Yesterday was the opening forum, today was the workshopping program. A marvellous welcome to country by elder Uncle Sam Watson. Introductory comments, two hours for workshops, more conversation and concrete aims and a final meeting. It all sounds pretty straightforward.
I've been to many variations on these days. Again, like last night, it is a combination of belief in the project and crossover between theory and practice. Many of the same sort of people turn up to these events and you have to admire their persistence and commitment. The harder they try, the tougher our militarisation becomes.
In this NAIDOC Week too, we were privileged to hear the wise words of Aunty Lilla Watson, if only we took up the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders perspective...'history is in our land, it is too important to invest in the fragile human being...' Aunty Lilla has some really important points.
And for a country such as ours that spends billions on machines of war, to see a group seeking support of a gold coin for what should be the natural state of the world, peace, is just a little frustrating it has to be said.
 |
| I was surprised to see these |
 |
| There was butchers paper... |
 |
| White poppies, gold coin |
 |
| Badges |
One of the reasons I attend these functions is that I will meet older people, people with a direct experience of world war two, younger people with a direct experience of war in the MIddle East. The politicians now of my generation, which sits in between these two groups, really should get out and speak, really speak, to these people.
One of the people I met was Margid, a child in Liverpool during the London bombings. She makes the white poppies, a symbol to promote debate and rally support for resistance to war. The movement began 1933. At the end of our conversation, she gave me a handful and she said 'give these to your students and tell they were made by the baby in the cot next to John Lennon...he sang about peace, she continues to work for it. Tell your students how important it is...' Margid knitted the poppies. Margid, was the baby in the cot next to John Lennon.
 |
| Margid's poppies |
This is why I attend these events. That's an experience no textbook is going to cover.
[Camera : Canon EOS 60D, 28-80mm, 3.52pm-3.56pm]
