Anti-terrorism stands at the centre of the political agenda. A bipartisan escalation, played out in the 2004 election, pervades the political scene. Strong-arm legislation is nodded through. Fears of a 'dangerous other' are deliberately stoked. Whole communities are racialised as 'the enemy within'. Military intervention is mounted. Vengeful preemptive strikes become the norm. But who stands to benefit? Who are the manufacturers of fear and to what end? Who suffers the post-September 11 fallout? Who lives in fear in the 'war on terror'? What can be done to challenge this? What could justice look like?
Forum 1: MANUFACTURING FEAR
A public forum on the politics of anti-terror.
As terror laws and military strikes escalate, who gains, who loses? Who is manufacturing fear and why? Who lives in fear in the 'war on terror'? What can be done to challenge this? How can people take up the issues, and act for justice?
Saturday 13 November, 2004 9.30-4.30
Broadway Tower, University of Technology Sydney. Entry by donation; disabled access; please email ahead if an interpreter is required.
Speakers: Vicki Sentas, Community Law Centre, UTS; David Bernie, NSW Council for Civil Liberties; Agnes Chong, Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network; Joo Cheong Tham, Civil Rights Network Victoria; Micheal Head, UWS; Michael Humphrey, UNSW; Jude McCulloch, Monash University; Stephen Hopper, solicitor; Ratna Dewi, Legal Aid Institute, Indonesia; Rafendi Djamin, Human Rights Working Group, Indonesia; Nori Colmenares, Philippines; Tanja Dreher, UTS Shopfront; Scott Poynting, UWS; representative from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission; Warren Duncan, Community Relations Commission; Ken Davis, APHEDA,Trade Union Aid Abroad; Dr Jamal Rifi; Keysar Trad, Lebanese Muslim Association; Kieran Longridge, Greenpeace; with participants from the NSW Labor Council, Amnesty, NSW Council of Social Service, and others.
Organised by: NSW Civil Rights Network + Research Initiative on International Activism, UTS.
Web. http://www.civilrightsnetwork.org/ + www.international.activism.uts.edu.au
Email. manufacturingfear@yahoo.com Tel. 9514 2714
Supported by: Community Relations Commission + Social Inquiry, UTS. This is the first of a two-part series, 'Who's Afraid in the War on Terror?'. The second Forum, 'Facing Fear: community anti-racism work after September 11, 2001', will be held 26 November.
When: Saturday, 13 November 2004, 9.30-4.30pm
Where: Room 429, Building 2, Entrance from Ground floor of Broadway Tower, University of Technology Sydney
Access: Disabled access + entry by donation; please email ahead if an interpreter is required.
9.00 Registration
Welcome to country, Richard Green, tbc
Welcome from Civil Rights Network, Vicki Sentas
Public voices: vox-pops on 'anti-terror'
10.00-11.00 Session 1 : What makes you a 'terrorist'?
David Bernie, QC, Vice-President NSW Council for Civil Liberties
Agnes Chong, Australian Muslim Civil Rights Advocacy Network
Joo Cheong Tham, Civil Rights Network, Victoria
Micheal Head, UWS, ASIO detention powers
11.00-11.30 COFFEE
1130-1.00 Session 2: Global frontlines
Michael Humphrey, UNSW - What makes terrorism?
Jude McCulloch, Civil Rights Network, Victoria - State of Emergency
Ratna Dewi, Legal Aid Institute, Indonesia
Rafendi Djamin, Rights Working Group, Indonesia
Nori Colmenares, Human Rights lawyer, Philippines
Plus virtual participants:
Cynthia Gabriel, Suaram, Malaysia
Centre for Constitutional Rights - tbc
StateWatch - tbc
1.00-1.30 LUNCH
1.30-3.00 Session 3: Community frontlines
Tanja Dreher, UTS Shopfront project on the community impacts of 'S11' in Australia
Scott Poynting, co-author of 'Bin Laden in the Suburbs'
Representative, Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission
Stephen Hopper, solicitor, tbc
3.00-4.30 Roundtable: Finding a voice, responding effectively
Ken Davis, Trade Union Aid Abroad
Dr Jamal Rifi, Youth Partnership with Arabic-Speaking Communities
Warren Duncan, Community Relations Commission
Keysar Trad, Lebanese Muslims Association
Kieran Longridge, Greenpeace
Plus representatives from Labor Council, Amnesty Australia, NCOSS, tbc
Forum 2: FACING FEAR: community anti-racism work after September 11, 2001
A forum for people working with communities experiencing racism and anyone interested in anti-racist responses to the politics of fear. An Opportunity to learn about innovative community-level projects addressing prejudice and fear directed at Muslim, Arab and Sikh Australians during the ‘war on terror’.
UTS Broadway (Room to be confirmed)
9am – 5pm Friday 26 November 2004
No entry charge, refreshments provided.
9 - 11 Fear Go
Overview of Shopfront / CRC research – Tanja Dreher, UTS Shopfront
Developing response strategies – Randa Kattan, Australian Arabic Communities Council
Mistaken Identity: impacts of 9/11 on Sikh communities in Australia - Inderjeet Singh, Australian Sikh Association
Introduction to UTS Shopfront working with the community - Pauline O’Loughlin, UTS Shopfront
11 – 11.30 Break
11.30 - 1 Facing Fear through representation (chair – Penny O’Donnell)
Building Networks - Nasya Bahfen, Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia
Self-representation for change agents - Lena Nahlous, Information and Cultural Exchange
1 - 2 Lunch
Performance: ‘I am not a terrorist’(to be confirmed)
2 – 3.30 Facing Fear through education (chair – Devleena Ghosh)
Interfaith - Zuleyha Keskin, Affinity Intercultural Foundation
Cross-cultural Education - Nada Roude, Muslim Women’s Association and Islamic Council of NSW
3.30 – 4 Break
Screening:‘Terror in Fairtown’(to be confirmed)
4 - 5 Where to from here? (chair – Jock Collins)
Report back from Manufacturing Fear Forum – Vicki Sentas / James Goodman, UTS
Possibilities for future projects, collaborations and networks.
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