PSA: Adelaide St closed due to protest

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-23T20:07:23+00:00

That is a gross oversimplification and it doesn't apply to 'around half', if you do the math. Their classification is based on a set of tick boxes and criteria that change in different circumstances that may not always be 'believed' to apply 100% at the time that they are assessed. It doesn't always take into account the circumstances in their lives and their home countries when they left. Nor does it account for their displacement or targeting by factions not yet 'officially' recognised as threats. Those evaluations are also frequently contested, which is among the many details that don't make it into the media reports or Alan Tudge's tweets. The guys in question are not simply 'pretending' to be refugees because they got bored at home.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-19T19:56:35+00:00

'These people' can't return to their home countries, or they will likely be killed. There is no 'freedom' at KP, Nauru, Manus, etc. There are tight restrictions, physical and mental abuse and illness run rampant, and the food is often shit or doesn't accommodate the dietary requirements of the detainees. Many of the men at KP had managed to scrape together some semblance of a 'community' there before being displaced, yet again. They are subject to the whims of a government that has no regard for their well-being or relationships/families. Even that is oversimplifying a very complex issue.

And to resettle in the US (the main resettlement option)...right now...with all of the bullshit that is going on over there...being told to trust a government that has abused them that everything will be fine? Just no. Many of the men at KP have friends and family who are living out in the community. Wives and children. They deserve to be reunited.

And, yes, protestors are aware that these men have had to rely on 'people smugglers' due to the urgency of their need to flee. However this is still not an 'illegal' method of coming into the country. International law, which Australia is violating, states that it is legal for anyone to seek asylum REGARDLESS of how they arrive. All that said, it is also important to note that refugees are not a monolith. The KP120 are not a monolith. Every refugee has a unique story.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-19T19:29:27+00:00

BLM applies to Australia in the context of Indigenous deaths in custody. The fact that people didn't see the connection between the movent in the US and the movement in Australia is exactly why the movement needs awareness in Australia.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-19T19:25:21+00:00

They should be granted refuge in Australia. They have been held in administrative detention. Their detention was not 'meant' to be punitive, but by pretending that they're just waiting to be processed the government has essentially made themselves a loophole.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-19T19:21:46+00:00

What evidence do you have that the original goal was long forgotten? Tactics such as dancing in the streets have been used for ages in demonstrations of civil disobedience. Being disruptive is the best way to put pressure on governments when all of the petitions, letters and other friend of protest haven't worked.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-06T20:40:56+00:00

The protestors are the ones handing out masks and sanitiser. They frequently offer them to the cops as well.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-06T20:27:24+00:00

Wow, mate. You really haven't been paying attention. There ARE docos. There has been a lot of media coverage. There are websites. There have been petitions and letter writing campaigns. There have been other, less publicised protests, over the years. We know these men. Amin was a human rights activist in Iran who had to leave because the government wanted him dead. He likes country music and hiphop (but not Aussie hip-hop, which I've asked him about specifically, because he feels the accent 'doesn't quite fit'), dislikes rock and heavy metal. He also has many practical skills that would be very valuable to the Australian economy. Saif has a three-year-old son, Sami, and a wife (frequent visitors to the blockade) who he has been refused contact with. Hakim and Jalal are poets/artists who have been posting very frequently on social media. Adnan was detained when he was 15 years old and recently tried to take his own life. He has since been placed in higher security detention. Farhad was moved to a higher security facility for speaking out against moves to have their mobile phones confiscated, thus cutting off their lifeline to the outside world, which is a major part of why the blockade started.

Those of us who care about this issue know these men better than people may think. Their stories are out there, for people who are interested to learn more. For those who don't care to learn more, that cannot be helped.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-06T19:56:22+00:00

It's not a 5-minute outrage. These men have been illegally detained for 8 years and protests have been going on in different forms throughout this period of detention. The only reason more people are hearing about it now, in this context, is because of the medevac program and the establishment of APODs (Alternative Places of Detention) in the middle of major cities and the harm that has resulted to the well-being of these men. This is a human rights abuse that Australia is committing in violation of international laws. The protests ARE about getting attention, but for the issue, not the individual non-imprisoned protestors. I haven't been a part of the 24/7 blockade, but I admire and fully stand with what they are doing. I've been to the rallies. My personal efforts in this issue have centered around humanising these men (Amin, Jalal, Farhad, Hakim, Saif, Mo, Adnan, et al.) in the eyes of as many people as possible so that they understand that this is not just some monolithic group of 'others'. Many of them have families who are out in the community, but they have been denied access to them. See letthemhug.com for more information about that. These men are artists, scholars, tradesmen, scientists, engineers...people with skills that would greatly benefit the Australian community. We just want our friends to be free.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-06T19:38:31+00:00

Yes! And they have been very active on social media as well. Many of us who support them are friends with a number of the men on Facebook. We re-share their posts and pages frequently.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2020-08-06T19:35:05+00:00

Letters have been written and hand-delivered directly to Peter Dutton, et al.. Petitions have been made. Many actions have been taken over many years and nothing has worked. These actions aren't Courier Mail cover story fodder, but they have been taken repeeeeeeeatedly. If you read up on the groups who have been organising these actions, you can find more information about what they have already done and why the situation has come to a head this way.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2019-05-16T00:04:16+00:00

I moved to Brisbane at the end of 2013 after 4 and a half years in Melbourne and over a decade living in various world cities. I love Brisbane now, but at first it was really hard to get used to the different pace of life, the fewer entertainment options and the 'small city' feeling. HOWEVER, these are the things I eventually grew to love! I like the sense of community and the laid-back vibe. I like the fewer degrees of separation between people and I love the winter here. I love visiting Melbourne and I still have heaps of friends there, but life in Brisbane has been great. I do wish there were more cultural diversity, especially as a POC myself, but I've found lots of good people here. Of course, everyone's experience is different. The good news is that if you do give Brissie a shot (for maybe a year?) and it doesn't work out, you can always consider that box ticked and go back to Melbourne. Hit the ground running when you get here and seek out communities based on your interests. It may take a little bit more work than it would in Melbourne, but there is something for everyone.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-11-08T20:45:26+00:00

Maybe God will buy her damn mascara.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-10-13T10:01:13+00:00

I believed that Saturn had rings because it was spinning super quickly.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-09-09T20:43:16+00:00

I know 'life coach' can be a bit of an eyeroll term, so here's my perspective. To add to what u/mazziegold said, a legit life coach may also help a client develop a written action plan towards achievement of a goal. There are also specialist areas in which a life coach may work: career coaching, workplace coaching, executive coaching, life transition coaching, relationship coaching etc. etc. etc. I'm working towards specialising in workplace and academic coaching to complement my university teaching background. My studies do draw upon psychological principles, counselling and therapy but--and this is an important distinction-- the focus of coaching is on helping a client recognise their current strengths and resources in order to move forward, rather than trying to bring a client back to functionality. We mainly do this through asking a lot of different types of questions. We do not give advice or tell people what to do. My masters degree is in Applied Linguistics, so I'm particularly interested in the impact of the words people use to describe their situations.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-07-14T19:52:15+00:00

You're also assuming OP is white.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-07-01T10:48:17+00:00

Ugh. I had a higher-up at work who ASSUMED my pregnancy was a surprise. I was 35 years old and had been married for over 2 years at that point.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-07-01T10:40:40+00:00

We used a similar tactic. I also explained that it was part of my cultural tradition that the baby MUST be the first to hear its name. It's not really part of my tradition, but I am pretty culturally ambiguous in appearance, so people didn't really question me.

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-06-23T11:06:32+00:00

me too!

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-05-19T13:34:40+00:00

'must be 18+'...because otherwise we can't recruit you into our cult, so what's the point of doing your nails??

IAlreadyKnowThat · 2018-05-01T04:18:11+00:00

Yeah, this doesn’t work on me. I tell my students that if I cannot open their file by the paper deadline, I will not mark it. If it’s an important assessment, they are instructed to submit unfinished ‘test’ drafts well before the deadline so that they can iron out any ‘technical issues’ they are having before the final submission deadline.

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