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11.9.18

Newsletter for 11 September 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts


Roadside demonstration report
Our market stall: Bellingen market, Saturday 15th September
Donation to Asylum Seekers Centre
Fr. Frank Brennan comes to Coffs Harbour
National RAR campaign: #Kids Off Nauru
Don’t forget the date: Sunday 14th October


Roadside demonstration report
A great turnout for our roadside demonstration in Bellingen last week. We received a very enthusiastic response from passing motorists – a reminder once again that, if only we had brave and principled political leadership on the issue of offshore detention, this deplorable chapter in Australian history could be swiftly brought to an end.
Our next demonstration will be on Thursday 20th September on Hogbin Drive, Toormina, from 2.30 to 4.00 pm. You will find us in our usual spot down the hill from the fire station in the direction of the airport, opposite what used to be Sawtell Nursery. Please come and join us if you can.


Our market stall: Bellingen market, Saturday 15th September
A reminder that our next market stall is this Saturday at the ever-popular Bellingen Community market from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. As usual, we’ll be talking to market-goers, handing out leaflets, collecting signatures on a new open letter and selling our merchandise on behalf of the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown. Please come and join us if you can and be one of the first to sign our letter. If you can help out for an hour or two, then please email Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com to let him know. Our site number for Saturday is B29.


Donation to Asylum Seekers Centre
We are really pleased to report that, last week, we sent $500 to the ASC to help them with their vital work in supporting asylum seekers in and around Sydney. The money came from the recent sale of paintings by the “artist of the month” at the Stringer gallery in Nambucca Heads, from donations and from profits from sales. The ASC depends on donations to enable it to support asylum seekers in a number of important ways – providing interpreters, legal assistance, food, English lessons, help with finding accommodation, and much besides.


Fr. Frank Brennan comes to Coffs Harbour
Fr Frank Brennan is a human rights lawyer who is well known for his demands for justice for refugees and for his defence of the vulnerable and powerless. He will be speaking at the Norm Jordan Pavilion, which is located at the showground in Coffs Harbour.
Date: Friday 21st September
Time: 6.30 pm for a 7.00 pm start.
Fr. Brennan will be interviewed by Dr Jan Strom and the topics to be covered are indigenous representation in the Constitution, climate change policies and Australia’s refugee policy.
The event is organized by Coffs Harbour Council of Churches. All are welcome.


National RAR campaign: #Kids Off Nauru
Our national committee is urging all RAR groups to make a big push in the weeks ahead to bring the detention of children to an end. There are still more than 100 children held on Nauru, and many of them have spent the whole of their young lives there. Please write letters (ideally, even more so if hand written) or send emails to any or all of the politicians listed below. Tell them that:
Whilst there is undoubtedly a huge problem across the world with so many people fleeing war, poverty and persecution, locking up children is not a way to solve it.
Up to half of these children are suffering from mental health problems which are a direct result of the situation which our government has placed them in.
The facilities on Nauru are utterly inadequate, in relation to health, accommodation and education.
A number of the children are seriously unwell, and doctors have urged that they be evacuated from the island, yet their professional judgements are consistently ignored by bureaucrats in Canberra. This is not acceptable. The government’s intractability is putting young lives at risk.
None of us would accept this if these were our children or grandchildren.
All the children and their families should be evacuated immediately from Nauru and brought to Australia for resettlement here or in other safe countries.
The politicians listed below all have the same parliamentary address, which is:
House of Representatives, Parliament House, PO Box 6022, Canberra, ACT 2600
Email addresses: Scott Morrison: Google “contact the Prime Minister” and follow the links. You have to complete a short form and then write your message.
Josh Frydenberg (Deputy PM): Josh.Frydenberg.MP@aph.gov.au
Bill Shorten (Opposition Leader): Bill.Shorten.MP@aph.gov.au
Tanya Plibersek (Dep Opposition Leader): Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au


Don’t forget the date: Sunday 14th October
We have started planning for our get-together/ entertainment/lunch and auction on 14th October. At this stage, could you please put the date in your diary and have a look around for some suitable items for our auction. We hope to raise $1,000 for the ASC, but we can only do that if lots of people come along, and if we have plenty of good quality and interesting items for the auction. Please let Mike know if you have something for the auction by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com or phone him on: 6569 5419.






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