51 – Somayra Ismailjee

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Here’s another guest I managed to snag whilst in Perth: 17-year-old (!!!) writer and visual artist Somayra Ismailjee.

Somayra is of Karen, Gujarati and Kashmiri heritage and has written for Right Now, New Matilda, Media Diversified, Junkee and many other publications on matters of race, political correctness, Islamaphobia, queer rights and Charlie Hebdo. Here we cover everything from Coldplay and cultural appropriation to the power of the UPF in Perth to trigger warnings and orientalism. Plus Somayra was even kind enough to teach me a new word.

The World Keeps Happening is in Adelaide now, coming to Brisbane, Melbourne & Sydney

Boundless Plains To Share at MICF 2016

An Open Letter from 100 Australian Comedians Saying #LetThemStay

@somayra_

Article: “Australian Muslim is not an oxymoron”

Causes of the Week: Indigenous Literacy Foundation (indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au), RISE – Refugees, Survivors & Ex-Detainees (riserefugee.org)

 

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Comedians Say #LetThemStay

Very proud of the Strayan comedy community today. 100 comics have leant their names to this open letter calling for the government to not deport 267 people seeking asylum (including 37 babies) from Australia.

Dear Rich White Men Who Are In Charge Of Things,

We the undersigned are professional dickheads. Between us, we have decades of experience in getting away with making people laugh and acting like it’s a respectable living. We say swears and we talk about genitals and farts and Facebook and first world problems and we wear silly costumes and shout our opinions at drunken hecklers in pubs and bars and tents across this great nation.

We ain’t no high-falutin’ city lawyers. We don’t know heaps about the constitution or the intricate details of the Migration Act or international conventions on human rights.

Indeed, many of us often fail to use the English words good and stuff.

But we know when something isn’t funny. At one time or another we’ve all delivered a line that we think is SOLID GOLD, only to be met with deafening silence. This is known as “bombing” or “comic death”. It is the worst possible experience for a comedian. Bombing elicits a sudden and powerful sensation of overwhelming dread and shame. It immediately compels you to reconsider all of your life choices and makes you want to go home and curl up into a little ball and nuzzle a bottle of wine and cry.

To us, the idea of deporting vulnerable people seeking asylum to Nauru to face the very things they sought protection from is a really, really bad joke. Like, no good. At all. We understand that the recent decision by the High Court technically makes this sort of thing legal, but that doesn’t mean it’s worth pursuing. Other things that are legal include smoking and wearing Crocs.

Come on, bros: we’re talking about 37 babies here. You politicians are supposed to kiss babies, not deport them.

As people who wear our hearts on our sleeve and who are often cynical about most things, we’re appealing to your decency and your humanity and asking you to let these people remain in Australia. Here in the community they can receive the support they need, begin to rebuild their lives and hey, maybe even come on down to a comedy show to laugh their cares away.

Yes, it is a super sticky area of public policy. But even we professional dickheads can see this isn’t the way to go about it.

Trust us, Prime Minister Turnbull and Minister Dutton – there’s nothing funny about this shemozzle.

Please get to work on some new material ASAP.

We say: #LetThemStay.

#LetThemStay

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Was proud to be part of this group at Flinders Street station today to say #LetThemStay in response to this High Court decision.

I ain’t no fancy city lawyer, but I’d suggest that sending 37 babies off to a prison camp renowned for poor facilities, sexual assault and abuse is a BAD BAD THING.

Monday is a national day of action around the #LetThemStay campaign; find out more on the GetUp! Facebook page.

50 – Senator Scott Ludlam

ludlamlogo500It’s episode 50 you guys!

Senator Scott Ludlam is a Greens Senator for Western Australia. He’s co-deputy leader for the party and its spokesperson for issues such as communications, housing, mining and nuclear power.

Whilst in Perth I chatted with Scott about everything from DJing to his viral hit speech to the cult of personality to his journey into politics to why he’s a “Senate nerd”. Plus the issues that drive his passions: nuclear disarmament, digital rights, Julian Assange, our shitty foreign policies, the TPP, the NBN and the possibility of a Greens government.

The World Keeps Happening coming to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne AND NOW SYDNEY!

Boundless Plains To Share at MICF 2016

Gimme Shelter: a fundraiser for Road to Refuge

#LetThemStay

No Shame: Why Most Australians Feel Okay About Tormenting Asylum Seekers

Ep 48: Jim Coad

@SenatorLudlam

scott-ludlam.greensmps.org.au

Scott’s blog: fieldnotes.org.au

Julian Assange found to be unlawfully detained by UN

Article: Foreign policy that blindly follows the US isn’t in our national interest

CAUSE OF THE WEEK: Save Beeliar Wetlands (savebeeliarwetlands.com), Rethink The Link (rethinkthelink.com.au)

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49 – Jim Coad

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January 26th is upon us again!

To reflect on the issues of blind nationalism and patriotism that Australia/Invasion/Survival Day (of Mourning) throws up, here’s a slice of Stan Grant‘s speech on racism and my conversation with artist Jim Coad, the man behind the Castlemaine civil event named “Chuck another flag on the barbie?”.

The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld

Boundless Plains To Share at MICF

Stan Grant’s speech

IQ2 Debate: Racism is destroying the Australian Dream

Australia Day is a time for mourning, not celebration by Nakkiah Lui

The problem with Australia Day by Martin Flanagan

@jim_coad

Chuck another flag on the barbie? on Facebook

ABC article on Jim’s event

#proudest100 

proudest100.com

Cause of the Week: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (asrc.org.au)

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48 – Mohammad Ali Baqiri

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Mohammad Ali Baqiri is a former refugee who came to Australia by sea as a child. He spent three years in Australian immigration detention on Nauru.

Here he kindly shares his story with me and explains what it’s really like to be a “boat person”.

The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld

Boundless Plains To Share at MICF

@AliBaqiri

Mohammad on Facebook

Article: Burning the Stakeholders 

Cause of the Week: Road to Refuge (roadtorefuge.com)

Gimme Shelter! A Road To Refuge Fundraiser

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47 – Fiona Patten

fionapattenlogo500Fiona Patten is a former lobbyist for the sex industry, she’s the founder and leader of the Australian Sex Party and she was elected to the Victorian Legislative Council in 2014 as the member for the Northern Metropolitan Region.

Fiona is passionate about civil liberties and honest conversations about everything from sex to drugs to voluntary euthanasia. We had a great ol’ time talking and laughing about sex work (and her personal experience with it), porn, the history of Fyshwick, abortion clinic buffer zones and more.

Midsumma Hypothetical – 2022: A Queer Odyssey

The World Keeps Happening at Perth Fringeworld

Boundless Plains To Share at MICF

@fionapattenMLC

fionapatten.com

sexparty.org.au

Guardian profile on Fiona

Cause of the Week: Harm Reduction Victoria (hrvic.org.au

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