It was a great pleasure to finally gather for our first Four O’clock Forum on Wednesday 24 November to hear Dr Apollo Nsubuga-Kyobe from La Trobe University.
Dr Apollo spoke passionately about: “Some of the challenges towards positive ageing of Africans – a Case Study of Emerging Communities in Australia.” His key question centred around how to minimise “Human Capital Stagnation” – something that is germane to us all and which we aim to contain with our programs at U3A.
He started by giving us the 2016 ABS Census figure showing the African born population, which includes Africans of Arab, Indian and other ethnic categories born on that continent, makes up 2% of the total Australian population.
Dr Apollo was at pains to emphasise that this is a migrant population which is diverse, non-homogeneous and influenced by colonial, religious, educational and economic disparities suffered because of civil wars, broken economies, famine and corruption.
These ‘black-skinned’ emerging communities have come from areas that have little respect for human rights or fair and equitable treatment of their citizens. So, understandably their expectations and hopes as citizens of Australia centre around the concept of ‘Ubuntu’.
I can best explain ‘Ubuntu’ as being marginally akin to the Australian concept of ‘mateship’. In essence ‘Ubuntu’ (and there are variations in different Southern African countries) means ‘humanity’ or ‘humanness’. It is a philosophical concept often linked to ideas of ‘reciprocity’ and ‘kindnesses’.
Dr Apollo, through his current research into poor ageing and his involvement in the Pan African Australasian Diaspora Network, questions the support for ‘ageing policies and practices’ against the current experience of emerging African communities especially in rural Victoria.
The Commonwealth Government’s direction to settle the ‘newcomers’ in rural Australia has compounded a feeling of isolation (a lack of Ubuntu) and the challenge of instability through limited or no employment, transportation or accommodation.
Some members of our audience were able to draw parallels with their own communities, which elicited some insightful conversations.
Ageing African communities are often isolated as their children become Australianised. Nursing homes and care providers need to engage in a multi-faceted approach to communicate about medical access, community groups, family responsibilities, neighbourhood connections and council services.
Finally, Dr Apollo said there is a need to understand what “typically African” is, acknowledge non-homogeneity and use ethno-specific programs. Above all it was vital to give a voice to African Community Leader.
2022 Four O’clock Forums
It was so disappointing to have to cancel our first four guest speakers due to lockdowns, however, they have all agreed to return in 2022 along with a number of new speakers. Please register and come and join in the conversation.
23 February – Dr Tim Entwisle, Director and Chief Executive of Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
“175 Year’s of the Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria”
30 March – Dr Andrew Wilks, Honorary Enterprise Professor University Melbourne, Medical Researcher and Entrepreneur
“Simians to Cyborgs – 7 million years of Pharmaceutical Discovery”
27 April – Mr Mark Balla, Past President of Rotary Club Box Hill Central and Author
“A Journey to the Toilet”
25 May – Dr Keith MacDonald, Director and CEO MacDonald Partners and Artist
“Compared to Figurative Art, does Abstract Art make more Creative Demands on the Viewer?”
27 July – Ms Julie Chambers, Senior Associate, Pearce Webster Dugdale
“Estate Planning – Getting it right from the Start”
31 August – Mr Winston Furlong, Independent Film Director and Producer
“Chasing a Dream – a Professional Engineer abandons a successful career for the precarious world of Independent Film Making”
June MacDonald
Four O’Clock Forum Convenor