The Cairns Post, Edition 1 FRI 21 MAR 2003, Page 002
Protest return of OAM
By: Philip Henderson
A CAIRNS Order of Australia Medal recipient will return her award to
the Federal Government in response to its decision to support the United
States in the war with Iraq.
Kerry Bowden, from Stratford, will visit the offices of Liberal
Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch today to return the medal because she
said she no longer felt Australian.
Ms Bowden received the OAM in 1991 in recognition of her work with
indigenous people and in the arts.
"I honestly feel at this moment I don't want to be a citizen of
Australia," Ms Bowden said of her decision.
"I see myself as a member of the family of humanity. I don't feel
like I belong to Australia and I don't think I ever will again."
Ms Bowden said she had received support from the Government, and Mr
Entsch in particular, for her work in indigenous affairs.
She said she had a lot of respect for Mr Entsch and considered him a
"mate".
"But while I have a lot of respect, we all have to take our own
path," she said.
"I support our soldiers 100 per cent. This is just something I've
got to do. It was a big decision to give the medal back, but I think Warren
will know how strongly I feel."
Ms Bowden has become involved with the world peace movement over the
past six months.
She published her website, onemindonevoice.org, on September 11,
2002, inspired by the need to make the world a better place by 2015, and has
received support from people including French president Jacques Chirac and
Australian Democrats Senator Natasha Stott Despoja.
Ms Bowden is involved with the Global Children's Alliance, and has
begun a Hand of Peace Exchange and Exhibition program she hopes will inspire
peace across the world.
"Mothers in Iraq are no different than mothers all over the world.
We all just want to look after our children," she said.
By: Philip Henderson
I decided to keep the box the medals came in, as I had painted on the front of it in red poster paint, War is not the Answer, and it has my handprint on the back. The best thing is a little plastic badge given to me by a friend, fits perfectly where the biggest medal goes,a badge which says, NO WAR. I think Caitlin and my other Grandchildren will be proud of what I did for the futures of all children.
