Message from the Director

By Jorge Aroche, Executive Director

Welcome to the tenth issue of Transitions. This is the last issue as a NSW based magazine. The next issue will commence a new episode in which Transitions (from then on to be known as “REFUGEE Transitions”) will aim to fulfil a national role and reach a wider audience. This is not a goodbye by any means, but rather the opportunity to say hello to a bigger audience. The current production team at STARTTS in NSW will continue to produce Transitions, as one of STARTTS portfolios with the National Forum of Services for the Survivors of Torture and Trauma (NFSSTT), albeit with the assistance and support of the torture and trauma services from other states. We are confident this will result in an even better, more cost-effective magazine with a larger readership. I am also looking forward to sharing the task of writing this message with the other NFSSTT Directors!

It is just as well that I have this last message all to myself, however, since so many things have been happening at STARTTS in the last couple of months! Perhaps one of the most important of these occurred at the International Day in Support of Torture Victims event organised by Friends of STARTTS and Amnesty International at the State Library of NSW, on the 26th of June. The NSW Minister for Health, the Hon. Craig Knowles reaffirmed his support for the work of STARTTS, and chose this occasion to announce that STARTTS’ recurrent budget will be increased by $600,000.

This will enable STARTTS to continue to address the growing level of demand for our services and tackle long-standing challenges such as the development of more specific services for children, the increase of our psychiatric consultancy services and a larger role in research in the field of torture and trauma. Our many thanks to Craig Knowles, not only for this wonderful news, but also for the thoughtful speech delivered at this event, and the mention in Parliament earlier that day about the significance of the 26th of June and the work carried out in NSW to assist torture and trauma survivors. I have taken the liberty to include his speech from the Hansard Records elsewhere in this magazine.

I did not get to hear the above news personally, however, since I was then halfway around the world having just attended the 6th conference of the International Society for Health and Human Rights (ISSHR) in Cavtat, Croatia. The theme of the conference was Communities in Crisis: Strengthening Resources for Community Reconstruction. It provided a wonderful opportunity to learn about the impact of human rights violations on health from a kaleidoscopic variety of perspectives, and to meet again people from all over the world working on this field. As often happens in these cases, we came back inspired by the ideas, many of which have much potential for application in our work, but also with the tremendous spirit and commitment demonstrated by those working with torture survivors in situations where the risk of becoming a victim themselves increases with every person they assist. It was also heartening and gratifying to find our interventions and approaches validated by the positive response to our presentations and the work that is being carried in Australia by STARTTS and other like services. To the extent that is possible, we will try to bring summaries of some of the best presentations and discussions to Transitions and to the STARTTS website.

I have also come back from the conference with some additional responsibilities. I was elected to the council of the ISSHR, and then to the executive of the society. As part of this commitment I will be playing a more active role in helping develop better links and networks between members in the Asia-Pacific region, and in the context of my portfolio with the executive, between the different regions. I look forward to doing my best to make a success of this position.

Another interesting, yet sad note captured in this conference is that Australia appears to be now better known internationally for its policies towards unauthorised entrants (particularly its use of immigration detention) than for its progressive policies in the resettlement of refugees, an area where Australia continues to be at the cutting edge worldwide. The debate about detention, of course, continues to rage in Australia, with hardly a week passing without it making news in some way or another, and these concerns are once again reflected in various articles in this issue.

This Transitions, as you might expect, tackles a variety of complex issues. These include an excellent analysis of the conflict in Sierra Leone in our forgotten conflicts section, a report on the latest in the efforts to develop an international criminal court, an article exploring the complex issues surrounding the deportation of permanent residents who commit crimes in Australia, a round table discussion on mental health issues in East Timor, and a couple of excellent articles focusing on the complex political and human rights situation of West Papua as it struggles for independence.

Other articles focus on the practical application of the Families in Cultural Transitions Program through a successful partnership between the NSW Department of School Education and STARTTS, and the event on the 26th of June observing the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture in NSW. This issue of Transitions also includes, for the first time, a section reviewing books and films available on video of particular relevance to human rights issues. I believe this is an excellent addition to Transitions, which I hope becomes a regular section from now on.

I trust you will enjoy this issue, and hope you join me in looking forward to issue 11 as the first in the new phase of Transitions. Until then, all the best, (and don’t forget to subscribe if you haven’t done so yet!!!).