Speech given by Susan Hopgood at the Conference

We have all been shocked, devastated, even overwhelmed at times by the attacks in the USA on September 11.

It is a date and an event which we will never forget and has most likely irrevocably changed the world as we know it.

It has resulted in thousands of deaths, deaths of people who were going about their daily business - they were workers, children, tourists - the victims came from 62 different countries. The victims included teachers and school children.

It was as Geoffrey Robinson has said "a crime against humanity".

But while we mourn for the lives lost in this international tragedy and reflect on the way the USA and the world should respond, we need to mourn for the victims of the other horrendous actions against humanity that have occurred in the past, resulting in massive loss of lives.

We must also mourn and reflect on the crimes against humanity in Rwanda, Bosnia, Uganda, Vietnam, Hiroshima.

We need to think about the millions of people, particularly women and girls, who are victims of war, repression, violence and poverty.

We need to consider the millions of child labourers, the majority of whom are girls, who have no chance in life.

We need to think of all this because what is required in response to September 11 is a long term solution; a solution which is based on justice not vengeance.

A reasoned response, not one for escalating retaliatory violence.

Because what will further violence achieve? More suffering and loss of lives of innocent people.

Women and children all over the world are the major victims of war and violence. The women and girls of Afghanistan are already suffering under the repressive, fundamentalist regime which controls their country.

Afghanistan is a drought-stricken country so devastated by war that there is nothing left to bomb (you will have heard the calls to 'bomb them back to the stone age') There are 50,000 disabled orphans and two million widows who survive by begging; the life expectancy of men is 42 and women 40; girls are forbidden to go to school and women are forced to secretly whisper lessons to them, women risk death by beheading …for teaching a child to read. They are dying from lack of medical care and food. They have no rights.

Military strikes in Afghanistan will only worsen this.

And do we really believe that actions by the West to cause the replacement of the Taliban by another fundamentalist group will improve the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan?

The answer, I believe, is no.

The women and girls of Afghanistan need food, security, peace and a restoration of their human rights. Not bombings. We must also take strong action for the other innocent victims of the September 11 attack.

The victims of the emerging racism and xenophobia around the world and here in Australia.

The attacks on Arabic and Islamic communities must be condemned. Muslim women and girls are often more vulnerable to these attacks because of their clothing.

Fear and ignorance often brings violence.

We as educators have an important role in overcoming this ignorance and racism, and governments must react strongly to these racist attacks. It is an added injustice and tragedy that many of those who are the target of these attacks in Australia are here because they have fled repression and violence in their own countries. What does this say about our country if we allow those who are already victims to be victims again in the country where they sought asylum because we are democratic and free?

The talk of the world is "war", vengeance, retaliation, and threats to civil liberties. Our political leaders have joined the chorus.

Terrorism in all its forms is indefensible but war and violence and vengeance is not the answer.

The loss of human rights of some to achieve security for others is not acceptable, because those who will suffer are the most vulnerable. Crimes against humanity should be dealt with by the international courts.

We are in a time of heightened uncertainty and fear. This is a time for new thinking, new vision, and new ways of relating in this independent global world.

We require a response based on global values of human rights and justice, one which responds to the suffering and inequities and greed which exists, one which provides justice to all victims of the world.

I urge you to support this resolution.

Decision On Afghanistan

The 2001 AEU Women's Conference strongly condemns the attacks in the USA on September 11, 2001 which resulted in a tragic loss of life.

We express our sympathies to all those who have suffered, particularly American educators and their families, and children everywhere who have directly or indirectly had their lives irrevocably changed as a result of this violent event.

Further we condemn all acts of terrorism, whether state sanctioned or the activities of individuals or small groups as indefensible.

This Conference believes that the response from the international community must be based on global values of human rights and justice, not retaliation which will only result in the further loss of innocent lives. The victims of this tragedy, like all victims, deserve justice not revenge. Women and children are the major victims of all war and violence. The women and girls of Afghanistan are already suffering unbelievable repression by the Taliban regime.

We are concerned at the language of war being used by world leaders including our own political leaders in response to this attack and the emerging environment of racism and xenophobia around the world. We condemn the attacks on Arabic and Islamic communities.

Military retaliation in response to this mass murder will only worsen the cycle of fear, anger and violence and result in further loss of innocent lives.

We call on the Australian Government and the Opposition to support:

• a response to the events on September 11 based on justice, not retaliation, through the international courts;
• long term solutions to human security which address the greed and inequities existing in the world that have resulted in millions of people, particularly women and girls, suffering from the violence inflicted by terrorism and war, or the lack of food, medicine and housing;
• an increase in long term aid programs that address poverty and inequity in developing countries.

Decision On Freeing of Refugees

Recent events in the Australian political landscape cause women public education workers grave concern. We are opposed to the current treatment of refugees seeking asylum in Australia.

Currently thousands of asylum-seekers, including hundreds of children, are locked up in Australian immigration detention centres, mostly in remote desert areas. Australia is the only developed country that has an official policy of mandatory detention of all asylum-seekers who arrive without visas.

As a signatory to the United Nations Refugee Convention, Australia is obliged to protect refugees in Australia regardless of how they arrive. The United Nations Human Rights Committee, Amnesty International and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission have condemned Australia's policy of mandatory detention as a blatant break of our international human rights obligations.

As a rule asylum-seekers are not "illegal" nor are they "queue jumpers". There are no orderly queues for migration to Australia from countries that are persecuting their citizens because it is generally not possible for a person fleeing persecution to obtain a visa to enter another country.

Australian women in public education call for the:

• closure of all immigration detention centres;
• abolition of mandatory detention of all asylum seekers;
• establishment of community based settlement services and accommodation for all refugees;
• support of an industrial and community based campaign to stop the expansion of detention camps both in Australia and off shore.