I am going to raise my children to be "UnAustralian"

Nope - no typo there, in all seriousness, I am going to raise my children to be "UnAustralian".

I don't want my children to become what many Australians are - racist, unempathetic and spoiled.

We live in a blessed country, but although there are cultural differences, financial differences, "colour differences" and huge differences in opportunities between Australia and other countries - we are made of the same flesh and blood and bones as every other human on this planet. It isn't like there is an "Australian" DNA and a "Japanese" DNA - we are all mixed up all over the world. And I do not want my children to develop the mindset of "I am Australian and they are not so I have superior rights".

The "group membership" thing is a widespread mentality that all humans share - which does usually lead to group rivalry and prejudice etc. But to the best of my ability I want to bring my children up differently.

My children live in Australia and were born in Australia and have the right to access opportunities in Australia. But I will never label them "Australian" because they are so much more - they are part of the human race. My children technically have white skin, but I will never label them "white" because that would be just as weird as if I taught them to categorise their group membership by "blue eyed" - it's just what they look like, not who they are. I will teach my kids that although they were fortunate to be born here, that there is plenty to share, and that giving others who were not fortunate to be born here the same opportunities is not a threat but actually a positive sign that we live in a good country. I will teach them that giving to the less fortunate in ALL parts of the world is a good thing because they are human just like us - why should we "only" look after Australians... why should a place of birth limit our generosity and our compassion for others.

I will never teach my childrent to discriminate against others on any basis - that even as Christians we do not need to fear that which is foreign to our beliefs - Jesus hung out with the SAMARITANS, the LEPERS - with those who were NOT accepted. So although I never plan on wearing a durqua, or denying my own faith etc - I do not need to discriminate against those who are different to me because we may be members of "subgroups" but ultimately - we are all humans.

I hope my children become as "UnAustralian" as I am - or more so!!! Because frankly, the general attitude of most Australians towards other nationalities disgusts me and if that is what the Australian identity is built on... count me out!!!

trafficking

We all remember the tragedy and horror of Madeleine McCann. A tiny beautiful 4 year old girl taken away from her parents and all she knew... to goodness knows what!
Many of us have also seen the movie "Taken", and been horrified by the whole concept.
I look at my little 4 year old, and cannot imagine her distress if she were separated from me, let alone her distress if she was subjected to rape after rape after rape...

And yet many of us are somehow unaware of the fact that Anywhere from 700,000 and 4 million women and children are trafficked for the purpose of sex and sexual exploitation every YEAR!!!! These children can be as young as THREE!!!! It isn't some hidden, underground, small problem - it is a multi-billion dollar industry rated as the third most profitable business for organised crime!
Trafficked victims are NOT there by choice, and they cannot just walk out and leave.
We are not immune to human trafficking here in Australia either - there have been 2 confirmed cases of minors (12 year olds) from Thailand being brought into Australia and forced to work in brothels - no prosecution of the traffickers ever occurred?! How wide spread the trafficking of minors is here is unknown, and how widespread the trafficking of other older women here is, is again unknown.
It really disturbs me that this is happening in the world without much of an outcry of indignation at all. We are silent. How is it that some of the number one tourist destinations for Australians can get away with doing so little about this problem?!! It isn't hard for tourists (yes - tourists, it is the western world that has the money) to find these child brothels - so it isn't hard for the authorities to find them either.

There has been a huge reaction this week to the discovery that cows were being cruelly abused before killed in abattoires in Indonesia... HUGE reaction... and I agree, NO living creature should be put through pain and suffering for the sake of someone else's pleasure... but why are Australians prepared to react with outrage over an hour of suffering for a cow, but not prepared to react with outrage over day after day after day after day after year after year of the suffering of women and children in brothels in south east asia and other countries????? We are way too complacent.

It doesn't help either that the media are silent?! I don't understand why?????? Unless it is the fact that it is just too disturbing a story to run?? Because where the suffering of the cows is distressing, I have to say even just the drawn pictures I have seen from children who are in therapy for what they've been through were enough to make my blood turn cold and feel nauseaus.

Anyway, I'VE had enough!!!!! I have been slowly and steadily working my way through a psychology degree, hoping to specialise in trauma, so that maybe I can in time be of some use to the various programs worldwide that are helping rehabilitate some of the rescued women and children. But it isn't enough to me to end up just treating the after effects!! So... I've decided to write to Kevin Rudd (seeming as he's our foreign minister) to find out what we as Australians can do to put pressure on our government to put pressure on some of these countries to do more to stop that trade. And if I hear back from him, I will do whatever it is suggested, even if it means doorknocking every home in Australia for a petition - I will make sure it is done because this is just so wrong, and our Aussie tourist dollars are so vital to these countries - surely we have a pretty strong influence!!!

To finish off I want to add some ways YOU can help. In case you don't want to be complacent either! And when you look through the ideas, remember that one of the key tricks of complacency is to think, I'll do this sometime... but never actually remember to get around to it!!!!

The BODY SHOP are getting involved in the fight WOOT WOOT... they have a petition and there is also a product that when bought, profits go towards supporting trafficking victims... here's their page about it all...
http://www.thebodyshop.com/_en/_ww/values-campaigns/trafficking.aspx

Then there is connecting hands - an organisation who's pure focus is on supporting victims of sex trafficking in Cambodia... there are plenty of ways you can get involved there, here's there website...
http://www.connectinghands.com.au/main/page_home.html

When I hear back from our foreign minister, if there is a way people can be involved... I will definitely let you all know!!!

Also - do some research!!! The best thing you can do is to educate yourself and others around you about what is happening!!

Finally, if you live in the area, in a few months I will be holding a fundraiser where all profits raised will go to connecting hands (and connecting hands is volunteer run, so all profits go straight overseas!)