Farewell, Comrade Mandela
Who will meet you when you pass your last breath and cross to whatever lies beyond this life? Will you meet friends, foes, family or beloved pets? In death there…
2 Comments
December 8, 2013
Morning Star flags
Asia-Pacific / Assimilation / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide / Government / Human Rights / Indonesia / Racism / Refugees / United Nations / West Papua
Treaties, lies and the Morning Star Flag
“The West Papuans have become the victims of Australia’s regional foreign policy arrangements that prop up the anti-refugee policies of Operation Sovereign Borders.” Ian Rintoul, Refugee Action Coalition. Fifty-two years…
December 1, 2013
Australian Aborigines / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Indonesia / Racism / Refugees
Australia’s Racism Problem Just Won’t Go Away
This post has been proferred by Imogen, a reader of Blak and Black. As South Korean-born Dami Im’s X-Factor win in Australia is celebrated with a number one single it’s a shame…
November 29, 2013
Australian Aborigines / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination/Racism / Equality of opportunity / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Human Rights / Racism / Respect / Shared humanity
Impossible dream and a not so imaginary foe
The day began with a comfortably low temperature of 17oC before rising to a high of 28oC. In the crushing crowd outside the Lincoln Memorial, it would seem unbearably hot…
August 27, 2013
Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Government / Human Rights / Rule of Law / Shared humanity / Xenophobia
Our mystery future
Mohamed is a friend with whom I have conversed now for several years. As a young Eqyptian, he was living in Europe when the Arab Spring uprisings commenced. In that…
August 22, 2013
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Racism / Sexism
#Misogyny and #sexism – Australian political rhetoric
Before launching into this post, Blak and Black wishes to congratulate its good friend Mr. Julian Moti QC on his admission to the Fiji bar and imminent return to the…
June 30, 2013
Commonwealth Government / Disability / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Equality of opportunity / Government / Human Rights / Respect / Shared humanity
Life on the street – no fixed address
I trudged a well worn path from Melbourne’s La Trobe Street to Flinders Street in my youth. Sydney has its fabulous Harbour, but Melbourne had arcades that drew me in…
June 1, 2013
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Discrimination/Racism / Ernst & Young / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Racism / Reconciliation / Stanhope Government
Reconciliation – now is the time
I want to tell you a story about a woman, Born in the first quarter of the twentieth century in an indigenous community, Who knew life on the land, a…
May 27, 2013
Australian Aborigines / Commonwealth Government / Democracy / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Law Enforcement / Neo-Colonialism / Racial Discrimination Act / Racism / Rule of Law / White Australia / Xenophobia
#Racism: Time to cease emulating the ostrich
"He was a remarkably effective prime minister for a while. The most difficult time was in 1997 and, to give credit to the government, they tightened the supervision over the…
April 21, 2013
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Federal Police / Bill of Rights / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Human Rights / Law Enforcement / Police / Racial Discrimination Act / Racism
A fish rots from the head
The most recent public airing of a racist attack on a Korean man and his aunt visiting from his homeland has prompted another round of self-reflection on the Australian psyche.…
April 9, 2013
Asia-Pacific / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Culture / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide / Government / Human Rights / Indonesia / International Law / Law Enforcement / Racism / Rule of Law / Shared humanity / United Nations / West Papua
West Papua – time we were #idlenomore
“We recognize international law …” Every country that is a member of the United Nations recognizes international law, Bob, at least as far as it serves their purposes. It seems…
March 6, 2013
ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Domestic Law / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Human Rights / Law Enforcement / Northern Territory Intervention / Racism / Rule of Law
“May it ring for justice and change”
I like to learn how to say people’s names properly. Not that I have a particularly good memory for pairing names with faces, but I believe it is a sign…
February 17, 2013
Australian Aborigines / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination/Racism / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Health / Human Rights / Northern Territory / Queensland / Racism / Respect / Shared humanity
#Indigenous self determination and alcohol
The news of the week in #Indigenous Affairs is the annual report card on Closing the Gap. Julia Gillard states that she is disappointed with the progress is addressing #indigenous…
February 8, 2013
Australian Federal Police / Australian Labor Party / Commonwealth Government / Government / Human Rights / Law Enforcement / Rule of Law / Terrorism
Pourquoi les coiffeurs or Wingnut v The Ranger
We all want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for…
February 1, 2013
Asia-Pacific / Australian Federal Police / Commonwealth Government / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Domestic Law / Fred Martens / Government / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / PNG / Racism / Rule of Law / Sexism
Statistics, lies and the #AFP
Thus Friend comforted me. I took great comfort from his counsel, and it seemed to me, indeed that he knew at least more than Reason did. But before he had…
January 30, 2013
Accountability / Australian Aborigines / Corruption / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Domestic Law / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide / Government / Human Rights / Hypocrisy / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / NSW Government / NSW Police / Police / Racism / Rule of Law
Magistrate Clisdell v Reality
I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way,…
January 24, 2013
Accountability / Australian Aborigines / Corruption / Culture / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Equality of opportunity / First Nations/Indigenous / Genocide by stealth / Government / Human Rights / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / NSW Government / Police / Racism / Rule of Law / White Australia
Magistrate Clisdell and the NSW ‘just-us’ system
It is sillier than the vain futile cawing of a senseless crow to try to talk to others about one’s own deep sorrow! (Wakayama Bakusai (1885-1928) trans. Robert Wood Clack)…
January 23, 2013
Accountability / ACT Government / Australian Aborigines / Australian Federal Police / Bill of Rights / Corruption / Discrimination / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / Ernst & Young / First Nations/Indigenous / Former Commissioner / Government / Human Rights / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / Racism / Rule of Law / Sexism
Hypocrisy underscoring the ACT’s Bill of Rights
''Quite often before they get there [to court] they have done something quite serious. It becomes quite difficult because the offending behaviour is the first point that you've got to…
January 13, 2013
Bill of Rights / Commonwealth Government / Discrimination/Racism / Domestic Law / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Human Rights / International Law / Justice / Law Enforcement / Queensland / Queensland Police / Racism / Rule of Law / Terrorism / White Australia
David Hicks and Lex Wotton – it’s all black and white
David Hicks and Lex Wotton, two of Australia’s notorious. No I’m not suggesting that they are members of that Sydney based pseudo-outlaw bikie gang allegedly connected with the Ibrahim family,…
January 7, 2013
Accountability / Australian Aborigines / Corruption / Discrimination/Racism / Equality / First Nations/Indigenous / Government / Human Rights / Justice / Law / Law Enforcement / Northern Territory Intervention / Queensland / Queensland Police / Racism / Respect / Rule of Law / White Australia
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity – but, only if you’re white
Liberté, égalité, fraternité; the national motto of France, indeed the emphasis on Fraternité during the French Revolution led Olympe de Gouges, a contemporary French playwright, political activist and journalist, to…
January 5, 2013