BOROUGH of Queenscliffe mayor Ross Ebbels hopes his message encouraging the community to be kind, inclusive and call out racism will inspire and ignite his constituents.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s very uncertain times at the moment. I was sitting at home with my daughters who are back from university. Everyone is trying to share different parts of the house and the internet, the dog\u2019s grumpy because we haven\u2019t gone for a walk,\u201d Cr Ebbels said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re all a little on edge, but despite that I started to think how fortunate we are to live where we do. We\u2019re one of the oldest townships and also an engaged community.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s things we pride ourselves on: calling out racism, respecting our Indigenous community and making people welcome, that\u2019s what inspired the message.\u201d
\nCr Ebbels said his post, which appeared on the Borough\u2019s socials last week, was an opportunity to reflect.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a strange world we\u2019re living in at the minute but we have to make sure we continue to show respect and empathy to the rest of the world,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re the smallest council in the state but that doesn\u2019t mean we can\u2019t remind ourselves and others that we\u2019re a welcoming place that takes a stance against racism.\u201d
\nCr Ebbels highlighted the various ways council action their ethos.
\n\u201cOur council\u2019s motto is \u2018Statio Tutissima Nautis\u2019, a Latin phrase meaning \u2018A safe anchorage for seafarers\u2019. Since the earliest days of Aboriginal settlement, our Borough has been a place of gathering and of community.
\n\u201cThe words of our motto give us an important ideal to strive towards \u2013 but a powerful motto is only words on a page unless we resolve to live by it.
\n\u201cAt council, this means taking action like declaring our community to be a Refugee Welcome Zone, and finding better ways to celebrate our First Peoples history in important celebrations.\u201d
\nAs mayor, he said he\u2019s committed to \u201ccalling out racism\u201d and that everyone plays a role in ensuring a community that celebrates one another \u201cregardless of race or background\u201d.
\n\u201cRacism is never acceptable in the Borough. If you see or hear racist behaviour, it\u2019s up to us to call it out. Calling out racist behaviour makes it clear that everyone is welcome in our community, and that racism is not.\u201d
\nQueenscliff Uniting Church Community Development co-ordinator Jan Hodge said the town\u2019s SacredEdge Festival, which is supported by the council, is testament to a collective dedication to inclusion.
\n\u201cThe festival would\u2019ve been in its seventh year but unfortunately we had to cancel due to coronavirus. It\u2019s an event that gives platforms to those who are often voiceless, including refugees, the Indigenous and LGBTI community,\u201d she said.
\n\u201cIt brings everybody together, an invitation to listen and engage. We come together and hear stories from \u2018voices on the edge\u2019, told so eloquently and deeply; it stays with you forever.\u201d
\nCr Ebbels said the festival was one of several events he\u2019s involved in and believed it\u2019s more important than ever for people to learn from other cultures and communities, to listen to their struggles and to provide support to one another.
\n\u201cTogether, we can make sure our community lives up to its highest ideals, and celebrates everyone for who they are.\u201d
\nTo read more about how to respond to racist behaviour, head to the Australian Human Right\u2019s Commission website at itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au\/respond-racism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BOROUGH of Queenscliffe mayor Ross Ebbels hopes his message encouraging the community to be kind, inclusive and call out racism will inspire and ignite his constituents. \u201cIt\u2019s very uncertain times at the moment. I was sitting at home with my daughters who are back from university. Everyone is trying to share different parts of the […]<\/p>\n