Medical professions and Gaza.

Those of us with the ability to see and understand oppression, suffering and injustice have been watching the scenes coming out of Gaza with horror since October 7th. Many of us didn't know the situation, until this genocide began. And many of us didn't say anything for a while because it did seem like it was too complicated. However, there is plenty that exists that suggests that racism, bigotry, hate, dehumanisation and apartheid have been ever present.
People are going to work vicariously traumatised from what we are seeing, whilst also losing our friends, families, colleagues, opportunities and trust in any systems that are meant to protect ALL of us for speaking out against what we believe are gross violations of human rights.
Add to that the lack of safety people are feeling because large organisations have CHOSEN to remain silent, in light of all the evidence.
Our collective peace and safety is NOT comparable to their peace and safety. We owe it to the oppressed to use our voices and shout about these injustices.
Our silence allows the racists, the ones that shout anti-semetism (without considering that Semites include Arabs) and the bigots voices to get louder.
It continues to highlight the lack of safety in all the organisations that tout diversity, inclusion and multiculturalism. It highlights that we are more interested in protecting our position than the human rights of some people.

We suspected you didn't care about us and it was all performative and highly conditional how we were treated, but now we know. If this was happening to people that looked more similar to what our workforce looks like the outrage would be very different. The problem with silence in these spaces is that is allows the people who also think we don't belong to continue to voice these concerns and to continues to impact our patient care. It is also highly concerning because it means that our patient care is 100% not trauma informed and absolutely does not consider the importance of migrant and refugee health and the stark differences required in people of these populations.

It's up to us to educate the people that want to be educated and ignore those that don't. There have been many convinced of the narrative that terrorists look a certain way. It is our ethical responsibility to show that we stand with those that are oppressed no matter what they look like. The people that don't want to be educated by you, are the same people that believe that multiculturalism and inclusion should only exist when debating whether you call it a thong or a jandal. That's all. They wish that we could reinstate the white Australia policy because "it was better back in those days."

Australia is inherently racist. We can see that with how much people talked about Sam Kerr, vs how much people have used the word genocide. OUR LEADERS INCLUDED. Racism and racist undertones have forever played a part in our organisations, structures, schooling, housing, employment, policing etc etc. It's not going away. Ignoring this genocide is not going to make injustice go away. It's certainly not going to make racism go away. So why are we avoiding it and pandering to the people that actually don't want to make this world a better place for everyone?
This will be a standard people use to decide whether they want to work for you.

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)00401-X/fulltext