Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

This blog has been set up to further the cause of compassion for Asylum Seekers. We will post letters that have been sent to politicians, building up the pressure to provide compassionate support to all refugees in Australia and anywhere where people have been sent by the Australian Government. Send your letter and any reply to our email address and we will post it on the site. Any other information of use will also be posted. For Facebook page click on "contact us" tab below.

Showing posts with label call to action. Show all posts

8.8.17

Newsletter for 8 August 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next Market Stall - Coffs Harbourside Sun 27th August

Next Roadside Demo - Bellingen Thursday August 10th 2:30pm

National RAR group

That telephone conversation

Valla Beach market report

A big thank you to all our supporters who turned up to help at Saturday’s market in Valla Beach. Fourteen supporters came along at different times to lend a hand, making for a lively presence and a great impact. We had a new bumper sticker for sale, a new pamphlet about the Manus Island crisis, we collected lots of signatures on our petition, did an interview with Nambucca Valley Radio and sold quite a lot of merchandise. A very successful morning, including a lot of interaction with market-goers, which is so important to our key objective, which is to inform the public about the cruelty, immorality and inhumanity of our government’s asylum policy, and to demand an end to offshore detention.

Our next market stall will be at the Coffs Harbourside market on Sunday 27th August. If you can help out at any time between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 10th August, Bellingen: 2.30 to 4.00 pm

A reminder that our next roadside demonstration is this Thursday in Bellingen. You will find us at a new location on Waterfall Way, adjacent to the playing fields, just after the entrance to the High School as you come into Bellingen from Urunga. The offshore detention situation is now becoming critical and dangerous. Refugees on Manus are under huge pressure to leave the current detention centre and to move to the dangerous Lorengau transit centre. The recent publication of Turnbull/ Trump telephone conversation can only add to the fear and desperation of the refugees. Please therefore try to join us if you can on Thursday to send a strong message to the government and the Labor opposition that this cruelty must end.

National RAR group

We now have a national RAR committee which plans to strengthen our voice on the national stage. You can find an update from the national group on our blog. The committee is planning to organise and coordinate a national day of action on 8th October. Watch this space!

That telephone conversation

You are no doubt familiar with the details of the telephone conversation between our Prime Minister and the US President of some months ago, the transcript of which was published last week. Twice in the conversation, our PM made it clear to Trump that there is no obligation in the agreement for the US to take any refugees. The US could accept 1,000, 100 or none at all. Turnbull’s words were: “the obligation is to only go through the process.” This looks more and more like a cynical exercise in which our obligations towards the refugees take a very poor second place to political calculation. Turnbull also stated untruthfully that the refugees are “economic refugees”. The fact is that all those being considered for resettlement in the US have already had their refugee claims investigated thoroughly by the Australian government and have been granted refugee status. That is, it has been established, under the Refugee Convention, that they have a “well founded fear of persecution in their country of origin”, and are therefore legally owed protection by the Australian government. Economic hardship is not a criterion for refugee status.

Throughout the conversation it is clear that neither leader has any concern at all for the well-being of the refugees, many of whom have now been languishing on Manus and Nauru for up to four years. For these two businessmen, this is just another transaction.

All the more reason to keep up our protest. Please consider writing to both Coalition and Labor politicians, whose details were provided in last week’s newsletter, which you’ll find on our blog.

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.

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

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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

6.8.17

RAR Call to action - leading to a concerted action on 18 October 2017

Regional Communities say Enough

Manus and Nauru

Not Safe for Refugees

Bring Them Here!

Concerted action 18 October 2017

details below

The crisis on Manus: a call for urgent action

Background:

· The situation for asylum seekers and refugees on Manus Island is worsening and now potentially life threatening.

· There are 900 men currently in the existing camp and of these 730 have had positive refugee assessments.

· With the announcement that the Manus Island camp is to close by 31 October, the authorities are putting enormous pressure on the men to move to a so-called “transit centre” in East Lorengau – about half an hour away from the existing camp.

- Lorengau was built and insured for 298. If the authorities have their way it will be filled with 800 men.

- There is no medical facility there; people must attend the local hospital.

· It also means that they will be living among the local people many of whom are very hostile to the refugees and asylum seekers.

-there have already been a significant number of attacks on the refugees with muggings, beatings and attacks with knives now documented.

· In the meanwhile the existing camp on Manus is being progressively shut down, forcing the people there into overcrowded and makeshift accommodation in other parts of the camp. Water and power is being turned off in some sections. The exercise area has been closed, English language classes ended, most things removed for sale from the small canteen and case managers no longer given access. Officials simply repeat that the men have the possibility either of returning to their home country or settling in PNG.

· As Behrouz Boochani recently wrote: This whole situation targets the mental wellbeing of the refugees on three levels. First, living conditions within the prison camp are deteriorating daily. Second, it has been made perfectly clear there is no favourable future for refugees in PNG; no one feels safe. And third, the process to transfer them to the US is still up in the air.

RAR and the Australian Refugee Action Network (ARAN) will shortly be sending you resources and we will let you know what others are doing to inspire your action.

Zali Nash the RAR Social Media convenor is developing a social media strategy to be released next week.

It would be great if you send us information including photos for putting on our website and facebook and of course ‘your suggestions’ that we have not thought of.

Following is a program for action for RAR across Australia.

RAR Call to Action:

The situation has now gone well beyond any justification by the Australian Government. The situation is unsafe, the Papua Guinea government has admitted that it cannot protect the refugees and asylum seekers and we fear that as the closure of the camp approaches even more tragic outcomes may eventuate.

It is important to make sure that our elected representatives cannot claim that they “don’t know what is happening”. We need to ask them to demand information from Government and expect change.

We also want to let the media know we expect reporting from them on this as an issue of significance for our community values and democracy.

Recommended Action

Manus to be a priority in our activities leading up to the closure of Manus at the end of October. Other networks will be doing this too.

We recommend

1. Use the theme: of ‘regional communities say enough’ and the ARAN slogan Manus and Nauru etc.

Regional Communities say Enough

Manus and Nauru

Not Safe for Refugees

Bring Them Here!

2. Focus on parliamentarians and media.

3. Make this part of your ongoing activities eg vigils, churches etc.

4. Brief your local member and ask them what they can do to ameliorate the human costs for the detainees.

5. Make appointments with your local MP now, involve a small group of locals and advise the MP that you will return again in 6-8 weeks for the MP to report b ack to you and make an appointment for your return visit.

6. Take photos of the visit or the meeting if possible so that you can use for media releases and Facebook posts

7. Involve your local media about your activities – papers, community radio and of course your local ABC regional outlets (we hope to provide you some media formats if you need them).

8. Plan a regular/continuing presence outside your MP or Senator’s local office and/or join with other RAR groups in your region to organise weekly vigils outside the local MPs office.

9. Organise letter writing meetings, phoning MPs office, contact talkback radio and encourage members of your community to be involved

10.Plan a concerted action (along with other groups in Australia) for October 8, 2017.

6.6.17

Newsletter for 6 June 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next Roadside Demo - Bello Thursday June 15 2:30pm

Next Market Stall - Coffs Harbour Sunday June 25

Refugee Week fundraising lunch - 18th June

National day of action - Ring your pollie!

Life on Manus - Imran's story

Roadside demonstration report

We had a very successful roadside demonstration in Coffs Harbour last Thursday, with nine supporters holding our banners and placards for passing motorists to see and hopefully reflect on. Lots of positive support as always, with honking of horns, cheerful waving and thumbs–up from many motorists.

Our next roadside demonstration will be in Bellingen on Thursday 15th June, from 2.30 pm until 4.00 pm. You will find us in the usual place on Waterfall Way, adjacent to the public library. Why not put the date in your diary and join us for a while?

Market report

A cool but sunny morning for our market stall in Valla Beach last Saturday. Although the market was not particularly busy, we had lots of positive conversations with market-goers, collected a good number of signatures on the new national RAR petition, gave out lots of leaflets and sold various items of merchandise. A big thank you to all our supporters who turned up to lend a hand, and to the Valla Beach Community Association, who don’t charge us for our presence at the market.

Our next market will be in Coffs Harbour on Sunday 25th June from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. The market will be held at the temporary location adjacent to the Park Beach car park. If you can help out for a while, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.

Refugee week fundraiser: Sunday 18th June from 12.00 pm

We have just a few spaces left for our important fundraising lunch and auction on 18th June at 39, Rogers Drive, Valla Beach. If you haven’t signed up yet, then please do so this week so that we can finalise the arrangements. Wine and beer will be provided by our hosts Mike and Marlene, and we would appreciate it if you would bring a plate to share. We have some exciting items for the auction already, including: two nights’ accommodation for a couple at Hil’s End in Bellingen, numerous works of art, a Royal Doulton serving bowl, 4 Orrefors Martini glasses, a beautiful plant in an unusual pot, two framed limited edition prints from Kew Gardens in the UK, bottles of wine, and much besides. We are still urgently seeking additional items for the auction, so if you have something to donate that you think will fetch at least $20, then please let Mike know asap by email: at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com or by phone at: 6569 5419. Let’s make it a big success!

All the proceeds from the event will go to support refugee causes: The Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown and our RAR group.

National Call to Action: Wednesday 7th June, between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm

A nationwide call to action has been organised for tomorrow, Wednesday 7th June. The plan is for a phone marathon to tell our politicians that we do not support the policy of offshore detention and that we call for the safe and urgent settlement of all genuine asylum seekers and refugees currently detained indefinitely on Nauru and Manus Island. Nothing will change until enough voters tell our politicians that we do not support a policy that depends on the suffering of innocent men, women and children who have committed no crime.

Will you please phone the office of your local MP, which for most of us is Luke Hartsuyker? His phone number is: 6652 6233.

If you feel up to it, please also consider phoning the offices of the following people:

Peter Dutton, Minister for Immigration: (07) 3205 9977

Malcolm Turnbull: (02) 9327 3988

Bill Shorten: (03) 9326 1300

Shayne Neumann, Shadow Minister for Immigration: (07) 3201 5300

Please join the campaign if you can. It will only take a few minutes.

Life on Manus: Imran’s story

Some months ago, as we were packing away our banners and placards at the end of our demo in Coffs Harbour, a car pulled up alongside us and the person in the passenger seat lowered her window. What did we know about life on Manus? Didn’t we realise that these men are paid to stay there; that they are well looked after; that they have no worries; that they spend their days at the beach; that they live on a paradise island, and that they should be grateful to us.

The 900 or so men who are trapped there indefinitely tell a very different story, as we know from the refugees themselves, the many accounts from doctors, aid workers, teachers, social workers and others who have had direct contact with the refugees and asylum seekers.

Imran Mohammad is a stateless Rohingya refugee from Mayanmar, and he has been held on Manus for almost four years. He has written about the enormous fear and uncertainty for the refugees as they await the closure of the detention centre over the coming months. He tells of the great fear that all the men have of moving out of the centre into the community, where they are unsafe and where they are regularly subjected to bashings and assault. He says: “What we know is that there is no place for us in this world. If there was, we would have been resettled somewhere and we would not have suffered beyond our ability to cope in this minefield. We don’t expect any hope from the Australian and the PNG governments. It has always been felt that we would never leave this island alive and it has become apparent the abuse and torture implemented by both countries is unending.”

How can members of the public believe that these men are happily living in paradise?

How can the Australian government, supported by the Labor opposition, continue to inflict such cruelty on innocent people in our name?