World Refugee Day – John Kamara

June 20th is World Refugee Day. It is an international day.

I, John Kamara, came to this beautiful country, Australia, which I now call home, as a refugee. It was a long and difficult journey. It was the darkest hour of my life.

As President of the Culturally Diverse Alliance of Tasmania (CDAT) I would like to acknowledge and honour refugees around the world. We think of their struggles, their suffering, their pain and their amazing strength, and the outstanding courage it took to flee their homes to escape unbearable conflict and extreme persecution.

CDAT acknowledges that 20 June is a day when we, as an international community, connected by common humanity, think of our brothers, our sisters, our children, our grandchildren, our friends and relatives, the poor, the unwanted who are or have been forced to flee their homes to seek refuge and protection in other countries.

CDAT applauds refugees here in Australia, in Tasmania, and around the world for their resilience and their tenacity and holds them up as outstanding models of courage.

CDAT calls on the federal government and our Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, to display a greater understanding, a greater compassion and a fuller humanity towards our refugees who are locked up in isolation with no certainty about their future. This is inhumane.

CDAT believes that Australia must fulfil its obligations to protect all refugees and asylum seekers who arrive in Australia. The federal government has a duty of care to the people under its control and the honour and reputation of the whole country rests on the government responsibly and compassionately fulfilling this duty.

CDAT acknowledges all the good things about Tasmania specifically as a place of resettlement. CDAT is committed strongly to continue to advocate for cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Tasmania where there is a continuous dialogue between people of diverse cultures and beliefs.

CDAT aims to foster an inclusive society where different cultural groups are supported in maintaining, celebrating and sharing their traditions which can be experienced and enjoyed by the whole community.