Elissa Jenkins – Green Grrl

Tonight I attended the organising collective meeting for Brisbane’s World Refugee Day Rally which we are planning for this Sunday June 20 at 1pm at Brisbane Square.

Seeking asylum is not a crime, it is a human right. In Australia, there is no such thing as an ‘illegal immigrant’ to describe an asylum seeker. Any use of that term that’s bandied around is sensationalism and fear-mongering at it’s very worst. You know, pretty much the opposite of the ‘fair go’ values that I was born and raised believing was what defined me as Australian.

The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees (and its 1967 protocol), to which Australia is a signatory, defines a refugee as:

Any person who owing to a well founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside the country of his/her nationality and is unable, or owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country.

The Convention Definition is used by the Australian Government to determine whether our country has protection obligations towards an individual. If a person is found to be a refugee, Australia is obliged under international law to offer support and to ensure that the person is not sent back unwillingly to the country of origin. More details at Safecom’s Refugees: Australians and the Facts Versus the Myths.

Only those countries who are NOT signatories to this United Nations Human Rights Convention are technically able to call asylum seekers ‘illegal’. However, our Australia is such a wonderful country that we – as compassionate, peaceful and pro-democratic citizens – signed this Convention. This means no person seeking asylum in Australia is ever ‘illegal’. I’m dumbfunded every time the word is used by the mass media. I really don’t understand their rationale for confusing the facts. It’s not an objective telling of the facts; the word actually loads a story with a particularly negative perspective. It’s sensationalist journalism and it bugs the hell out of me. Big cheers for all the journalists out there who give their editors a good run for their money when preparing their own articles and a big shout out to editors who offer a more objective style of reporting on asylum seekers.

Word on the street is that Queensland now has it’s first 2 detention centres and there’s a 3rd on its way. Guh. This is a so shameful, particularly given I am aware of NGOs whose own refugee support services are radically underfunded and yet who could – with the bizarre amount of funding that’s spent imprisoning people – could instead use these funds to offer a community-based style approach to welcoming asylum seekers. These organisations have countless talented, professional staff and passionate volunteers who’d be willing to genuinely provide the welcoming environment that these traumatised men, women and children deserve. Let’s think outside this box of fear we seem to have found ourselves in.

When I was a little girl, I remember visiting an open reception centre for refugees and asylum seekers. This is what I’m asking for now. And they call me a ‘progressive’ because I’m seeking to re-instate old policies; to consider revisiting a similar arrangement as that which occurred in the 1970s and 80s. Odd. It’d just be so more socially useful to welcome asylum seekers in spaces where individuals, community organisations and governments can provide health, language and work support while people in the community are free to visit their new neighbours and where people are free to leave and learn about what makes our communities tick. This is the lucky country I remember. I don’t think I’m asking for much. Just a touch of humanity to shine a light on Australia’s recent dark history.

Hopefully see you Sunday.

While there’s still a lot of work to be done in working with the Moreton people in the lead up to the 2010 federal election, I’m so delighted to hear this week’s polling results, with Australians showing true social and climate leadership by voicing their support for The Greens.

I’ve been a member of The Greens since 2003 and seen the party go from strength to the strength. If Rudd wants to improve his ‘Green’ credentials, he’s got a tough time ahead. ‘Green’ means lots more than just ecological responsibility. It means social justice, grassroots/participatory democracy, peace and non-violence. That’s what The Greens stand for. That’s what I stand for. Is that what Graham Perrett stands for? Read the Greens policies today and, if you like something you read, consider asking Perrett what his thoughts are on the matter.

Rudd was insightful today when he said that if there was an election today, Tony Abbott would win. For me, this is really scary stuff. If you agree that Abbott is not Prime Minister material, if you agree that Rudd is no longer Prime Minister material, on election day Vote 1 Greens in the Senate and in the lower house. In the lower house, if Greens aren’t successful, your second preference (to whatever party) will flow at full value to the next party. But your voice will be heard.

That said, I am really pleased to hear this polling news. It warms the cockles of my heart. Below the cockles! Now if I could just shake off this winter lurgy, I’ll be really happy!!!

THE Yeerongpilly Greens announced this week that they have preselected Elissa Jenkins as the Greens Federal Candidate for Moreton.

A Moorooka resident, Elissa is a senior manager for a prominent Queensland community services organisation, Board Director of the Green Institute, Master of Arts student at Griffith University and volunteer for a range of local and global organisations.

Elissa said she was an ambitious entrepreneur until she discovered she could make a greater difference to the world with a career in the community sector while volunteering in the area of political advocacy.

“I have been an active member of non-profit professional organisations since the age of 19 and have been networking with business leaders, community groups and government representatives since then.

“While I enjoy my role in the non-profit sector and aspire to one day work for the United Nations, I believe all my experiences to date – entrepreneurial, academic, media and community – are ideal qualities for a parliamentarian and representative of Queenslanders,â€? she said.

A graduate of Corinda State High School, located in the Moreton electorate, Elissa holds two degrees and is now completing her Master of Arts through Griffith University for which she received a Griffith Award for Academic Excellence in 2009.

“This year, for my dissertation, I will be researching the area of social enterprise from a social science perspective.

“The inspiration for this work comes from Tim Jackson’s outstanding book Prosperity Without Growth which outlines how economies and communities can best move forward after the disastrous Global Financial Crisis and within the framework of a Green New Deal.

“I suppose I identify as an ‘eco-social entrepreneur’ and want to encourage others locally and globally to consider that perspective,� she said.

As a graduate of the public school system, Elissa respects the broad grounding Corinda State High provided her as a teenager and believes it has certainly influenced her values.

“The concept of social inclusion was a philosophy of the school before the word even became popular.

“We had wheelchair ramps to cater to disabled people; girls were actively encouraged into science and maths; we had social justice days to highlight the magic of social and cultural diversity; an environment club for planting trees; a biology camp to research Heron Island’s biodiversity; and arts events to show off our creative spirit.

“I was honoured to be selected to give the ANZAC Day speech each year, so I learned the values of respect for our war veterans, the horrors of war and the importance of striving for peace across nations.

“These are all values I still hold dear today – clearly seen by looking at what I bring to the people in the Moreton electorate as they consider me as their parliamentary representative.

Not only is Elissa a proponent of quality public education for all, but is a passionate advocate for:

• Increasing the funding of community care for the disabled and elderly.
• Providing women with opportunities to self determine their employment and health preferences and to be free from violence.
• Embracing multiculturalism and upholding indigenous and refugee rights globally.
• Ceasing logging of old growth forests across the world.
• Conserving Moreton Bay and the Great Barrier Reef.
• Funding that encourages research into and use of renewable energy sources to reduce our reliance on coal and other fossil fuels.
• Upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter and Declaration of Human Rights.
• Rethinking the acceptance of unfettered economic growth and the idea that happiness is inexorably linked to increased consumption patterns.

On April 28, Elissa is heading to Taiwan to attend the Asia Pacific Greens Network Congress as a delegate of the Australian Greens.

“I am particularly looking forward to hearing from the Prime Minister of Tuvalu who is coming along to share with us the very real threats his country is experiencing due to climate change.

“Despite all the post-Copenhagen controversy on the matter, I am adamant that leadership from developed nations is essential to bring about global change, particularly in the area of climate change.

“The belief that ‘There’s no point us doing anything if China and India are not going to do anything’ is a failure of the imagination and of our responsibilities.

“Wealthy nations, which have achieved their prosperity on the back of cheap fossil fuels, largely before the problem of global warming became so prominent in our political consciousness, have a responsibility to take the lead in order to demonstrate that rich, rewarding lives in sustainable communities can be achieved with a much lower carbon footprint,� she said.

Elissa’s volunteer work with the Global Greens and Global Young Greens has taken her to Kenya, Brazil and Austria where she has become passionate about the value of global networking and the importance of supporting individuals, movements and political parties across the world who share the ideals outlined in the Global Greens Charter.

“Although a global citizen, I also identify as a first generation Australian of Italian and British decent.

“I am fortunate to be in a position to have made many friendships across the globe including places such as Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Uganda, Nigeria and even the slums of Kibera in Kenya – all of which have changed my perspective on life,� she said.

Moreton residents can email Elissa at elissa@elissa.info or follow her election blog at www.elissa.info.

Media enquiries and photo opportunities: Call Elissa Jenkins 0418 786 986, email elissa@elissa.info or call the Greens Moreton Campaign Manager Ian Stewart on 0439 660 273. Elissa returns to Australia on May 6 and will be speaking at the Make Poverty History Public Forum on May 6.

N.B. Moreton covers an area of approximately 111 sq km from Fairfield in the north, Chelmer, Corinda and Oxley in the west, Eight Mile Plains and Kuraby in the east to Sunnyank Hills in the South. The main suburbs include Acacia Ridge, Archerfield, Chelmer, Coopers Plains, Corinda, Fairfield, Graceville, Kuraby, Macgregor, Moorooka, Nathan, Oxley, Robertson, Rocklea, Runcorn, Salisbury, Sherwood, Sunnybank, Sunnybank Hills, Tennyson, Willawong, Yeerongpilly and Yeronga and parts of Algester, Annerley, Eight Mile Plains and Tarragindi.

It doesn’t matter how luxury one’s accomodations are, if you aren’t free to leave and people aren’t free to come and visit you, it’s a prison.

It’s illegal to lock up innocent people.

I am so sick of the myths perpetuating about asylum seekers.

Australians take freedom for granted which is such an irony given we’re coming up to ANZAC Day.

What do Aussies think freedom is? What do Aussies think we even resort to ‘fighting’ for it?

Why is ignorance so rife?

Why is compassion so sparse?

In response to today’s ABC news item and the comments regarding accomodation at Curtin Detention Centre, I write the commentary below.

I expect the ‘hell hole’ my refugee advocate colleagues are alluding to refers to the fact that the asylum seekers are not free to leave and are therefore being treated like criminals when, in fact, they have not done anything illegal. The RAAF bases weren’t/aren’t prisons; I expect those servicemen and women who stay at those facilities are free to leave and friends and family are free to come and visit them. The accoms don’t sound too crash hot nor does the location and if the military need to look after servicemen and women better, then they should. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

When I was a young child, I was able to visit asylum seekers in their migration camps and they were free to leave their camp community to experience the values and culture of their new society. This was in the late 70s, early 80s. ALP’s policy of mandatory detention in the late 90s was radical and the subsequent governments’ commitments to uphold that policy are equally radical. I yearn for the past which is strange because I’m somehow pidgeon-holded as a ‘progressive’ when in this case I feel I am a conservative. Overturning this policy is not radical. Creating it in the first place was radical. Overturning it shows leadership and I see only the Greens showing this leadership. What are the leaders and MPs in the Labor and Liberal Party saying on this matter now? Where are their voices? Oh hang on, it’s an election year isn’t it? Party solidarity over human rights…

I live in Moorooka and I love my multicultural community. I was born and raised in multicultural Australia. I am a first generation Australia of mixed ethnicity. The cultural richness that diversity brings in its food, culture and language mirrors the beauty and excitement of diversity worldwide. What a wonderful world we live in! Where does this intolerance and discompassionate sentiment come from? Why hold in our hearts this suspicion and negativity when a spirit of welcome and love can bring people and families together. Remember, over 90% of claims that are assessed are genuine and these people stay with us in our communities. Why lock them up as a way to say welcome? Why not welcome them from word go within our communities? They need our support. These people have suffered and it’s our international obligation to ensure they suffer no longer.

If our Australian values are to give people a ‘fair go’ I would like to think that this includes those who have been tortured, traumatised and vilified and have nowhere else to go – not just you, me and our neighbour next door.

I was hoping the ALP, when it got into office, would overturn mandatory detention. This hasn’t happened and this latest action of reopening Curtin shows a complete lack of respect of human rights and our international obligations. I want to stand tall and proud about being an Australian like I did when I was a little tike. I want my Australia to shine once more. It cannot shine until onshore and offshore mandatory detention is relegated to our modern history books where it describes our inhumane approach to asylum seekers as a temporary ‘blip’.

Follows is a media statement from Frank Habineza, Founding President, Democratic Green Party of Rwanda that outlines some serious threats to democracy in Rwanda. I call on our Australian Government to show international leadership by publicly condemning these acts of repression.

Media and democratic rights violations in Rwanda

The Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, would like to bring to the attention of the public the malicious reports of some media houses in Rwanda.

The party would like to point out that some people believed to be state agents have since, 30th October 2009, subjected our members to all forms of harrassment, intimidation and illegal arrest.

The same tactics are also now being used on the first opposition party, Parti Social Imberakuri (PS Imberakuri), which has confirmed a presidential candidate in the upcoming 2010 Presidential elections. They have started parading people on National Television and giving them free airtime exceeding 10 minutes, condemning a presidential candidate.

It’s sad that the same tactics refered to above are being used on PS Imberakuri and the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda. We request the gorvenment to refrain from these non-democratic means.

After 15 years in power, RPF should create a leveled ground and let other political parties freely work and participate in all national elections.

We strongly do not agree with the actions of RPF led government on the complete suppression of independent media and voice in Rwanda. The harassment has intensified, causing most of independent journalist to either free the country or face false imprisonment, harassment, beating, and so on. Also as a result, most post-genocide newspapers have closed down or are in process of closing down, due to various government policies aimed at suppressing the media and independent voice in
Rwanda.

UMUSESO and UMUVUGIZI Newspapers, are continuously and consistently been harassed and denied their media and press rights by the present government, an act aimed to see them closed down, they have been denied adverts from all public institutions an
act aimed at making them financially bankrupt and have been dragged to court several times.

The latest victim being Mr. Gasasira John Bosco, the Managing Editor of UMUVUGIZI Newspaper, who is presently in court for some charges of defamation. While in most countries, defamation is considered a civil case, the present regime in its efforts to check on people’s freedoms, enforce people’s fear of self-expression, self-censorship, and completely eliminate independent voice in the country; defamation has been legislated a criminal offence, punishable with up to five years in prison.

We strongly protest these actions and also request the judiciary to be independent from the Executive.

We call for a fair judgment and request the international community to observe these issues seriously.

Issued at Kigali, 11/11/2009

Frank HABINEZA
Founding President, Democratic Green Party of Rwanda/
President, African Greens Movement ( AfGM)/
Co-Africa Representative to Global Greens Coordination (GGC)

Below is an exerpt from a speech that Severn Suzuki (now Cullis-Suzuki) gave to the Plenary Session at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Severn was 12 years old. At age 9, she formed ECO, the Environmental Children’s Organization. Born in 1979 (3 years younger than me), she must now be 30. It’s strange to think that, 17 years on, even a speech as powerful as this did not change the hearts and minds of world leaders.

“At school, even in kindergarten, you teach us to behave in the world. You teach us:

not to fight with others,
to work things out,
to respect others,
to clean up our mess,
not to hurt other creatures
to share – not be greedy.
Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do?

Do not forget why you’re attending these conferences, who you’re doing this for — we are your own children. You are deciding what kind of world we will grow up in. Parents should be able to comfort their children by saying “everyting’s going to be alright” , “we’re doing the best we can” and “it’s not the end of the world”.

But I don’t think you can say that to us anymore. Are we even on your list of priorities? My father always says “You are what you do, not what you say.”

Well, what you do makes me cry at night. You grown ups say you love us. I challenge you, please make your actions reflect your words. Thank you for listening.”

*Severn Suzuki (now Cullis-Suzuki)

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=2028159797

Dear The Herd & Kram,

KRAM: I’ve been a fan of Spiderbait’s music since the 1990s and have enjoyed your personal spots on TV in recent years. However, I have to say that my support for your work ceases today.

THE HERD: I’ve absolutely loved your music and really like the direction your political commentary has taken in the past. Today I am stumped by the discovery you are supporting the coal industry.

I write to express how upset I am to hear that you are both a special guest at Coal to Coast taking place in Queensland, Mackay specifically full of sponsors from the coal industry.

With climate change a crisis concern and with Queensland a global embarrassment, it has taken me by surprise that you would support such a cause.

Today my support for you and your work ends – I may look back on Spiderbait and The Herd with the nostalgia that the music deserves, but I will no longer follow nor support your future work.

I’d appreciate an explanation – and therefore request one – but I can’t imagine a good reason why you’d support this activity.

A perplexed ex-fan,

Elissa Jenkins.

Dear Mr Tony Burke MP,

As a public relations practitioner, the news regarding you using Gunns’ promotional material for your Ministerial statements in Parliament didn’t sit well with me at all. I appreciate your own media advisors may brief you, but it would be great if you and them could work together with groups outside of Gunns (e.g. university academics, Forests for Lawyers, Wilderness Society) that could assist you in gathering the facts and therefore a full understanding of this important issue – an issue that continues to fly in the face of what Australians consider important, namely biodiversity and climate change.

I attended a Biodiversity Summit on Saturday in Canberra and learnt a great deal about the latest scientific evidence surrounding the value of carbon storage in old growth forests in fighting climate change along with the legal and policy changes that need to take place in Australia and internationally with respect to forests and biodiversity. I hope some of your staff attended as well.

I urge you and your team to set the record straight with a statement of fact.

Yours sincerely,

Elissa Jenkins

Time to heal, not hate – Brown

Those pursuing destructive hate rather than constructive compassion in the wake of the Victorian bushfire tragedy should haul off, Greens Leader Bob Brown said today.

“There are media commentators who have gone out of their way to vilify people, including, by inference, many who have died, for having a different view on life, including a love for local bushland and wildlife,” Senator Brown said.

“While there can be no censorship, some of this commentary is callous, unwarranted and distressing to people already suffering from the tragedy.”

Senator Brown reiterated that the Australian Greens’ well-publicised policy is for prescribed burn-offs.

“There is enormous sympathy and compassion from the nation in the wake of the fires but the decided nastiness of some commentators is adding to rather than helping the distress.

“This is a time for coming together rather than dividing our community even before the victims have all been accounted for,” Senator Brown said.

Senator Brown said that he has written to the Prime Minister suggesting that the Commonwealth seeks to join Victoria in the establishment of the Royal Commission into the bushfires.

It is with regret that I announce that I am standing down as the Greens Candidate for Moreton.

Please know this decision does not come easily, but unusual recent events and undue pressure means I must pay closer attention to my health, family, friends, home, garden, pets, hobbies and ecological footprint.

If you’re interested in learning more, please feel free to contact me for further information – elissa@elissa.info.

Go Greens! I’m still a member! Join today at www.qld.greens.org.au.

Elissa.