We need to stand up against intolerance and hate

Written by John Kelly, ASRC Campaigns Manager

Television presenter Sonia Kruger’s Trump-esque call for a ban on Muslim immigration and the subsequent social media and talkback radio conflagration show how quickly our national discourse can descend into fear and loathing.

Yet, while political and media voices calling for discriminatory policies pose a challenge to our social harmony, there is a growing movement of people standing up for fairness and decency – particularly when it comes to how we treat people seeking asylum.

Over the past few months the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre has been overwhelmed with people wanting to help in some way to create a community that reflects their values and which supports people who come here seeking to rebuild their lives. We need to empower these voices to counter the disproportionate attention given to those who sow outrage and anger.

Prior to the recent federal election our centre worked actively with communities across Victoria, talking about our vision for a fair system that treats people seeking asylum with dignity and decency, and which reflects the values we all hold as being intrinsic to the society we want to live in.

It is clear from these conversations, and from the thousands of people who contribute time, energy and resources to our work, that there is a growing disquiet across our community about the government’s treatment of people seeking asylum and a powerful mood for change.

Read more.

This article was written by John Kelly, ASRC Campaigns Manager for The Age on 19 July 2016. You can read the article here.

To add your voice to the call for a fair refugee determination process that supports people seeking asylum and helps create a stronger more inclusive community, be part of the #RightTrack campaign. Find out more at www.asrc.org.au/campaigns/righttrack