Message from the Forum

By Jorge Aroche

Ogaden: A state of decay

 By Rebecca Hinchey and Mohamed Baaruud

There are almost no schools, no roads and no hospitals. Food is scarce and trade in life’s basics has been blocked. The Red Cross, the last of the big aid-agencies, was expelled in July. But, in plentiful supply are guns and bullets. Welcome to  Ogaden state in Ethiopia, home to the desperate and the dying.

The Border of Discontent: Poor Mexico so far from God, and yet so close to the United States.

 By Antonio Castillo

Mexicans call it La Herida (the wound) and Americans call it The Line. The Mexican-US border is carved by the Rio Grande that extends from the border town of Tijuana in the west, to the Gulf of Mexico in the east.

 Crossing the border is a matter of life and death. Let’s say more like death than life. Since the 1994 decision by Bill Clinton to increase the border patrols at the crossing spots of Tijuana-San Diego – the so-called “Operation Gatekeeper” - and then the 2006 deployment by George W. Bush of a 6,000 strong US National Guard; the number of Mexicans who have died attempting a crossing has increased alarmingly.

Biofeedback :Rebuilding Fragile Foundations

 By Daniela Aroche

 Psychology and physical therapy have long been proven to be essential to the rehabilitation of torture and trauma survivors and to their return to normal life - but often the horrors of trauma over a prolonged time cut so deep that even a therapist cannot get close enough to act. DANIELA AROCHE attended the recent STARTTS clinical evening to find out more about neuro-feedback and fear extinction learning – two therapies delving deeper into the psyche to facilitate further treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

 
Dealing With Pain

 By Tom Nesser

Dealing with people who have chronic pain has taught New Zealand psychologist TOM NESSER many things. He spoke to OLGA YOLDI about his experiences working in one of the hardest and most unpopular areas of psychology: pain management.

Dance Therapy

 By Amber Gray

 AMBER GRAY is a dance therapist with 10 years experience working with torture and trauma survivors in the US and Haiti, and 20 years working internationally. Amber practises somatic psychology, and balances theory with experiential learning, integrating somatic psychology and dance movement therapy into the restorative process. She visited Australia and gave this presentation to STARTTS staff at one of the clinical evenings.

A week in Dhaka

By John Casey

 My first impression of Bangladesh was the usual assault on the senses that I experience when arriving from Australia into one of the world’s least developed nations. No matter how many times I make such a trip, I can’t help but being overwhelmed by the crowds, the smells, and the sense of uneasiness that invades me as soon as I leave the plane. Call it ‘rich man’s guilt’, but my obvious separation from the local population means I can never relax. I am very aware that I am a privileged outsider.

Mandaens, a unique culture

By Rebecca Hinchey

 As the Iraqi war battles into its fifth year, one minority religious group wonders if this latest conflict will finally destroy their ancient faith and culture. REBECCA HINCHEY spoke with some of the Mandaeans taking refuge in Australia and found a people despairing for their very survival.

Kicking goals for resettlement

 Organisations across Australia are turning to soccer as a way to connect with young refugees and assist them with resettlement.

 But how does ‘the world game’ help address the complex issues young refugees face? How can soccer help young men fit in at school, improve their English, and deal with grief and loss?

 Following is an edited transcript of an interview between two STARTTS workers and Mick O’Reagan from ABC radio, discussing the therapeutic benefits of soccer and how it is being used at STARTTS.

 Community services coordinator Jasmina Bajraktarevic-Hayward and boys and young men’s worker Mohamed Baaruud spoke to Radio National’s Sports Factor program on 22 June 2007.

 
Cooking classes

By Caroline Regidor

What is it about the kitchen that makes it the scene of gender battles across cultures?

CAROLINE REGIDOR tackles the gender battles of the kitchen as she teaches African men the essentials of cooking.

Sharing our Stories, Sharing our Strengths : A Refugee Conference

 By Rebecca Hinchey

With today’s headlines it’s easy to see why some people believe refugees are troublesome, needy and even downright dangerous. Stories of resilience and fortitude are rare, and are generally confined to the later pages or features pages of the major newspapers. Yet spending time with most refugees builds an overwhelming picture of courage, resourcefulness and a capacity to laugh despite enormous tragedy.

From Sudan to Australia, one woman’s story of courage.

By Rebecca Hinchey

 “War, this is the story of life, the story of everyday.”

 STARTTS bicultural counsellor Naome Yar Paul Madut pronounces this tragic statement with simple resignation.It is a fact of her life. Even before she was born the war in Sudan was determining the pattern of her existence.

Australia a safe place for refugees?

 By Michael Hiriwo

Michael Hiriwo, a Sudanese refugee and community leader, explains how one young man’s death can strike fear into a whole community.

 
Book Reviews 

 The Island

By Armin Greder

Published by Allen & Unwin

Retail Price: $29.95

Reviewed by Olga Yoldi

This somber and striking picture book for adults, and perhaps for older children, is an essential teaching resource for teachers, and for anyone, interested in human rights and refugee issues.

When a stranger is washed up on the beach of a remote island, the locals are faced with a challenge of what to do with this naked man. They become hostile towards him. They consider some options but none seem possible and he becomes this unwanted presence.

Inventing Human Rights, A History

By Lynn Hunt

W.W. Norton and Company 2007, 273 pages

Reviewed by Vincent Sicari

During the Federal Election campaign of 2001 the story broke. It was a story of outrageous human behaviour. How low can some members of the human species go? What will some people do to elicit a human response from us. What kind of people would blackmail us with such despicable actions?

I, with many others in our society, asked these questions. And yet there was a worm in the apple – something did not seem right about the story. Those of us who have the privilege of having children, and those of us who could imagine having them, will know that the story did not fully convince. We could not believe totally.

The story I am referring to is “Children overboard” affair. 

 “Inventing Human Rights” by Lynne Hunt tells us something about that affair. While it is not directly about that infamous incident, it sheds a new light on human rights and how they have developed as a concept. It sheds light on the plight of people in extreme situations and how we react to them. My interest was immediately taken by this wonderfully written little book. I was also a boat-person. I was also a refugee.