ABC Radio National to look at Australia’s ‘mongrel’ roots
ABC Radio National has commissioned a new series called “Mongrel Nation” which the public broadcaster is describing as the story of Australian multiculturalism “in all its glory, ugliness and controversy”.
The six-part series, conceived and presented by Dr Tim Soutphommasane , who is the author of “Don’t Go Back To Where You Came from: Why Multiculturalism Works”, and will air on Sundays at 5.30pm commencing 14 July
The radio series will tap current debates around immigration and features interviews with politicians, social commentators and writers such as Malcolm Fraser, Penny Wong, Phillip Ruddock, George Megalogenis and Bernard Salt.
Soutphommasane is specialist in patriotism, citizenship and multiculturalism and holds a Doctorate and Masters in political philosophy from the University of Oxford and is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Institute for Democracy and Human Rights. He is also a columnist with The Age.
“Australian society has been transformed by immigration. But our experience has been different from countries in Europe, where cultural diversity has been accompanied by widespread division,” said Soutphommasane.
“Yet for all our achievements as an immigrant nation, we still have our moments of mongrel. Australia’s is a complex story and it’s timely that we reflect on it. This year marks 40 years since the word ‘multicultural’ entered the national vocabulary.”
