E R S I T Y

Conference celebrates global cultural diversityBy Annette Douch Public Affairs Branch

he 1995 Global Cultural Diversity Conference held in Sydney in late April was Australia’s major

contribution to the United Nations 50th Anniversary celebrations. It was hosted by the Commonwealth and NSW Governments and attracted 1000 delegates from around the world. The conference theme was “Strength in Diversity - an Investment in our Future. ”

Annette Douch

As the officer responsible for monitoring the AFP’s adherence to Access and Equity principles, I was privileged to attend the Global Cultural Diversity Conference held in Sydney from April 26 to 28.

The conference theme was “Strength in Diversity - An Investment in our Future” which emphasised the cultural and economic benefits that can and do exist when people from many different backgrounds live together in peace, determine similar goals and work towards those goals.

More than 1000 people from throughout the world attended the conference which was part of Australia’s official celebrations for the 50th anniversaries of the United Nations and UNESCO, also marking the UN designated International Year for Tolerance.

This year is also the first year of the UN International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People and indigenous issues were included in the conference program.

The opening ceremony was a

simple yet spectacular “Festival of Rhythm" celebrating musical sounds from every part of the globe. It commenced with the sound of a lone didgeridoo and culminated in a musical bonanza ranging from African drums to Irish tap dancers. For me this halThour ceremony strongly reinforced an appreciation for the cultural diversity of Australia.

Many eminent speakers addressed a range of issues relating to multiculturalism and diversity - some discussed particular experiences in various parts of the world, some focused on experiences in organisations, and others pondered the future. All agreed that acceptance and tolerance of differences in people is the only way to achieve world peace and that diversity could be one of the world’s greatest assets instead of a source of hate, war, and death.

Opening the conference, Prime Minister Paul Keating said: “The conference has brought together knowledgeable and concerned individuals to consider the ways by which we might make cultural diversity less of an impediment to human progress and more of a means to it. Less of a source of conflict, and more of a means by which the benefits of tolerance can be learned or re­learned. Less of a violent and destructive force, less of a vehicle for xenophobia and prejudice, and more of a means to creating a more peaceful, creative and secure post­Cold War World.”

The prime minister noted more than 220 nationalities are represented in our population with 42 per cent of Australians born overseas or with one parent born overseas.

“This is a much more tolerant society than that which existed just a

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While in Australia to address the conference, Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali took the time to meet with AFP members who had served as United Nations peacekeepers.

generation ago. Today, no Australian political party can hope to succeed with an immigration policy which excludes people on racial or ethnic grounds. Tolerance itself has become one of those words to which we attach a primary democratic value.”

Mr Keating noted that the varied background of Australians has contributed to the rich and rewarding cultural tapestry evident in Australia today. He also spoke of the productivity dividend attributed to the varied background of Australians.

“We have learned that cultural difference means different ways of looking at the world. In an economic environment which demands of enterprises that they use every possible advantage to be innovative and flexible this is likely to be a tangible asset. We have learned that being among the very few countries whose people understand all but a few of the world’s languages and cultures is a very considerable competitive advantage. In addition, we are discovering that our policies have provided us with the most valuable links to countries where we can do business; personal links and personal understanding between Australian enterprises and the markets they wish to enter.”

The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dr Boutros Boutros- Ghali, in delivering the keynote address, described cultural diversity as an immediate concern of humanity today.

“At first glance, the subject of global cultural diversity might seem far removed from the work of the United Nations. A wave of global emergencies has arisen in the wake of the Cold War. The United Nations is undertaking more activities for peace, development and democracy than ever before in its history — and under conditions of far from adequate resources.

“Today the world is faced with terrible regional conflicts, with an urgent necessity to achieve sustainable development, and with an unprecedented range of political, social and economic concerns. Under such conditions, should not cultural diversity be left for some later generation to consider.7 The answer — unequivocally — is no!”

Dr Boutros Boutros-Ghali emphasised the need and value of tolerance of difference yet recognised factors working against such tolerance.

“As many cultures of the world finally began to emerge from the shadow of imperialism, a new and troubling phenomenon appeared. In reaction to the pressures of modernisation, globalisation and cross-cultural communication, an explosion of micronationalism took place.

“Ethnic, religious and cultural separatism threatens a return of some of the worst problems of the past: intolerance or antagonism towards other cultures; opposition of practices

unlike one’s own; and an inability to conduct productive dialogue across the global range of diverse cultures. When a culture walls itself off from others, the only outcome can he sterility and antagonism. The cause of co-operation and progress on a global scale cannot but be set back by this phenomenon.

“Today, as Secretary-General, it is clear to me that only in a healthy flowering of many cultures, cherished for their rich diversity, can a truly global culture of peace — based on mutual respect and creative exchange — take shape”.

The Secretary-General reaffirmed his vision for the United Nations as “an institution of democratisation, where the voices of all cultures and peoples are heard with equal clarity; where no one culture should overshadow another; and where pride in one’s culture only increases respect for the culture of others and for its contribution to the global culture we all must create.”

Senator Nick Bolkus, Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, spoke on social justice in a changing Australia.

“I want to outline today why, in Australia, our own cultural diversity has become a source not of fear, but of richness and strength - and how social justice and political participation have been fundamental to our success.

“The social changes we have experienced in the last 50 years have been dramatic. Five-and-a-quarter

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million migrants, born in 240 different parts of the world, have become Australians in that time, more than half a million fleeing their homelands as refugees and humanitarian migrants.

“Yet the transition from an inward­looking, monocultural nation tied to a distant power, to an outward looking, multicultural society finding its place in both its region and the new global environment has been managed without bloodshed or conflict.

“In the 1990s, with one-in-four of us from a non-English speaking background, every language of the world is spoken here, every culture is understood and every religion is practiced - openly and with pride”.

Senator Bolkus described this nation’s people as its greatest asset and that we are only just beginning to realise the full potential of our human bridges with the rest of the world.“We find ourselves today in an internationalised economy, where the cultural diversity of our population, our place in a region of dramatic economic growth and our maturing sense of national identity all combine to offer enormous benefits. To maximise our opportunities, Australia has embraced a policy of productive diversity - a strategy which encourages government, business and unions to make the most of the skills, knowledge and resources of our multicultural workforce. In social terms, this translates into the opportunity for Australians to realise their full potential. Not just in economic terms, but through the social benefits which flow from economic development.”

He admitted that pockets of recidivist racism remain in our society but that the deeper underlying belief in our society of “a fair go” will prevail.

Mr Bolkus described the Australian Government’s Access and Equity strategy as:• effective communication with

Australians whose first language is not English

• understanding and being responsive to different cultures and religions of Australians whose heritage,

traditions and customs vary from the mainstream; and

• removing racism for Australians who may face stereotyping, cultural bias or even bigotry from other individuals or groups in the community.

In order to meet these requirements agencies (including the AFP) must, among other things, provide interpreting services when necessary, provide information in languages other than English, consult with communities to ascertain their needs, include non-English speaking background representatives on decision-making and review bodies; and train staff to be sensitive to clients of other cultures.

The AFP is striving to achieve these requirements as the dividends will reward the AFP as well as the community as a whole. Much of the work performed by the AFP involves a need for strong, reliable links with people with a good understanding of other cultures and languages. The AFP will be better placed to conduct more effective investigations if it recognises and takes full advantage of the range of cultural and language skills possessed by its members and the community.

A recent AFP initiative, is the funding it has obtained through the Confiscated Assets Trust Fund for language training. In the last two rounds, approximately $300,000 has been set aside to train AFP officers in languages of key interest to law enforcement, particularly Vietnamese, Italian, and Spanish. A natural extension of any language training program is the accompanying cultural knowledge associated with the language and better links with and understanding of communities in Australia.

The AFP is currently going through a change process. In much of the material discussing this change, words like “flexible” “adaptable” “trust” “freedom” “teams” and “co-operation” keep appearing. These words indicate an understanding and acceptance of the value of difference and diversity.

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