From: Maureen Brannan
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016 8:35 PM
To: aulca@unhcr.org ; access.psychology@gmail.com ; Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au ; senator.dinatale@aph.gov.au ; senator.siewert@aph.gov.au ; senator.hanson-young@aph.gov.au ; senator.cameron@aph.gov.au ; Queensland Premier ; callide@parliament.qld.gov.au ; Mayor's Office
Cc: australia@theguardian.com ; Koori Mail ; Ghillar Michael Anderson ; boss@crikey.com.au ; contact@thestringer.com.au ; contact@getup.org.au ; writeforus@newmatilda.com ; Adams Phillip
Subject: A Proposed Model for Resettling Refugees in Australia & a Template for Off-grid Encampments
Sent: Monday, June 20, 2016 8:35 PM
To: aulca@unhcr.org ; access.psychology@gmail.com ; Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au ; senator.dinatale@aph.gov.au ; senator.siewert@aph.gov.au ; senator.hanson-young@aph.gov.au ; senator.cameron@aph.gov.au ; Queensland Premier ; callide@parliament.qld.gov.au ; Mayor's Office
Cc: australia@theguardian.com ; Koori Mail ; Ghillar Michael Anderson ; boss@crikey.com.au ; contact@thestringer.com.au ; contact@getup.org.au ; writeforus@newmatilda.com ; Adams Phillip
Subject: A Proposed Model for Resettling Refugees in Australia & a Template for Off-grid Encampments
A Proposed Model for Resettling Refugees in
Australia
& a Template for Off-grid Encampments
Over the past 20 years I have been working towards a submission I
am now making to the Australian government, detailing a practical strategy to
help address the humanitarian crisis of millions of displaced people on the move
in the world today(1), and to resettle those who have been identified as
refugees, whether fleeing from war zones, persecution, intractable poverty or
ever-increasing climate-change related environmental catastrophe.
As
with Labor, I also agree that it is essential that the boat ‘turn-back’ regime
must be kept in place for the time being, not to “keep our borders safe” but
purely to stop unsafe sea voyages. I
strongly condemn offshore detention however, along with the vast majority of
Australians(2) - it is clearly an obscenity to spend $billions of taxpayers’ money further
punishing already anxiety-ridden and often traumatised men women and children,
and believe it to be completely unnecessary to maintain a deterrent to people
smugglers. Along with a far greater
contribution to the UNHCR and the Red Cross to set up emergency camps where
needed, a broader policy could establish well-resourced regional processing
centres for asylum seekers
in strategic places in South East Asia to expeditiously determine those in
greatest needs of protection, in collaboration with the sovereign country’s
governments. All
those found to meet the very strict requirements for refugee status, could then
be offered a range of re-settlement options of varying time-frames, according to
their wishes - a temporary one where people simply wish for protection, ie if
they wish to return home when conditions allow, or if they are simply unsure at
that stage, or a permanent re-settlement option via this transitional model
where people wish to become a citizens of Australia - the encampment
template is similar, except for the terms of the contract. Where refugees
already have family in Australia who undertake responsibility to support them,
people can move directly into the community. Where there is no such social
support already in place, people could be offered a choice of a regional or
rural refugee village situated near a Volunteer Town who agrees to host the new
settlement, ideally situated in regions where farm work is available – there
would of course be generous government incentives for them to do so.
I have developed a comprehensive plan for a (mostly) self-reliant
village-scale settlement whilst living off-grid in the Great Australian Bush for
the past 20 years and researching/practising all things permaculture that
integrates with and enhances the biodiversity of the surrounding native habitat
via horticulture of native endemic foods and medicines. Innumerable successful
long-established p/c community gardens (such as CERES in Melbourne ) and
villages (such as Crystal Waters Ecovillage) around the world prove the concept
fundamentally sound and truly durable
in the long-term, socially economically and
environmentally.
Government could establish these regional and rural Refugee
Villages (I prefer the term: Transitional Off-grid Encampments for Displaced
People) very economically using their capacity to employ economies of scale –
local industries and businesses would benefit greatly from supplying the
services and resources required. A
federal public servant could be stationed in council offices to oversee the
scheme.
All that is required for the footprint of these villages is around
40-100 acres of cleared land with road access and a permanent water source. There are thousands of acres of degraded
country around many rural and regional towns, country that no-one wants to take
responsibility for to rehabilitate back to productive use, either for growing
food or for wildlife habitat in areas where ecosystems are endangered – this is
one way to effectively utilise that land.
The village is set up in encampment modules, each accommodating
around 24 adults and children, arranged in a variety of designs according to
conditions and needs. (diagrams on my blog: Worldatpolarity) Each module is
composed of one very large shed, open on two sides (around $20,000); two 12-berth bespoke caravans, one for two
matriarchs and children, the other for adult workers; a wooden deck to
accommodate a kitchen with gas fridge & dining area, ablutions block &
compost toilet (Clivus Multrum design, maybe 3D printed); Extra bunk beds; two large water tanks, one for potable
rainwater mainly collected from the roof of the shed but filled by tanker if
necessary, the other for all other uses including washing and watering the
gardens, to be filled from the permanent water source. The encampment is powered
by tri-generation; solar panels and wind turbines on the roof, with a generator
back-up. A garage is attached for the
generator & batteries and two
multi-seated vehicles, one for the matriarchs and children, and one for the
workers.
Each ‘autonomous’ encampment of a family and extended ‘family’
group would be run by two matriarchs, with or without partners, who’s main job
is to look after the children and their correspondence schooling – there would
be a gradual social involvement with the local schools; English language courses
would be provided for adults, tailored to each person’s level of need. Adults would all be available as a work team
or individually for any local seasonal farm work and any ‘Green Army’ type
environmental projects in the district – at times of no work, adults would be
expected to study. Food and household
provisions would be delivered once a week according to the requirement of each
individual, with menus drawn up by professional nutritionists in collaboration
with the Matriarch’s input. At a later
stage, garden beds under shade-cloth can be added around the sides of the shed
and seed & plant stock provided for people to be able to make a substantial
supplement to their diets with a fresh and nutritious daily ‘green
pick’.
Refugees
who accept this option would be required to sign a one-year contract with the
government, committing to an 8-hour day, 5-day week of work and study.
Restrictions on movement will apply for the first year as would penalties for
breaking the contract. I
have drawn up a plan for this encampment model, right down to the finest detail
and can provide full costings for the government to set up a template – it would
not cost a lot to finance a prototype, which I am ‘shovel ready’ to set up right
now on the 40 acres of land I live on. I imagine the Coalition would take a lot
of persuading but I believe Labor may be more amenable. I think the Australian
people would get behind such a scheme though, as the good people of many towns
have already demonstrated a generosity and willingness to resettle refugees in
their community.
After
the initial year contract has concluded, a broadening of the scheme could extend
the contract to a more permanent residential model, one option being where
professional permaculturalists (I
propose our two p/c gurus, Josh Byrne and Geoff Lawton) and
renowned earth builders draw up a plan for family groups to build their own
earth-insulated homes on a small acreage, perhaps utilising tyres from dangerous
dumps, locking in that carbon instead of risking huge polluting fires. I myself have had plans drawn up to ABA
standard for a 5-bedroom coursed-adobe dwelling (3) that can be owner-built for
around $50,000. They would become mostly
self-sufficient in their own food requirements within ten years, at which time
they will be integrated well and contributing into the local
community.
Other
applications for this off-grid encampment template include an adaptation for
urban Homeless Sanctuaries and
Precincts, for a caretaker’s residence in Community Gardens, (4) and would be
especially helpful for discrete Aboriginal communities on Homelands in remote
locations. In fact, adapted
to local conditions, this template could be offered to all First Nations (maybe
included in a Treaty), to set up Bush Camps for the Ranger Program (5) wherever
they are deemed necessary to manage the land - correspondence schooling could
provide pathways to university via a co-educational curriculum (which I am
currently developing) and promote scientific collaborations, of which there have
already been many. (6) Endangered plants
and wildlife will only benefit especially with the advanced permaculture
settlement model as the lifestyle integrates garden foods with bush tucker and
the restoration of local biodiverse habitats.
Permaculture
settlements have been tried and tested for decades, evolving with the latest
technologies and informed by multi-cultural expertise and Indigenous wisdom, and
have been proven to work exceptionally well; this is evidenced by the expanding
number of successful ones in Australia and around the world. For refugees, it
would cost far less than the current
regime which condemns innocent people to the hell of indefinite detention.
The
whole plan has the potential to revitalise ailing communities, economically and
socially, with the huge added bonus that people’s faith in governments and in
humanity would be revived and restored in many cases.
Our
government is displaying a near criminal lack of imagination concerning the
current unprecedented number of displaced peoples on the move in the world, with
particular regards to resettlement options in this country, no better
demonstrated than by the disgusting comments made by the Minister for
Immigration, Peter Dutton. If
the government continues with its current asylum-seeker regime that denies
people even the most basic human dignity, when alternatives such as this are
eminently viable, I can foresee a time when the UN Criminal Courts will have no
option but to prosecute them for cruelty and inhumanity towards some of the most
traumatised and disadvantaged people on Earth. I personally believe it exposes a
depraved mind that would choose such cruel fates for already suffering people
seeking asylum, when compassionate options are clearly available.
This program could effectively and productively resettle tens of
thousands of refugees in the future – a big country town could easily absorb a
great number of extra people, with only positive benefits; it would
reinvigorating society with able workers, grateful for the opportunity to have a
safe, secure and happy future for themselves and their children, living in peace
under the stars of the southern cross.
Maureen Brannan 905 Wilsons Road CLOYNA via MURGON Q 4605 ph:
0427710523
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worldatpolarity.blogspot.com.au
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UNHCR
Australian Rep: aulca@unhcr.org
Paul
Stevenson: access.psychology@gmail.com
