Monday, April 21, 2008

Waiting .... hoping ....

The Hon Julia Gillard MP
Deputy Prime Minister
PO Box 6022
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Re: Australian Children and Women Trapped Overseas by Domestic Violence and Systemic and Judicial Abuse

Dear Ms Gillard,

I understand that the women of the federal Labor Party actively lobbied the Prime Minister to appoint a female as next Governor General. You and your colleges must be very pleased with yesterday’s announcement of Her Excellency Ms Quentin Bryce, AC as Australia’s first female appointed to this position. Ms Bryce is a gracious, involved and intelligent woman, an excellent choice for the position.

Unfortunately there is a one in millions chance for an Australian female to become Governor General while currently there is a 3-5 in 10 chance of a female in Australia experiencing domestic violence. It would make more difference in the everyday lives of girls and women to address the violence there is a high probability they will experience than to remind them of the opportunities there is little chance they will experience.

What is the benefit to girls and women for women who already have power, privilege, safety and security to receive greater opportunity when the plight of children and women who do not have any power, privilege, safety or security and are experiencing family and domestic violence is ignored?

While many hope that the announcement of any female to such a position will be an example and inspiration for all girls and women that they can do anything they want to and set their minds to, what does it mean to the many women who are unable to persuade anyone to invoke and uphold domestic laws and international human rights agreements to protect their children and themselves from family and domestic violence? For a woman such as myself who has experienced many people, including Dr Peter Jaffe (international expert on child witnesses to domestic abuse, Academic Director, Centre for Research on Violence Against Children and Women, University of Western Ontario and Director Emeritus, Centre for Children and Families in the Justice System) tell me that I have done more than any other mother they know to try and protect my children and they don’t know what else to suggest, then this is other experience of the traumatic and hidden injustices and hypocrisy of our country and our world.

On the same evening news program as Ms Bryce’s appointment announcement we were also informed that sailors on the Sea Shepherd who have been arrested as a result of their activities protesting the seal (slaughter) hunt in Canada subsequently received immediate assistance from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs. I first contacted the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs begging for assistance for my children and myself in 1999. Please help me, and all the other Australian children and women trapped in Canada and other countries because of domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse understand why we are not eligible for or deserving of any Australian assistance while so many others are?

From the articles and letters I have posted to the online resource I created in the form of a blog www.womenwhowant2gohome.blogspot.com it can be seen that many people, politicians and organisations have been contacted and begged to provide assistance for all Australian children and women in these traumatic situations - all who from their public statements I had believed found violence against children and women unacceptable. What I have unfortunately and traumatically discovered is that many who say they care about these issues do not feel any moral or ethical obligation to actually do anything! When directly approached to assist children and women who are experiencing the terrible effects of family and domestic violence and subsequent systemic and judicial abuse, they have a myriad of excuses for not getting involved – not doing anything that might provide safety, security and support for these innocent and vulnerable children and women.

Yet these same people and their peers readily demand and hold the government accountable for providing support and “justice” for David Hicks, believe it was appropriate and responsible of the government to spend $10 million rescuing Douglas Woods from Iraq, are urging the government to do more to save the whales from the Japanese whale hunters, find it acceptable for tax-payers dollars to be spent providing consular assistance for Australian paedophiles caught and jailed in Asia, that funding the Bali Nine’s and Schapelle Corby’s legal defence and arranging prisoner exchanges and transfers to Australia for convicted drug traffickers are appropriate uses of Australian public resources as is coordinating with the Canadian government to provide assistance and rescue from Lebanon for Melissa Hawach, her daughters and her hired assistants.

Not only do these people refuse to assist Australian children and women in desperate circumstances but they also refuse to use the information I have shared to protect and prevent other Australian women and their children from the same horrific experiences.

The trauma of this situation led to …. attempting suicide and subsequently being hospitalised, and I still can’t get any assistance or support in Canada or Australia – and am concerned for …. safety and …. who is now the same age and at the same stage of life as … was when … attempted suicide. Currently I have no way of knowing how this has impacted …. From what I know and understand the upcoming Mother’s Day is not only an extremely traumatic and perilous time for me but also for … , especially … who has already attempted suicide once.

My personal perspective of my and others women’s experience of being trapped overseas by domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse is that it is a personalised, individualised, to-order, form of sex trafficking – women trying to escape situations of entrapment overseas because of domestic violence face similar challenges to women who are trafficked for the sex industry. We have all been deliberately mislead about the intent or purpose for us travelling to another country, we all experience multiple forms of abuse, when we try and seek assistance from the local authorities in the country we have travelled to under false information and misrepresentation of the intent and circumstances involved we are not given the support or assistance that that country’s laws and international laws would supposedly guarantee, many are too embarrassed or too afraid to tell their families what is really going on and many of us feel the only way to escape is to commit suicide. One big difference is that somehow many people see this as being acceptable and legal when individual males treat individual females that they have married in this way. Apparently marriage makes it acceptable.

The more I share information about our situations, the more I learn about the systems that are supposed to provide justice and democracy the more I become confused and concerned … for example, I applied to participate in the Australia 2020 Summit and had contacted Tim Costello to ask for his support. My application was rejected; Tim Costello’s response ignored the social exclusion issues of violence against children and women.

There are other people I had contacted over the years who have been selected to participate in the Australia 2020 Summit that despite the information I have shared with them are not available to speak up about these human rights abuses, are not available to speak up for Australian children and women, are not available to use the knowledge they have and the opportunities they have to make a difference for those less privileged and less safe than themselves. What benefit is it to women and girls to have 51% female participation in the Australia 2020 Summit discussions if the issue of violence against women – which will affect between 30- 50 % of females in their life time – will not be addressed? What was the criterion for being chosen to participate in the Australia 2020 Summit and why, when it appears that no one else will speak up about violence against children and women was my application rejected?

Doing nothing deliberately endangers not only my children and myself and the other Australian woman and her children mentioned in my online resource/blog but all Australian children and women who have or will experience domestic violence - whereas immediate action can protect us, prevent similar traumatic experiences and provide a message of inspiration, hope, equity, justice and respect for all girls and women.

Please find enclosed a DVD “How Then Shall We Live: A Process for Making a Plan to Escape Abusive Relationships”, which … and I were both involved in producing. If you require I can also provide you with copies of my c.v., references regarding my domestic violence advocacy and education work, letters from professionals (doctor, social worker with domestic violence advocacy program, counsellor, pre-schoolteacher) expressing their concern about the … Justice Department employee misrepresenting their information and concerns about my children’s and my safety and experience of domestic violence and other documentation. The Prime Minister has also received extensive documentation in regards to these circumstances, which you could ask him to share with you if you are interested.

I am extremely concerned for my children’s safety, my safety, the safety of the other Australian woman and her children mentioned in my online resource who are also trapped in Canada because of domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse, all other children and women in this traumatic situation, concerned about security of my information and documents and personal possessions still in Canada and desperate for immediate intervention and assistance for all of us.

Any advocacy, assistance, support or advice that would address these issues and bring us to safety while protecting our identity and privacy would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,


* *


Accompanying copy of Australia 2020 Summit Submission …

Australia 2020 Summit Submission
Submitted for both the Social Inclusion and Governance Working Groups

(As my application to participate in the Australia 2020 Summit was rejected, and some of the people who have been accepted to participate include people I have asked to speak up for children and women who have experienced domestic violence and for whatever reason are not available to do so, I am curious to see if my submission will be accepted or rejected. I am still available to participate in the Australia 2020 Summit to bring my experience, knowledge, ethics and solutions to this process on behalf of the millions of Australian children and women who have experienced domestic and family violence and whom no-one else seems to be available to speak and advocate for in public for real change, for safety, security, support and human rights.)

Submission

Ethical & economic responsibility (Noel Pearson “Understanding Ethics” “Ethics & Political Practice” “Ethics Public for the Sector”)

Responsible & credible government accounting - General Progress Indicator, Index of Social & Economic Welfare “more reliably measure economic progress, … distinguishes between worthwhile growth & economic growth” (wikipedia - information & references) GDP calculates Dr Patel crisis economically beneficial! Trial comparative accounting period?

Government priorities - $10 million rescue Douglas Woods from Iraq, consular assistance & legal funding Corby, “Bali Nine”, consular assistance Australian paedophiles arrested Asia, lobbying & $500,000 flight David Hicks – Australian children & women trapped overseas by domestic violence & systemic & judicial abuse ignored. Australian values? Economically responsible? Equity & social inclusion for children & women? Other situations we don’t talk/hear about?

“Nothing about us without us” include “experts by experience” in decision-making. Currently “ethical gap” between rhetoric & reality, researchers have vested interest in research, politicians in re-election, “experts by experience” in change so nobody experiences problems they experienced (listen to any “victim”, Tim Costello “Streets of Hope”, Muhammad Yunus “Banker to the Poor”.)

Misnomer “government funding” v “public funding”-language, ownership & outcomes - affect on social research? Who benefits? Bias & influence?

“Watchdogs” HREOC, Ombudsman, separate from other government departments, more citizen involvement/access; FOI access, “whistleblower” support & assistance = prevention/risk-management. (“Bega Butcher”, DoCs NSW - those with power/“experts” weren’t “whistleblowers”.)

Micro credit for self-sufficiency/self-determination - Muhammad Yunus “Banker to the Poor”

Sustainability - www.sustainabilityadvantage.com

Community based social marketing for local solutions www.cbsm.com

Enable cross-sectoral partnerships - community, government, business.

Implement signed international human-rights instruments.

Economics & Rule of Law – “The Economist” March 15th 2008 p83-85

Justice - Margaret Cunneen “Ninian Stephen Lecture”

Management - Jim Collins, “Good to Great” & “Good to Great & the Social Sectors” Random House



“Recognising our responsibility & opportunity for creating our reality is the only way I see for making the shift from fear to love – from a world of scarcity & greed to one of abundance in which all people are empowered to fulfil their needs in sustainable ways. … we must break through long cultural conditioning on our lack of power, our willingness to accept, & thus co-create, economic & political inequities that disempower people, currency systems that promote these inequities & anything else preventing the full expression of human potential in sustainable ways.”

Margaret Somerville, Australian ethicist, quoting Elisabet Sahtouris in “The Ethical Imagination” Anansi Press 2006 (p 238-239)


“We don’t need new technologies to solve our problems; while new
technologies can make some contributions, for the most part we “just”
need the political will to apply solutions already available. Of course
that’s a big “just.” But … modern societies have already found the will to
solve some of our problems, and to achieve partial solutions to others.”

Jared Diamond, “Collapse: How societies choose to fail or survive.”
Penguin Books 2005, P 522


“It is hardly a moral act to encourage others patiently to accept injustice which he himself does not endure”.
Martin Luther King


* *


Mailed Monday 14th April 2008 (guaranteed next day delivery) to Julia Gillard, Maxine McKew, Natasha Stott-Despoja and Her Excellency, Ms Quentin Bryce, AC.

Waiting for a response … hoping for some care, concern, support and justice before Mother’s Day for Australian mothers and their children trapped overseas by domestic violence and systemic and judicial abuse …

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Australia 2020 Summit Submission ...

Greetings,

As my application to participate in the Australia 2020 Summit was rejected I have sent in a written submission (see below). I wait to see if this will be accepted or rejected as well.


· Ethical responsibility (Noel Pearson “Understanding Ethics” “Ethics & Political Practice” “Ethics Public for the Sector”)

· Responsible & credible government accounting - General Progress Indicator, Index of Social & Economic Welfare “more reliably measure economic progress … distinguishes between worthwhile growth & economic growth” (wikipedia – information, references) GDP calculates Dr Patel crisis economically beneficial! Trial comparative accounting period?

· Government priorities - $10 million rescue Douglas Woods from Iraq, consular assistance & legal funding Corby, “Bali Nine”, consular assistance Australian paedophiles arrested Asia, lobbying & $500,000 flight David Hicks – Australian children & women trapped overseas by domestic violence & systemic & judicial abuse ignored. Australian values? Economically responsible? Equity & social inclusion for children & women? Other situations we don’t talk/hear about?

· “Nothing about us without us” include “experts by experience” in decision-making. Currently “ethical gap” between rhetoric & reality, researchers have vested interest in research, politicians in re-election, “experts by experience” in change so nobody experiences problems they experienced (listen to any “victim”, Tim Costello “Streets of Hope”, Muhammad Yunus “Banker to the Poor”.)

· Misnomer “government funding” v “public funding” language, ownership & outcomes - affect on social research? Who benefits? Bias & influence?

· “Watchdogs” HREOC, Ombudsman, separate from other government departments, more citizen involvement/access; FOI access, “whistleblower” support & assistance = prevention/risk-management. (“Bega Butcher”, DoCs NSW - those with power/“experts” weren’t “whistleblowers”.)

· Micro credit for self-sufficiency/self-determination, Muhammad Yunus “Banker to the Poor”

· Justice, Margaret Cunneen “Sir Ninian Stephen Lecture”

· Economics & Rule of Law “The Economist” March 15th 2008 p83-85

· Sustainability, www.sustainabilityadvantage.com

· Community-based social-marketing for local solutions, www.cbsm.com

· Implement signed international human-rights instruments

· Enable cross-sectoral partnerships community, government, business.

Management - Jim Collins "Good to Great" & "Good to Great and the Social Sectors"


“Recognising our responsibility & opportunity for creating our reality is the only way I see for making the shift from fear to love – from a world of scarcity & greed to one of abundance in which all people are empowered to fulfil their needs in sustainable ways. … we must break through long cultural conditioning on our lack of power, our willingness to accept, & thus co-create, economic & political inequities that disempower people, currency systems that promote these inequities & anything else preventing the full expression of human potential in sustainable ways.”
Margaret Somerville, Australian ethicist, quoting Elisabet Sahtouris in “The Ethical Imagination” Anansi Press 2006 (p 238-239)



“We don’t need new technologies to solve our problems; while new
technologies can make some contributions, for the most part we “just”
need the political will to apply solutions already available. Of course
that’s a big “just.” … modern societies have already found the will to
solve some of our problems, and to achieve partial solutions to others.”

Jared Diamond, “Collapse: How societies choose to fail or survive.”
Penguin Books 2005, P 522


“It is hardly a moral act to encourage others patiently to accept injustice which he himself does not endure”.

Martin Luther King





Take care .... take heart ..... Merinda