We The People Will Create The Change

This poem was written in the middle of the night. I sent it to every Parliamentarian in the Australian Federal Parliament, during Howard years (Bush/Blair years). I took a risk to make myself visible, but it was heartfelt. I did not expect them to act on it or to respond to it. It was myself responding to an inner knowing that I have the freedom to speak, the freedom to decide. If no-one listens it does not matter, what matters is that I spoke up. Just imagine if one hears me. That would make me smile. What is the expression? – better to have tried and failed then never to have tried at all. I have been in the first camp many times if not most times for a very long time. The last part of that statement I don’t relate to.

I hope you will privilege people to hear your voice, you don’t have to be intelligent, beautiful, educated, expert or even right, you just need to be honest and speaking from the heart. And there is nothing more beautiful than that in my eyes.

What world do you choose? Go on, create it, I dare you!!

WE THE PEOPLE OF AUSTRALIA

We the people of this nation,
Make a solemn declaration,
To uphold the human rights of all people,
For all people are this nation,
And have the right to be human.

There are no refugees,
Only those seeking refuge,
There are no enemies,
Only those who we do not know as friends,
For terrorism is the art of terror,
And the people can see the industry of terror,
For the military is complex,
Marketed as defence,
But how can we defend the indefensible?

We the people uphold universal values,
For we value all human and ecological life,
We the people value principled action,
For we value the nation not nationalism,
We value friendship not mateship,
We value working together as a team not in servitude,
We value fairness, equity and a safety net,
For the safety net is not an obligation,
It is a mutual understanding that full employment is not achievable,
That demand and supply vary,
The playing field is not equal,
And industrial structures and philosophies change,
For the sign of a true civilization is embedded in the treatment of the vulnerable,
And the fabric of society requires that all members are treated equitably.

We the people are monitoring our government with open eyes,
We the people demand democracy as our birth right,
For we have the freedom to speak,
For we have the freedom to participate,
For we have the freedom to challenge the government if we disagree,
For it is not the right of government to dismantle basic inalienable freedoms that we fought for,
In pursuit of the shortsighted profits for the few.

We the people only give our consent to be governed if the following contractual relationship is honoured…

Only when the government improves the living conditions for all the people,
Only when the government serves the real interests of the majority of people,
Only when the government speaks to the people as equals and in truth,
Only when the government works in the interests of all the people,
Without masking the vested interests of a minority.

We the people expect that justice must be done,
And be seen to be done,
That legislation not be used to reduce the power of the people,
That the separation of powers is not just a doctrine,
For the Judiciary must be independent and fair,
The Executive must be accountable and lead,
And the Parliament must speak as representatives with substance in question time.

We the people respect the rule of law,
We the people adhere to international law,
We the people expect our government to honour its international commitments and treaties,
For we are members in a human family,
A collective of nation states,
With a shared fate.

We the people demand to have clean air, water and soil,
We the people expect our elected representatives to protect the next generation,
To ensure that the generation of energy is not at the expense of the environment,
That foods are healthy,
That life is balanced,
That technology is clean,
That we live within natural limits,
Therefore through our actions we value responsibility,
And demand sustainability for life.

We the people recognise in the current climate that we may be locked up for speaking truth to power,
We the people recognise in the current climate that the media is distracting our focus,
We the people recognise in the current climate that inhumanities are conducted in our name,
We the people recognise in the current climate that human rights are being dismantled,
We the people recognise that the climate has changed,
And we must be the change we wish the world to see,
For the growing democratic movement is the new world order,
For the titanic must be turned around,
Before the ice melts,
For government and the people are poles apart,
For we must bridge the divide,
We must unite the polarities,
We must live the democracy we prize,
For which each of us is responsible.
Let’s Advance Australia Fair.