SUPPLEMENTARY
BUSINESS PAPER
(Mayoral Minute MM3/20 Item 9)
General Meeting
Wednesday 13 May 2020
at 6:30PM
SUPPLEMENTARY
BUSINESS PAPER
(Mayoral Minute MM3/20 Item 9)
General Meeting
Wednesday 13 May 2020
at 6:30PM
Hornsby Shire Council Table of Contents
Page 1
SUPPLEMENTARY ITEMS
Item 9 MM3/20 Representations From the Chinese Australian Forum - Unity Over Fear............ 1
Mayoral Minute No. MM3/20
Date of Meeting: 13/05/2020
9 REPRESENTATIONS FROM THE CHINESE AUSTRALIAN FORUM - UNITY OVER FEAR
I have recently received a letter (copy attached) from the Vice President of the Chinese Australian Forum (CAF) seeking Council’s support for a campaign that CAF are running to call for national unity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
CAF are a non-partisan body established in 1985 as a response to anti-Asian racism and to provide the Chinese community in Australia with a voice. Their core objectives include promoting the integration of Australians of Chinese heritage into mainstream Australian society, raising the political awareness of its communities and encouraging the participation of Chinese Australians in public office.
CAF believe that since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, there has been a deeply disturbing rise in racial vilification of Asian Australians which poses a serious threat to national unity and social cohesion.
As a consequence, CAF is seeking Council’s agreement to add its logo to an Open Letter of Support (copy also attached) which has been written by 16 prominent Chinese Australians including Adam Liaw, Dr John Yu, Dr Cindy Pan, Benjamin Law and Jason Yat-Sen Li.
CAF’s intent is to have a large and diverse range of organisations from across the Australian community endorsing the Open Letter and to have as many people as possible sign an online Unity Over Fear Petition which can be found at bit.ly/unityoverfear.
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THAT: 1. Council note the correspondence received from the Vice President of the Chinese Australian Forum (CAF). 2. Council acknowledges that Australia is a party to international obligations affirming that on matters or race, culture, religion and like factors, we are totally non-discriminatory. 3. Hornsby Shire has more than one third of its population overseas born and reflecting great diversity in the source countries, cultures and religions from which people have come. 4. While Council is not aware of any acts of discrimination locally, it regrets reports that that has not been the case elsewhere. 5. Council affirms strongly its view in these present circumstances there is no place for racial, cultural or religious vilification of any Australians. |
The Honourable Cr PHILIP RUDDOCK
Mayor
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Chinese Australian Forum |
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File Reference: F2020/00082-006
Document Number: D07914380
