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26.7.16

Newsletter for 26 July 2016 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next market stall will be at Valla Beach 6th August.
Popup demonstration: Thursday 28 July Urunga
Letter from ChilOut
New Petition
National RAR conference
Valla Beach Market Saturday 6th August

Our next market stall will be at the Valla Beach market on Saturday 6th August. As usual, we are seeking help from our supporters between 9.00 am and 1.00 pm. If you can spare an hour or two of your time, then please come and join us. It would be helpful if you could let Mike know in advance by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.  The markets are a great opportunity to interact with the public and to let people know that  “we can do better than this” in relation to the present cruel policy of indefinite detention of asylum seekers on remote islands in faraway places.  Do come and join us if you can, or just call in for a chat and sign our new petition.
Pop-up Demo this Thursday 28th July  3.00 pm to 4.30 pm

A reminder that our next pop-up demo is this Thursday on the highway in Urunga, just North of the town, adjacent to the BP service station. There is plenty of parking next to the service station. Please come and join us for the inauguration of our new banner! We have plenty of placards, plus three banners, so there is no need to make you own, though you are of course welcome to do so. Please let Mike know if you are planning to attend by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.  So far we have seven supporters who have indicated their intention to participate. It would be great to have a few more, so why not give it a go?
Letter of appreciation from ChilOut

Last week, following our stall at Bellingen market, we sent a final donation of $100 to ChilOut, and we explained that, after two and a half years of supporting them with donations totalling $3,750, it is now time for us to support a different asylum seeker charity. Zoe from ChilOut replied:
Dear Mike, John and everyone at the Bellingen and Nambucca Districts RAR,
It is lovely to hear from you. Thank you so much for your generosity in time, effort and energy for raising funds for ChilOut! It has been greatly appreciated and we have been blown away by your support! Thank you sharing that you will be moving on, please know that you are always welcome to let us know if events come up that you would like us to advertise. We love the work your group does and are happy to support in anyway we can.
The amazing $3,750 that you raised has gone a long way and we are so grateful for all you have done for us! We wish you all the best and hope to stay in touch.
From everyone at ChilOut, thank you!!
Best regards,
Zoe Grant
New Petition

Our new petition reads:
“ We, the undersigned, call on the leaders of all political parties to work together to bring to an end the cruel, inhumane and unsustainable offshore detention arrangements for asylum seekers and refugees. We specifically ask the Parliament to:
  • process all asylum seekers currently held in offshore detention, without further delay.
  • resettle in Australia all asylum seekers currently in offshore detention centres who are found to be eligible for our protection under international law.
  • permanently close all offshore detention facilities in the months ahead.”
A copy of the petition form is attached to this newsletter. (see post below)  It would be great if you could print off a copy and collect signatures from family, friends and colleagues. You could bring completed petitions to our market stall at Valla Beach on 6th August or to Bellingen market on 17th September. Alternatively you can post them to Mike at: Mike Griffin, 39, Rogers Drive, Valla Beach NSW 2448.

National RAR Conference: Bendigo  3rd and 4th September
​  2016​
The national RAR group is planning a major conference for RAR members across Australia, and they are hoping for  representation from members of our group. The conference will be very interesting and informative, with a range of keynote speakers and discussion sessions. If you would be interested in travelling to Bendigo for the conference, please let us know by email at: bellingen.rar@gmail.com. Further information can be obtained from the national RAR coordinator  at: rar.australia@gmail.com. 

Registrations are required by August 6 so act now to attend this important event.


Our blog is at http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au and includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers

check out the index of subjects on the blog

The newsletter is sent to 414 recipients


(482 likes)

Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam


The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au 
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New Petition July 2016


PETITION TO THE FEDERAL PARLIAMENT
  We, the undersigned, call on the leaders of all political parties to work together to bring to an end the cruel, inhumane and unsustainable offshore detention arrangements for asylum seekers and refugees. We specifically ask the Parliament to:
·      process all asylum seekers currently held in offshore detention, without further delay.
·      resettle in Australia all asylum seekers and refugees cuurently in offshore detention centres who are found to be eligible for our protection under international law.
·      permanently close all offshore detention facilities  in the months ahead.
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Published by Rural Australians for Refugees: rar.australia@gmail.com

Please return to: Mike Griffin, 39, Rogers Drive, Valla Beach NSW 2448
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19.7.16

Close Manus Island - Marlene - When will asylum seekers be moved from Manus Island



Closure of Manus Island Detention Centre.
In April of this year the PNG Supreme Court ruled that the Manus Island detention centre for refugees was unconstitutional and had to close.
The ruling has been hailed as a major victory for refugees and asylum seekers. The day after the closure the Manus Detention Centre was made an open centre but the PNG Government announced that it would still be closed.
Since then there has been a noticeable silence on the issue. We have had no details of the timescale for the closure or of what arrangements are being made for over 900 refugees currently detained there.
Conditions on the island have been described as a “hellish prison camp” while others have called it “Australia’s Guantanamo in the heart of the Pacific Ocean”.
Yet we know little about the conditions and everyday life on Manus Island — and that’s pretty much the way the government wants to keep it.



A refugee walks between tents on Manus Island.

High security surrounds Manus and workers under contract on the islands are forbidden to describe the living conditions, sanitation, medical services or other essential aspects of everyday life on the island . The government has kept Manus Island under a cloud of secrecy so that human rights abuses are far from scrutiny. Human rights groups and lawyers have had difficulty getting access to the island and some of their reports have been heavily censored. There have been widespread claims of rape and sexual abuse taking place on Manus and suicide incidents seem to be a regular occurrence.
The cost of running the Manus Island detention centre has refugee advocacy groups truly outraged. It has cost an estimated $1 billion over four years alone.
Further estimates obtained by the Refugee Action Coalition claim the cost of offshore processing is around $400,000 per person per year.
The $2 billion contract awarded last year to Transfield Services, now called Broadspectrum, to provide services at the government’s Nauru and Manus Island detention centres, is only part of the total cost. Many believe that this money would be far better spent on processing and accommodating the refugees here in Australia.
PNG said it is refusing to accept responsibility for those awaiting processing and the Supreme Court in PNG is expected to formally order the detainees back to Australia.
Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton are insistent that none of the asylum seekers being held at the Manus Island detention centre, will ever make their way to Australia.
It is timely therefore for us to ask some questions. What is being planned for these refugees? Where will they be accommodated? Will they be sent to Christmas Island? What is the timescale for the relocation? Does the new Turnbull Government have a plan and if so can we hear about it?
Marlene Griffin July 2016
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Newsletter for 19 July 2016 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next market stall will be at Valla Beach 6th August.
Popup demonstration: Thursday 28 July Urunga
Supporting refugee charities
National RAR conference
Bellingen Market Report

A big thank you to our ten supporters who turned up at various times to help on our stall at Bellingen market on Saturday. There was a good market crowd, and we had a busy time talking to members of the public, handing out information sheets, inviting people to sign the new petition and selling our asylum seeker merchandise. We collected more than 170 signatures on the petition, signed up a number of new supporters and sold more than $200 of T shirts, bags and tea towels. As usual, lots of people expressed their deep dismay about the cruel  and inhumane asylum policies of the major parties, and urged us to keep up the pressure. We certainly will!
Our next market will be at Valla Beach on Saturday 6th August. Let’s hope that the sun shines!
Our Next Pop-up Demonstration : Thursday 28th July 3.00 pm – 4.30 pm. Urunga

Our next demonstration will be at the side of the Pacific Highway in Urunga, adjacent to the BP service station heading north out of Urunga. There is plenty of parking space near to the service station. In addition to our famous two yellow banners, we will be parading our brand new 3 m by 1 m banner, which will be easily readable for passing motorists.  Please consider joining us for this important action. Now more than ever, given the recent Senate elections, it is vital to keep the appalling treatment of asylum seekers in offshore detention in the public eye. If you can join us, then please let Mike know by emailing him at:mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. Let’s give our new banner  a strong showing!
Supporting Refugee Charities

As you will be aware, we have been supporting the ChilOut charity for the past two and a half years. During this time, we have donated about $1,750 to ChilOut through our market stall sales and individual donations, plus a further $2,000 from our recent Simon Tedeschi recital. Following suggestions from our supporters, we now plan to switch our support to The Asylum Seekers Centre, which is based in Newtown. The ASC offers a wide range of support to asylum seekers and refugees, including accommodation, legal and financial support, employment assistance, English classes, a food bank and much besides.  You can check them out by going to their website at: https://asylumseekerscentre.org.au.


​Bellingen stall last Saturday


​
National RAR Conference: Bendigo  3rd and 4th September
​  2016​
The national RAR group is planning a major conference for RAR members across Australia, and they are hoping for  representation from members of our group. The conference will be very interesting and informative, with a range of keynote speakers and discussion sessions. If you would be interested in travelling to Bendigo for the conference, please let us know by email at: bellingen.rar@gmail.com. Further information can be obtained from the national RAR coordinator  at: rar.australia@gmail.com. 

Registrations are required by August 6 so act now to attend this important event.



Closure of Manus Island Detention Centre.
In April of this year the PNG Supreme Court ruled that the Manus Island detention centre for refugees was unconstitutional and had to close.
The ruling has been hailed as a major victory for refugees and asylum seekers. The day after the closure the Manus Detention Centre was made an open centre but the PNG Government announced that it would still be closed.
Since then there has been a noticeable silence on the issue. We have had no details of the timescale for the closure or of what arrangements are being made for over 900 refugees currently detained there.
Conditions on the island have been described as a “hellish prison camp” while others have called it “Australia’s Guantanamo in the heart of the Pacific Ocean”.
Yet we know little about the conditions and everyday life on Manus Island — and that’s pretty much the way the government wants to keep it.



A refugee walks between tents on Manus Island.

High security surrounds Manus and workers under contract on the islands are forbidden to describe the living conditions, sanitation, medical services or other essential aspects of everyday life on the island . The government has kept Manus Island under a cloud of secrecy so that human rights abuses are far from scrutiny. Human rights groups and lawyers have had difficulty getting access to the island and some of their reports have been heavily censored. There have been widespread claims of rape and sexual abuse taking place on Manus and suicide incidents seem to be a regular occurrence.
The cost of running the Manus Island detention centre has refugee advocacy groups truly outraged. It has cost an estimated $1 billion over four years alone.
Further estimates obtained by the Refugee Action Coalition claim the cost of offshore processing is around $400,000 per person per year.
The $2 billion contract awarded last year to Transfield Services, now called Broadspectrum, to provide services at the government’s Nauru and Manus Island detention centres, is only part of the total cost. Many believe that this money would be far better spent on processing and accommodating the refugees here in Australia.
PNG said it is refusing to accept responsibility for those awaiting processing and the Supreme Court in PNG is expected to formally order the detainees back to Australia.
Meanwhile, Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton are insistent that none of the asylum seekers being held at the Manus Island detention centre, will ever make their way to Australia.
It is timely therefore for us to ask some questions. What is being planned for these refugees? Where will they be accommodated? Will they be sent to Christmas Island? What is the timescale for the relocation? Does the new Turnbull Government have a plan and if so can we hear about it?
Marlene Griffin July 2016


Our blog is at http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au and includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers

check out the index of subjects on the blog

The newsletter is sent to 414 recipients


(482 likes)

Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam


The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au 
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12.7.16

Nerwsletter for 11 July 2016 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next market stall will be at Bellingen Market on Saturday 16th July.
Popup demonstrations
National RAR conference
Our RAR stall at Bellingen Market on Saturday 16th July

A reminder that we we be at the Bellingen market on Saturday with our usual colourful stall, information leaflets and merchandise. We will also have a new petition for supporters to sign. The petition calls on leaders of all parties in the new parliament to work together to end the shameful, inhumane and unlawful policy of detaining people indefinitely on remote offshore islands. We hope to get the support of other RAR groups around Australia to promote the petition.
If you can offer an hour or two to help John and Mike with the stall, then please email Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. If you are not able to help, just drop by for a chat and sign the petition.  You will find our stall  next to the scoreboard. (F 9).

Pop-up Demonstrations 

Now that the election is finally behind us, we are planning to resume our pop-up demonstrations  quite soon. At the moment we are in the midst of creating a large banner ( 3 metres by 1 metre), which will be much easier for passing motorists to read. It’s quite a challenge, but we are getting there! Look out for further details in next week’s Newsletter.

National RAR Conference: Bendigo  3rd and 4th September
​  2016​
The national RAR group is planning a major conference for RAR members across Australia, and they are hoping for  representation from members of our group. The conference will be very interesting and informative, with a range of keynote speakers and discussion sessions. If you would be interested in travelling to Bendigo for the conference, please let us know by email at: bellingen.rar@gmail.com. Further information can be obtained from the national RAR coordinator  at: rar.australia@gmail.com. 

Registrations are required by August 6 so act now to attend this important event.


Our blog is at http://bellorar.blogspot.com.au and includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers

check out the index of subjects on the blog

The newsletter is sent to 414 recipients


(482 likes)

Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam


The National RAR web site is at  www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au 
Posted by at No comments:
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