Newsletter for 14 August 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{Fusion Festival : Tuesday 28th August, 11.00 am to 2.00 pm}

_{A good news story!}

_{Behrouz Boochani’s book has arrived!}

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{Another excellent roadside demonstration at the Big Banana last Thursday, with eight enthusiastic supporters waving appreciatively to all the motorists who sounded their horns, gave us the thumbs up or shouted their encouragement. We reserved our heartiest waves and smiles for the tiny minority of motorists who seemed only to have the energy to wave with a single digit!}

_{Our next demonstration will be on Thursday 23}^rd _{August from 2.30 to 4.00 pm by the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour, opposite the Base hospital. Please come and join us if you can.}

_{Fusion Festival : Tuesday 28}^th_{August, 11.00 am to 2.00 pm}

_{The Fusion Festival is coming to the Coffs Harbour campus of Southern Cross University on Tuesday 28}^th _{August. It will be a wonderful celebration of the diversity of our community through cultural exchange and social connection. You can look forward to a colourful and lively scene of dancing, cooking and much more. We will have our RAR stall at the event, so if you would like to help for a while, then please contact Mike at:mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. Or just come along to soak up the atmosphere.}

_{A good news story!}

_{Last week a corporate event with a difference took place in Sydney. The event was organized by Michael Combs, who established CareerSeekers in 2016 to help well-qualified asylum seekers get a foot in the door of career advancement in Australia. His motivation can be summed up by this comment: “I was just sick of every second Uber and taxi driver having a degree from their own country but being unable to get any work in Australia.” Last year, his organization placed 168 asylum seekers in corporate jobs. This year the target is to place 450 asylum seekers in professional occupations. A number of major corporations are on board, with twelve-week internships typically extended into full time employment. Hats off to Michael Combs!}

_{You can read the full story on our Facebook page.}

_{Behrouz Boochani’s book has arrived!}

_{Behrouz Boochani, who has been imprisoned on Manus for more than five years, has, against all the odds, published his book “ No Friend but the Mountains.” It is the story of life in a wholly oppressive system which is designed to punish, humiliate and break the spirits of those subjected to indefinite detention. In the foreword to the book, Richard Flanagan does not mince his words.} 

_{“Reading this book is difficult for any Australian. We pride ourselves on decency, kindness, generosity and a fair go. None of these qualities are evident in Boochani’s account of squalor, beatings, suicide and murder.} 

_{I was painfully reminded in his descriptions of the Australian officials’ behaviour on Manus and my father’s descriptions of the Japanese commanders’ behaviour in the POW camps where he and fellow Australians suffered so much.}

_{What has become of us when it is we who commit such crimes?”}

_{Minister Dutton should read Behrouz Boochani’s book.}

_{Check out the index of subjects on our blog  http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au} 

_{It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.}

_{This newsletter is sent to >620 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

_{(579 likes)}

_{Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam}

_{Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com}

_{The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au} 

_{The National RAR facebook site is at  RAR Facebook}