Making The Activist: There was another “try-a-famine” or "have a fast" campaign, which made good use of the ever memorable advertisement-jingle with the magic words “zip your lip and save a child” or was it “zip your lip to save a child?” Ozzies tend to think out-side the box. Either way this too was a popular-campaign within my area around the same time as the (1994) humanitarian-Rwnadan crisis, a regional yet deliberate and political catastrophe it was.* Strangely as popular as the ad-jingles were and as passionate as the promotion-zeal was, both these campaigns similarly were neither discussed outside the confinements of general assembly school-meetings, or other than our quick remarks blurted out towards viewing the ads or remembering them from sometime before, I certainly remained silent in absorption “of what this noise was all about.” And when I look back at least I was not talked into anything I did not understand. No matter how loud or bright the colours in those ads may have seemed, and no matter how repetitive or popular the musical jingles that followed them may have been played, I wouldn’t have remembered a productive thing from that time had I not heard an explanation of what it was about by one person I knew, even though that person happened to be my teacher, Chinese-lecturer of all subjects. Simply because he spoke about what he was doing but more importantly why he was doing it, and after what he hoped to gain for himself and the cause. Why did it happen that no one else talked about the issue? Or why was the issue silent within the “manipulative youths” as social-talk? Well I believe its a reason twofold. It could be either they were not involved in it at all, or they were involved but they just simply did not care enough to see the reason or understand why there were doing it. As much time and effort went into those promotions I certainly hope that it was the first suggestion, that is because they were not involved, because at least that way we could solve the reason as to why they should care at all or understand their place within the noise of the charitable campaigns that made them feel they have to do it. From high-school of all places, I look back now and expected ideas on issues like this to be roaring and ranging from all extremes free from the political correctness of responsible-adulthood, but such issues like “try-a-famine” could not compete with the other things going on in our minds at that time, and this no “loud” or “bright” do-goodish advertisement could break, but one, perhaps one member from our crew with an honest voice like Mr. Hopkins could. Fine-Tuning on PCP Behind the words in “Fine-Tuning” sees which way I would want my “voice of witness” to be heard here if I was living over there in that crisis knowing where I am now, and how we act and look towards what we say is theirs - Individual and so apart - and not our - collective but shared - situation. Somewhere still now that same sound that Horn that sounded from the Teacher who said on a mountain that: "what ever I tell you in secret, preach from the rooftop.” is still sounding now. PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE:1948 |
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| SPEAK! |
| THIS is also dedicated to the survivors and sharers of the Rwandan Tutsi generation that were killed ignored by the UN army personnel and left mutilated, and homeless ten-years ago. |
| Looking Towards The Future Post-disaster relations with Australia in particular and their African neighbours. |
| …as this fight gets louder sonic booms the clear, glass makes breaking to pieces no bluffs, breaking the waves patterned to rouse the light of day… Keep up the order, organize the fantasy but don't forget the cry, the shrill of man's poverty… "Fine-Tuning" |
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| REMEMBERING THE HORN OF ’94 |