Speaking out about refugees

Speaking out about refugees

By John Gauci

SYDNEY — Paulo Corsino, born in Dili 19 years ago, is the eldest of three children. He grew up in an environment of fear and oppression under the occupying Indonesian army, and fled to Australia in 1995. Green Left Weekly spoke to Corsino about his photographic exhibition on East Timorese refugees now on in Sydney, Wait Hope and Dreams.

"Living in East Timor was a very painful experience", he said. "We are never free from our memories, from our past, from the terror and sadness."

Corsino explained, "I was so inspired by the work of another Timorese artist, Albie Viegas, that I decided to speak out through my art. We must show our suffering and continue to fight for our freedom. We must never give up, for the sake of those who have already given their lives for us to be alive."

"Fleeing East Timor and leaving our families behind to search for freedom is the most painful experience. Even when we live far from our homeland, it doesn't mean we forget our culture. East Timorese people believe strongly in their culture. It binds us together, giving us our identity."

Wait Hope and Dreams documents the culture of East Timorese now settled in Australia: waiting for peace and freedom, hoping to return home and dreaming life as it was before.

Wait Hope and Dreams can be seen from 10am to 4pm, July 9 to 26, at Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 1 Casula Rd, Casula. The exhibition will be touring to Melbourne and Canberra in August. For more information, phone (02) 9824 1121.

From GLW issue 325