STRENGTH IN DIVERSITY

The Democrats Believe: Australia is a great and unique country capable of developing into a beacon of freedom and prosperity for the entire world. But this is only achievable through supporting and learning from a full diversity of ideas, cultures and beliefs within our community; The best way to a strong future for our country is to protect our liberal democratic traditions and to maintain the Australian sense of a fair go, justice and acceptance of everyone's right to freedom of expression; We must show the courage and strength to protect our freedoms in the face of assault by extremists and ideologues, governments and media outlets, who wish to spread fear and divisiveness; People of all cultures, religions, ethnicity and beliefs should be free to retain their languages and culture, and have freedom to express themselves, whilst integrating into our continually evolving and developing nation.   The Democrats vision for a multicultural society Senator Andrew Bartlett, Democrats Multicultural Spokesperson Our nation is a rich amalgam of cultures and people from across the globe. Too often debate about multiculturalism denies the very fact that diversity surrounds us and cannot be undone. And nor should it be. We are a nation of migrants, those arriving in recent years met by others whose ancestors have been here for decades, centuries, up to forty millennia. Our nation is informed and improved by the great variety in backgrounds of our people, and the depths these differences contribute to our arts, music, politics, language, food, education, religion, science, culture and industry benefit us all. The world is growing smaller, and by embracing the wealth of cultures within our own society and improving our understanding of each other, we are also better able to relate to those outside our country. In an age of increasing international fear and suspicion, we have to promote understanding abroad as well as at home. In recent months we have witnessed ugly scenes of racially-motivated violence in our streets. As a society we must work together to ensure these are not repeated. We cannot allow this violence to go unchecked, but neither can we resort to empty name-calling or retaliatory actions or policies. All waves of migration have met with resistance and often distrust, but through the years, each new migrant community has taken their place alongside those already here, and the ‘debate’ around their arrival has been shown up as short-sighted and inflammatory. Despite this, the fear and apprehension seems to resurface again with the next set of new migrants, with same shallow suggestions that this group of people are fundamentally different and are too alien to ever fit in. We cannot blame new arrivals for their reticence in participating in our society if we face them with fear and suspicion. Accepting migrants is only half of the process: a responsible migration program must provide adequate services to help migrants acclimatise to their new country.  As we welcome newcomers to be part of our open, diverse and democratic society, we should not require them to abandon all trace of the culture they grew up in, nor to deny their children access to it. While the Democrats welcome a mature and constructive debate on Australian values, one thing we can all agree on is the idea of a fair go, and equality for all. Australia is a nation of many faces and many backgrounds who have come together to build a future we can all share, equally. It is the path which offers the best chance for a safe and secure future. HELP THE CAMPAIGN There are many ways you can support this campaign - write to your MP or Senator telling them what you think and asking them to support multiculturalism (follow this link for all Federal MPs and Senators contact emails). To volunteer to assist us with our campaign please send an email to multicultural@democrats.org.au giving your contact details and how you are able to contribute. Other ways include: joining our consultative group, ordering 'strength in diversity' postcards, attending an event, or subscribing to our multicultural e-news. Please visit Senator Bartlett's web site for more details on how to get involved! HAVE YOUR SAY Email your comment directly to multicultural@democrats.org.au or, if you prefer, visit Senator Bartlett's web site and make a comment through his web page. MULTICULTURAL ORGANISATIONS Multicultural Affairs Qld Ethnic Communities Council of Qld Federation of Ethnic Communities Council Immigrant Women's support services PHOTO GALLERY Campaign Launch: Brisbane 'Responding to Cronulla - Rethinking Multiculturalism' Brisbane: Senator Bartlett addresses the forum For the latest information on this campaign, please visit Senator Bartlett's web site: http://www.andrewbartlett.com/issues-multicultural-campaign.htm