2013
Spices, Refugees, Suffering, and Impressive Women
14 October 2013
That about sums up my 12-hour day yesterday! Of course filling in the details will make it all clearer what a stunning day of sessions it was for me. And the thousands of other festival-goers here - more than ever before. The venues are spilling over and finding a seat is a challenge. The audience is predominately Australian and middle-aged female, but lots of Indonesians too and some Europeans. And of course the expat community. Only have a short time to write before I am off for my half-hour walk down the road to the next Bahasa Breakfast.
The day began with the two Ians (with whom I sailed on the Ombak Putih Spice Islands adventure last year) being interviewed by an Adelaide food journalist on their knowledge of spices. Ian Hempill, known as “Herbie”, has written the definitive book on spice for which the American edition insists on using “Bible” in the title, so he has god-like status in the field. Ian Burnet has done extraordinary research on the history of the spice trade, so the two of them are a great double act. The audience was huge and loved them. Ian Burnet is off to lead another trip on the Ombak Putih in a couple of weeks. Maybe after their delightful session SeaTrek will fill the last two cabins!
Then down the hill to hear a session of journalists and how they deal with reporting on suffering - Indonesian, Indian and Mexican. Leila Chudori is first and foremost a journalist, and Tempo has dealt fearlessly with all the big stories of the times. The session did not deal so much with suffering in war zones, etc., as in reporting exploitation and corruption involving powerful individuals and cartels, especially in Mexico where journalists are often killed. It sounds like a vicious place and Lydia Cacho has been in the thick of it on behalf of the suffering poor.
Up the hill again (it is about a 10-15 minute dash up Ubud's excuse for a footpath, but more of an obstacle course) for a session on refugees, which included our Julian Burnside, human rights lawyer, a Vietnamese refugee who as a teenager was left behind by the helicopters on the roof of the US embassy on the day Saigon fell, and Robin de Crespigny who wrote The People Smuggler giving a positive picture of one man who helped people escape endless misery and get to Australia - it is a much demonised "profession". Also a young American who works with the refugees here in Indonesia who are waiting in detention centres for the UN to hear them and deal with their plight - in vain! Hence the desperate attempts to get to Australia by boat. (An aside - Tony and Maureen Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet, arrived in Australia by a yacht they hitched from Bali in 1972 and stepped ashore on a beach and were made very welcome!) This session on refugees concentrated on the human face of refugees, something we are denied the opportunity of seeing in Australia. Each person on the panel had stories to tell that were heartbreaking. Refugees are not criminals or to be feared - they are legally entitled to seek refuge from a fear of persecution. But our politicians are constantly lying to us to create an atmosphere of fear. In our last election both sides of politics offered only cruel and heartless policies as to how to treat future boat arrivals. Shameful.
Will not finish this. Maybe an earlier night tonight and I can write then.
Josh has safely arrived in San Francisco after his long journey.
The day began with the two Ians (with whom I sailed on the Ombak Putih Spice Islands adventure last year) being interviewed by an Adelaide food journalist on their knowledge of spices. Ian Hempill, known as “Herbie”, has written the definitive book on spice for which the American edition insists on using “Bible” in the title, so he has god-like status in the field. Ian Burnet has done extraordinary research on the history of the spice trade, so the two of them are a great double act. The audience was huge and loved them. Ian Burnet is off to lead another trip on the Ombak Putih in a couple of weeks. Maybe after their delightful session SeaTrek will fill the last two cabins!
Then down the hill to hear a session of journalists and how they deal with reporting on suffering - Indonesian, Indian and Mexican. Leila Chudori is first and foremost a journalist, and Tempo has dealt fearlessly with all the big stories of the times. The session did not deal so much with suffering in war zones, etc., as in reporting exploitation and corruption involving powerful individuals and cartels, especially in Mexico where journalists are often killed. It sounds like a vicious place and Lydia Cacho has been in the thick of it on behalf of the suffering poor.
Up the hill again (it is about a 10-15 minute dash up Ubud's excuse for a footpath, but more of an obstacle course) for a session on refugees, which included our Julian Burnside, human rights lawyer, a Vietnamese refugee who as a teenager was left behind by the helicopters on the roof of the US embassy on the day Saigon fell, and Robin de Crespigny who wrote The People Smuggler giving a positive picture of one man who helped people escape endless misery and get to Australia - it is a much demonised "profession". Also a young American who works with the refugees here in Indonesia who are waiting in detention centres for the UN to hear them and deal with their plight - in vain! Hence the desperate attempts to get to Australia by boat. (An aside - Tony and Maureen Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet, arrived in Australia by a yacht they hitched from Bali in 1972 and stepped ashore on a beach and were made very welcome!) This session on refugees concentrated on the human face of refugees, something we are denied the opportunity of seeing in Australia. Each person on the panel had stories to tell that were heartbreaking. Refugees are not criminals or to be feared - they are legally entitled to seek refuge from a fear of persecution. But our politicians are constantly lying to us to create an atmosphere of fear. In our last election both sides of politics offered only cruel and heartless policies as to how to treat future boat arrivals. Shameful.
Will not finish this. Maybe an earlier night tonight and I can write then.
Josh has safely arrived in San Francisco after his long journey.