National Reconciliation Week

Captain's Address

Last Friday, the College Leaders and I were fortunate enough to attend the annual Walk to the ‘G’, initiating the AFL’s Sir Doug Nicholls Round. It was a truly great experience, with many activities before the walk began. In particular, there was a piece shared by Michael Long, an Aboriginal man and ex-AFL player. In his speech, he shared one line that truly rang in my ear. He urged, “This hate has to stop.”

And I took some time to think about this statement on our walk. When Michael referred to the ‘hate’, he was not just talking about the racism and discrimination faced by Aboriginal people. He was speaking about the hate and racism that still plague our own lives and the world around us.

Since its foundations, Mazenod has welcomed, valued, included and supported the enrolment of students from all different backgrounds and ethnicities. Even today, we can look around and see that Mazenod is proudly a multicultural school. It is our differences in culture and personality that truly foster the harmony we have here today.

However, hate does not stop until it is stopped completely. Racist remarks or ‘jokes’ are all contributors to this hate, and we are the only ones who can stop it from happening.

Racism is more than just a word. It’s a mindset. An attitude. And unfortunately, it’s a reality for so many people in the world. It comes in many different forms—overt and subtle, spoken and unspoken. It’s that comment you hear in the hallway that makes someone uncomfortable. It’s when people are treated differently because of their race, and it’s something that does not belong in our school—or in any school, for that matter.

The reality is this: racism does not just affect those directly targeted by it. It affects all of us. It weakens the very soul of our community. It causes division, when really we need unity. And when it goes unchecked, it becomes normalised to such an extent that we don’t even realise the harm it’s causing. The words that come out of our mouths, the way we treat others—both in real life and online—have real and sometimes devastating consequences.

It’s time this changed. We need to take action, and the only way this can be accomplished is by recognising that the change starts from within us.

So, when you leave the Provence Centre this morning, there’s a chance this speech will go straight over your head. But I challenge you: just one time today, when you hear a racist remark—don’t brush it off. Don’t pretend as though it didn’t happen. Call it out. Check on the person who received it. We don’t know what someone is going through until we ask.

We are so lucky here at Mazenod. I ask you to take advantage of the multicultural school that Mazenod is. Ask questions about other ethnicities. Be curious, and learn about your mates and their backgrounds.

It is only through these changes that Mazenod can put a complete stop to hate. 

Sebastian Saba

College Captain