The Field of Hearts is a visual installation project launched in the ACT on UN World Refugee Day, June 20th 2003. Andrew Hall of Public Servants for Refugees proposed the idea for “Field of Hearts” to be held in Canberra on June 4, 2004 . It would be a similar idea to the successful 'Sea of Hands' concept in support of Aboriginal Native Title and Reconciliation. Andrew envisaged that the Field of Hearts could provide a vehicle for people to symbolically express their support for the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers and to oppose our government’s heartless treatment of them. The idea was for multi-coloured hearts to be decorated, signed and prepared with refugee rights, slogans and images which would culminate in a visual installation project, the Field of Hearts.

Catholic schools within the diocese of Wollongong were invited to make hearts for the Canberra installation. In total approximately 5,000 were made. Many schools held liturgies as one of the ways to highlight the messages on the hearts. Many of the messages highlighted the concerns for the children held in detention centres.
A number of people from The Catholic Education Office and Catholic schools travelled to Canberra taking with them the 5,000 hearts. These hearts were placed amongst the many thousands of other hearts placed on the lawns outside Parliament House. Official ceremonies included many speakers including students from Edmund Rice College Wollongong and the Human Rights commissioners Dr Sev Ozdowski who encouraged people to look at the recent report into children in immigration centres which highlighted repeated breaches of the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Commonwealth. In summing up his introductory letter of the report the commissioner said “Let no child who arrives in Australia ever suffer under this system again” (A link to this report is below).

People were also asked to take go back to their local Federal member and express their concerns about the ongoing treatment of refugees especially citing the human rights commission’s report. We had mentioned to schools that we would return their hearts after the Canberra event. We were approached by the organisers to leave the hearts with them so as they can be part of the installation that will travel the country over the coming months to continue raising the concerns about the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. We will keep you updated on the Field of Hearts project’s movements.

For the human rights report on children in immigration centres go to: http://www.hreoc.gov.au