22-08-00

The Australian

Hello,

I just chanced upon this 'blast from the past' today while rummaging through old papers, and I thought it rather poignant in view of the current debate on protests. Sadly, at the time of _my_ campaign 28 years ago, none of the academics and political figures I wrote to, on the basis of their letters to the Oz, even bothered to reply, let alone _do_ someting! Here is what _I_ proposed in the way of a boycott back in those dark ages:

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Sydney, 31st July 1972

Dear Mr Atkinson,

you suggest in The Australian that protest should be made at whatever level one might think effective, to help ensure human rights for the Aboriginal people. As an immigrant journalist who was exposed to the anti-"Abo" mentality and official attitudes in North Queensland recently, I feel strongly about this issue, although my immediate concern now is about the exploitation and misery of migrants in this country. But the Aboriginals unquestionably are the worst-treated minority, and in their own country at that. I believe that one method of protest is especially effective, as far as the Australian way of opinion-making is concerned: anything critical or hostile published abroad is likely to have a considerable "feedback effect" on the established structures here. Therefore I feel that a strong gesture could be made in relation to Australia's bid for a seat on the U.N. Security Council by sending a letter to each U.N. delegation leader in which Australia's right to such a responsible position is denied on the grounds that she is lacking in maturity and morality because of her treatment of the Aboriginal people, the cynical "slave-running" of importing cheap labour (and supporters of white rightist policies, as lamentably demonstrated again in Brisbane Sunday), the continuing, concealed quest for nuclear power etc. Such a letter, for which an effective, terse text should be drafted by the groupings concerned in a joint venture, signed by all and submitted to the U.N. delegates before the vote is taken in September. The appeal may or may not sway any delegation, but this is beside the point: the mere fact that such grievances are taken up to the U.N. level and used as a "tool" to disturb official Australian foreign policy objectives would have considerable "fallout" at home. Included please find a draft of what I had in mind. I would appreciate your comment and suggestions, if you should feel it deserves any. (I should perhaps point out that I am an entirely unpaid potstirrer) your truly [signed Huesch]

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Ah well, I suppose the bandwagon was still in the making, or rather, on the drawing board...

Kind regards,