In order to empty ourselves of prejudices and fear we must empty our minds; in order to learn we have to empty ourselves of our preconceived notions. The hollow insides of the bamboo reminds us that we are often too full of ourselves and our own conclusions; we have no space for anything else. Well I guess that's all very well and true but can we really do that much about it. We grow up with pre-conceived notions which are culturally conditioned. In order to fit it into our surroundings, which is a natural human reaction, we absorb the ways of the community until we are old enough to challenge them. And I guess that is the key, until we are old enough to challenge them. I was pretty sickened this week by a civilised country like Australia - though I do not single it out because it is happening no far from me too. Immigration is a problem we are told, well yes, but corralling them like horses in order to break them can't be an answer to the problem. So today, I dedicated this post to Hamid Kehazaei, a 24-year-old Iranian asylum seeker who had been detained on Manus Island (in a detention centre set up by the Australian government - not much better than Robben Island really). He recently suffered a cut to his foot. It's reported that Hamid sought medical attention for days, and was denied, resulting in acute septicaemia. By the time he was transferred to a Brisbane hospital he was brain dead. God, he was just a boy looking for a better life, which even the desert of Australia could have provided.The petition to close down the Manus Island and Nauru detention centres is a collaboration between GetUp, the Refugee Action Coalition, Doctors for Refugees, ChilOut, the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, Unions for Refugees, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, and numerous groups and individuals fighting for compassionate and humane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, please email: petition@getup.org.au To sign as an individual - I have. But this is happening on your own doorstep too - empty your mind of fear, these are people with real feelings, passion and love to offer a world in which they are unhappy. The picture is of Nelson Mandela's old cell - goodness, what must he have thought about this - and believe me, this picture does not do the cell justice, its smaller than it looks, that mat is six foot long and was Mr Mandella's bed and the cell could only take two of them side-by-side. When I want to clear my mind I often listen to this - and watch the film , its great:
