這個月，《同路人》悄悄走進了第二十三個年頭。

從沒想過，一本雜誌能陪我走這麼遠。二十多年的總編輯生涯，讓我不知不覺間，成了澳洲僅存的獨立中文社區時事生活刊物的出版人。回頭看這條路，我只能說，這是神的恩典，也是祂給我的祝福。

這些年參與《同路人》，也慢慢把我變成了一個真正的多元文化澳洲人。二十九年前，我回到墨爾本定居，理由很簡單：我喜歡這裡的環境、社會，以及人與人相處的方式。我只是盼望，能在這片土地上度過餘下不知長短的生命。沒想到，神給我的，是豐盛的二十九年，也讓我漸漸深入認識了這個給我機會、困難、驚喜與盼望的國家。

我還記得，初中地理課本上的澳洲，是遼闊的大牧場；高中時又學到，這裡盛產全球最多鋁礬土，也有原住民。但那時候的我，從未想過，這其實是一個多元文化的國家——除了原住民之外，每一個人，都是移民，或是移民的後代。我更沒有想到，我曾以為澳洲人是粗鄙的流放者後代，後來才明白，原來每一個澳洲人，都有著在自己的家鄉受壓迫、跨越重洋來尋求自由、公平、法治與民主的歷史。

只是，這些年，我越來越感受到，這個我深愛的社會，正面對極大的挑戰。過去三、四十年，澳洲一路走向多元文化，但執政者始終只停留在鼓勵不同民族「各自保留生活習慣、和平共處」，卻沒有積極推動新移民與本地人真正的接觸、接納與交流，也沒有建立共同的社會價值觀。結果，社會凝聚力一點一點下滑，甚至讓一些聲音重新冒起，想把澳洲拉回單一英式文化的社會。

這，是我近年最深的不安。

所以，我決定站出來。今年十一月二十八日的維州選舉，我將以獨立候選人身份，在墨爾本市東北選區參選上議院。我盼望，若有機會成為議員，能把我多年在社區裡走過、學過、掙扎過的一切，帶進維州議會，讓執政政府真正聽見——一位第一代移民，為推動多元文化澳洲所付出的努力與經驗。我想親手參與建造這個我早已選定、視為永遠家鄉的澳洲。

我相信，我的讀者中，大部分人心裡，都懷著和我一樣的盼望。

所以，我懇切地邀請你：請不要只是用選票支持我。我更盼望，你能以行動、以金錢、以把我介紹給你的朋友，與我一起走這條路。歡迎前往我的競選網頁(www.raymondchow.au) 瀏覽、留言，並考慮捐款支持。

讓我們一起，建造這個真正屬於我們的維州。

周偉文 社長

Please Support Me

This month, Sameway quietly entered its twenty-third year.

I never imagined that a magazine could come along with me for so long. Being more than twenty years as its editor-in-chief have, almost without my noticing, made me the publisher of one of Australia’s few remaining independent Chinese-language community magazines covering current affairs and everyday life. Looking back on this journey, I can only say that it has been God’s grace and a blessing He has given me.

Over the years, my involvement with Sameway has gradually made me into a true multicultural Australian. Twenty-nine years ago, I returned to Melbourne to settle down. My reasons were simple: I liked the environment, the society, and the way people related to one another here. I simply hoped to spend the rest of my life—however long or short it might be—on this land. I never expected that God would give me twenty-nine rich and abundant years, allowing me to gradually come to know deeply this country that has given me opportunities, challenges, surprises and hope.

I still remember how Australia was portrayed in my junior secondary school geography textbook—as a vast land of enormous sheep and cattle stations. In high school, I learned that Australia was the world’s largest producer of bauxite and that it was home to Indigenous peoples. But at that time, I had never imagined that this was, in fact, a multicultural country—that apart from its Indigenous peoples, everyone else was either an immigrant or descended from immigrants. Nor had I imagined that the Australians I once thought of as the rough descendants of conveyed convicts would, in time, reveal to me a different story: that Australians have their own histories of families who faced oppression in their homelands and crossed the oceans in search of freedom, fairness, the rule of law and democracy.

Yet over the years, I have increasingly felt that the society I deeply love is facing enormous challenges. For the past three or four decades, Australia has moved steadily towards multiculturalism. However, successive governments have largely stopped at encouraging different ethnic communities to preserve their own customs and live peacefully alongside one another. There has not been enough active effort to promote genuine connection, acceptance and exchange between new migrants and the wider Australian community, nor has there been sufficient work to build a shared set of social values. As a result, social cohesion has gradually declined, allowing certain voices to re-emerge—voices that want to pull Australia back towards a society defined by a single Anglo-British culture.

This is my deepest concern in recent years.

That is why I have decided to step forward. On 28 November this year, I will stand as an independent candidate for the Victoria Upper House Election representing the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne. I hope that, if given the opportunity to serve as a Member of Parliament, I can bring everything I have experienced, learned and struggled with over many years in the community into the Victorian Parliament.

I want the government of the day to truly hear the voice of a first-generation migrant—someone who has devoted years of effort and experience in promoting a multicultural Australia. I want to take part personally in building the Australia that I chose long ago to regard as my permanent home.

I believe that most of my readers share, deep in their hearts, the same vision that I have.

So I sincerely invite you: please do not support me only with your vote. I hope that you will also walk this journey with me through your actions—by contributing financially and by introducing me to your friends. Please visit my campaign website, www.raymondchow.au, to learn more, leave a message, and consider making a donation to support my campaign.

Let us work together to build a Victoria that truly belongs to all of us.

Mr. Raymond Chow, Publisher