Next Market - Coffs Harbourside Sunday April 23rd
Next Roadside Demo - Thurs 6th April Big Banana 3pm
Donation to Refugee and Casework Service
Book Release - They Cannot Take the Sky: Stories from Detention
Market report
Sadly, once again, there is nothing to report, as the Valla market was cancelled due to the wet weather. We are not having much luck lately! Our next market will be the Coffs Harbourside market, which will take place on Sunday 23rd April. We would be grateful for support between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm, so if you can help out for an hour or two, please let Mike know my emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. We would welcome supporters, old and new.
Next roadside demonstration: The Big Banana, Coffs Harbour: Thursday 6th April from 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm
Our next roadside demonstration is just a couple of days away. You will find us on the grass verge beneath the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour, and we would very much welcome a big turnout to show people that the issue of treating asylum seekers with humanity and compassion will not go away. We have lots of banners and placards to share, so why not come and join us?
At this particular venue, experience tells us that it is better to wear shoes rather than open sandals or thongs, as the bull ants are pretty vicious!
In two weeks time, on Thursday 20th April, our roadside demonstration will be in Bellingen.
Donation to the Refugee Advice and Casework Service
As you will be aware from last week’s newsletter, our fundraising efforts last week enabled us to send $2,337 to RACS to support their urgent work in assisting asylum seekers to register their claims for protection. We received the following response from the RACS fundraising manager:
“RACS would like to extend a big thank you to all those at the Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts for your recent donation. Your very generous support towards the work of RACS helps to enable us to provide free legal assistance to people seeking asylum, thus making a huge difference to their future prospects. The confidence and support from community organisations such as yours provides our legal team and the many people we assist with hope and encouragement. Thank you!”
They Cannot Take the Sky: Stories From Detention
In this new book, published just a few weeks ago by Allen and Unwin, people who have sought refuge in Australia tell their stories in their own words. Many of the writers are still in detention on Manus island or Nauru. Others are living in the Australian community waiting for their applications for refugee status to be considered. This is what some prominent people have to say in the foreword to the book:
“They emerge as brave and resourceful people who ought to have been welcomed with open arms but instead have become pawns in an obscure game played between political parties. As a matter of policy they have been turned into non-people, their names erased, their images blanked out, their voices silenced.” J M Coetzee
“ To pay attention to these stories is to know we must do things differently and to remember that the universal aspiration to a dignified life is the essential human quality that should guide our thinking.” Peter Mares
“This is a book whose human, frank, illuminating voices the government does not want to hear from. In the end Australia will hear and honour these life histories, and honestly acknowledge Australia’s shameful part in them.” Tom Keneally
The book is currently available at the Alternative Bookshop in Bellingen, at the Book Warehouse in Coffs Harbour, and of course, online. You can find out more at:behindthewire.org.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
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