Humanists Down Under
HUMANISTS DOWN UNDER
RAY DAHLITZ
EARLIER this year, the life of Australian Humanists gravitated to Melbourne. Victorian Humanists were the hosts for the 30th Convention of the Council of Australian Humanist Societies (CAHS). Delegates and visitors from all affiliated State Societies attended, and a guest speaker came from the New Zealand Rationalist Association. 'Humanist answers to Human Problems' was the general theme of the Convention. Members of kindred societies were encouraged to visit, socialise and increase their knowledge of humanism.
Thirty-five motions were considered over two days of business. Four major resolutions were chosen for publicity purposes:
- that prospective immigrants be advised that the practice of female genital mutilation is illegal in Australia;
- that the definition of 'family' be extended to include sole parents with children, homosexual couples with children, as well as heterosexual couples with children;
- that no government funding or exemption from rates and taxes be conceded to any organisation, including any religious institution, that discriminates against its members on ground of gender;
- that the Government table its three-year-old report on tax evasion by profit shifting by multinational corporations.
Proceedings included workshop sessions where three projects were studied:
1. 'Religion, Ethics and Education' led by Zelda Bailey, a lifelong educationalist from Queensland Teachers' Union;
2. 'Secular Civil Ceremonies' introduced by Dally Messenger, author of Ceremonies for Today, founder and national President of the Australian Federation of Civil Celebrants;
3. 'Religion, Secularism & the 1996 Census' led by Professor Roland Farrant from Western Australia.
The 1995 Australian Humanist of the Year award went to Professor Ian Plimer, Dean of the Faculty of Earth Sciences, IJniversity of Melbourne, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to furthering humanist values, and in particular, for his public campaign against the introduction of 'creation science' into school curricula by Christian fundamentalists.
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Free speech stifled in Australia
The NSW Government in Australia has pushed people too far. The Government has donated over $100 million of public funds to the Catholic Church for International Youth Day, to be held over a week from July 18. It has condoned the digging up parks, closing of roads and conversion of over a hundred sites to accommodate the 'pilgrims'. It has put our major racetrack out of action for a month, and allocated 300 public servants to assist at the week-long proselytising exercise. But this week the (Labor)Government dealt the final blow. We were hit with an emergency regulation, undebated and effective forthwith, that prohibits 'offensive'(to be decided by police) behaviour, t-shirts, slogans, posters etc from the designated sites. These sites have not been publicised. Fines can reach $5,500.
The Government denies this is restricting freedom of speech! But it is the last straw for many who had not intended to demonstrate. The outcry has been wide and angry, with the Sydney Morning Herald publishing suggested 'offensive' and humorous suggestions for t-shirt logos, and criticising the Government action. Civil rights lawyers, and even conservative legal bodies are condemning the law.
There are contradictory statements as to whether police will require vetting of activities and logos, banners etc. This creates uncertainty and possible abuse, with little chance to question those who demand that demonstrators do this. . The papers also report that powers to search, arrest and disband people will be given to firefighters and others appointed with such powers. Again, confusion as to one’s rights will reign.
This is NSW, Australia. It is hard to believe we are living in not only a theocracy, but a police state as well.
Meg Wallace