Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

22 June 2019

AUSTRALIA-PACIFIC RELATIONSHIPS

On 23 January 2017, Australian Tamil Management Service submitted to Australian Government its contribution under the theme ‘Foreigner or International Relation?’  This was published by the government at https://www.fpwhitepaper.gov.au/sites/default/files/submission/170223-97-gajalakshmi-paramasivam.pdf

This morning my attention was drawn to the article 'Australia’s one step forward, two steps back in the Pacific' by Australian academic Joanne Wallis. The relativity happened through the Tamil Diaspora of common interest. As if to confirm this, a senior member expressed appreciation for my writing work while I was waiting for in Jetwing lobby, for the arrival of the taxi to go to Vaddukoddai. When we identify with the destination of our contribution    independent of visible/objective  outcomes and/or persons / subjective outcomes - the experience is confirmed to have been completed. Hence the emphasis on ‘closures’. At what stage do we bring about closures? With relatives, we need to bring about closure when we do not recognize any subjective benefit to the two sides. With foreigners we need to bring about closures when we do not recognize any objective benefits to the two sides. If we continue without closure we bankrupt the heritage investment we made through such relationships.

Yesterday for example I wrote to someone who engaged with me on the basis of my latest articles and identified with my insight ‘One self seeker knows the other. Mr xxx  is your other side relation in this pathway. Once you know the truth you would become both sides of the relationship. Others are scaffolding until then. Once you have the real in you - it would be unwise to expect the other to uphold the other side.]

The successful end of a relationship is commonness.

Dr Wallis opens here article as follows:

[In 2016, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull expressed Australia’s commitment to a ‘step-change’ in its engagement with the Pacific Islands. The 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper sketched the skeleton of this ‘step-up’ but it wasn’t until 2018 that those bones were fleshed out. While Australia is set to implement several meaningful labour mobility, security and diplomatic initiatives, simultaneously counterproductive domestically driven policies could undermine the ability of those programs to improve engagement with Pacific Island states.]

Where the relationship is ‘visible benefits’ based the strength of commonness / ownership is weak. To some of us who lived in these nations and experienced the Land and People - the relationship already had healthy flesh as well as Energy sharing. To the extent the receivers of benefits no longer recognized ongoing flow of benefits - they would recognize zero value in the relationship.

The local example for me is Northern Sri Lanka where we invested in the disenfranchised community of Thunaivi. So long as the folks recognized monetary returns for them - they went along with our program. Likewise money poor pacific islands which ‘seem’ easy takeovers for Australian government. Then come countries like Sri Lanka which receive aid from the West while pretending to be independent.  In my 2017 contribution I highlighted this as follows:

 ‘As foreigners, we exist for each other largely to give form to the bigger picture.’

Thunaivi reminds me of Papua New Guinea where we lived before migrating to Australia. That experience helps me with Thunaivi relationships. I needed to separate to preserve the essence of my contribution which now has structure through a handful of young ones who are using the more orderly pathway in interacting with large institutions and their staff. This is facilitated through our Opportunity shop at Vaddukoddai junction. The taxi driver who drove me there yesterday - said he looked at the building and was surprised as it did not seem ‘Australian’. Then as customers came in and showed joy in seeing me - as if I were a close relative - the shop was full - he said he realised that we were catering to many cultures. The emphasis was on sharing human values and good order towards which the more orderly higher class customers - especially from Jaffna College is specially recognized. I as the ‘common sharing house’ then share those experiences through the shop. When I am not there - they come at different times.

Likewise, Australia needs to be the common sharing center to both groups. I get the feeling that Indian government  is trying but divides and rules and hence has made a foreigner of itself. The People of Sri Lanka have pioneered this pathway through genuine faith in Hinduism and Buddhism. Sometimes it takes the less educated - war to clear the pathway. In Love and War all is fair because truth is Supreme Judge. Once we know our own truth - we would naturally know the truth of the whole.

Raising our contribution to Energy /Truth level is essential to share values with wider world.