Acceptance is ...

It was only back in 2000 that Australians of all backgrounds converged to put on the greatest Olympic Games ever.

A few weeks ago tens of thousands of ethnic myriads gathered to help our Socceroos finally secure their spot in the World Cup 2006.

A mere one week later - and in a more sombre moment - Australians of all persuasions advocated for clemency for convicted drug-trafficker Nguyen Tuong Van, a Vietnamese Australian, born in a refugee camp in Thailand. Although sadly those pleas fell on deaf ears, the heartfelt support given by many throughout the nation was, perhaps, something to be salvaged from his tragic ending.

Taken collectively, these examples served as a powerful reminder that, for all our differences, the majority of Australians were moving beyond the precept of tolerance towards a higher ideal of acceptance.

The Sydney race riots over the past few weeks have only served to erode that good work.

Let’s be clear, to set upon an Australian icon - a lifesaver - is plainly unacceptable. But we all know that these events go beyond the treatment of Cronulla lifeguards. If it were only about the surf lifesavers, then there seems to be little gained when Anglo-Celtic members of the community throw bottles at our other Australian icons - ambulance workers and paramedics.

The recent commotion is indicative of broader ethnic tensions that have been brewing for some time now. And while the style of media reporting has no doubt fuelled community tensions, this was a legitimate story that was worthy of coverage.

These deep-seated issues will not be resolved through some kind of technical fix such as putting additional police on the streets, or encouraging more people of non-English speaking backgrounds (NESB) to become lifeguards. These tensions demand adaptive and multi-pronged solutions. Piecemeal actions like those proposed do not make racist attitudes and prejudices disappear.

So how then are we faring as an inclusive nation?

I am reminded of a recent leadership program I attended where a speaker argued that, as Australians, we have a history of “discriminating against the first and the last peoples in this country”: the Aborigines were the first to be marginalised, and those from the Middle East the last. In short, the speaker contended, getting a fair go was by no means a universal or immutable Australian right, but rather one that changed according to our history.

At the time I rejected the proposition, but consider the following:

Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders remain the most socially disadvantaged group in Australia, and in terms of health indicators, one of the most disadvantaged peoples in the world. Whereas other countries have discrete departments to deal with their Indigenous peoples, in Australia we have a Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (as if those who have been here for over 40,000 years were a mere afterthought).

Following World War II, and for some time thereafter, it was the migrants from Europe that bore the brunt of our intolerance. Then, in the 1980s and 1990s, it was the influx of Asian migration that was met with some resistance (think Pauline Hanson and the rise of One Nation). And now, in the new millennium, it is those of Middle Eastern and Islamic extraction who have been said to pose a threat to the Australian way of life. No doubt the Asian community is breathing a heavy sigh of relief (hoping that their time has passed): and the African community now feeling rather uneasy about their place (or lack thereof) in multicultural Australia.

Don’t think so?

Andrew Fraser, a professor in the Department of Public Law at Macquarie University, recently spoke of the dangers associated with the increased settlement of Sudanese refugees in his local area. He wrote, “Experience practically everywhere in the world tells us that an expanding black population is a sure-fire recipe for increases in crime, violence and a wide range of other social problems”. Channel 9’s 'A Current Affair' subsequently ran a story on Fraser’s remarks. Disturbingly, a phone poll (which had 35,000 callers) conducted by the program showed 85 per cent of the audience agreed with Professor Fraser's controversial stand.

Contrary to claims by some, this is not just an Anglo-Celtic versus-the-rest problem. Australia is truly a multicultural society. According to the 2001 Census, 23 per cent of Australians were born overseas. An additional 20 per cent had at least one parent born overseas. Between us, we speak about 200 languages and practice a wide variety of religions. If Australia is, as has been suggested, a racist nation, then a significant amount of people pledging an allegiance to racist causes may be from NESB backgrounds themselves. Indeed, in the 2001 elections, Australians of all cultures and faiths supported a government that made its policies in respect of refugees decidedly clear.

We like to think of ourselves as a “tolerant” nation. Semantically, at least, this may be apt. As Andrew Stevenson has pointed out, there is no warm embrace in tolerance, no equality, no welcome and, indeed, no acceptance. The word comes from Latin tolerare, meaning "to bear" or "endure". The word is imbued with the sense of putting up with pain and trouble. In its purest form, it is a form of social interaction predicated on domination, whereby one group merely “tolerates” the other.

Acceptance on the other hand is more of a two-way street. It’s a deal in which both sides strike a bargain, acknowledging the conditions and norms of the other, rather than the take-it-or-leave it approach of tolerance. As Stevenson argues, acceptance is underpinned by a respect and equality in which, “we all have our failings, our quirks and our petty prejudices”, that need to be put on the table so we can move forward.

Acceptance is the sometimes elusive dynamic or moment that emerges when Cathy Freeman wins the 400 metre final at the Sydney Olympics; when Australians of all colours and creeds cheer the Socceroos during a penalty shoot-out; it’s that moment when we lobby together to prevent a 25-year-old young man from being executed; and it’s that moment when we can all go to Cronulla Beach as respectful, law-abiding citizens.

Acceptance is a higher ideal; a superior concept, and we as Australians ought to strive for it.