Kon Karapanagiotidis quote

I have decided its time to refresh the "causes" or "activism" section on the right hand side of my blog. I want to keep this section active but not brow beat people who come here to visit. I guess I am still working out what the tone or purpose of my blog is, and also as being an activist or involved citizen is part of who I am so having this section tells visitors something about me. So for the archive here is Kon Karapanagiotidis quote and link will go here. Needless to say with the last months events at Christmas Island, Australia's on going reluctance to act humanely and generously towards refugees has again created a tragedy that will affect so many people for a long time, those on board, thier relatives, Christmas Islanders, Navy personnel and the AFP police who are now investigating.


Founder of the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Kon Karapanagiotidis, blogging at the Wheeler Centre:

In the past, I have naively thought the facts would bring an end to the fearmongering – by explaining to people that we receive just a few thousand asylum seekers each year, and that they pose no threat to our way of life or sustainability. I want to explain that 99.99% of people who entered Australia last year did so by plane; that Australia takes just 0.03% of the world’s refugees and displaced people; and that there are 76 countries that take more refugees than we do, based on wealth.

These days, I talk about a much simpler truth: the moral responsibilities that come with living in a free and democratic country, and what it means to be an Australian. This means we have a moral duty to act and show compassion to vulnerable, innocent people who are fleeing for their lives.

Being Australian should count for something greater than pandering to baseless fears.