Future Challenges For Australia

1. Future Challenges For Australia Australia In Its Regional And Global Contexts Stage 5 Geography Syllabus 5A4

2. Syllabus Agenda • Human rights and reconciliation • future challenges for Australia in relation to: • human rights • reconciliation • how other nations have responded to these challenges • strategies to address the challenges

3. Migration Australia’s Migration Program was initially set up to increase the labour force and improve national security.

4. Types of Migrants • Migrants can become permanent or temporary residents of Australia and enter under one of the following categories: • Employer sponsored • Business people • Family members • Skilled workers • Humanitarian entrants or refugees

5. (a) Activity • In your books: • Create a diagram to illustrate the five types of programs that allow migrants to enter Australia.

6. Refugees and Human Rights

7. What are Human Rights? • Human rights are those rights that all people have because they are human beings. • The recognition that all people should be treated in a decent, equal and just manner led to the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights on 10 December 1948.

8. Who is a Refugee? • The 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Article 1) defines a refugee as: • A person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion; and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.

9. Asylum-Seeker or Refugee? • An asylum-seeker is a person who has arrived in another country seeking safety and is waiting for recognition as a refugee. • For this reason there is no such thing as an illegal asylum-seeker. • Often these people arrive without documents because they have fled from regimes that would not provide them or they have not had the time nor means to acquire them.

10. Processing of asylum-seekers • Handled by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship • If they arrive in an authorised manner eg visa, they are generally allowed to remain in the community while their applications are processed • If they arrive in an unauthorised manner they are confined in detention centres until they are granted a visa to remain in Australia, or they leave the country, voluntarily or otherwise.

11. A Childs Story

12. Temporary v Permanent Visas • Asylum-seekers entering the country without authority receive a 3 year temporary protection visa if their application for refugee status is successful • Humanitarian grounds – permanent protection visas can be granted to people on humanitarian grounds and enables family to be reunited.

13. (a) Activity • Go to one of the following websites: • http://www.refugeeaction.org/stories/refugee_stories.htm • http://www.hreoc.gov.au/human_rights/children_detention_report/report/chap06.htm • http://www.refugeestories.org/ • Choose one of the stories of a refugee to analyse & prepare a 3 minute oral account of your analysis • or • Create a podcast /imovie on the experiences of refugees

14. The Pacific Solution • The Tampa incident occurred in 2001 • Afghan asylum-seekers were rescued from a sinking Indonesian boat in international waters. • The Australian government refused to allow the ship to proceed to Christmas Island for processing • After negotiations the people were transferred to the Pacific island of Nauru

15. The Pacific Solution • Diverting asylum-seekers to Pacific islands is known as the ‘Pacific Solution’. • The Australian government provided Nauru with an aid package worth $20 million in return for agreeing to accept these people • New law – asylum-seekers can only apply for refugee status if they reach the mainland otherwise they reside in a detention facility on Christmas Island

16. Detention Centres • Immigration Transit Accommodation Centres have been set up in Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide for those spending a short time in detention and regarded as a low-security risk

17. (a) Detention Centres • INTERNET ACTIVITY • Research the treatment of refugees in one developed country and compare the treatment there with the treatment provided by Australia. • Develop an annotated map of Australia to illustrate the location of Australian detention centres. Describe the distribution of Australian detention centres. • Compose a letter to the editor of a national newspaper expressing your opinion on the detention of asylum-seekers.

18. Reconciliation

19. Definition • The process of understanding and restoring a relationship, especially between Australian Indigenous peoples and the wider community • Reconciliation is a community-based movement involving Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians • Handout – Indigenous Land Rights (GF2 Teacher Resource p19-20)

20. Reconciliation in Australia • Is based on three main ideas: • RECOGNITION that Indigenous people are the traditional owners of the land and have a unique relationship with the physical environment • JUSTICE – Past government policies have been detrimental to Aboriginal populations eg Stolen generation leading to social problems • HEALING – improving living conditions and quality of life for all Australians, but especially the disadvantaged

21. Reconciliation today • The Current Situation • Individuals promoting reconciliation include: • Peter Garrett (politician) • John Williamson (singer/songwriter) • Cathy Freeman (athlete) • Pat Dodson (priest)

22. Reconciliation today • The Current Situation • Groups and organisations involved in reconciliation include: • Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR) • Reconciliation Australia • NSW State Government ensure fair representation of Aboriginal people on decision-making bodies and ensure policies and services are relevant and accessible to all people including Indigenous groups • Federal government (Rudd) formally apologised for the wrongs committed by white Australians towards the Indigenous people

23. Responses to Reconciliation • Other Nations experiencing Indigenous and reconciliation issues include: • New Zealand • Bolivia

24. (a) Activity • Research how New Zealand and/or Bolivia have dealt with the issues of reconciliation and Indigenous people • Design a reconciliation flag for Australia. • Explain the relevance of all components in your flag. • Identify an individual or group involved in reconciliation. • Conduct research to express their perspective on the issue.

25. Strategies for the Future • Reconciliation will not be a reality until Indigenous disadvantage is improved. • More progress and decision-making needs to be made in the areas of Indigenous health, education, housing, employment and land ownership. • Self-determination is the right to administer one’s own community which the Aboriginal community requested in the 1980’s. This proposal has been declined up to this point in time.