Australian Multiculturalism for a New Century: Towards Inclusiveness
2 Australian Multiculturalism: Towards Inclusiveness (continued)
The Council notes that the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991 ceases to be in force on 1 January 2001.
The Council is particularly keen to support the achievements of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation up to and beyond this date.
The Council therefore recommends that individuals as well as government, private and community organisations commit themselves to carry forward the work of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation by working to help to improve respect, trust and understanding between indigenous and other Australians.
For its part, the Council is committed to supporting ongoing community education activities, speaker exchanges between community organisations, involvement in cultural activities, the development of joint enterprises or partnerships, and reciprocal membership of community organisations.
The Council notes that the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation has established that 'there is broad community support for a formal reconciliation agreement. A majority of people believes that an agreement would improve relations between indigenous Australians and the wider community.
Strong community support has also been shown for a new Constitutional preamble which would acknowledge the unique status of indigenous people and their original ownership of this land.’
The Council notes that the Government has agreed to hold a referendum on this matter in conjunction with the November 1999 referendum on an Australian Republic.
The Council recommends that any revision of the preamble of the Australian Constitution incorporates recognition of the diverse backgrounds of the Australian people, including such acknowledgment of the unique status of our indigenous people.
Outreach
To be truly inclusive, it is imperative that multicultural strategies foster constructive relationships between individuals and groups of different cultural backgrounds in order to build bridges of understanding and mutual interest.
The main purpose of such outreach strategies is to reinforce the message that Australians, although very diverse, form a united community.
It is time, therefore, to reassess our willingness to be open to each other.
This could be done through, for instance, interaction between the constituent councils of the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and other community groups (some of which pre-dated the advent of multiculturalism) such as the Returned and Services League of Australia, the Country Women’s Association of Australia, religious bodies, local government associations, non-government organisations, service, cultural and sporting clubs, trade unions and professional and business associations.
Further, interaction between disparate groups within a community or business sector - for instance, unions and professional business associations jointly working to improve diversity management - would be directly beneficial to the participants, but would also be indirectly beneficial to the wider community.
Outreach strategies could be promoted by any such organisations through their regular and established activities, through government programs such as Living in Harmony, Discovering Democracy and the Centenary of Federation celebrations, and through major events such as the Sydney Olympic Games.
The Council recommends that future multicultural policies and strategies give high priority to outreach strategies that build bridges of understanding and mutual interest among individuals and groups of different cultural backgrounds, including between groups whose members are drawn from specific ethnic and indigenous cultures and more general community bodies.
2.7 A call for leadership
As discussed elsewhere in this report, inclusive multiculturalism is of fundamental importance to our social harmony and a key element in the continual development of our national identity.
Inclusive multiculturalism provides the framework necessary to ensure that our cultural diversity is a unifying force for Australia.
Because of the pervasive influence of multiculturalism on the social, cultural and economic wellbeing of all Australians, now and in the future, it warrants and demands leadership and positive, proactive support and commitment by political, public service, business and community leaders, educators, the media and individual Australians.
Without such leadership, divisive and intolerant views and attitudes can spread to the point where they threaten community harmony, causing significant social and economic stress, and even serious damage.
On the other hand, through strong leadership, the benefits of our diversity can be accelerated and maximised, and enjoyed and celebrated by all Australians.
While it is the Government’s responsibility to ensure that appropriate policies are in place, in the final analysis it is the people who make them work.
The Council therefore recommends that future multicultural policies and strategies give high priority to raising awareness of the critical importance of leadership, in all walks of life, for the harmony and wellbeing of a culturally diverse society.
Political leadership
A sound foundation for ongoing political leadership is the Joint Parliamentary Statement of 30 October 1996, with its strong commitment to the process of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the maintenance of Australia as a culturally diverse, tolerant and open society, as well as its denunciation of racial intolerance in any form.
As in every sphere of human activity, political leadership needs to start at the highest level. We therefore welcome the strong and clear commitment of the Prime Minister, the Hon John Howard MP, to reconciliation and the underlying values of Australian multiculturalism on 3 October 1998, the night of the Government’s re-election, when he said:
I want to dedicate my government to the maintenance of traditional Australian values.
And they include those great values of mateship and egalitarianism, and that great Australian value of tolerance and of treating people decently and of not discriminating.
We are a nation of many parts and many origins and we should never forget that we should see that as a tremendous asset.
I also want to commit myself, very genuinely, to the cause of true reconciliation with the Aboriginal people of Australia.
The Council believes that the active support of successive governments, irrespective of political persuasion, has been a major factor in the success of multiculturalism in Australia.
It is essential that such broad-based political support is maintained because any politicians or parties seeking to form government, or to influence government policy, must ensure that their policies are sensitive to the diverse community they are designed to assist.
Failure to do so would be a moral failure, an affront to the strong sense of justice and fair play of the Australian people, and would pose a serious threat to community harmony and the integrity of our democratic system in a culturally diverse society.
This is why the Council urges and recommends to all responsible political leaders that they not lend support to or confer any political respectability or credibility on individuals or parties that espouse policies that violate the spirit of the Joint Parliamentary Statement of 30 October 1996.
There should be no scope for political expediency to override moral principle.
The Council recognises that adversarial debate is a fundamental component of our Parliamentary system and serves to ensure Government accountability.
However, the Council urges all Parliamentary parties throughout Australia, particularly those in Government and Opposition, to seek common ground in relation to multicultural policy and to avoid political point-scoring that would send wrong signals to the community and might damage community harmony.
The Council notes that the 1989 National Agenda for a Multicultural Australia enjoyed political consensus and strongly recommends that all responsible parties, particularly those in Government and Opposition, work together so that the ongoing development of multiculturalism enjoys a similar consensus.
Public service and business leadership
Both public and private sector organisations must similarly provide responsible leadership in promoting the values of anti-racism, tolerance and equity.
Given the composition of the society they serve, and the benefits that flow from diversity, these organisations should ensure that their recruitment and promotion criteria are entirely non-discriminatory.
It is widely recognised that diverse work teams are most likely to contain the full range of necessary skills - and the more such diversity is reflected at all levels of the organisation the more effective it is likely to be.
The public sector, at Commonwealth, State/Territory and Local Government levels, has shown commendable leadership by implementing the Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society.*
The Charter’s seven principles reflect the recognition that a diverse client-base has diverse needs and that service providers ought to be aware of these needs and sufficiently flexible and responsive to service them.
Because the private and community sectors also serve diverse clienteles the Charter has direct relevance to them as well.
It is important, therefore, that business leaders, not least in the interests of their shareholders, adopt similar principles.
Implementation strategies will, of course, vary from company to company, but where they are well executed a beneficial ripple effect will flow to the wider community.
* The full text of the Charter is at Appendix G.
In this era of privatisation and deregulation, many functions have been transferred from the public to the private sector.
Among the moral responsibilities transferred to private business with these functions is the imperative of ensuring that the needs that arise from our cultural diversity continue to be properly addressed.
Business leaders must see this as their business, along with trade unions and professional business associations.
Educator leadership
One of the most important roles of educators is to develop the next generation of 'citizens’ and leaders.
This is, itself, a leadership role. Given that the cultural diversity of Australia’s students mirrors that of the general population, it is incumbent on educators at all levels and in all sectors to help prepare young Australians to live and work harmoniously as productive members of Australia’s diverse community.
Community leadership
Community leaders are also well placed to communicate the message of inclusiveness to community groups.
The Council recognises that much good work has been done.
It asks organisations such as ethnic associations, religious bodies, local government associations, non-government organisations and service and sporting clubs to continue to encourage participation in Australian society and to stimulate activities encouraging people to build better cross-cultural relations.
Media leadership
Media commentators are opinion makers, not just opinion reporters. As such, they play an important role in influencing perceptions about the way Australians define themselves and their environment.
The Council recognises that these commentators carry the sometimes difficult obligation to present a fair and accurate picture of Australian society, including the portrayal of cultural diversity and multiculturalism, while meeting the demands of financial success in a highly competitive marketplace.
However, because the very fabric of our society can be torn by racial strife, media commentators have a moral responsibility to balance their commercial interests with their community and professional responsibilities when dealing with issues of race, ethnicity and cultural difference.
There should be no room for journalistic sensationalism at the expense of an open, accurate presentation of information that assists greater tolerance and understanding and avoids simplistic stereotypes.
Equally, reporting a fair and accurate picture of Australian society necessarily involves highlighting the benefits of cultural diversity.
This can be done through an appropriate level of coverage of the numerous success stories of Australian multiculturalism and by emphasising how it can be a positive factor for individuals, organisations and the nation as a whole.
Individual leadership
While it is the Government’s responsibility to ensure that appropriate policies are in place, in the final analysis it is the people who make them work.
Individual Australians have a role to play in their neighbourhoods, community groups and workplaces to build on Australia’s successful multicultural model and to avoid a 'them and us’ perception.
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