Working towards inclusion - the story of the dolls!

Enjoying Diversity

 

One of the things I love about living in Australia is multi-culturalism. Australian society apart for this nations first people, is made-up of people for around the world.  As a result our diets are enriched by the flavours from all over the world.  As migrants bring their traditional family recipes with them. Some of my favourites are Thai, Greek and Italian.  It is good to remind ourselves unless we are of indigenous decent, all of us have descendants from other nations.

 

  

Sadly with so many cultures bring their cultural traditions, customs and beliefs, sometimes the melting pot boil over.  When people hold deep ingrain beliefs we tend to hold them as truths. After all society tells us, we are the most important person in the world.

 

At Uei - we get you!

 

It is often all about us!

 

 

However in its attempt to keep world peace and make us all accountable to each other, the UN reminds us that we are all born free and equal. Each of us was born naked and naked each of us will return to the earth.

 

These powerful statements have given birth to 'the Charter of Human Rights'. This chart reminds us the we are not the most important person in the world. That I am your equal and you are my equal, whether you are Jew, Atheist, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Male or Female, Black, White or a colour in between; or maybe you are Albino.

 

 

 

I believe each of us was whole and that includes some of us that were born with in perfections or develop beliefs or practises out side the norm.  The Charter of Human rights remind us that these people too have human rights and are thus therefore entitled to the same freedoms and rights such as education and protection under the law.

 

These are the rights that people has protested, marched, fought for and died for over the centuries.  Sadly mankind has a quest for power, authority and wealth and since the begin of time we have attempted to assert our authority over others. 

 

 

 

When I think of human rights campaigns by far the largest that comes to mind is slavery.  Where rich land owners, brought and sold people like the were commodities. These people were deprive of all rights except food and water to keep them alive. 

 

It is with great sadness that I reflect on our nations own dark history.  The history my teachers never taught.  As the English sort to exhort it dominance in the 1700's the took capture of natives or hunted them like cattle.  Natives including those in Australia were considered less equal, and thus in some parts - White Europeans sort to eradicate the aborigines from Tasmania.

 

These first Australians had to fight for equal rights in a land the first inhabited. Growing up I didn't understand the land rights movement.  To me I sore no colour I hadn't been taught the true history of Australia.  I was ignorant!

 

         

Sadly in 2017 all Australian citizens and residences are not all equal under the law.  Some still have no access to the justice system,    (those with mental health, intellectual disabilities, and denature) and some who chose same sex partners can not become there partners net of kin.  They have no legal rights to their adopted children or property in the event of separation or deaths.

 

I still fight for my own rights to be treated as an equal.  As a person with disability I am view as less and imperfect.  Having been 'healed' several times  I am seen as a fake, not the fake healer that attempted to heal me.

 

It has been a real struggling working on this exhibition, I am still not sure how my inclusion statement will best be made or if I will attempt to make it at all.  I think great art makes people think!