Seven years too many. Set them free.
Fair go for refugees
Honk for human rights.
Justice for refugees
Showing posts with label rally 2020. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rally 2020. Show all posts
13.9.20
22.7.20
A Demonstration by RAR (Rural Australians in Support of Refugees) gets the thumbs up from passing motorists.
The item below was
printed on the Bellingen Courier Sun web site
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| Asylum Seeker Rights |
Last
weekend marked the seventh anniversary of the Rudd government’s
announcement that people arriving in Australian waters seeking asylum
would be detained in offshore detention and would never be allowed to
settle in Australia. As a result of that momentous decision, thirteen
men have died in offshore detention, hundreds have suffered both
physical and mental torment, families have been separated and lives have
been ruined.
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| Refugee rights |
Seven
years later, some 400 men, women and children continue to be trapped by
our government in PNG and Nauru. Hundreds more are held in detention
in Australia. Some 120 people are stuck in hotels in Brisbane and
Melbourne, having been transferred to Australia for urgent medical
treatment, which many of them have yet to receive.
Our government has completely abrogated its responsibilities to fulfil its obligations under the UN Refugee Convention.
It
is shameful that our government continues to treat these innocent
people with such cruel disdain. They have committed no crime, but,
unlike convicted criminals, they have no release date from their pain
and punishment. Across Australia at the weekend, thousands
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of refugee
supporters participated in peaceful demonstrations to protest at the
government’s cruel intransigence.
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| Add caption |
Our local demonstration in Bellingen on Saturday attracted more than twenty
supporters, who lined Waterfall Way with their placards and banners.
The support from passing motorists was overwhelmingly supportive of the
action. The organizer of the demonstration, Mike Griffin, explained:
“We believe that, in spite of all the other difficulties that we are all
facing at the moment, it is still important to remind the public about
what the government is doing in our name. This is a cruel, inhumane and
unlawful policy that the government could bring to an end within weeks,
if it had 
the political will to do so. It should accept the New Zealand
government’s offer to accept 150 refugees immediately, and commit to
resettling the remaining refugees and asylum seekers by the end of the
year. They have suffered enough.”
the political will to do so. It should accept the New Zealand
government’s offer to accept 150 refugees immediately, and commit to
resettling the remaining refugees and asylum seekers by the end of the
year. They have suffered enough.” | |||
5.3.20
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
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| 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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25.2.20
Bello Nambucca RAR Newsletter 25th February 2020 Inbox
Roadside demonstration report
Coffs Harbourside market: Sunday 8th March, 9.00 am to 1.30 pm
Harmony Time: a concert on Sunday 15th March at 2.00 pm
A huge thank you, and a fond farewell
Refugee organisations react to last week’s ICC report
Behrouz Boochani’s book: No Friend but the Mountains
Roadside demonstration report
We
were a small band of enthusiasts at our roadside demonstration last
week, but we succeeded in getting lots of attention and support from
passing motorists. We acknowledged that it is not easy to maintain the
momentum after so many years of standing by the roadside. However, we
quickly agreed that what we are doing is but a tiny sacrifice when
compared to the terrible suffering inflicted on refugees and asylum
seekers by our political leaders on both sides of parliament. They have
been denied their freedom, their dignity and their human rights for
almost seven years.
We will keep up the fight!
Our next roadside demonstration will be on Thursday 5th March on Waterfall Way in Bellingen from 2.30 to 4.00 pm.
You will find us in our usual spot near the Yellow Shed, opposite the
entrance to the golf club. Please consider joining us if you possibly
can.
Coffs Harbourside market: Sunday 8th March, 9.00 am to 1.30 pm
A reminder that our next market stall will be at the popular Coffs Harbourside market on Sunday 8th
March. We are still looking for helpers for the market, so, if you can
lend a hand for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing
him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
Harmony Time: a concert on Sunday 15th March at 2.00 pm
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| The previous RAR concert was throughly enjoyed. |
A
reminder that our Harmony Time concert will take place in the Nambucca
Community and Arts Centre in Nambucca Heads on Sunday 15th
March, starting at 2.00 pm. We have a terrific line-up of musicians to
uplift and entertain you, including members of the Coffs Harbour
Conservatorium, the Eleventh-Hour Choir, and Heather Rose and friends.
We
hope that you have the date in your diary and that you will encourage
your friends and family to join us. Our aim is to raise a four-figure
sum for the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown.
Tickets
are priced at $20 for adults and $10 for students. There is no charge
for children under ten. You can purchase your tickets NOW from
Helloworld Travel, situated on Bowra Street in Nambucca Heads, or you
can order them for collection and payment at the door by contacting Mike
at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. or by phone: 6569 5419. Alternatively, you can purchase your tickets at the door on 15th March.
We will have our RAR stall and a raffle, and there will be works of art on sale at bargain prices.
If
you can help out on the day of the concert, or if you can contribute
something for our raffle hamper, then please contact Marlene at: marlene.griffin46@bigpond.com.
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| Vintage Opaline Glass Vases |
A huge thank you, and a fond farewell
This
week, two of our longstanding supporters, Carol and John Vernon, are
leaving the area to take up a new life to be close to family in
Melbourne. They were founding members of the Bellingen and Nambucca
District RAR group, established in 2014, and they have been wonderful
and steadfast activists since that time. Many of you will have met them
at our markets, our roadside demonstrations and our fundraising events
over the years. We will greatly miss their enthusiastic support, their
friendship, their generosity and their conversation. We wish them well
in their move to Melbourne.
The
good news is that, as they are downsizing, we now have in our
possession a large number of items for our next lunch/ auction. So, if
you would like to be the new owner of some excellent Vernon memorabilia,
then watch this space for the date of our next fundraiser.
For
the past year or so, John has managed our blog, so if there is anyone
out there who could take on the job, which John tells us is not onerous,
then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
Refugee organisations react to last week’s ICC report
In
last week’s newsletter, we reported on the findings of the
International Criminal Court in relation to the Australian government’s
“cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment” of asylum seekers and refugees
in offshore detention. A number of groups, including Amnesty
International Australia, Asylum Seekers Centre, the National Justice
Project, the Refugee Council of Australia and others, have responded
swiftly and collectively to the ICC judgement.
Dr
Graham Thon, of AI Australia, states: “This should be all the
encouragement the Australian Government needs to secure third-party
resettlement options so people who have suffered so much can start to
rebuild their lives. It is completely unconscionable, when there are
offers on the table from countries like New Zealand to resettle people,
that Australia keeps them detained in conditions that have been found
objectively to be cruel and inhumane.”
The
Refugee Council of Australia, Paul Power, states: “This long-running
ill-treatment of people seeking protection from persecution has done
untold damage to Australia’s reputation. Any point that the Australian
government wanted to make to the world was clearly made years ago. It’s
pointless and unbelievably cruel to be still holding people seven years
later.”
We clearly still have much work to do!
Behrouz Boochani’s book: No Friend but the Mountains
Many
of you will have read Behrouz’s now-famous book, but you might be
interested to know that it is now available in some local libraries as
an audio book. It is read by an interesting variety of voices, including
Richard Flanagan, Thomas Keneally, Isabel Carmody and Geoffrey
Robertson. There is a long waiting list at Coffs Harbour library.
The book is also available on Audible.
It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.
This newsletter is sent to >670 recipients
Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/
(579 likes)
Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam
Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.
The National RAR web site is at www.
The National RAR facebook site is at RAR Facebook
8.1.20
Bello Nambucca RAR Newsletter 7th January 2020
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