19/3/2003

I received my Order Of Australia Medal in 1991, from a Australian Liberal Government. The same government that is in power today.

At the time I was so proud of my OAM and what it represented.

When you are notified that you are to receive an OAM, you are informed long before the award day, which is Australia Day, 26th January. You are asked not to say anything to anyone about it. Even my own children didn't know till it was announced. The only person I told, besides my Mum, who brought the letter very official letter into my office, was my father who was dying of cancer at the time.. He was so very proud of his little girl and what she had achieved. When I would look at the medals I always saw his face, the day I told him and am reminded of the joy it gave him, when facing death. It was our little secret.

Now today as I look at these medals, it is not with pride but with horror at what this government is about to do.

So today I have decided to return my award to my local Federal Member, Warren Entsch at his office in Cairns at 2pm on Friday the 21 March 2003 as a mark of how strongly I feel about their decision to support Bush in the War with Iraq, and on behalf of the children who will not survive their decisions.

We must all do anything that records for history, what we feel, at this moment when we went from being part of the United Nations to rulers of the world without the peoples support. If only to remind us that we didn't do enough to protect the children.

Instead of asking Suddam to leave Iraq, which he will no more back down then Bush, Blair and Howard would. Their intentions for this war, have been etched on their faces for a long time. Their intentions are now etched into our hearts. Maybe we should be asking for time to ask the children to leave of Iraq!!

Kerry Bowden OAM
Global Children's Alliance
A Family of Humanity
One Mind One Voice
To remind us all to look after all children not only our own. Please support our HOPE project, by making a handprint of any child under the age of 18 years, we will exchange it for the handprint of another child around the world.