Roadside demonstration: Thursday 5th March, Waterfall Way, Bellingen
Coffs Harbourside market: Sunday 8th March from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm
Harmony Time concert: Sunday 15th March at 2.00 pm
Did you watch Stateless on the ABC?
The Biloela family remain in limbo on Christmas Island
Roadside demonstration: Thursday 5th March, Waterfall Way, Bellingen
A reminder that our next roadside demonstration is on Thursday 5th March from 2.30 to 4.00 pm on Waterfall Way, Bellingen.
You will find us at our usual spot near the Yellow Shed, opposite the
entrance to the golf club. Please join us if you can, and let
Australia’s refugees and asylum seekers know that we have not forgotten
them, and that we will continue to highlight their suffering until they
are all free. We have lots of banners and placards to share, we just
need you to come along to join our faithful core group of campaigners to
help make our voices heard.
Coffs Harbourside market: Sunday 8th March from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm
A reminder that we have our stall at the Coffs Harbourside market next Sunday from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm.
As usual, we’ll be handing out leaflets, talking to market-goers,
asking people to sign our open letter to the Prime Minister and selling
our merchandise to raise funds for the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown.
At the time of writing, we are very short of volunteers, particularly
from 11.00 am until 1.30 pm. If you can lend a hand for a while, then
please email Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. , otherwise he is on his own!
Harmony Time concert: Sunday 15th March at 2.00 pm
 |
| Musicians from the Coffs Harbour Conservatorium |
As you will know from earlier newsletters, we have a great programme of entertaining and uplifting music lined up for you on Sunday 15th March at the Nambucca Community and Arts Centre on Ridge Street, Nambucca Heads, starting at 2.00 pm.
A huge thank you to all our supporters who have volunteered to help on the day - we now have a full team!
Tickets
are on sale at Helloworld Travel on Bowra Street in Nambucca Heads,
priced at $20 for adults and $10 for students. If it is more convenient,
you can order tickets for collection and payment at the door by phoning
Mike on 6569 5419. Tickets will also be available on the day, though it
helps our planning enormously if people book in advance.
Please
encourage your friends and family to come along to our first major
fundraiser of the year. All profits from the concert will be donated to
the Asylum Seekers Centre, who do vital work supporting asylum seekers
in Sydney.
If you would be willing to bring a plate of goodies to help with refreshments, then please contact Marlene at: marlene.griffin46@bigpond.com to let her know.
Did you watch Stateless on the ABC?
This
six-part film highlights the shocking reality of the detention of
asylum seekers through the eyes of the various protagonists, and
portrays the dehumanizing impact of our detention regime. You can watch
in on the ABC on Sundays at 8.30 pm and on iView. Cate Blanchett, an
executive producer and actor in the series, had this to say about the
work: “At what cost are we maintaining our borders? What fundamental
aspects of our humanity have we allowed to be eroded? As a parent, when I
go to film with the UN Refugee Agency and see children in detention, my
heart breaks and I just do not understand how we allow that to happen.”
Let
us hope that the film will be watched by a wide audience and that it
will help people to open their hearts and their minds to the shocking
reality of our treatment of some of the most vulnerable people on earth.
The Biloela family remain in limbo on Christmas Island
The
shameful treatment of the Tamil family from Biloela is set to continue
for many months, following a hearing in the courts last week to
determine whether the youngest child, Tharunicaa, is entitled to have an
application for a protection visa to be heard. Common sense and
humanity should have prevailed in this case long ago, and the minister
should have used his discretion to allow the family to stay in
Australia. They were well settled in Biloela, they were valued members
of their community, and had reasonable grounds to claim asylum.
They
will now have to wait months to find out if Tharunicaa’s claim can be
heard, and then probably a lot longer for the whole process to be
concluded. Then, at the end of it all, our government could agree that
this young child has a right to remain in Australia, but that her family
do not.
All this, to demonstrate that we are tough on protecting our borders and keeping Australians safe. Utterly shameful.
The acting Minister for Immigration, Alan Tudge, can be contacted at: Alan.Tudge.MP@aph.gov.au. or by phone: (02) 6277 7790.
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