Catholic Diocese of Broome

A number of recent events and trends have brought forth a series of responses from the ordinary people in the streets of the Kimberley. For example, we have seen a recent by-election in Broome for one seat on the Shire Council. Some 500 people out of a possible 7000 registered voters turned out to cast their vote. At the same time we have had numerous complaints about proposals made by the Shire to do this or that. Surely, the least people can do if they want to have the right to complain is to spend five minutes to cast a vote!

There is pressure on all around in our towns and communities. Pressures are coming from lack of facilities, lack of affordable housing, lack of access to cheap short-term accommodation, lack of available land, perceived lack of due process, perceived slowness of decision-making by State Government, perceived lack of action to address social issues, perceived lack of consultation on resource developments. The question is usually, ‘Why are they not doing something about it?’ We have all read some version of the following story:

This is a story about four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it.
Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it.
Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did.
Somebody got angry because it was Everybody's job.
Everybody knew that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realised that Somebody wouldn't do it.
And Everybody blamed Somebody because Nobody did what Anybody could have done.

The message? We all need to do what we can; contribute our bit to not only finding the problem but also finding the solution. There are a number of pleasing responses to some of the issues mentioned above that have been seen recently. There have been community based groups formed by concerned citizens to suggest some solutions to the appropriate people with regard to homelessness, the broad problems that are evidenced by the increasing numbers of itinerants in our towns, the lack of affordable housing for local people, the need for appropriate development. These people have decided that they are ‘Somebody’, and they can do something about their concerns. They have already seen their work bear fruit in proposed community forums, improved consultation processes, and action steps backed by their local Shire Councillors and Officers. This has been a good lesson for many people. As that famous author Anonymous once said, ‘If we sit back and do what we have always done, we will continue to get what we have always got’.

So if people want to exercise their right to speak out and complain about how things are, they need to be willing to participate in producing a change. If they feel they cannot take on leadership themselves, they should at least get out and vote for and support those who believe they can. The message for us all in the current climate of many pressures is as Gandhi suggested: You must be the change you wish to see in the world.