On Fire magazine
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Jag kommer från Australien
Aussie Salvos say 'hej hej!' to Sweden at Raised Up
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For those who've come across the seas
Are we willing to share our boundless plains? asks Linda Hogan
Jag kommer från Australien
Aussie Salvos say 'hej hej!' to Sweden at Raised Up
Thousands of years ago, the author of Proverbs 20:21 told us that 'The glory of young men is their strength'.
In 2010, the 1,100 young men and women at The Salvation Army's Raised Up World Youth Convention showed the world nothing has changed.
On 14 July, delegates from the Australia Southern Territory packed their bags, ready to join representatives from 94 countries. Twenty-three airborne hours later, the Christian population of predominantly atheist Sweden received a surprise boost, as scores of Salvos touched down in Stockholm.
The result was powerful.
'This place has been rocking and pulsating with holy energy,' declared General Shaw Clifton at the opening ceremony. The fourth event of its kind in the Army's 145-year history, Raised Up provided interaction and education opportunities vital to the ongoing work of The Salvation Army, said the General.
Over four days, those opportunities took the form of 'strong challenge, quiet contemplation, and noisy celebration', said international editor-in-chief Major Laurie Robertson. More than 200 young people responded to a call to officership.
The conference schedule was packed with worship concerts, prayer meetings, keynote sessions (on commitment, human trafficking, sin, spiritual disciplines and global monetary inequality) holiness meetings, focus groups (on worship, ministry opportunities, human trafficking, health and politics), a Q&A session with the General, a day of outreach in Stockholm's Kungsträdgården, and a performance of the musical Brengle: My Life's Ambition. Delegates spent the remainder of their time building relationships with new friends and soaking up Swedish culture.
Eclipsing the physical attendance at the conference was the number of people viewing the live streaming via the internet at www.raisedup.org. At the conclusion of events, the various videos had been viewed a total of 37,179 times.
Before departing, the new generation of The Salvation Army was presented with one of its oldest messages: 'We were raised up by God to go to the people who need us most'.
Having since returned to their respective countries, On Fire hopes all Raised Up delegates and young Salvos around the world fulfil Proverbs 20:21's description and commit their full strength to that task.
One of the best experiences of my life
The Australia Southern Territory Big Band recently travelled to Sweden to take part in The Salvation Army's World Youth Convention.
Trombonist Ben Waterworth (pictured above, far left) spoke to On Fire about his experiences.
Was the conference what you expected?
I didn't think it was going to be as big as it was. I thought we were going to be pretty isolated from the rest of the delegates, just doing our thing when needed. I'm so glad it didn't turn out to be that way because I had an absolute blast getting involved in everything.
It was also great to hear a variety of speakers talk about a range of topics and ideas. Most of us also watched an American group perform a musical highlighting the intriguing life of Commissioner Samuel Logan Brengle, which was definitely worth seeing.
Can you describe the atmosphere in Stockholm's Aula Magna amphitheatre?
It was unbearably hot during the first two nights because the air-conditioning wasn't working! But the atmosphere in the room was just incredible. Everyone expected that God was going to do phenomenal things—and he did. When the Big Band led worship, I had the privilege of singing with Miriam Pho and Emma Lewis, close friends who also attend Box Hill Corps. I will never forget the image of almost 1,000 people so entrapped in worship and so passionate for God. Amazing stuff.
What was it like mingling with young Salvos from so many other lands?
To meet so many people in such a short space of time was really overwhelming—it was probably the highlight of my time there. I think there were almost 90 countries represented. To be among folk so different, but with similar passions,was fantastic.
The Big Band got on particularly well with the 'Jesus Gang', a male dance group from Brazil. Despite their limited English, we bonded with them and had an absolute blast dancing, or attempting to dance, with them.
How do you feel the band performed?
I'm biased, but I think we did the territory proud. We probably saved our best performance for the most important event—an outreach at Kungsträdgården (King's Garden) on the Saturday afternoon. We played a variety of music for 40 minutes. We just knew, from the first piece, that we were switched on.
While over there, I discovered that a very small percentage of people in Sweden attend a church, so for the
Salvos to do an outreach event was quite courageous. Hopefully someone was influenced that afternoon and will pursue The Salvation Army as their church.
Which event had the biggest attendance?
The opening and closing nights were very popular, and a lot of people turned up for those. We were all at the General's Q&A too; it was interesting to hear his thoughts about trafficking, officership and how to explain to the world that The Salvation Army is more than just a charity.
In one of your blog entries during the trip you said that the WYC 'put into perspective how big this church really is and how much potential the Army has to grow'. Can you explain what you meant?
It really hit me for the first time how big The Salvation Army is and how my corps is a just a small piece of the Army's jigsaw puzzle. Anyone who believes that The Salvation Army lacks potential is totally out of their mind, because from what I saw the possibilities are endless.
Another thing that really stood out to me was how fortunate we are here in Australia. I met a few guys from Africa who play in their corps bands and they barely have any music or instruments to use. I think it's fair to say that we often take those things for granted. From now on, whenever I play or sing with a Salvation Army group, I will try to remember just how privileged I am.
Interview by Ryan O'Connell
Read about the Big Band's adventures at www.astsalvobigband.blogspot.com
For those who've come across the seas
Are we willing to share our boundless plains? asks Linda Hogan
In the 2006 census, only 2.3% of Aussies identified themselves as indigenous, but even those who are descended from indigenous Australians often also have immigrant ancestors.
In an ironic reflection of the current discussion around 'boat people', early European settlers also arrived unannounced,
uninvited and by boat.
Arguments about sustainable population aside, immigration is getting a lot of media attention. Terms like boat people, queue jumpers, asylum seekers, illegal immigrants and refugees are used, often interchangeably, although they certainly don't all mean the same thing.
Any debate about immigration seems to bring out racism, misinformation and a great deal of passionate debate. Refugees, and specifically those who arrive by boat, are shaping up as a hot issue of this federal election campaign. With that in mind, it's wise to examine the issue, debunk a few myths and figure out why we should care.
Onshore and offshore asylum seekers
Australia accepts a certain number of refugees each year. For the 2009–10 financial year, 13,750 places were
allocated in the Humanitarian Program.
The UNHCR (UN's refugee body) identifies people who are subject to persecution and need resettlement. Australia has allocated 6,000 places for refugees identified under this program.
The remaining 7,750 places fall under the Special Humanitarian Program (SHP) for people located outside their home country who are 'subject to substantial discrimination amounting to gross violation of human rights in their home country'. For a person to be eligible under the SHP, they must have a 'proposer', a person who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, an eligible New Zealand citizen or an Australian-based organisation supporting their application.
Some of those 7,750 places are also used for onshore protection needs—claims for asylum made by people in Australia. This includes those who arrive by boat, although the majority of onshore asylum seekers arrive by air with a valid visa and then apply for protection (according to a 25 May 2010 Federal Parliament Background Note).
The issue with visa numbers
Simon Hartley (pictured) is a soldier at Hobsons Bay–Altona Corps (Vic.) and a passionate refugee advocate. With his assistance and corps support, 85 refugee families have been granted asylum in Australia.
He spends countless hours preparing applications and petitioning the Immigration Department on behalf of asylum seekers, including the woman who shares her story on page 14. The people he assists are all located overseas, usually in refugee camps, and are applying under the SHP.
But Simon is getting angry. There simply aren't enough places available. 'I know we can't take everyone,' he says, 'but SHP places are drying up.'
The statistics support this view. In 2003–4 almost 9,000 places were available under the SHP, while only half that amount were granted in 2008–9. The extra visas are being used for onshore protection claims (which tripled in the same time period), leaving hardly any for those applying from overseas.
'I've got nothing against onshore asylum claims or the "boat people",' he says. 'Many people arriving by boat have genuine claims. It's just that we've reached a point where there aren't any SHP places left. People are losing hope since they know their chances are virtually zero.
'It encourages people smugglers because the chance of getting accepted is better if you're onshore. It's also a moral issue; we can't reunite families, even when one member is an Australian citizen and others are in danger.'
Simon asserts that there should be a separate number of places for onshore and offshore claims. Both groups have people with legitimate reasons for wanting asylum, but, by giving an increasing number of places to onshore applicants, Simon argues that people smuggling is being encouraged.
Debunking the myths
Since many offshore applicants are being refused entry while an increasing number of onshore applicants are accepted, some people believe the solution is to simply stop the boats arriving on Australian soil.
Australia has almost 60,000 km of coastline. This includes a number of outlying islands and a vast amount of remote and isolated coast. It's simply too big an area to police effectively.
But, even if the boats could be stopped, should we?
The UNHCR 2008 Global Trends Report states that there are 42 million people forcibly displaced worldwide, forced to leave their homelands due to persecution and conflict.
The displaced people have to flee somewhere, and Australia accepts only a tiny proportion.
The real burden of assisting asylum seekers falls on the world's poorest nations; Iran and Pakistan each hosted more than 1 million Afghani refugees in 2000.
An asylum seeker is not an illegal immigrant. Instead, 'asylum seeker' is a legal status and someone only becomes an illegal immigrant if they don't apply for asylum. Under the Universal Declaration of Human rights: 'Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution' (Article 14).
Also, by arriving by boat they are not necessarily jumping a queue. For Iraqi and Afghani refugees, there is no queue to jump. Australia has no diplomatic relations with these countries, and their citizens cannot necessarily flee to a neighbouring country for asylum, since few are signatories to the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees.
And, despite widespread opinion to the contrary, refugees are not bound to seek asylum in the first country
they reach.
An Australian Catholic University/Edmund Rice Centre report states that: 'There is no requirement in international law for refugees to seek asylum in the first country they come to. International law requires that sylum seekers should not be penalised according to the way in which they enter a country.'
The first country most refugees reach is another developing nation, where they find themselves living in a refugee camp or still suffering persecution. Also, it is unlikely that they would receive legal status there.
Minister for Immigration and Citizen-ship Senator Chris Evans wrote in 2009 that: 'The overwhelming majority of asylum seekers seek safety in Western Europe. Last year, 13,000 asylum seekers arrived by boat in Spain; 36,000 arrived in Italy; 2,700 in Malta; 15,000 in Greece. And in Yemen, 50,000 people arrived by boat from Somalia.'
This certainly puts Australia's 7,750 SHP places in perspective.
Why should we care?
The situation millions of people around the world find themselves in, through no fault of their own, is unimaginable to most people living in developed nations.
Accepting, assisting and resettling refugees is not a simple process, nor is deciding who should, and shouldn't, be granted asylum. Australia can't accept every genuine refugee, but widespread sensationalised media reporting reflects negative community attitudes to refugees.
It's easy to look at asylum seekers as only statistics. The difference between 100 and 1,000 is only one zero, but these figures reflect people in genuine need.
The Salvation Army's position statement on asylum seekers and refugees (see page 15) makes it clear that the Army believes both individuals and nations should respond compassionately and humanely. In the Bible, God repeatedly shows his loving concern for strangers and foreigners, setting an example for Christians.
'The things these people have endured are unimaginable,' says Simon. 'They have suffered starvation, rape, and violence in so called "safe" UNHCR camps.
'If people who use the official SHP system are not given a real chance to be granted a visa then the people smugglers have won.'
See our position statement on asylum seekers and refugees
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