MEDIA RELEASE
AFUO STATEMENT ON COMMUNITY RELATIONS
The shooting down of MH17 should not be used to vilify any ethnic community and should rather serve to unite Australians around our multicultural values, the Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) said today.
Mr Pete Shmigel, AFUO Public Affairs Director, made the following comments after monitoring social media posts on various private on-line sites:
“While there is great sorrow and anger about MH17 across the public, especially the loss of innocent Australian lives, it is important for restraint and consideration of others in the community to apply.
“Our primary responsibility is to remember the victims and to support their families.
“We in part honour those victims by acting in a dignified, inclusive and democratic way in stark contrast to the barbarism which took their lives.
“People will also certainly put their views, seek answers and advocate, but this is best done in a considerate and calm way. We are all Australians foremost who live together in a successful multicultural model that we are all thankful for.
“While I have seen no direct accusations thus far from the general public, AFUO will be the first to condemn anyone who targets the Russian Australian community as having any culpability or responsibility for overseas events. This is in line with AFUO’s Multicultural Policy.
“That community has made a strong and positive contribution to this country, and it has absolutely nothing to do with MH17. Russian Australians – who are our neighbours, mates, school friends, work colleagues and relatives – should be treated with respect, even if there is disagreement about overseas events.
“Russians and Ukrainians both fought as ANZACs, and both communities have a long history in Australia. It is a testament to both that relations in these difficult times remain mature, including when the Russian Australian community condemned the recent defacing of a Ukrainian church in western Sydney.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION: PETE SHMIGEL 0419 541 531
JULY 24, 2014
