Smiley.

"It was terrific," says Christina Del Frate, multicultural liaison officer of a city suburb in Melbourne. "We definitely can learn from what happened (in Cronulla) and formulate strategies to prevent it from happening."

Off the Gladstone coast, 600km north of Brisbane, is the Great Barrier Reef. Like Del Frate’s City of Port Phillip, Gladstone would not be considered vulnerable to the racism that some quarters suggest underpinned the Cronulla violence.

Of the 25,000 people in Gladstone, only 10 per cent were born overseas. That’s below the national average of one in four Australians born overseas.

But Gladstone is one of those areas facing a severe shortage of skilled labour and is looking overseas for its workers. As a result, the council is arming itself for a change in its demographics.


For Associate Professor Lynette Sheridan Burns, sections of the media have much to answer for. "If they didn’t start the fire, they certainly poured accelerant on it," said the head of the School of Communication Arts in the University of Western Sydney.

Seminar participants might be encouraged that Canberra might be doing something about the deficiencies of the media in an increasingly plural Australia. Burns is on a national taskforce looking into the training of journalists in a now diverse Australia.

The Reporting Diversity project, funded by the Federal Government’s Living in Harmony programme, was started before Cronulla. Its report is still in draft form, but the recommendations promise to be enlightening.

The subject did not come up in Darebin and participants at the seminar were not to know.

So how should local government and community deal with complex issues at a local level?

Plenary speakers, workshop presenters and participants had some idea. For many, as the Chinese novelist — or comic book — will say, wait for the next chapter.

Renounce terror, Costello tells Muslims - AAP, The Age

Peter Costello and John Howard are regularly quoted on the topic of integration into Australian life - here is the latest edition of their comments. Sue Ellson, Founder, Newcomers Network

http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Renounce-terror-Costello-tells-Muslims/2006/09/03/1157221993531.html

Renounce terror, Costello tells Muslims

September 3, 2006 - 11:24AM


Treasurer Peter Costello has stepped up the government's bid to persuade a Muslim minority to endorse Australian values, learn English and renounce terrorism.

Mr Costello also backed comments by Prime Minister John Howard this week that a small section of Australia's Islamic community stubbornly refuse to integrate.

"I think the prime minister has a point that migrants who come to Australia are expected to speak English and endorse basic Australian values, and it's going to be a problem for future generations if they don't," Mr Costello told the Nine Network.

"We have very, very successfully integrated people from all over the world in this country because we have had the attitude that when you come to Australia, whatever arguments you might have had in the old country we start again, and we start again with a common set of values and a common language."

Mr Howard caused outrage in Australia's Islamic community this week when he said Muslims needed to properly integrate by speaking English and showing respect to women.

His remarks have not been opposed by Labor, although the opposition has called on the government to provide better facilities to teach migrants English.

But Mr Costello went further than Mr Howard, warning that Australian Muslim leaders needed to stand up and denounce terrorism in all forms around the world.

"This is where we really need the Islamic leadership of this country to stand up and contend unequivocally that terrorism, no matter who it is perpetrated by ... is never justified, under the cover of religion," he said.

Islamic leaders, he said, should also "make it clear to would-be converts that when you join this religion, you do not join a radical political ideology."

Australian Muslim leaders had to make it clear that terrorism had nothing to do with real Islam, he said.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also said all migrants should speak English, in order to be able to integrate into Australian life.

"If you come to Australia as a migrant and you can't speak English then the fact is in those circumstances you're going to be enormously disadvantaged," Mr Downer said.

"You have seen under the cover of a radical form of Islam, terrorism being perpetrated," Mr Costello said.

However, Ali Roude, chairman of the Islamic Council of NSW, said the government needed to drop the unhelpful rhetoric and stop targeting Muslims.

"It's difficult to promote harmony and social calm when our politicians and leaders are constantly targeting the Muslim community," Mr Roude told AAP.

"The conduct and behaviour and the viciousness of the language that they have used can only lead to bigotry and hatred, this is not in the best interests of our nation."

© 2006 AAP

Multicultural Britain: What are we so scared of? - Ian Bell, Sunday Herald

This is a fascinating piece with a variety of anecdotes. As Britain is similar to Australia in many 'cultural' ways, I thought this would be a good piece to add to the discussion here. Sue Ellson, Newcomers Network

http://www.sundayherald.com/57566

MULTICULTURAL BRITAIN: WHAT ARE WE SO SCARED OF?


Essay ... By Ian Bell


After a century and a half spent using and then abusing the emigrés of Victoria’s empire, we now have people from the former fiefdoms of Rome, Charlemagne and Stalin, otherwise known as the European Union, arriving on our doorstep. Scots of Irish descent know, or should know, all about this. Scots of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Iranian, Italian, Lithuanian or, indeed, Polish descent certainly know all about it. Refugees, political or economic, they came here to make new lives, often as the native-born were departing in their hordes, with no sense of irony, for sunnier climes. It was hard work.

I can only speak, a little, for the Irish. When they began arriving here in the second part of the 19th century, after the famine, they were given that famously warm Scottish welcome. Our modern tabloids invented nothing. Back then – stop me if this sounds familiar – they were stealing our jobs, importing an alien faith, undercutting our wages, and divided in their loyalties. They were not to be trusted and, of course, they bred like rabbits. Even in the 20th century they were still being denounced by elements within the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The great writer and journalist Neal Ascherson once remarked that the map of Europe is an illusion. In his description, Europe could only be understood as an endless series of cartographies overlaid, like transparencies, one upon the other. You could say the same about the entire world. States and kingdoms and empires come and go but so, continually, do peoples. Nothing is fixed. Nothing, ultimately, is controllable.

The history of Britain is the history of waves of immigration stretching back over millennia, everyone knows it. Scotland takes its name, as even an elementary textbook explains, from an Irish tribe. Today, when the notion of Britishness is endlessly disputable, the social map of these islands is like a flamboyant quilt of many colours and shades of colour. Very attractive it is, too.

Yet here we have Ruth Kelly, communities secretary, launching a “Commission on Integration and Cohesion” (England only – the Scots might miss the point) in the apparent belief that multiculturalism hasn’t “worked”. Kelly is concerned that too many people still feel “separate”. No pressure on British Muslims there, then.

Here, too, we have the tabloids going bananas, as only British tabloids can, over Polish plumbers. Have you tried getting a plumber lately? That little difficulty matters little to The Sun, Daily Mail and Daily Express. Newspapers of their persuasion have been playing a malevolent game for half a century. Their patron plaster saint is Margaret Thatcher, she who in January 1978 went on TV to sympathise with the white natives who believed they were being “swamped by people with a different culture”. I make that 28 years of swamping. Still the hysteria goes on.

After all, the simple point about multiculturalism is this: it cannot be abolished. Once begun, it cannot be halted or somehow corrected by a commission. It evolves as the daily relations between people evolve. Sometimes those relations leave a lot to be desired, but when the likes of Kelly talk of tensions, or a lack of integration, all that they really mean is that there are bigots, of every stripe, in our communities. Multiculturalism is a fact of British life with only two enemies: racism, and those who seek to pander to a racist press. The tabloids, in other words, and the target demographic they share with the two largest political parties in Britain. Readers and votes: the calculation is that both can be garnered if you kick an immigrant.

So what is it with the native white British? France has the biggest Muslim population in Europe, not Britain. France has its inter-communal problems, God knows, and went through its own fit of anxiety over the arrival of the Polish plumber last year. But unemployment in France easily outstrips unemployment in Britain. Here, joblessness, as opposed to “economic inactivity”, is at a historic low.

The point about the 427,000 registered workers who have come to Britain from former Soviet states – those states that joined the EU two years ago – is that they are working. Working hard, paying taxes, buying goods, and enjoying strictly limited benefits – though officially only 7% claim them.

After decades in which millions of so-called “illegals”, mainly Hispanic, have entered the country, the United States has been going through its own bout of soul-searching, mixed with bigotry, over immigration. Right-wingers have come up with schemes to fence off the entire border with Mexico, but even George Bush realises that Los Angeles would grind to a halt if he clamped down in the way some have demanded. For the American economy, still the most potent in the world, there is no alternative to hard-working immigrants.

The best guess is that much the same is true of Britain if conspicuous growth is to be maintained. One estimate last week put the east European migrants’ contribution to the British economy at £2.5 billion annually. According to the trade, the building boom – all those PFI hospitals and badly needed houses – would be unsustainable if a native skills gap was not being filled by the imported plumbers, carpenters, electricians and bricklayers. Farmers, meanwhile, allege that the harvest could not be brought in without 70,000 migrants. For the record, both industries insist they would hire locally, if they only could.

In the catering and hospitality business, meanwhile, another phenomenon seems to be at work: migrants are filling the jobs locals won’t touch. This perhaps says something about British attitudes to work, or about the behaviour of some British employers, but it tends to undermine the claim that wages are being undercut. If the money were enviable to begin with, there would be no vacancies to fill.

Then there are the facts, inconvenient to some. Of the east European immigrant workers registered, more than 90% had no dependents when they arrived, and only 3% brought their children. Those intent on swamping us seem content to leave the family behind. Possibly, instead, they view their time among us as limited: do the job and then go home.

Wages are rising in Poland, after all. Economic growth within the eurozone is now faster than growth in Britain. We will, very soon, cease to be an attractive first port of call for economic migrants. When the European countries which have placed quotas on inflows from the accession states see the error of their ways – Spain, Greece and Finland are already easing restrictions – the British economy will pay a heavy price.

Scotland is already paying. Of the 427,000 east Europeans decamping to Britain between May 2004, and the beginning of July this year, 32,000 came to Scotland. I make that a mere 7.5% of the total. If the migrants add economic value, and if Scotland has an underlying problem with population decline – Jack McConnell, for one, doesn’t doubt it – we are losing out already. Growth in the Scottish economy has been sluggish for years, but here we risk ceding a potential competitive advantage simply because London’s tabloids pander to racism, and because Ruth Kelly’s knee has a jerk attached. The First Minister would wish things otherwise, but the voice of the Daily Mail is more powerful in Downing Street than the voice of Bute House.

The population of Britain contains 155,000 Americans. There are 106,000 recent arrivals from Australia, 70,000 Canadians, 57,000 New Zealanders, and 140,000 South Africans. Whisper it if The Sun is listening, but there are also 254,000 Germans, 94,000 French, and 54,000 people recently from Spain. Nobody suggests that any of these cause “tensions”. Nobody alleges that they place a strain on services or local housing. Can you make a tabloid scare out of a Canadian? Can you tell a Yankee to go home?

Yet these people, welcome all, are also of the essence of the multiculturalism that has the government in its latest spin. Some 600,000 individuals have arrived in Britain legally over the last two years. Subtract those from eight formerly communist states and you find 179,000 “permitted to settle”. Most of the souls contributing to that figure have come from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. How do we differentiate between them, in both official and tabloid language, and hard-working people from New Zealand or Germany? Melanin, merely, the stuff that colours all our skins. There is no other reason for official attitudes towards immigration.

Britain’s latest populist “problem” has nothing to do with immigration, in fact, certainly not in any economic sense. Overwhelmingly, the Australians and Americans are white; the Indians and Pakistanis are not. However she chooses to disguise the subtext, Ruth Kelly is establishing a commission on “integration and cohesion” because she regards race as a cultural and political issue. In the process, she makes it an issue.

Like its newspaper patrons, our government clouds the distinctions between immigrants, migrants and refugees. The Polish migrants provoke demented headlines such “Poles Flood In” simply because they wish to work. Asylum seekers – doctors, lawyers and engineers among them – are denied the right to work. The immigrants who are white encounter precious few problems. The immigrants who fail to be white run the gauntlet of official suspicion. A rational policy is nowhere to be found.

The United States achieved greatness in the 20th century because it did not waste time worrying over the meaning of multiculturalism. The melting pot was a fact . America’s real agony came instead from the horrific legacy of slavery. Is Britain to be forever beset by its disputable colonial inheritance, and by its insular habits towards Europe? Probably so, if history is any guide and if xenophobia has become policy. The Polish plumber will get your sink fixed, nevertheless, and keep your economy ticking over for good measure. The Muslim Scot will demonstrate the meaning of multiculturalism by example. The part-Irish Scot will remember his history. Ruth Kelly and her kind will waste everyone’s time, and do more grievous harm than good.

27 August 2006