ACCN: Final HRC subs

National Human Rights Consultation Secretariat
Attorney-General's Department
Central Office
Robert Garran Offices
National Circuit
BARTON ACT 2600

14th June 2009

ACCN submissions to the Human Rights Consultation - Raising community awareness of human rights issues at a domestic level.

Dear Human Rights Consultative Committee,

Please find attached our three submissions.

Preamble

A platypus is an animal created by a committee" is a common joke about committee work and achievements. Well it may look strange, but platypus lives, eats, sleeps, reproduces, works anhd has fun. It is perfectly adapted to its environment.

Committees can and do make significant contributions to people lives. The Human Rights Consultative Committee will certainly do so.

Civil marriage celebrants have also been compared to platypuses – being a combination of government appointment and independent home based service provider.

Summary

There are a number of common threads that could be woven together to raise the cultural awareness of human rights issues at a domestic level in Australia.

Research indicates that human behaviour is the outcome of a complex balance between nature and nurture, problems related to human behaviour requiring different strategies for primary prevention, early intervention and treatment.

The four factors required for behaviour human change are:

• Information
• Attitude / Value clarification
• Skills
• Social Support (at individual, group, community, society and cultural levels)

These submissions relate primarily to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
adopted and proclaimed as “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights” by the the General Assembly of the United Nations on 10 December 1948.

Whilst there is a general awareness of this Declaration of Human Rights, like the National Anthem, the words are largely not known nor understood.

Articles 1 and 2 * of the International Declaration of Human Rights are the primary foundations stones of all human rights, and thus require a national program to raise awareness of these foundation stones.

In particular, there is the need to understand that both these rights are based on the basic principles that human beings
* are not responsible for the circumstances of their birth, nor in some areas of their lives, are they in control of the circumstances that affect their functioning.
whilst at the same time
* are responsible, wherever possible, to ensure their behaviour does not infringe upon, nor negate the rights of other human beings

For a national level awareness project, many components would be needed to educate a whole nation. Various sectors (families; schools; governments bodies, professionals,; business-related,  community groups etc) would need to play their part.

Submission 1:

Ceremony is a way of reaching a group of people, not just those individuals that are the focus of the event.

Thus it is proposed that all 18 year olds have the opportunity of the equivalent of an "Australian Citizenship" or "Coming of Adulthood" ceremony where the rights and responsibilities of those attaining full citizenship will be highlighted and given appropriate solemnity.

There is already a  program under the Federal Attorney General's jurisdiction, that has all the key components that could be modified relatively simply to include a community education role.

Thus it is also proposed to:

• review of components of the existing Commonwealth Marriage Celebrant Program to incorporate human rights principles and better liaison with other sections of the Attorney General’s Department

and thereby

• expand of the role of ‘civil marriage’ celebrant to incorporate other duties as a HR** community educator/ “civics ambassador”***, that would serve to promote and support courteous and respectful attitudes and behaviour at all stages of a citizen’s life.

There are currently 8000 commonwealth appointed marriage celebrants conducting 60% of marriages in Australia. Many of these celebrants now perform other rites of passage such as "Welcome to Family"(Namings), Renewal of Marriage Vows, Commitment Ceremonies for Same Sex couples, and Funerals. Every ceremony is an opportunity for acknowledging the need for  attitudes and behaviours that are courteous and respectful of others. Approx. 6000 of these celebrants are government appointed independent self-employed civil celebrants, the other 2000 being non-aligned religious celebrants. _

The Coalition of Celebrant Associations, a national peak body of 14 celebrant associations, set up as a consultative body by the Attorney General's Department supported these two motions:

1. Exploring strategies for broadening the role of civil marriage celebrants to meet related objectives under the Federal Attorney General's _sphere of responsibility.

2. The development of community based  "adult Australian Citizenship" ceremonies for all young people turning 18 ears of age.

Submission 2

It is proposed to expand of the role of suitably trained and skilled commonwealth civil celebrants to incorporate a HR community educator in a  schools based “Being a Civilised Australian” program with a focus on "comparative religion" studies as related to Human Rights issues and articulated with any existing Ethics and Citizenship education programs

As an optional role, civil celebrants could participate in this schools based education program.

A national anthem can be a powerful tool to inspire a country’s citizens to live respectfully and in harmony with each another and with other countries. For various reasons, Australia’s national anthem is neither inclusive nor inspiring nor captures the Aussie spirit of  a “Fair Go” and “Not taking oneself too seriously”.
 
These recommendations are the culmination of my 20 years experience working in the health and alcohol and other drug education and 20 years experience working as a civil celebrant.

Thus there are many aspects to this proposal that have not be easy for me to articulate, or expand upon in the limit set for submissions.

Therefore I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this proposal with you, or to explain my reasoning in areas where this may not be clear.

Yours sincerely

Rona Goold B Sc (Gen Sc) Dip Ed. JP CMC
ACCN Director
Direct line: 02 4885 2393
F: 02 4885 1639_
E: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Australian Celebrants & Celebrations Network
Let the celebration be your gift
W: www.accn.com.au

ACCN Submission 1:

Focus: Using ceremony and commonwealth appointed civil marriage celebrants to raise community awareness of human rights issues at a domestic level.

Ceremony is one way of reaching a group of people, not just those individuals that are the focus of the event.

Ceremony, like theatre, uses many different forms of communication using all the senses – prose, poetry, music, lyrics, colour, movement, symbolism, group participation etc.

Thus ceremony and civil celebrants can contribute to cultural awareness of human rights, primarily in the areas of information provision and social support.

The recommendations of this submission are

1. The establishment of “Coming of Age/ Adulthood/ Full Australian Citizenship’ Rite of Passage Process endorsed by the Commonwealth Government
2. The review of components of the existing Commonwealth Marriage Celebrant Program to incorporate human rights principles and better liaison with other sections of the Attorney General’s Department.
1. Review of Happily Ever After brochure
2. Addition of Government Expectation on Marriage Statement
3. The expansion of the role of ‘civil’ marriage celebrant to incorporate other duties of as a HR community educator/ “civics ambassador” type (as in Recommendation 1) would serve to promote and support courteous and respectful attitudes and behaviour at all stages of a citizen’s life.
4. The review of the Commonwealth Marriage Celebrant Program’s  appointment and review systems to incorporate the boarder role of Civil Educator Celebrant.

NOTE:

* Article 1.  All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereign

** HR = Human Rights )
*** Civics =" the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship"
Ambassador = "authorized messenger or representative or unofficial representative: ambassadors of goodwill."

1. “Coming of Age/ Adulthood/ full Australian Citizenship’ Rite of Passage Process endorsed by the federal government ie acknowledgement of status, information and/or ceremony for full citizenship by all Australian born 18 year olds

Background:

Public community based ceremonies provide powerful conscious and unconscious messages about social norms and expectations, transmit values and can inspire human beings to live more fully, responsibility and respectfully of others.

The lowering from the age of Adult Status from 21 years to 18 years for a wide range of rights and responsibilities, celebrated now in a time of much higher exposure to mass media marketing of alcohol, sex and other symbols of supposed adult status, has meant that what was once a clearer rite of passage to adulthood, has become less valuable.

For many teenagers, the attainment of age 18 means the right to buy alcohol and get drunk. There is very little focus on the other rights one has, in attaining adult status, and even less on the responsibilities that go hand in hand with those rights.

Because poor impulse control over behaviour can result from alcohol and other drug use, such use is linked to issues of overt acts of hostility thus affecting the rights of others. eg domestic violence; child abuse and neglect; gender/ racial /  homophobic based violence; assault, property crime etc.

The increase in “schoolies” week type activities could  be seen as the result of our society’s failure to provide a meaningful Rite of Passage into Adult community life.

“Leaving school” celebrations are more like ‘funerals or memorials” ie about leaving childhood behind, than about a “Welcome to Community/ Full Citizenship’ by the general community, that incorporates a whole array of other families, professions, trades, interest groups etc.

Just as the “Betrothal” ceremony has been downgraded into an “Engagement” Party, the “Coming of Age at 21” with its “Key to the Door” has likewise been downgraded to a “18th Party’ – with much more focussed on it being a “peer party”, than a  Welcome to Adulthood” or “Welcome to Community” as a equal citizens.

All overseas born Australians upon acquiring Australian citizenship are granted

1. A suitably decorative certificate to acknowledge their new status
2. A ceremony within which their new status is honoured, its rights and responsibilities affirmed
3. Information about Australian citizenship, human rights, electoral responsibilities and other related information

However all Australia born citizenship do not receive equal treatment as regards their full Australian citizenship – its rights and responsibilities.

Community education/ development strategies are needed to reinforce “civilised" behaviour, based on an understanding of human rights and the rights and responsibilities of adult citizens in Australia

George Williams (Foundation Director, Gilbert & Tobin Centre of Public Law, Uni NSW) states that “”Classroom teaching is not enough to instill foundational knowledge and values. If the Government is serious about Australians knowing more about how they are governed and being good citizens, it needs to take a broader approach. “  …. (and) …. must be reinforced outside the classroom. …….

that ……  “ Most importantly, the Government should recognise the futility of educating people about being an active citizen when there are too few opportunities for them to become one. We need to make changes so that how we are governed reflects the values we are seeking to promote. We need more democratic engagement as part of a system based upon popular ownership, rather than a disconnected community.”  

Reference:
http://www.accn.com.au/more/information/citizenship-and-civil-celebrancy?/

Discussion:

As Australian society has become more secular, there has been an increased trend in using civil celebrants as  a “neutral” person to facilitate and lead celebrations.

An “Aussie-born” Citizenship Ceremony could be developed in each electorate, conducted at least annually, for all those young Australians who turn 18. Alternatively such ceremonies could be family or local community based ones.

Obviously the demographics would affect how many and how often larger ceremonies could be held. Representatives from different schools could be involved in the planning and delivery of these ceremonies, but an important component of such ceremonies would be that they would be held in civic centres or venues that reinforce the diversity of the community into which young adults will now be entering.

Whilst some celebrants have conducted "Coming of Age" Ceremonies, they are still rare, and thus their infancy.

One aspect of such a ceremony could be the presentation of a Certificate of Adulthood or Certificate of Australian Citizenship. Some Coming of Age certificates and Adulthood certificates have been develop, but the latter certificate would have more credibility if it was endorsed by the Australian Government.

For example: Coming of Age Certificate
http://www.accn.com.au/images/enews/coa.htm

http://www.accn.com.au/images/enews/cah.htm

NB. Text in Appendix 1 below

Thus the more that our community celebrations can be enhanced with meaningful words and acts, and participation of community leaders and others, then the stronger  the message about how to celebrate responsibly and treat others respectfully.

The culmination of  other human rights programs could be a “Citizenship Ceremony” for every Australian turning 18 years of age. Such ceremonies could be hosted and coordinated by the civil celebrants in that electorate, working in cooperation with their local federal and state MPs.

Specific Recommendations:

That the Federal Government

• address this discrimination as relates to citizenship
• produce Australian Citizenships certificates to be presented wherever possible in the context of a family or community based ceremony
• expand the role of the Civil Celebrant to empower civil celebrants to be better informed about civil rights issues and include duties, such that rites of passage for Adulthood/ Full Citizenship, can be offered at a family level and at a community level
• encourage a collaboration between municipal and federal government bodies to hold larger ceremonies for all 18 year olds ‘Coming of Adulthood” status, as is currently done for Australian Citizenship ceremonies

2. The review of components of the existing Commonwealth Marriage Celebrant program to incorporate human rights principles and better liaison with other activities of the Attorney General’s Department.

• Revise Happily Ever After brochure
• Initiate Government Expectation on Marriage Statement

Background:

Human rights abuses in relation to women and children (and some men) are often found within the context of domestic living arrangements. More people suffer physical, sexual, emotional and other abuse from people they know, rather than strangers.

Marriage is one such arrangement, as are civil unions (whether formalised or not) such as defacto relationships, same sex couples, carer-caree arrangements etc.

Therefore reviewing the civil marriage celebrant program from this a human rights perspective, and refining current tools, could enhance human rights awareness. 

Civil marriage celebrants are responsible for providing information to couples on relationship education services.

Religious celebrants have a perceived (by the couple) right to discuss a couple’s relationship at depth. Civil celebrants do not. Not that this submission aims to do that.

Rather that aims to empower the celebrant to discuss relationship education at more depth, and provide more information about successful relationship strategies.

Therefore a revision of the “Happily Ever After Brochure  and a new document that raised more specific issues and that, like a Statutory Declaration, required signatures by the parties, would empower the celebrant to read and explain the document about to be signed, and encourage more attention to be paid to the information by the parties, if this were a requirement.

For example: A Government Expectation of Marriage document:

Text - Appendix 2 below

Note: On carbonised pads, for example, so all parties could retain copies.

Discussion

Requiring couples to sign a document, similar to their Notice of Intended Marriage (Form 13) or their Marriage Declaration (Form 14), could serve several purposes. Not only would it alert some less informed or empowered individuals of their rights, it would also grant the celebrant the opportunity to discuss relationship education services with more authority.

Coupled with better training, via specific units to be incorporated in civil celebrant training, and a broader role in HR Community Education and Adulthood Status ceremonies, civil celebrant would be better skilled to discuss these issues and be more empowered to do so, by having this additional Government rmandate.

There also would be a role for celebrants, with the support of their celebrant associations, to develop a range of information strategies, such as information sessions for engaged couples, articles in local newspapers and magazine that could assist in raising public awareness of these issues.

3. The expansion of the role of ‘civil’ marriage celebrant to incorporate other duties of as a HR community educator/ “civics ambassador” type would serve to promote and support courteous and respectful attitudes and behaviour at all stages of a citizen’s life.

Background:

Education is a process involving many methodologies – not just schools based class-room style education. Community educators that see their role at its broadest, are able to utilize a broad range of media ( internet local press, radio, television, magazines, talks at community groups (ceremony), books, pamphlets, videos) to communicate.

The role of independent civil marriage celebrant in Australia has evolved into the role of a “civil celebrant for all occasions” This is evidenced by the upgrading of commonwealth Marriage Celebrant appointment requirements from a single VET unit to the full 13 unit Certificate IV in Celebrancy from 3/2/2010

Civil Celebrants are developing and leading civil ceremonies for a whole range of rites of passage.

The independent civil celebrant in a democratic society, with an enhanced role and training, has a unique opportunity to:

• inspire individuals, couples and families to build more harmonious supportive relationships
• provide a framework through which individuals, couples and families can be supported during times of major changes in their lives
• acknowledge times and roles past, articulating achievements, in learning from mistakes and moving on from failures and successes
• provide a vision of future roles and relationships, to encourage and support change for optimum health of all concerned
• inform and educate on issues related to marriage, family and community life, loss and grief, managing change, "civilised" behaviour in a modern day context, human/citizens rights and responsibilities.

There are opportunities for inclusion of statements that promote and support respectful caring relationships, appropriate to the context and the life stage of the people for whom the ceremony has been designed and for their guests.

As the poet, author and journalist Kerry Cue states “The right words at the right time can save lives”

Discussion:

Given the increasing secular nature of our Australia community, once people leave schools the person who is most likely to be chosen to “celebrate” their major rites of passage are civil celebrants.  

This evolving civil celebrant role has many similarities with the role played by religious celebrants in community life, and is one that could be enhanced by participation in other aspects of civil life, such as coming of age, citizenship ceremonies, ceremonies for Australia day,  ANZAC day, and other ceremonies of civil importance, and in participating in programs aimed at enhancing civil behaviours in communities.

Those similarities are, that much of the intent of the religious celebrants work is to support human beings in finding the "right" relationship with themselves, with others, with their community and their world, including their "God" however that is defined by the specific religion.

Therefore by expanding the civil marriage celebrant role to be involved in Coming of Age/ Adulthood ceremonies the civil celebrant’s role work naturally evolve to include HR community education work within their communities.

4. Review of the commonwealth marriage celebrant programs appointment and review systems incorporate the boarder role of Civil Educator-Celebrant.

Background:

Origins of the Civil Marriage Celebrant Program were based on a human rights principle. ie in providing a secular alternative to a religious ceremony for those Australians who had no religious faith.

The original appointment system was gender balanced and needs based per government electorate, the celebrant role viewed as a community service, and recommended by a government set fee.

There are a number of reasons why the Civil Celebrant Program would be a highly suitable program to utilise to assist in promoting human right in Australia

1. The Civil Marriage Celebrant Program is currently administered by the Commonwealth Attorney General
2. This training package sits within the Community Services and Health section of the national Vocational Education and Training VET scheme, where there are already training units in community information and education strategies. Thus units on Human Rights and their applicability to citizenship, marriage and other life roles could be developed and delivered within that structure
3. The Attorney General has a number of related responsibilities such as Family law, that if integrated better with the Civil Marriage Celebrant program would form the basis of a more comprehensive Civil Celebrant Program which would incorporate a “Coming of Adulthood/ Full Australian Citizen” rite of passage.
   For example the Attorney General just launched an It’s Your Right  information package to be made available for new citizens studying English.
   
4. The Coalition of Celebrant Associations, a newly formed peak body, that the Attorney General has established to assist in the development of the Commonwealth Marriage Celebrant program, has 14 member associations with state or nation-wide specific focus, marriage specific or all ceremonies focus etc and so have a broader interest and experience than just marriage.
   
   Furthermore, commonwealth appointed marriage celebrants already perform duties requiring the same skills as the  tasks that would be required in the recommendations 1 to 3 above.

Discussion

The components of a Revised appointment and maintenance program for Civil Educator- Celebrants could include

1. establishing essential training and fit and proper person guidelines for appointment. Such guidelines to include prior work as a celebrant.
2. appointing Civil Celebrants upon recommendations from Electoral Celebrant Advisory Committees 
3. Re-establishing a clear division between appointments as either civil appointments or non-aligned religious appointments ie no longer appointing celebrants as both civil and religious celebrants.thus the applicant thus would be required to affirm to which authority where their primary loyalty lay.
4. A "grandfather" clause for all existing marriage celebrants appointees. ie all existing Civil Marriage Celebrants to retain their appointments for their current roles, but be granted the opportunity to upgrade to Civil Educator Celebrants.
5. A moratorium on all appointments whilst the program is revised. Then all new appointments made under the new Civil Celebrant Program. NB This would still allow people to become celebrants for all other ceremonies, other than weddings. Rather encourage people to be experienced in delivering ceremonies before being appointed to conduct weddings.
6. Civil celebrants being involved in schools and community based programs aimed at promoting good-will, courtesy and respect for all human beings.
7. The recommendations for the level of community need, and the specific personnel for appointment of  Civil Eductor Celebrant, could be made by an Advisory Committee established in each Australian Federal Electorate for that purpose.
8. Civil celebrants being involved in a Citizenship Ceremony program ie the regular holding of ceremonies for all Australian born people who turn 18 years, and for all overseas born people being granted Australian citizenship rights In a similar way to the way the Marriage Act requires some minimal requirements to be met, guidelines for such ceremonies could be formulated by the AGs. The specific components of the ceremony would left for local communities to develop in consultation with the Civics Ambassador/Civil Celebrant Advisory Committee, local celebrants and representatives of local communities.
9. The role of Celebrant Associations or networks of associations would be to advise the AG on celebrancy related issues such as celebrant training, OPD, current implementation and any future changes to the Marriage Act and Regulations

Conclusion: 

This proposal may seem ambitious and rather short of detail. It is not. It must be remembered that the current availability of civil ceremonies, not just for weddings, has developed in less than 40 years.

This is a remarkably short period of time in terms of social change for a program, based on human rights, that required minimal support by government.

It is a tribute to the knowledge, expertise and humanity of a large number of Australian celebrants that our society has ceremonies where all citizens regardless of religion, race, gender, age, ability etc can come together as one group and be treated with equal dignity and respect by the celebrant.

SUBMISSION 2

The expansion of the role of suitably trained and skilled‘civil’ marriage celebrants to incorporate other duties of a a HR community educator/ civics ambassador type nature in a  schools based “Being a Civilised Australian” program with a focus on "comparative religion" studies as related to Human Rights issues and articulated with any existing Ethics and Citizenship education programs

Background: 

Separation of the powers of church and state have had a long, and at times bloody history to grant us, as Australian citizens, with democracy many of us enjoy today.

There are still situations in Australia where religious beliefs continue to used to continue to practise discrimination on the basis of age (children), gender (women), sexual attracted-ness (gay and lesbian people), ability (people with physical or mental disabilities) etc.

On an international level, it can be seen that when the “state” replaces its law based upon citizens rights, with law determined by religious texts or ideology eg Sharia law, then the rights of women, child, people with disabilities etc suffer.

In recent times, in Asutralia there has been a blurring of the lines between civil and religious celebrants (a person can be appointed by the AGs both as a civil and a religious celebrant) and in the accommodation of religious material in wedding ceremonies.

This “blurring” was intended to be at the request of the couple, primarily to accommodate those couples, who for various reasons were unable to access a marriage ceremony in their own religion (nb there was at time when civil celebrants were not allowed to do anything that could be seen to be religious).

However. Many new commonwealth appointed marriage celebrants no longer  understand this distinction.

This is not to say some religious material can not able to be included. Rather that it be only done if initiated by the couple/ family and conducted in a manner that upholds the independent position of the civil celebrant and recognizes that appropriation of religious matter may be a breech of copyright and intellectual property rights.

So separation of church and state functions are important for the continuance of rule of law based on human rights. 

Human rights not only means respect for people of different religious faiths, it also means respect for people with no religious faith.

There are opportunities for religious celebrants to be involved in primary and secondary school life, in religious education and in Schools Chaplaincy Program

This National Schools Chaplaincy Program, which provides each school with $25,000 pa to provide a School Chaplain, could be incorporated into a schools based Ethics and Citizenship Education program.

Being a government funded program, it can be argued that such positions should be open to “civil chaplains” who have studied "comparative religion” and who are able to promote tolerance of differing religious viewpoints and tolerance of no religious beliefs, provided such a person acts with integrity, courtesy and respect in rlation to other citizens and upholds the human rights of others.

Policy decisions could be made to utilise the Schools Chaplaincy programs funds, and time allocated for religious education to provide the opportunity for suitably skilled HR Community Educators/ Civics Ambassador/ Civil celebrants to provide a schools based “Being a Civilised Australian” program.

However, there is no equal right for civil celebrants to participate in those areas currently accessed by religious celebrants.

It is also understood that Department of Education Guidelines in NSW do not permit secular teachers to provide Comparative Religious studies for those students who are not attending a specific religious education class. This may also be the case with other State’s state based religious programs. 

Likewise this is discriminatory and not conducive to promoting understanding and tolerance of specific religions or those whose lives are ethical, but non-religion based.

Discussion:

Therefore as a minimum, to eliminate this discrimination,
* State based schools programs need to be reviewed to allow a full participation of all students
* Schools Chaplaincy work should also be open to suitably trained Civil Celebrants and Civil Chaplains.

Furthermore a schools based “Being a Civilised Australian” program could be developed and implemented suitably trained and skilled civil marriage celebrants

Many people, who apply to become civil celebrants are mature age people, who already have teaching/ education skills as  well as counseling skills and an many cases, are parents or grandparents with life experiences, such that they desire to serve their communities via a civil celebrancy role.

Thus these civil celebrants could be selected and trained with the view to being a key component of schools based “Being an Australian Citizen” program. Units on citizenship and comparative religion tailored for this role in schools could also be incorporated into the Certificate IV in Celebrancy.

Given the increasing secular nature of our Australia community, the aims and protocols for religion education in state schools and state funded schools need to be reviewed and revised to meet the needs of a multi-cultural multi-religious and non-religious society.

A comparison of different religious belief systems would show that most religions have a common core of attitudes and values that respect human rights. Thus such a program would have  a focus on "comparative religion" studies as related to Human Rights issues and articulated with any existing Ethics and Citizenship education programs.

Therefore the time currently allocated for religious education in state schools could be revamped to provide two strands:

a.   Ethics and Comparative Religions Studies where the basic tenets of each major religion is outlined, and

b. Australian Citizenship Studies, promoting human rights as the responsibility of all Australians, and especially those people who are more capable and/or having with more resources as more responsible to protect those less fortunate members of our society. For it has been said that the measure of how “civilised society” is, is how well it treats its most vulnerable people”

Submission 3

It is proposed that there be
a. a revision of the lyrics of the Australian National Anthem, as being proposed by Judith Durham, so that they are inclusive of all Australians – indigenous, Australian and overseas born, and
b. a more upbeat and inclusive tune to inspire and support the traditional Australia human rights, eg Jimmy Barnes “Working Class Man” as proposed and demonstrated by artist Adam Hill.

A nation’s anthem can be a powerful tool to inspire a country’s citizens to live respectfully and in harmony with one another and with other the citizen’s of other countries. For various reasons, Australia’s national anthem is neither inclusive nor inspiring nor captures the Aussie spirit of  a “Fair Go” and “Not taking oneself too seriously”. The latter’s meaning is perhaps articulated as  not seeing oneself as “better than” or “less than” another person, rather “equal to”.

Lyrics:

It is understood that Judith Durham, former lead singer of "The Seekers" has collaborated with others to write new lyrics for "Advance Australia Fair".

As such this process has attempted to address inclusiveness of the lyrics

The following extract was taken from:

http://www.vyoos.com/advance-australia-fair/

Judith Durham .. has penned new lyrics for the national anthem and is hoping that the rest of the country will get on board.

Judith Durham's proposed new words are beautiful. They turn a staid lump of an anthem into something which could stir any Aussie. A recent ABC television report on the version quoted an Aboriginal as saying, "It was the first time in my whole entire life I've ever sung the Australian anthem - ever." Another  "And honouring the Dreaming ... " I've got the national anthem going around in my head now, but for the first time I'm happy to have it there.

Here are Durham's revised words:

Australia, celebrate as one, with peace and harmony.
Our precious water, soil and sun, grant life for you and me.
Our land abounds in nature’s gifts to love, respect and share,
And honouring the Dreaming, advance Australia fair.
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance Australia fair.
Australia, let us stand as one, upon this sacred land.
A new day dawns, we’re moving on to trust and understand.
Combine our ancient history and cultures everywhere,
To bond together for all time, advance Australia fair.
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance Australia fair.
Australia, let us strive as one, to work with willing hands.

Our Southern Cross will guide us on, as friends with other lands.
While we embrace tomorrow’s world with courage, truth and care,
And all our actions prove the words, advance Australia fair,
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance Australia fair.
And when this special land of ours is in our children’s care,
From shore to shore forever more, advance Australia fair.
With joyful hearts then let us sing, advance Australia fair.

Music:

Adam Hill, an aboriginal artist from Penrith, felt so disconnected from the National Anthem that he not only refused to stand for it, he wrote an Ausfailure National Tantrum, which is sung to the tune of Advance Australia Fair.  

"Those words 'our home', they're not referring to the original owners of the land, they're referring to the pirates, the perpetrators of injustice," he said. "This anthem painfully needs to be redressed."

Hill has however also proposed using the tune from Jimmy Barnes’ Working Class Man as an alternative tune for our National Anthem.
This version can be heard on:

http://www.vidz.com.au/video/663/Adam-Hill-National-anthem

Whilst is not known whether this is a serious attempt to influence Australians to change their anthem, this rendition does symbolically and musically capture the Aussie spirit of  a “Fair Go” and “Not taking oneself too seriously”.

Working Classman for its connections with “A Fair Go” and the ooo…OOO a tad of gentle Aussie larrikinism which in this context is the essence of  “Not taking oneself too seriously”.

Surely if human rights could be distilled into a couple of phrases .. giving everyone a fair go … and  don’t yourself too seriously …. would come very close to achieving that aim !!!

Appendix 1 

Australian Crest

Certificate of Adulthood / Australian Citizenship

This document certifies that on this day

Chris  J  Citizen

acquired the age of 18 years

Thereby acquiring the status of Adult under laws conferred by

the Commonwealth, States and Territories of Australia and

the rights and responsibilities associated with that status

Rights

An adult citizen of Australia may:

• sign and witness legal documents

•  enter into contracts including lease, mortgage or workplace contractual obligations

•   spend one’s own money as one chooses

•   invest or gamble one’s own money

•  be held accountable for any breach of contract or law

•  give consent for any medical treatment or refuse to give such consent

•  may donate a kidney or other organ under certain conditions

•  buy or be licensed to sell or dispense alcohol or nicotine

•   use nicotine or alcohol, within the limits set by law, for associated behaviours

such as using a motor vehicle

•  be tried in a court of law and go to an adult goal if convicted

•   run for elected Office in Australia

•  give consent to being sexual with another consenting adult

•  freely enter into marriage or civil union

•   defend own country by joining the military without a parent’s permission

•   make a will outlining one’s wishes for any property distribution

•   choose one’s own religion or not, as one determines

Responsibilities

An adult citizen of Australia is responsible to:
•   adhere to all Commonwealth, State and Territory laws governing the behaviour of adults

within their responsibilities, including being responsible to

•    register as an elector to vote and thereby be placed on a list as eligible for jury duty

•    provide child support for any of one’s offspring

•   respect the freedoms, rights and biological, physical and other property of citizens

regardless of age, sex, gender, nationality and religion

Dated this day ____________________of   in the year of  _________________

Signed:   ________________________ 

Commonwealth Authorised Civil Celebrant

MARRIAGE IN AUSTRALIA

Australian Crest

Commonwealth Government Statement of Marriage

Marriage according to Australian law, is the union of a man and a woman, to the exclusion of all others, entered into voluntarily for life. (Marriage Act 1961).

All marriage celebrants, whether religious or civil, are appointed under the Marriage Act of Australia and as such are required to perform certain duties on behalf of the Attorney General, including reminding couples intending to be married of the solemn, the serious and binding nature of the relationship into which they are about to enter.

The Australian Government on behalf of the Australian community requires all couples notifying intent to marry to be aware that:

1. Marriage is an extremely important legally binding contract into which couples enter.
2. Marriage has importantly family, social, financial, personal and other consequences.
3. Couples are expected to financially, emotionally sand socially support each other and any children of their union to the best of their abilities.
4. Marriage does not give any individual any rights to ignore or break other laws, particularly those that related to physical, sexual, emotional and other harassment and violence,
5. The Australian Government expects that couples will do whatever they can to:
   i.  build and maintain their relationships (eg relationship & parenting support)
   ii. Should difficulties arise, seek support services, such as child support services  and 
       counselling
6. The Australian Government is concerned about
   i. the social, financial and other costs of divorce,  and 
   ii expects couples and the community to work towards reducing marriage breakdown and
      as a consequence, the levels of divorce in the community.

We the undersigned verify that our celebrant Authorised No:  ______________________

who is a member of  ____________________________________Church / Association of

address ___________________________________  and phone ________________  has :

1. read and explained the above information to us both
2. has explained the range of Pre-Marriage Education and Relationship Building programs available locally and given us information about our local agencies
3. explained how we may comment, should the need arise on the quality of the service we receive from our celebrant.