Last week, I went to a well-run opening of NAIDOC Week at the Nambour council chambers. It was a great start to the week.
I was invited because I am an ambassador for Shine a Light on Racism, a council-driven community inclusion team made up of volunteers from different cultures. It was a nice ceremony and a reminder of how lucky we are and how respectful we should be of all cultures in our community.
As I sat there listening to the ceremony, I reflected first on the Welcome to Country and secondly on growing up in Eudlo and Nambour as a child and of the many Indigenous mates and teammates I had. What I recalled mostly was how skin colour and race never came into how I viewed or respected my mates.
My mind was taken back to one particular guy, Wody, who was great at any kind of sport he tried. He was my hero at school and a lot of other kids looked up to him as well.
I know that I am on dangerous ground here, as there is always someone who will be offended or say that I’ve worded things incorrectly. But, back in those days, we all treated each other as equals. Of course there were disagreements, but that is pretty normal with teenagers. I truly can’t remember any racism issues, but I guess there would have been.
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In saying that, in 2025, we should be a whole lot more informed about how we all behave in the huge melting pot of cultures we have in this country. Personally, I don’t care where you come from, whether you have money or not, and everything in between. As long as you are a good human, that is all I care about. If you treat me poorly, well, that’s okay too, I just won’t bother with you going forward.
But what we all need to think about is how we treat people from different cultures.
Think about this: for many people, we have a choice if someone offends us. But a lot of people have no choice if they are victims of racism. It is up to all of us to call it out and give support where necessary.
You can actually make a difference, and what better time than now to get involved?
Google ‘Shine a Light on Racism Sunshine Coast’ and have a read, make a pledge and let’s be a welcoming community.
Ashley Robinson is chairman of the Sunshine Coast Falcons and Sunshine Coast Thunder Netball, and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.
