By Eric King-
The global founders of Black Lives Matters have met with the indigenous communities of Australia to publicly share the common parallels between the racial experiences of black people in America and those of Australia. Dominating protests against racism in America,
following a spate of police brutality cases of black victims, leading to killings in many instances, Black Lives matters continues to expand its reach on a global scale to combat racial injustices.
Group co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, who is pioneering the globally growing campaign, says the struggle is not unique to the US, citing the experience of Australia’s Indigenous community.
“Similar poverty rates, similar mass incarceration rates, the deaths in custody that are being swept under the rug – these are all things we feel in the US so there is a deep affinity around this resistance and this struggle,” she said at an event in Sydney on Tuesday.
Local activists have hailed the awarding of the Sydney Peace Price to black lives matter Foundation. The black lives matters foundation body within the University of Sydney, has previously awarded its coveted prize to individuals such as South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who will deliver its award to the group this week. This is the first time in the award’s 20-year history that an organization will receive the honor.
The activist group are committed to raising awareness and campaigning against police brutality, mass incarceration and racial inequality, rather than the conventional practise of awarding it to an individual..
Racial discrimination has been historically practised in the country for decades, despite Australia being a popular holiday destination and place of settlement for many Britons wanting a fresh new life in a new environment. Blessed with good weather, Australia provides a bubbly and communal life for many of those who have ventured down under for new beginnings. In the midst of its magnificent climate and surroundings lies an alarming level of discrimination that is now ingrained in the society.
POWERFUL
Black Lives Matter is being awarded “for building a powerful movement for racial equality, courageously reigniting a global conversation around state violence and racism,” the Sydney Peace Foundation said in a statement.
Group co-founder, Patrisse Cullors, hailed the award “in solidarity with the organizations and organizers of Australia who had and still have faced oppression.”
CAMPAIGN
Australian activists have been at pains to campaign for more efforts by the government to address the country’s own racial issues, particularly inequality faced by the country’s aboriginal people. Asylum seekers residing in Australia are also said to be at the receiving end of inhumane treatment, many of them sent for detention on Pacific Ocean islands.
Australia remains the only former British colony never to have signed a treaty with its indigenous people. Its history of race relations is grim, and indigenous people resident there are generally believed to be victims of authoritarian policies that don’t serve their interest.
According to Government statistics, Australia’s indigenous people have a life expectancy about 10 years less than non-indigenous Australians. Its indigenous people also have an employment rate of 48.4 percent versus 72.6 percent for non-indigenous. In the dangerous and delicate area of crime and justice, Australia’s rate of imprisonment for indigenous people has reportedly doubled since 1991, with aboriginal adults 13 times, and aboriginal youths 24 times more likely to go to jail than their non-indigenous peers.
Adding insult to the injury of Australia’s grim injury is the fact that Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull rejected the idea put forward last May by prominent aboriginal leaders, for a national referendum to alter Australian’s constitution . He said it was not “desirable or capable of winning acceptance” and flew in the face of the idea that all Australians have equal civic rights. Strange words in the face of facts that sadly point to a conscious decision for those none indigenous powerful men at the top tier of the Australian elite heirachichal structure to dominate the indigenous people. The agenda of racial dominance is driven by the deep rooted philosophy that the white none indigenous race is the superior one, and that an elevation of the indigenous race could eventually lead to a power struggle to oust those none indigenous elites whose forefathers have conquered the land for their offspring to control and maximise the benefits of.
It is a sad reality of the almost inevitable goal of continuity by those driven to maintain the status quo and rich-poor divide. Their awareness of the landscape and potential future turn of events is a heightened one that is rigidly built against any appeal for equitable treatment.
Under the Obama administration, the U.S. agreed to take up to 1,250 of the asylum seekers, out of around 1,800 in total on the islands. President Donald Trump has criticised the deal, but not abrogated it.
Elaine Pearson, the Australia director for Human Rights Watch said Australia is ”trying to walk away from its responsibilities”. They must not be allowed to, it would be a travesty for human history.