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| Aussie Rules in Western Sahara |
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The independence struggle in Western Sahara mirrors almost exactly that of the East Timorese.
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In 1975 when the colonial power Spain withdrew, the neighbouring country, Morocco, invaded. A war ensued until a UN sponsored ceasefire was declared in 1991 when a referendum was promised.
Despite UN pressure Morocco refuses to agree to a referendum.
Australian Workers' Union (AWU) activists Ron Guy and Garry Holliday, along with a member of the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) and Socialist Alliance candidate for the Maribyrnong council elections, Margarita Windisch, were part of a delegation that attended the 6th Congress of the Western Sahara General Union of Saguia El Hamra and Rio de Oro Workers (UGTSARIO) that took place from October 19-21, 2008, in El Aaiun, one of four Saharawi refugee camps in the Hamada desert in south-west Algeria.
The official representative of the Australian Council of Trade Unions was Ron Guy, while all three members of the delegation (who have been long-term supporters of the Saharawi cause) also offered their skills to assist the Saharawi refugees.
All three are members of the Australia Western Sahara Association.
Windisch held a media workshop for members of a youth group from the camp. The workshop was designed to give basic skills on how to write for a Western newspaper and help promote the Saharawi cause internationally. The workshop was very interactive and finished with each participant writing a news article of 300 words.
"Even though Western Sahara is recognised as a country, it has been illegally occupied by Morocco since 1975", Windisch said. "Morocco is illegally selling the Saharawi people's resources, such as phosphate, to international companies, including Australian companies. Close to 200,000 Saharawi people live in very harsh conditions in the refugee camps in south-west Algeria, but very few people know about their plight."
But, in our opinion anyway, the most important part of the whole trip was One-eyed Magpie Garry Holliday’s role…he gave an Aussie Rules football workshop to about 100 schoolkids after the Australian Football League donated a football teaching kit.
Click here to watch YouTube footage of the clinic
Most of the Saharawi youth are very skilled in Sooker and Thugby, so picking up the basics of the Greatest game in the World was a relatively easy task for these natural talents.
Unfortunately there was not enough time to get a Saharawi team together to challenge our very own footy greats at the next grand final, but Gazza certainly left a good impression and showed that solidarity can come in many ways.
He has also probably brainwashed half the population of Western Sahara into Magpie fanatics as well.
Wouldn’t it be great to see Aussie Rules promoted on a bigger scale in this part of the world? A match between a Saharawi team and Morocco would be an absolute ripper!
Even better would be to organize a team based around the ‘Peace Team’ concept of the International Cup. Food for thought.
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Posted on Dec 18, 2010 13:36pm by admin
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