Ecoso exchange newsletter 2/37; Dec. 1995

Ecoso exchange newsletter 2/37; Dec. 1995

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UNSPECIFIED (1995) Ecoso exchange newsletter 2/37; Dec. 1995. Ecoso exchange newsletter, 2 (37). pp. 1-13.

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Ecoso Exchange Newsletter

Crow Collection Association

Ecological, Social and Politcal Discourse No 2/37, December 1995 ISSN 1033 92051

The Senate Citizenship Inquiry is featured in this Ecoso (on pages 5 to ii). Also included, some information on the history and the current situation in our local libraries. A report on workplaces

in the Western Region is on page 11. Thus :- Page 1, News from the Crow Collection

2 Communities and Libraries -

24 Gentlemen Plan a Mechanics Institute Library 3. Libraries ?? A Selection of Quotes

5. Feature Article :- The Citizenship Inquiry -

A Wide Ranging Debate on our National Identity.

11. A Report by Santina Bertone on Workplaces in the Western Region

12. Ecoso Guidelines, Crow Collection Address.

News from the Crow Collection

Good wishes to Susan Jennison who is now living in New Zealand.

For the last 5 years Susan has represented the VUT Libraries on the Crow Collection Committee of Management. We will miss Susan, not only for her help as a librarian but also her knowledge of and experience with community organisations in the Western

Region. We will be keeping in touch with her through Ecoso.

Our Ecoso subscriber in Los Angeles, Prof. Leonie Sandercock, will be returning to Melbourne in mid 1996. She has accepted an appointment at RMIT. We have already written to Leonie suggesting that the Crow Collection would like to have a welcoming function, .such as was held to launch the Crow Collection in 1990. Leonie

has written back saying "I think your idea of a student seminar on planning for the 21st century is an excellent one". So watch out for further information i

At the September meeting of the Crow Collection Association there were four main decision :-

* tO hold a Student Seminar (in Spring 1996 or Autumn 1997)

* to organise an essay award as a preliminary to seminar

* to have a welcoming function for Prof Leonie Sandercock

* to continue Ecoso in its present format with the main themes for the next year to be on citizenship and human rights, and information technologies and communities.

GLOAMING IN THE GARDENS Don't miss out on our mid summer gathering.

Bring your friends, relations, neighbours to the Royal Botanic Gardens on Wednesday, January 17th

We picnic near the kiosk from about 5.30 to 8.30 pm,

BYO picnic meal

2.

Four and Twenty Gentlemen Meet

To Plan A Library and Reading Room

AN EXCELLENT AND WORTHY IDEA

1982 marked the 100th year of the decision to establish the North Melbourne Library. In February 1882 a meeting was held by

"twenty four gentlemen interested in establishing a free library and reading room". The local newspaper, at that time called the Northern Advertiser, reported that "so excellent and worthy an

institution would, no doubt be the means of drawing scores of youth, whose time, instead of being misspent as it is now, will be devoted to gathering information and storing their minds with useful knowledge".

The meeting decided to raise money from the Government to build a Mechanics Institute and library on land next to the newly built Town Hall in Queensberry Street. The completed building of

lecture halls, library, meeting rooms for members, separate meeting rooms for the public, and shops on the street frontage, was opened in December 1983,

Various societies and classes were held including a literary and debating society, a choral society, gymnastic classes, quadrille clubs and billiards. Only male members were permitted to have any say in the management of the Institute but women could borrow books. There was no provision for children to use the Institute.

The Committee of Management chose the books and tried to cover a wide range of interest. This is reflected in the fact that the

library held books by such controversial personalities as Charles Darwin and Cardinal Newman. However books by German authors were banned in 1916.

THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARY - MANAGED BY SIXTEEN WOMEN

In 1923 a children's library was established and it was managed by a Children's Library Committee of 16 women, It was disbanded in 1926, possibly for campaigning too vigorously to update the library's facilities (II). In 1927 women were admitted for the first time to the Annual General Meeting. They requested the right to choose books for people under 18 years and also to vote in the management of the Institute. They won the right to choose, but not the vote.

During the 1930s the library pioneered a new way of encouraging children to read books through schools visiting the library. In 1940 children from 21 schools in the Melbourne Municipality, a total of 5000 pupils, visited the library with their teachers.

There were 80,000 book exchanges per year.

END OF AN ERA - BUT DISBANDED COMMITTEE CONTINUES

In 1956 the Library Committee was disbanded. From then on the Melbourne City Council has officially funded and managed the

library. The billiard table and accessories were sold, marking

Ecoso a/37, Dec. 195,

p a

ge 2.

"3.

the end of an important aspect of the Mechanics Institutes, The change in management, however, did not mean that the

committee members ceased to meet. Before disbanding, in 1956, the committee members formed the North Melbourne Progress Association with the expressed intention of monitoring the library services provided by the Council.

The North Melbourne Progress Association continued to meet until the early 1960s. In addition to its library monitoring it

successfully campaigned to establish an Elderly Citizens'Club. In the early 1960s it alerted the public to the immanent end of the

99 year lease on the Town Hall land and the possibility of plans to abolish the North Melbourne Town Hall building.

BULL-DOZERS IN NORTH MELBOURNE - OFFICE SPRAWL IN WEST MELBOURNE In the 1960s the block demolition actions of the Housing

Commission in North Melbourne and the unbridled expansion of the city into West Melbourne destroyed much of the community fabric in North and West Melbourne. By the mid 1960s, however, a new type of urban action organisation, the North Melbourne

Association was formed.

By the end of the 1970s the library played a significant role in establishing the North and West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre and the community newspaper, the North Melbourne News The expansion of the community information services at the library has greatly helped local organisations.

What will be the future of North Melbourne Library ? Mos£i;pf:::the;:;ir^

Margaret; ;Aj j Sean; j; "North j Mel j^urne \ \ F±-ee\ \ £Zbrary'i j and] \ fiechsni cs I n s t I tut.el j X&&Q:: :£pi i :J:^^ <$: H i H :-^:: :4^i?J?2_H i£ fC Sf: ^i?: ^ N^i#: i €:4^0Kr j iC?Oi2 IZ^C^li^Oii IJ: j

Libraries ???

A Selection of Quotes

"LIBRARIES MUST REMAIN LOCAL AND UNDER LOCAL CONTROL"

What will be the future of our libraries ? These quotes have been selected to help further the campaign for our local library

services to continue to be accessible to the whole community, not just to those who can pay.

First, from the special Library Edition of the "City Alternative

News", Sept 1995, (published by comnmunity organisations in Carlton)

The Lilxoxy (at pxesent) is ixee and accessilie to evexylody: People entex it with a ieeiing oi entitlement. As centAeS oi knowledge, cutiuxe, and social exchange it iA not too iax-ietched to Say that UlxaAieS axe a valuaUe

woxking model iox democxacy.

Politicians, CommissioneXS and Council Managexs axgue that Compulsoxy Competitive Tendexing is not pxivatisation, that it will not lead to

detexioxation in lilxaAy seAviceS, iut efficiency and impxovement. We axe not convinced. Ii SeAviceS aAe owned iy a pxivate company, ox a lusiness unit, ox

Ecoso 2.37> Dec '95, page 3.

ex council employees, then the essential ieatuxe oi lilxaAies - the Sexvice, iA pXivately Owned. (Manion, TUMIUIU and C&cAUa. COAAJCVS)

Local Govexnment MiniAteX, RogeA Hailam extols a contxact-Xun tilxaxy in

which cost pex look-loan, looks on shelves, and otheA simplistic paAametexs axe the meaAuxes oi eiiectiveness oi the sexvice. Such statements make u6 xeaiiAe that, in the case oi lilxaAies, moxe than any otheA Sexvice the application oi Compulsoxy Competitive Tendexing is a mattex oi ideology which goes ieyound simply handing the people's assets to pxivate opexatoxs.

Like most pxivattAation initiatives pxactised in Austxalia iy majox paxties CCT waA spawned iy the Thatchex GoveAnment; even the term iA a Thatchexile ixain-child. The woxd "compulAoxy" xeiexs to the suspension oi local

democxacy iy lig Ixothex who decxeeA that no mattex how elxiiclently a local gooeXnment XunA its sexvice, this mode oi opexating has to ie Xeplaced

thxough competitve tendexing iy contxactoxs. (Gewiy HOAAOM).

I do not agxee with CCT oi lilxaxy seAviceS. Social education SeAviceS aAe undeXpinned iy ixee- accessille lilxaAies. (IIAA suva, &wto).

Imagine the potential to stxihe it xich ii a puliiAheX, advextiAex ox look-

Seilex had access thxough the UixaAy inioxmation netwoxk to the names and addAess, sett, age and ioxxowing inteXestA oi UlxaAiy wemlexs". (T<XL Hopkins)

Here are some quotes from Bill Garner's article in "Eureka

S t r e e t " , (A Jesuit publication, October 1995)

LilxaAies do threaten the new oxdex lecause they contain iiistoxy, the ideaA tfie imagination, the vexy independence and identity o£ the older oxdex.

...Commercial principle also cut across tlie cuUuxe o& lilrnxianship. Here is a txue example : Management consultants Irought in to tlie State Lilrary

identified Xaxe looks as not paying theiA wag and advised that tliey could le sold oii to lay looks which would le moxe pxoductive in terms off usex

SeAvice. (BUI GcvmeA,)

And, finally, here is a quote from an article by John Sawyer in

"Frontline - Labour Movement and Community News"(September 1995) .•- Compulsoxy competitive tendeAing (CCT) XepXesents the liggeSt thxeol to

pulUc lilraAies. At a time when inloxmalion techjnoiogy iA lecoming cheapex, lilxaAies should le expanding seAviceS they pxovide. Instead o£ delating tlie melits ox opportunities oi univexsal access to the information SupeX highway, UlraAy usexs lace the pxospect o{, theiA local Iranch lilxaxy tuAning into a cxoss letween a video stoxe and a Seven-Eleven

With suppUexs paid on tlie lasis o£ "pexloxmance", less populax looks and

impoxtant literay and political woxks will le weeded out. The look stock wiU emphasise the populax last moving items. Tiie need iox profits will see stall qualifications xeduced to a minimum. One consultant suggests that lilxaAies oHex commercial opportunities Iox audio-video Sales, lusiness equipment and tile style services such as haix cuts, xestaurantA and coles.

TheAa^ ^

Their addAess iA \ PO Boa, 436; TuUamaxine,; Victoria 3043

MemieAShip sulscxipticn is $W • iox individuaiA and $20 iox oxganisationA M6s£_: local liixaxies \ hqage a FAiends \ oi tfoe Liiraxy

Ecoso a/37, Dec, »95, page if.

5.

The Wide Ranging Debate on

Our National Identity

Contributed by Ruth Crow

Ecoso 2/36 included a brief statement on the Senate Inquiry on Citizenship. This article reports more fully on the written and oral submissions which have been printed in Hansard.

As reported in Ecoso 2/36 I made both a written and an oral submission. Here are a couple of quotes from my oral statement:-

I think the process oi populaAiAing the Senate inquixy can ie done thxough Seeking out what are the value judgements that community oxganiAationS have wxitten into theiA constitutions. ...DuAing my liie I have seen what I call the moxal and cultural txanAioxmation oi society may ie only in little ways, I

know - iut this haA ieen achieved thxough value judgements lecoming xeat to people. ...One XeaAon why I am intexeAted in the (Citizenship Inquiry is to make sure that people have a chance to tell the Inquiry why they do come together in oxganiAationS, - a chance to have theiA aims and oljectA xecognised as contriiuting to the values oi oux society.

The idea oi participation in planning empoweAS people. It iA not just a matteA,

oi conAuiiation. It iA a mattex oi helping people to envisage the iutuxe.... to see how they can iit in and how they can change society in vaxious ways...

to woxk oux stXategies and to monilox what happens to these Strale4gies.

On the practical side, as the Senate Inquiry has the task of working out a system of "National Citizenship Indicators". I

proposed the following rights and responsibilities :-

1. to actively defyine local needs and to participate in developing StXategies to meet these.

2. to paAticipate in enAuAing the eradication oi all ioxms of, mate domination ovex iemales not only in the union movement iut also in the community

movementA.

3. to have access to community services and the Xecognition that such access iA limited when people lack confidence in theiA alility to paAticipate (new technologies, iox example the inf,oxmation supexhighway, and changing

economic xelationAhlps, iox example privatisation, aAe tending to Xeduce such access).

4. to ie educated aiout Awstraiian hiAtoxy , especially in Xegaxd to indigenous people and ouA xelationAhips with ouA Asian neighiouxs.

5. to encouAage xespect iox oux national envixonment and other species so thai provision iox oux human needs iA designed in Such a way that the needs

oi othex {fiXmA oi human liie are also taken into account.

6. to know aiout the xights and xesponsililOUes oi the Australian GoveAnment aA a memiex oi the United Nations.

SOME OTHER SUBMISSIONS RAISED SIMILAR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

There were 78 submissions and one way I have studied them has been to see who else raised one or more of the six points I

raised. Using the numbering system I have used for the six points above here are the results :- .

1, Opportunities for Community Participation was raised in a

Ecoso 2jy?. Dec. '93, page 3.

6.

variety of ways. For example, in an oral submssion, Alison

M c C l e l l a n d (Deputy Director, Social Research, Brotherhood of St Laurence)

warned that Australian Governments are pursuing a narrow notion of what it means to to participate in the community :-

Thexe iA a decline in the notion oi community memiexship and people are incAeasingly classiiied and discussed aA economic agents, consumers,

pxoducexs ox woxkexs. xathex than as human ieings, memlexs oi communities and particularly, aA people iox whom xetationships are important. One oi the things which this (the Senate Inquixy) may do iA to aiiixm the people's

connectedness which iA something you do not get out oi the economic diACOUXSe. (page- S3, HanoaAd, 24/7/95).

And here are two more quotes from oral submissions, the first one iS from Prof. Alastair Davidson, (Politics Department, Monash

university and the second one is from Dr Susan Kenny, centre for

Human Rights and Citizenship at Deakin University J—

This touches a lit on what Ruth Crow waA saying. Ii you xeiocus your,

attention, aA has ieen done xecentty in Australia, on a notion oi citizenship and citizen paAticipation, laAicatly what you are doing iA saying you want to heaA the voices ixom letow. But here we have many voices and they are

COming iXOm many diiieXent places, (page, 132, Handout,, Oai <suAmtM>ion,, page- 132).

My expeAience, with years oi xeseaxoxh that I have ieen doing in

communities, iA that they do know where theiA xesouAceS axe; where it iA iaiA to make decisions aiout theiA own interests, whexe they should ie having a say aiout gioial issues, whexe they should not ie having a say, and where they can use their own XesouAceS Going lack to the questions oi active citizenship and the point aiout lack oi xesouxces to iuliil all the wish lists that we might have aiout having a good active citizenship, what people iail to xealiAe is that there are alxeady xesouxces out thexe in the community untapped. There are alAeady skills amongst people _ particularly amongst women - that people do not know aiout so they have not ieen encouxaged to USe them. (HaribaAd,, O^ai Su&wtaotona, page- 143, 24/7/95)

2. The Eradiction of All Forms of Male Domination Over Females.

The quote from Sue Kenny implies this as a right and

responsibility but it was more emphatically stated by Prof.

Marilyn Lake (History and Women' Studies at Latrobe University). Here are several quotes from her written submission. (Hansard from page 719,

Written Submissions Vol 5) 2 —

Active citizenship and a (utl engagement in civic and pullic liie have tiaditionally rested on a sexual division oi laiouA, which allocated

xesponAiiility iox domestic woxk and the care oi dependents to women. This necessaAy underpinning oi pullic liie has woxked to pxevent women's equal paAticipation in political and civic aiiaiAA. Equal access to citizenship demands ioxmal xecognition oi the vital xole oi caring woxk in national liie and an end to women's viAtual monopoly in thiA sphere iox A{^ixmative Action to ie eOective in the pullic domain, it must also ie applied to the So-called private domain oi unpaid woxk.

It is not iy accident that women have ieen moAginaiiAed OA citxizens. Fox

them to iecome equal citizens in the iutuxe, men will need to assume an equal xesponAiiility iox caring woxk, which in turn wilt need to ie xeconceptualiAed aA a lasic "right' and noxmal "XesponAiiility",

3. Access to Community Services was featured in a number of

submssions, usually in association with ideas on particpatory

democracy but also using the occasions to raise consciousness

Ecoso 2/37. Dec, '95, page 6.

7.

about the effects of privatisation on the provision of services and access by the community to information. For example, in her

O r a l S u b m i s s i o n , P a t S y M o r r i s o n (Executive Director, Victorian Council of Social Services) S t a t e d :-

Victoxia, in paAticulax, haA Xecentty seen some Severe cuts in pullic expenditure and community Services as a xesult oi state government policies oi delt xeduction ....oi couxse the end xesult oi xesouxce constraintA at one end, and increased demand at the other,, Vs a lowering oi standards oi loth access to services and the quality oi those services (HanAaxd page, 91).

Robyn Penman (Research Director, Communication Research Institute. ACT)

raised concern about public communication practices warning that research had shown. Although the quotes are out of context the warning is quite clear :-

Concomitant with the gxowing use oi maxket XeSeaxch and advertising

companies is the gxowing xeliance on experts. In oux study oi iedexal goveAnment infjOXmation campaigns, we iound that depaXtmentA ixequently called in pxivate xelations consultants, ox the like, to help with theiA campaigns

The elfiectA oi the use oi experts - especially communication/social science

ones - iA twoiold. FiASt, the increasing use oi maxket xeAeaxchexs and opinion samplers, xathex than giving politicians and pullic servants a real under-

standing oi the electoxate, acts to keep the citizens out oi the political discursive space. As Poole (19&9) has commented "Pullic opinion haA iecome not a matter, oi xeason and delate, iut the specialiAed product oi the

advertising and pullic xelations industries". As a consequence there is no

genuine interaction letween the citizen and the political players. Instead, the pxocess iA mediated iy "experts".

The important point iA that expeAts are only experts in one ioxm oi knowledge.

While communication continues to ie taken as a simple tool iox achieving

speciiic goals, it iA impossille to engage in what Macintyxe calls a "moral quest". A moxal quest xequiAeA delilexation aiout what soXt oi things are good iox theiA own sake; not what eHects can ie irought aiout. (Hanoaxd, WiMen-

SiU>miA<iiortf>. Vol 2, page- 255).

4. The Relationship Between Citizenship and Australian Studies and the Recognition of our History as a Colonial Country with

Asian Neighbours was featured in a large number of submissions.

Here are a few quotes from a submission by Prof. John McLaren,

((Dept. Humanities, Victoria University of Technology) :—

I think any concept oi citizenship must depend on recognition oi the pxiox occupancy (iy the Aioxiginal community) oi this country, and on the iact that the xest oi oux society iA a settler, Society. To deny that iA to ignoxe the nature oi community.

I have noticed in xecent yeaxs that my students in AuAtxalian Cultural Studies have ieen less interested in studying the Australian component oi that,

(AuAtxalian Studies). They axe moxe interested in very speciiic, concrete pxoilems Such as oux xeiationships with Asia, oux xelationships with the Aioxiginal community and with environmental issues. Some people argue that

this Vs a XetXogXade 'Step, that it means less interest in Austxalia. I think it iA pxoially a pXogXessive step. It means that a gxeat deal oi the eiioxt that

waA put into AuAtxalian Studies in the schools and in the universities ten

Ecoso 2/37, Dec. '93, page 7

8.

years and more lack iA now iearing ixuit. (Ecoso emphasis) The students know a gxeat deal aiout ouA hiAtoxy despite complaints to the contrary and they ieel

they do not want to go ovex it again. They want to move ioxwaxd into moxe

pxecise issues, the very issues that this committee is concerned with. (HanoaAd,

Owl Su4«j*&6tom, page, 16S).

5. Taking Account of Other Forms of Life was not recognised in most submission, however in his submission on education, Rod

Charles (Deakin University, School of Languages and Culture) Spoke about

the role of education making it possible for people to attach to their communities and he added :-

One oi the things too that we have iecome interested in over, the past lew yeaxs as we have looked at the environment issues that we stand emiedded in, we would argue that now there iA a vexy xeal need iox people to act

collaloxatively together-. Ii, as we axe told, oux xesouxces axe limited, ways in whch we act privately may have to ie curled as we act in moxe

COtlaloXative ways. (HanAauL, 0%aA SaiiMAbioriA. page, 156).

Richard Mochelle (A PhD. student in citizenship education) made a more

direct statement which was generally agreed to by other panel contributors at the oral hearing . He said :-

Moxal XesponAiiility in this epoch oi gloliliAation xequireA citizens to care inclusively, iox the world aA a whole, to decide every day "woxk time"

commitments in Xesponse to the impoxtant pxioxity gioial chatlengeA, as cosmopolitan citizens. (Hane>awl, OwA SultniAtion, page, 172.)

Justice Elizabeth Evatt expressed her interest in the Inquiry and included the following brief, challenging reminder on the environment :-

Could I also mention that the Earth Council, oi which I am a memiex, iA

developing indicatoxs to show how well States are implementing the principles oi the Earth Charter, adopted (iy the United Nations) at Rio in 1992. I am not sure whether the Committee will ie looking at EnviAonemntal issues . They

will iecome moxe impoxtant in time as measures oi weil-ieing. (Haru>axcL, \XhM&n,

Su&rMA^ionA, Vol 1, page- 199))

6. Australia's Relationship with the United Nations is a central responsibility for all who are concerned about citizenship.

Elizabeth Evatt (see last quote above) is one of the few people to include some reference to the UN in their submission. The Board for Social Responsibility of the NSW Synod of the Uniting Church of Australia is another. They included the following statements:-

As well as lenchmaxks within Australia, we need to take seriously intex- national lenchmaxks. At the current time the lest international ienchmaxk would appear to ie the United Nations Development Index. The HDI should xeplace GDP as the iundamental indicatox oi Australia's well ieing, in the assessment and development oi government policy.

White there should ie xoom iox innovation within the indicatox System, it iA

crucial that Austxalians ie aile to compare the situation within Australia with the situation in comparaile countries overseas, and that Australian indicatoxs thereioxe include internationally xecognised indicatoxs such as the United Nations Human Devetoopment Index. The Australian system should Xeilect

international lest pxactice, and include mechanisms to upgxade systems so that it xemainA in line with international lest pxactice as this develops. (Han&aAd,

UhUten SiUmi&oionA, Vol 5, page, S78^

The Australian Law Reform Commission's submission is another

Ecoso Exchange 2/37, pec. '95, page 8.

«*~

9.

exception. They are also advocating support for the UN Human Devlopment Report. Here are two quotes from a section of their document on "Monitoring Benchmarks":-

The "Human Development Repoxtf' 1992, puiliAhed iy the United Nations Development Pxogxam (UNDP), contains a discussion oi a large numlex oi criteria xelevant to the measurement oi human development throughout the world. It includes statistics such as Xates oi unemployment and human capital ioxmation. Assuming that pxopex links can ie ioxged ietween xights and

oiligations which the Committee iA interested in measuring and the concept oi human develoment, this Xepoxt may ie oi some assistance in satisfying the Committee's Oijective. (HanAaid, WtUt&n, SuAmi&i>ionc>, Vo 3. page- 490) The Commission commends, iox the Committee's consideration, the United

Nations Human Development 1992, and the attached article which deal with the estailishment oi statistical monitoxing system in Xelation to human

develoment and human XightS aiuSeA. (HamaAd ixhUten SuAmuAtonA, Vol 3. page, 492)

The 20 page report referred to was published by John Hopkins University Press has been reprinted in Hansard. Its conclusion is significant :-

The pxoilem is no longer whether it is scientifically possdilte to Xecognise xVsks iox vulnexaile groups. Rather, the question is whether there Vs enough

political will, {financial lacking and oxganisational atility to continuously and compxehensively monitox aluses to make early warning in the human xights

{yield a xeality It xemains to ie Seen whether the United Nations, in the aitexnath oi the Woxld Conference on Human Rights in Vienna takes up this

challenge. ((HanaaAd. {iJiUten SuAmfcAionA, Vol 3, page- 520).

Some of the submisssions from various Federal Government

Departments and from some members of federal parliament give very useful factual information on how Australia is fulfilling its

international obligations to the United Nations. For example,

Mary M u m a n e , (Deputy Secretary, Commonwealth Department Human Services and

Health) lists some of the UN conventions ratified by Australia in

regard t o h e a l t h . (Hansard, Written Submissions, Vol 2, page 650). A

submission from Department of Social Security, submitted by Peter Baldwin MHR,details the relationship between Australia and the

United N a t i o n s (Hansard, Written Submissions, Vol 3, page 582 to 585).

SHEER COMPLACENY A RISK TO DEMOCRACY

In preparation for the Inquiry Hearings the Senate Legal and Constitutional Reference Committee published a "Discussion Paper"

which was prepared by Michael Salvaris (centre for urban and social

Research, Swinburne University of Technology). In a S e c t i o n On t h e

"Meaning of Citizenship" Michael points out that "there are

tensions and ambiguities within the idea of citizenship itself"

One such tension is that ietween the idea oi citizenship as a narrowly

pxescriled legal status deiyhning xelations ietween individuals and State and a ixoadex process oi sociaL and civic participation Anothex tension has ieen the e/xtent to which citizenship Vs a nationalistic concept, only possiile within the structure oi a nation state, ox universal notions iased on ideas

like human XightS. (Dteccvxrion, PpapeA,, page, s)

The submission from Graeme Campbell (MHR for Kaigooriie) illustrates the views of some-one who regards citizenship as "a narrowly

prescribed legal status" and who seems to have little

understanding of multicultural ism. He claims citizenship has been

Ecoso 2/37, Dec.'95- page 9.

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eroded and should be more difficult to achieve :-

All citizens should have a lasic pxoiyiciency in loth written and spoken English leioxe ieing granted citizenship. They should have to undergo a

certiiied test, held under, xigoxous and uniioxm conditions. It will ie no good at all ii individual examiners, with some deluded idea oi "compassion", are allowed to pass poox pexioxmexs, while othexs having done the woxk see the test made a mockery All applicants should pay iox any English classes they XequiAe tO paSS the teSt. (HanAaad, Vol 1 Willten, SuAmAtoioriA, page, 35j.

In the Hearings in Melbourne on July 24th, 1995, Dr Ray

Jurreidini and Mr Jospeh Wakim represented the Australian Arab Council. Joseph Wakin described the effects of the Gulf War on the Arabic community :-

The Gull War is one period that is vexy ixequentty xeiexxed to as a testing stage not just {&x multicultuxalism iut also iox citizenship. Many have speculated 06 to whether, we Australians have passed ox iailed that test.

Having woXked as a gxass xoots woxkex, a social woxkex, at that time I

vividly Xememlex the sentiments oi the Australian Axaiic communities at that time and the siege mentality that prevailed as a direct result oi an alsolute plethoxa oi Scapegoating and vilification, particularly in the AuAtxalian pxess this is not iy any means a peculiar, e/xpexience oi the AuAtxalian AXaiic community. (Owl SwUtuAMom page- 159)

The attitude to multi-cultural ism of other members of the Hearing Panel at which Joseph Wakim spoke, can be summed up by a quote f r o m P r o f . B r y a n T u r n e r (Dean of Faculty of Arts, Professor of

Sociology,Deakin University Centre for Citizenship and Human Rights) I —

I think that underlying a lot oi what has ieen said this afternoon IA a

pxoilem aiout the nation state. The earlier coneeptioin oi citizenship that ioxms the lasis oi much contempoxaxy discussion comes irom the loth and

19th centuries whexe nations states were trying to homogenise societies iy suppxessing suloxdinate languages (Ecoso emphasis) and having a very Strong sense oi centralised integration. Now there has ieen the development oi

gioial exchange laioux markets, the gxowth on international electronic communications exchanges, high levels oi migration and So {pxth..

We need a new conception oi community and a new conception oi identity and I think this conception has to ie moxe {yfexille and moxe attuned to the

kind oi current circumstances oi the political entity. (Owl SutmtMiom, page- 176).

"A NEW CONCEPTION OF COMMUNITY AND A NEW CONCEPTION OF IDENTITY"

Prof. Turner's words (in the quote above) are a challenge to all who are striving for a dynamic concept of citizenship and a re- vitalised democracy, but as Michael Salvaris warns :-

One oi the greatest risks to democracy is sheer complacency (DiAcuMAion Pope*,)

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E c o s o E x c h a n g e G u i d e l i n e s Adopted 1973

1. Ecoso has a value judgesent io favour of regeneration and promotion of connunity participation meaning

that it is humanising and enriching for people to relate to each other through one fora or another of voluntary participatory activity both on the job and off the job, exercising a neasure of control over such activities.

2. A consequent recognition of the necessity for change in life-style and behaviour patterns to one that

sees the quality of life as an alternative to consumerism, understood as mass production and consumption.of wasteful and unsatisfactory goods aod services based on compulsion and manipulation.

3. Accordingly a policy of restricting the use of energy and non-renewable resources per head and hence a

planned design of community including size of population, where people can relate to each other and to nature in order to reduce wasteful goods and services and at the same time guaranteeing an adequate minimus

subsistence for all, using modern technology to this end.

k. The recognition that such objectives cannot be achieved either on the basis of practical, linear, one-

level ecological remedies or vith authoritarian and manipulative control of affairs aod requires participatory effort to achieve global equilibrium.

(Subscription to Ecoso Newsletter $10 for 6 issues. Ecoso was first published from 1967 to 1980. It was

revived in 1988. The Crow Collection Association was formed in 1990. It has adopted Ecoso as its newsletter. Kore information about the Crow Collection and Ecoso from the address below.)

Crow C o l l e c t i o n A s s o c i a t i o n ( I n c o r p . ) A Living Library to Plan-for the 21st Century

C/o Ms Sheila Byard, Dept oi Uxian and social Policy, Victoria University oi Technology, Box 74428 MCMC, MeUourne 8007. Phone (03) 9688.4754, FAX (03) 9688.4324.