Celebrating Humanity on Eureka Day, 2015 t Bakery Hill - St Paul's, 305 Humffray Street - 5.30 to 7pm - an afterwork venue

We are celebrating at Saint Paul's, Bakery Hill in #Ballarat this evening. To-day, December 3, is the day we celebrate...
Posted by Brigid O'Carroll Walsh on Wednesday, 2 December 2015

x

Remembering - the war to end all wars : the Charter of Rights at Bakery Hill, the first document of participatory democracy in Australia

Cross posted with permission  from Advocacy @ St Paul's

To-night at 6.30pm at St Paul's Anglican Church, 3-5 Humffray Street, Bakery Hill, Ballarat, Advocacy@ St Paul's is joining with the Ballarat Trades & Labour Council to celebrate the Charter of Rights, drafted by the English chartist John Basson Humffray who was a leading figure in the events leading up to and surrounding the Eureka Rebellion. Members of the modern-day Ballarat Reform League are interested too.  The site on which St Paul's is located is believed to be the site of the "Monster Meeting" of 10,000 miners who gathered to hear the Charter of Rights.  Hedley Thomson, Chair of Advocacy @ St Paul's, will read the Charter of Rights. Brett Edgington, Secretary of the Ballarat Trades & Labour Council, will speak.  The Charter of Rights is Australia's first document relating to the concept of participatory democracy.

To-day is not only the anniversary of the Charter of Rights. It is Remembrance Day, the day when we commemorate "the war to end all wars".  Below is a letter written earlier this year by Hedley Thomson with reference to the idea of 'nation building' in which he references the events of Eureka. If you want to let us know that you are coming, please go here.

14^th May 2015

The Editor

‘Ballarat Courier’

PO Box 21

Ballarat, 3353

Dear sir,

In the lead up to the 100^th Anniversary of the Gallipoli landing, the ‘nation building’ significance of the event was often mentioned. This assertion needs to be challenged. Aside from the disaster that was Gallipoli, for three quarters of a century prior, European settlers had a clear-eyed view that the Australian landmass would one day comprise one nation. For example:

1840s – colonial governments agreed that there should be one railway gauge to facilitate trade and transport throughout what would one day be a single nation. The fact that the one gauge objective was not achieved was to do with subsequent technical decisions, not a change of vision.

• 1854 – the Eureka rising – no civil war was required to affirm the commitment to establishing a parliamentary democracy; the death of two-dozen people was enough. What’s more, Eureka was a multi-cultural event at a time when Australia was the most multi cultural ‘nation’ on Earth.

• 1860s onwards - the Australian Constitution was developed over 40 years by the ‘founding fathers’, including Ballarat’s own Alfred Deakin. Here was true leadership, providing us with a parliamentary and electoral system with a sensible pragmatic structure to ensure representative democratic government.

• 1880s – the works of Henry Lawson and other writers, with their strong references to a sense of being Australian, independent of spirit, the mother country left behind.

• 1901 – Federation – the culmination of the past 60 years’ work.

On the basis of this history of Australia, it is arguable that our ‘nation’ was more independent, self-supporting and self-assured then than we are now! 

Hedley Thomson

Happy Mothers Day - to mothers in detention everywhere

Please copy this post to 

your Facebook, your Google+, Twitter - 

everywhere you can - 

so that mothers cruelly detained will know 

that there are Australian mothers, parents, grandparents, 

thinking of them and their children on this day.

The Tree of Life Project : an all inclusive, end-of-year Ballarat event - please join in

The purpose of this flyer is to introduce people to the Tree of Life Project.

Christmas is a time of celebration, community, and inclusion – but not everyone is included or feels they can be included.  The Ballarat Interfaith Network (B.I.N.) thinks it is time for our multicultural, multi-faith society to consider an all inclusive community wide end-of-year celebration – an enterprise which could include people of all faiths and those who hold no faith at all.  To this end, B.I.N. is planning The Tree of Life Project.

The Tree of Life is an ancient symbol and metaphor.  It is found in many faiths, belief systems, and philosophies.  Charles Darwin in his work on the origin of life used a form of the Tree of Life.  When Darwin’s 150^th anniversary was marked a few years ago, the world’s scientists established The Tree of Life Web Project – an online scientific project which can still be seen on the internet.

B.I.N. is proposing the dates for the ToL Project to be 15^th - 23^rd November.

Current plans are for community events around art, poetry & literature, music, environment, and science.  In these events, we hope that inclusion and community will be the keys and that faith & belief systems, philosophies and viewpoints will be able to rub shoulders with equanimity.

B.I.N. is happy to welcome people to its ToL Planning Committee.  It is also happy to receive suggestions and ideas as well as offers of assistance – financial, physical presence, in kind or whatever.  To be in touch with The Tree of Life Project, please be in touch with

Margaret Lenan Ellis

B.I.N. Public Relations Officer

Email: mflellis@netconnect.com.au

Brigid O’Carroll Walsh

B.I.N. Secretary

Mobile:  0439 425 751

Email: misseaglesnetwork@gmail.com

Thanks are due to Liz Widdop for the artwork of the tree

and her support for The Tree of Life Project.

NAIDOC Week Events in Ballarat - 2013

Eureka commemorations in Ballarat - the spirit of Eureka is not forgotten

For more information on Eureka celebrations in Ballarat in 2012

please go here

Find out more about Australia's historic rebellion at the links below:

Eureka Rebellion

Eureka Stockade

Timeline of Eureka Events

From the Ballarat Genealogical Society

The impact of the Eureka Stockade

The Eureka Flag

Eureka Flag

AusFlag: Eureka Flag

Some characters at the Eureka Stockade in 1854

The AWU: Australia's First Union

The 1891 Shearer's Strike and Eureka

The Eureka Flag raised at Barcaldine Shearer's Camp

Spirit of the Whale Smoking Ceremony : St Kilda and James Price Point to-day

Picture from here

SPIRIT OF THE WHALE SMOKING CEREMONY

ST KILDA

Saturday 1 Sept. - 15:30 until 17:30

On St Kilda Beach near the shoreline 100m south of St Kilda Pier.

Songlines connection. 4pm Melbourne time

St Kilda Euro Euroke/Yuroe Euroke. Grinding Stone Place

Port Phillip Bay 

Nairm Boon Wurrung

Hosted by Carolyn Briggs: Boon Wurrung Elder

Neil Blake: Port Phillip Baykeeper

Rodney Augustine: Jabirr-Jabirr and Nyul-Nyul Saltwater Man from Walmadan

#Please bring eucalyptus leaves and water to drink.

The country and the sea are calling!!! 

Grandmother Whale is in danger, it’s time for us all to

Wake up and unite!

The whales in the Kimberly needs you!

The Elders all around the world are watching! 

Now our Elders are calling for us all to take up our rightful place and responsibility! 

Calling all saltwater tribes to unite in our traditional way.

Doing smoking ceremonies all around the sea shore of Australia and at the heart of our sacred country “Uluru” at the same time on the same day! In our own ceremonial ways. We call on all our non-traditional brothers and sisters to unite with us. Let Grandmother Spirit light the ceremonial fire. Unite the ancient Song lines. And call upon the Whale Spirit to regain her strength.

Day: 1.9.2012 the day after the full moon.

Time: the smoking ceremony will start at 2:00pm

 Place: Walmadan “James Price Point” WA.

Synchronize your time in your zones s

o the sacred fires can all be lit at the same time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ6FMD8MRC4

also on fb event: https://www.facebook.com/events/458658757499985/

Please share this calling with other brothers and sisters, 

let us know of your Tribal name and group location 

in this Spirit of Grandmother Whale calling ceremonial unity.

With respect and gratitude to all

Lorna Kelly

kellythailalorna@gmail.com

Phone: 0459679028

This is a moment that will be recorded on a scroll with the name of the place where we are gathering and ask the people there if they want to sign it, or write a message on it. Something like this scroll that was done in Melbourne last year, Then all the scrolls with some of the ashes from the sacred fires will be sent to Lorna Kelly in the Kimberley. In years to come our children might see these scrolls and the names recorded and photos of those that will participate in this spiritual event.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?

fbid=172645669477502&set=a.172644929477576.43142.146535252088544&type=3&theater

Interfaith news and stories from the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions

The Words of God vs. the Actions of Men I am neither a Muslim nor a Christian; in fact I do not practice any organized faith. However, I have spent much time in Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist communities, in churches, mosques, synagogues and temples all over the world, from the Ukraine to New York, from Africa to Singapore. Through these experiences I have developed a healthy respect for religion and for spiritual practices and beliefs, a respect that brought me to the subject matter of my first feature film, Kinyarwanda - a film about faith, life, love and hope in midst of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Click here to read more Merging Spirituality and Clinical Psychology by Sharon Otterman The student asked the men to take long breaths and to visualize themselves not in their current circumstances, but as their “best selves.” With eyes closed, the young men pictured those best selves loving their present selves. Read More... Sacred Space: Van Gilmer on the Baha’i Faith and the House of Worship Watch the Video...   Auburn Media Training: Top Ten Tips to Speak Prophetically through the Press Thursday, August 30, 2012  10:00am U.S. Central Time with Macky Alston Join Auburn Media’s Founding Director Macky Alston for this workshop that will outline the top ten tips you need to remember to get your voice heard through the media. Voices of faith who are interested in using the upcoming news hook of the anniversary of September 11th as an opportunity to bridge religious divides are encouraged to join this special workshop. Learn More... Click here to watch previous webinars 'Sikhs Are Not Muslims" Sends a Sinister Message by Scott Alexander Almost from the beginning of their coverage of the horrific and deadly shooting at the Sikh temple in Wisconsin, CNN and other news media went out of their way to send a message to the American public: “Sikhs are not Muslims.” Read More... Eid ul-Fitr 2012 Muslims Around the World from Huffington Post Eid ul-Fitr is a day of great merriment and thanksgiving. Muslims celebrate by gathering with friends and family, preparing sweet delicacies, wearing new clothes, giving each other gifts and putting up lights and other decorations in their homes. Read More... Latest from State of Formation Voices of Emerging Leaders Branches of the Same Tree: Overcoming Sectarian Divides Among Muslims by Rose Aslan The World to Come by Adina Allen Bibliography of Responses to the Tragedy in Wisconson by Journal of Inter-Religious Dialogue Program Highlight: Partner Cities Network The Council has built relationships with over 70 cities around the world in the effort to build an enduring, multifaceted interreligious movement. To join, each Partner City evaluates its interreligious landscape and achievements with the Council. Together, we help chart a course that will strengthen bonds between diverse religious and cultural communities, and prioritize each city’s projects for growth and action. Your support of the Council brings people together to work for a better world. Make a gift today!

Celebration of Faiths: a cornucopia of festival celebrations across western Melbourne

  

Eid Celebration

Time: 28th August 2012, 12:20 PM – 2:30 PM

Venue: 15-29 Buchan Street, Meadow Heights 3048

Phone: 03 9309 5211

Eid-al-Adha Celebration

Time: 29 October 2012, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM

Venue: Fawkner Community House, CB Smith Reserve

79 Jukes Road, Fawkner 3060

Phone: 03 9357 2444

Diwali Celebration

Time: 16 November 2012, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Venue: The Homestead Community & Learning Centre

30 Whiltshire Drive, Roxburgh Park 3064

Phone: 03 9205 2760

Christmas Celebration

Time: 1st Week of December (Please check date and time with Dallas NH)

Venue: Anderson Reserve Broadmeadows 3047

Phone: 03 9302 2131

Chinese New Year Celebration

Time: 13 February 2013, 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Venue: Tullamarine Community House

30 Carol Grove Tullamarine 3043

Phone: 03 9338 9072

Related articles

• Celebrating Diwali
• Eid Al-Fitr 2012: A Celebration At The End Of Ramadan
• IN PICTURES: Muslims in Kenya prepare the EID Al-Adha
• lets get the Diwali stamp issued.
• VIEWPOINTS: Have you ever attended a church or other religion-related activity for a faith outside your own?
• Definition of the word 'Eid...
• Eid Etiquettes

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day on August 4 - celebrate!

In Brisbane on Saturday August 4?

The Reconciliation Action Project

at

Peakcare Queensland 

is organising a marvellous day out

as part of celebrating

National Aboriginal and Islander Children's Day.

This year it is a HUGE Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day to celebrate the fun of being a child. Every one within cooee of Roma Street Parklands close to Roma Street train station and bus stops will be heading for a day with plenty of free activities, food and friends. We hope you will all join the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Protection Peak and all the organisations registered to bring their sense of fun to have a great day. Enter through Gate 5 - top of Albert Street.

Related articles

• Solidarity is key to a reconciled Australia

  ---

The article below is by Tess Lawrence and is re-posted, with permission, from the Independent Australia website. I hope Networkers will pop over there to follow up on the comments to Tess's article.  Tess has kindly published my previous post in the comments section as well.  And I hope you too will become a regular reader of IA.

~~~~~~~~~~

AUSTRALIA DAY IN BLACK AND WHITE

by contributing editor-at-large Tess Lawrence

“Many of our people call it invasion day,” said Mr Mick Dodson, a professor of law at the Australian National University. “To many indigenous Australians, in fact, most indigenous Australians, it really reflects the day in which our world came crashing down.”

When Mick Dodson uttered those words in 2009, after being named Australian of the Year, he addressed the echidna in the outback room. I’m not the only Australian that empathises with him and like thinkers.

We have become so used to having a moribund Federal Parliament that has long divested itself of any concern, or even affection, for its people, but instead has morphed into a wasteland of toxic factions and fetid egos whose venal pursuit of power for power’s sake has reduced our nation’s governance to political squalor and hypocrisy.

This year we celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy set up on the grounds of the old Parliament House in Canberra. It is a sacred vigil.

The Tent Embassy has a nobility, patriotic passion and sense of purpose that is completely lacking in The Big House.

Its Coat of Arms and Constitution has no need for royal decree, since the people themselves have decreed it and declared it.

It does not buy and sell speakers and squelchers of the House. Its Ambassadors do not sit in high chairs or high dudgeon.

The Tent Embassy seeks equality not superiority. It seeks recognition that this nation was occupied by aborigines when the first white boat people arrived in their tens, then hundreds, then thousands and now millions and became the master race through brute and gentler force, imposing their language, their religion and their diseases — and whatever else…

It is a disgrace that we have yet to acknowledge the original inhabitants of our Great Southern Land in our Constitution. I say that, as I write, in the midst of much back patting and back stabbing and nonsensical puffery surrounding the issue.

It is more than a disgrace that we have no Treaty in place and I have long felt this.

I feel we will remain an illegitimate nation until we are honourable enough to do the right thing.

In February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd wrote himself indelibly into Australian history when he said Sorry. Perhaps we will have to wait for the Gillard FM (Faceless Men) Coup to be reversed for him to negotiate a Treaty.

Certainly, of all the big noters and the big notaries in the Labor Party – the big talkers and the big hawkers – Kevin Rudd came the closest to effecting a Treaty. He might yet get the chance to extend his historical paragraph.

Today, Independent Australia republishes an article I wrote for Planet Oz Media in 2009 about the Dodson Affair. Tragically, so little has changed in the years since. Dodson was seen by some to be ungrateful and ungracious when he made his comments — and yet, I rejoice that other Australians of the Year have since voiced their passions and beliefs and told it like it is, without marinating in spin or ingratiation.

It’s the Australia that I once knew and still love. Our Governments can reduce us to political Shamocracy, but We the People can still act on behalf of, and with, our communities and refuse to be threatened into silence or brutalised by corporations into submission.

AUSTRALIA DAY OR LOSTRALIA DAY?

G’day Australia. Do most of us really believe that it’s the right thing to celebrate Australia Day on the anniversary of a date when a bunch of whiteys preposterously plonked a Union Jackboot in the sand and declared the land unoccupied, when they had clearly seen a bunch of black fellows peeping through the gum leaves.

Smacks of a rip-off to me. Come off it, sport, how UNaustralian is that, mate?! Fair suck of the saveloy our gracious king.

And what’s up with ‘lil Kev. When he was Kevin 007 he said ‘Sorry’ for Gawd’s sake. Now he’s morphed into Kevin 09, long lost blue blood brother to one John Winston Howard, hogging the mike and telling us all the answer is an emphatic ‘ NO! ‘to any thought of moving the date for

Australia Day to a more appropriate ‘time of the month’ or year.

I was rather disturbed at his attitude and his nobody language. How can Kev go on about democracy and freedom of speech and in the same breath dictate to that big black upstart, the man with the hat, and his like, that the date WILL NOT be moved. Who said? You’re an elected servant of the people, Kev. The Great Unwashed. You might be removed at the next election, mate, for all you know. And what’s up with the drongo Supposition agreeing with him?

Not a good thing to say ‘never’ in politics, Kev. We of the never never reckon you could find yourself eating someone else’s turds. I’m with Professor Mick Dodson, Australian of the Year – and

Ron Barassi and the apparent minority to which I belong, that believes in Australia Day – but not its date.

As it stands, it’s a day for dancing alright; dancing on the collective grave of the inhabitants of the First Nation. You’ve lost me on this one Kev. Australia Day is invasion day — Lostralia.

What’s more, Kev, and this is neither threat nor prophecy (in case you’re thinking of issuing any ridgydidge fridge magnets to report any Australia Day insurgents), if you keep this up you could get a pair of thongs thrown at you at your next press conference.

A.D. or B.C.?

Should A.D. (Australia Day) better reflect B.C. (before Cook)? I say yes. I say change — not the short change that keeps coming to indigenous Australians.

Tough if it’s an inconvenience to change the date, or to seriously think about what we are doing to our indigenous brethren. All the platitudes in the gin-joints of the world mean nothing if we are incapable of empathy on this matter.

In truth this country was ‘founded’ on a lie. It was not ‘terra nullius’; but to a people that considered itself the master race of the universe, blacks were not humans. Bungs didn’t count.

Do they now, Kev? Not really. Neither in fact; nor in law. Not the white man’s lore. Not the King’s Law. Nor the white Queen’s Law. Nor, it seems, do we want them contributing to public debate and impacting upon the outcomes of those debates.

A bit of shiny bling…

…to pin on their diseased and diabetic chests

We orchestrated their past and we’ll orchestrate their future. We know what’s good for them.

Say ‘Sorry’, keep them happy, give them a bit of shiny bling to pin on their diseased diabetic chests.

Better hold on the toxic sugar. And the rabid 100% alcohol-proof fences.

Even if they are on the dole forever, their life span is not as long as ours, so whiteys on the dole forever can still enjoy the dole life plan for much longer. In a way, their early deaths represent considerable saving to the public purse. Come to think of it, then, this means it is not economically viable for us to improve their health.

They wouldn’t work in an iron ore lung…

They wouldn’t work in an iron-ore lung anyway.

There are two types of black deaths in custody. There are your traditional black deaths in custody: go alive into a prison cell, come out dead — Aunties wailing and tearing their hearts and hair out.

You know the scenario. They make such a bloody songline and dance about it.

Then there’s the other black deaths in custody. They now run into their thousands.

They’re the black deaths that have taken place since they’ve been in custody of the wider community. Our community. In our political custody and all that entails. That is, the sum total of all of us since white foot first trod heavy upon this Great Southern Land.

Once, in 1967, white and whiteish folks voted for aborigines to be counted in the national census.

What if we turned the tablelands on that? Do you think we could ask indigenous Australians to participate in a referendum about the date on which we should celebrate Australia Day? Could they be trusted with such political gravitas? Is that too big a word for them, Kev?

You probably want to keep them away from the political gravy train. Look at what happened to ATSICK. I mean, you wouldn’t want them handling a Wheat Board or, say, be Victoria’s Minister for Transport, Lynne Kosky, or anything like that.

Reckonciliation — Reconciliation

And you’d have to keep them away from plonk, glue and petrol wouldn’t you, Kev? Thenthey might be able to handle it. You’d have to keep them away from parliamentary dining rooms otherwise all their rellies would be eating there and complaining theirservings weren’t big enough.

Have you seen how they scoff their tucker? As if there’s no tomorrow. A short tomorrow, granted — but, look, they do get everything just handed to them on a platter. They get handouts and handsup and handshakes — and then they paint all those hands and plant them in the ground. And then have the cheek to give us their hand in wreckonciliation … oops! Reconciliation, I mean.

But that’s not all. They might have altercations on a night out with the iguanas, which they like to bake over an open fire. And you’d have to ban them from going overseas and representing us as diplomats because they’ll just get on the booze — they could also lose their daks, gawd love’em; but they do wear those red nappy things when they’re dancing, so it would probably be alright in the long run.

Better still Uncle Kev, keep them away from any real participation in political change. No, I like

the way you stood up to Professor Mick — have you done a bio authenticity check on him? What’s he profess to be a Professor of, ’eh?

We stole this land. Dress it up in laws and legislation as much as you like. We all continue to collude in this theft. As long as we delay Reconciliation and a Treaty, we remain accomplices.

It’s not right. It’s not fair. It’s not justice. We can’t undo the past. But we should be honest enough to acknowledge it.

Obama spells a Mabo backwards

I love this country. Like many of us who travel overseas, I am perplexed at the nostalgia and sentiment that intoxicate the brain when away from her. It is surely a spiritual bond and not the privilege of one skin colour alone. The power comes from her — and not those who walk upon her; sometimes walk all over her.

People keep asking if there’s an Obama type of fellow out there amongst our indigenous folk. Fat chance. You wouldn’t consider Mick or Noel would you? Don’t even think about a black sheila.

Unless it’s that Catherine the Great sprinter, the one who’s got ‘Salome’ as one of her middle names,

strewth! That’s a bible name. Cheek of it. She must be well up herself, with a surname like

Freeman. I reckon she could be a closet Muslim. Think about it, Salome………

She was given a bogong wasn’t she — an OAM I think. It’s that bling thing again with them.

And she won a gold medal in the Olympics desperately trying to ingratiate herself to us.

Trying to be whiter than white. As for her draping their flag around herself like that, well, with a middle name like Salome what do you expect ?

I thought she’d breakdance into the dance of the Five Veils, it being the Olympics and all. It was different when our Dawn nicked the Aussie flag — that’s more in keeping with our tradition and idiom; plus our Dawn’s got the advantage of being white. But look, getting back to skin colour, of course it matters. For a start, some of them are that white they only claim to be black so they can get the benefits.

Funny that Obama spells A Mabo backwards. I reckon that’s a sign. Black Magic. Also, some of them blacks are muslims like Obama. Did you ever hear of anything so ridiculous. What’s wrong with The Dreamtime? Their own culture not good enough for them? Rainbow serpents and Muslims. Didge in one hand — Koran in the other. What’s going on there? They should be facing Uluru, not Mecca; the Southern Cross, not Saudi Arabia.

I dunno, Kev, I think I’ve just about talked myself out of it now. Yeah, keep Invasion Day as Australia Day. After all, there’s more of us than them. Yo, whiteys rule! And don’t forget, they’re a dying race. As long as we go on as we are, soon there won’t be a race problem. They’ll die out. They’ve brought it upon themselves.

Geezus, they didn’t even put up a decent fight. And when you think about it, they may have lost their country but look at all they’ve gained. We brought them Civilisation! We took them out of the

Stone age. They put themselves into the Stoned age. We give them voting rights. They want Land Rights. They want equal rights. They make us feel like guests in our own country.

You can’t build a dunny on a dung heap without them claiming it’s sacred land and demanding billions of Australia Day medals. The only mistake we made was when we didn’t follow the example of our own white European ancestors. We didn’t learn from our own history. After all, did not the Dutch buy Manhattan for 60 guilders, if not baubles and beads, from the local red Indian savages. After all, our mob couldn’t read or write — still can’t. Anyway, even if we had’ve given them a few bob, where were they going to spend it ? They hadn’t even invented money. No shops. No milkbars. No malls.

Says it all, dunnit? I rest my slab.