Wrapped in the flag, Australia Day, Coogee, Sydney 2007.

A year after the anti-Muslim Cronulla riots, a young woman wraps herself in the Australian flag as a signal of her identity. What are the values of Australia in 2008? What does the Australian flag stand for? What opportunities are provided to the young people of Australia to discuss the type of Australia they would like in the future? Are there unnecessary barriers? Are they given the respect and the responsibilities they deserve? (Text from 4RS Conference banner image ) The Cronulla riots of 2005 were stemmed from racial attacks between the White Australian and Middle Eastern communities of Sydney. For violence based on RACE to have occurred in this era, the nation's definition of the 'Australian identity' must be put forth. What does it mean to be Australian? The Australian flag selected in 1901 denotes Australia's historical attachment with Great Britain. One hundred years later, the Australian flag in itself has provided a definitive barrier between White Australians and non-White Australians. The woman wearing the flag is promoting Australia's British heritage, not Australia's current description. Australia in 2008 is no longer represented by its Union Jack and British history. Australia is famed for her cultural diversity and sense of multiculturalism. The immigrants of the last century from Asia, Middle East, and Africa have made Australia what it is today. Australian food is now an infusion of Asian and Western dishes, African and Middle Eastern dishes. Australian art is most famous for its Aboriginal works and culture. Our former Prime Minister Paul Keating put forth a statement almost twenty years ago that is still applicable today. I do not believe that the symbols and the expression of the full sovereignty of Australian nationhood can ever be complete while we have a flag with the flag of another country on the corner of it. It is time Australia is represented for its multi-lingual, multi-cultural qualities and true historical Australia, promoting and bringing back the spirit of Aboriginal people. Most Australians today are attached to more than one culture, and all these cultures need to be celebrated and respected. Racial confrontations in Australia today are completely unacceptable and should be entirely eliminated. The future is in the hands of the youth of Australia. The government and public must be more motivated to promote this new Australia to the next generations through social, cultural, and education programs.