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Aboriginal Law Bulletin (ALB)
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Holder, Robyn --- "A Letter from London: Political Adventures for Aboriginal Groups and Supporters" [1987] AboriginalLawB 18; (1987) 1(25) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 10


A Letter from London:

Political Adventures for Aboriginal Groups and Supporters

by Robyn Holder

The elite lords of Westminster once thought they could sweep the criminalised underclass of England out of sight (and trouble) forever. They certainly did not foresee any long-term victims of that dumping policy coming in to haunt them 200 years later.

And why come to a place devastated by nearly eight years of Tory rule, where a vaunted return to the same 'values' which generated invasion, war rape and pillage on the Aboriginal people are again upheld.

The British polity can be smug at the best of times but when it's self-righteous you can smell the hypocrisy from Sydney Cove to the Swan. Come 1988 we are all going to hear variations on the theme of self-congratulation about 'civilisation' and 'order' brought to the Great Southern Land. So there is reason enough simply to come and make sure that the true story of invasion is told. No-one likes to be reminded of bloody and avaricious deeds.

It is becoming increasingly obvious that the Brits are planning extensive happenings to commemorate 'great and glorious' beginnings for the bicentenary. The Britain-Australia Bicentennial Committee are sponsoring many events, large and small, country-wide. Perhaps the most grotesque of all is the commercial re-enactment of the First Fleet. Aside from letting it be known quite clearly to the Great British Public that the invasion of Australia was not and is not an event to celebrate, what other reasons are there to spend a lot of money, pack up your umbrella and come?

The Minig Comapnies’ Home

The old imperial Britain may be long gone but the City of London is still called home by many transnational corporations. Two infamous examples are Rio Tinto Zinc and British Petroleum through their subsidiaries and partners, ConZinc Rio Australia (CRA) and Western Mining Corporation (WMC). These, and others, respect Britain's long tradition; blast other peoples' ancient traditions as 'hinderance to progress'. RTZ has hosted many a rowdy London AGM with dissident Aboriginal shareholders and faced accusations of foul play from the Kimberleys to Namibia. A recent example of a successful campaign has been to force Barclays Bank to disinvest from South Africa. They are all powerful yet they do not much like to be embarrassed by people arriving on their doorstep to reject their 'Good Neighbour Programmes' and proffered silver.

The islands of Great Britain themselves form a sort of empire and you may be surprised to find how strongly the Scots, Welsh and certainly republican Ireland identify with a struggle for land rights and self-determination. The Welsh, for example, wage a continual battle to maintain bilingualism throughout their country in the face of English domination. Also, there have been Black people in Britain since the Roman times and it is now 'home', permanent and temporary, to many peoples from all over the world. A poem by a Black youth begins, 'we are here because you were there' and in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Leicester and Bristol to name a few, there are large Afro-Caribbean, African, Asian (from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Uganda), Chinese and other 'ethnic' populations.

Actions Against Racism

The extent and depth of institutional racism and prejudice against ethnic minorities in Britain is not to be denied, Discrimination exists in all its forms-in housing, employment, law, education; training and in everyday life. However, the strength of the ethnic communities lies in an ever deepening unity and activity against racism. There are many different community groups and organisations working in a variety of ways to challenge the many headed hydra of discrimination, The very real value in sharing and exchanging experiences, tactics, strategies and information on an international level with other oppressed peoples is certainly recognised. While many white people see Australia as a land of opportunity and sunshine, a large proportion of the ethnic and particularly Black communities know through, for example, the Race Today Collective, the Institute of Race Relations and the Africa Centre, that Aboriginal people have suffered and continue to suffer from colonisation. There is much to be done in building and expanding these links.

There is a radical perception of oppressed peoples all over the world fighting against imperialism, racism, sexism and capitalism which is heightened by the fact that many political refugees live and base their organisations here. Though they are not necessarily welcomed by certain sections of the British population, there are connections to be forged between their struggles and the Aboriginal one.

So, if this bare sketch sounds as though there is fertile ground in Britain for your interest and activities, who is here to contact?

Making the Links

The Aboriginal Land Rights Support Group (ALRSG) was formed when Shorty O'Neill was the Aboriginal Ambassador in the UK in 1982. Unfortunately he was not replaced but his work laid the foundation for our continued activities. We are a loose grouping of individuals-Black and white, British, Australian and others-who act as a cotact point for visiting Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal activists. We also act to provide information and promote awareness of the Aboriginal to people in the UK by organising meetings, film shows, speaking out and by direct action such as pickets. We have, for example, produced a photographic exhibition on the Aboriginal struggle for the Greater London Council Year Against Racism in 1984 which has been shown in many cities in Britain and Europe.

We have always been London based but over the last two years we have linked up with the Women's Network for a Nuclear Free & Independent Pacific (NFIP). This notional network has provided us with contacts in many of the larger cities. We aim to liaise with a wide variety of groups, organisations and movements with their different concerns against racism, for women's liberation, anti-nuclear and environmental issues. We have working relations with other organisations working for indigenous rights such as CIMRA (Colonialism & Indigenous Minorities Research & Action), PARTIZANS (People Against RTZ & Subsidiaries), Survival International, the Anti-Slavery Society and the Minority Rights Group. These last three have NCO status at the United Nations and are active at the Working Group on Indigenous Populations. Through our contacts and others, we have links with indigenous rights groups in the Netherlands, France, Denmark and Germany.

We are, basically, here to help in any way we possibly can There are, unfortunately, some limitations. just about everyone involved in the ALRSG has fulltime or parttime jobs and our work is done voluntarily and in our 'free' time. Also we have no money so it really is a shoe-string operation. All our activities are paid for by donations and any major projects have to be funded where and when we can find the money.

There are two necessary things to prepare for if you are considering coming - accommodation and money. They both obviously relate to each other and are problems. Hotels are quite expensive but cheaper versions can be found. It is possible to find floor space in peoples' homes if this is really necessary but remember that flats and houses are smaller here than in Oz. The costs of transport, food and other necessaries are also quite high.

It costs an awful lot of money to get here so you will obviously want a visit to be value for money. There are some things you can do to help us make it worthwhile. First, if you give us advance warning when you are coming it gives us longer planning time. It's difficult to arrange contacts at short notice and even harder to find accommodation if you need it. If you have a special interest you want to pursue, eg health, radio, education, please let us know. If you want meetings arranged and with whom, eg public, politicians, particular groups, women only, Black people only, in London or outside, please let us know that too. Even if you are not coming but know of some touring big shot Australian politician or businessman you would like lobbied, then send us the details.

If you just want to make your own contacts that is OK too. The more ground-work you do back in Oz (eg. getting it clear from your community or organisation what you want done or said) the easier it will be here. For example, when a delegation came to pressure the British government over the Maralinga nuclear tests, we were able to pack a lot of work into a short time because they had made contacts and arrangements in Oz with the British authorities and with us here a long time in advance. Pre-planning can make a trip more effective and successful.

Because we have so little money and so few people, we are trying to build up a video and resource library for use in Britain. This means that when someone in, say Scotland, asks for information we can send up a couple of videos and some broadsheets for them to use to educate themselves. If you can bring any videos or other resource material to use and possibly leave with us then this would be very useful. Remember that VHS video is commonly used here not U-Matic. We are trying to raise the money at the moment to make stickers, badges, and posters to sell and hopefully an information pack as well. We are also planning to make banners. The flags we have we do not use unless there is an Aboriginal person with us giving consent for their use.

So you want to come to Britain? Fair enough-contact anyone of us and we'll try and ensure that the Brits know you are here.

Aboriginal Land Rights Support Group

19c Lancaster Road LONDON W I I IQL

Tel: 01-221 4585

Survival International

310 Edgeware Road LONDON W2 IDY

Tel: 01-723 5535

Minority Rights Group

29 Craven Street LONDON WC2

Tel: 01-930 6659

CIMRA & PARTIZANS

218 Liverpool Road LONDON N I

Tel: 01-609 1852

Anti-Slavery Society

180 Brixton Road LONDON SW9

Tel: 01-582 4040

About the Author

Robyn Holder is a white Australian who has been living and working in London since 1982. She has been the co-ordinator of the ALRSG for nearly five years. There has been a growing number of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal activists visiting Britain during this time. This article is offered for possible distribution in Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal newspapers and magazines (please edit it as you need to) with the aim of alerting visitors to the existence of solidarity groups in Britain. And to the pitfalls and pleasures of bringing the struggle to the heart of the beast.


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