Roadside demonstration report
Our market stall: Bellingen market,
Saturday 15th September
Donation to Asylum Seekers Centre
Fr. Frank Brennan comes to Coffs
Harbour
National RAR campaign: #Kids Off
Nauru
Don’t forget the date: Sunday 14th
October
Roadside demonstration report
A great turnout for our roadside
demonstration in Bellingen last week. We received a very enthusiastic response
from passing motorists – a reminder once again that, if only we had brave and
principled political leadership on the issue of offshore detention, this
deplorable chapter in Australian history could be swiftly brought to an end.
Our next demonstration will be on
Thursday 20th September on Hogbin Drive, Toormina, from 2.30 to 4.00
pm. You will find us in our usual spot down the hill from the fire station in
the direction of the airport, opposite what used to be Sawtell Nursery. Please
come and join us if you can.
Our market stall: Bellingen market,
Saturday 15th September
A reminder that our next market
stall is this Saturday at the ever-popular Bellingen Community market from 9.00
am until 1.30 pm. As usual, we’ll be talking to market-goers, handing out
leaflets, collecting signatures on a new open letter and selling our merchandise
on behalf of the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown. Please come and join us if
you can and be one of the first to sign our letter. If you can help out for an
hour or two, then please email Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com to let
him know. Our site number for Saturday is B29.
Donation to Asylum Seekers Centre
We are really pleased to report
that, last week, we sent $500 to the ASC to help them with their vital work in
supporting asylum seekers in and around Sydney. The money came from the recent
sale of paintings by the “artist of the month” at the Stringer gallery in
Nambucca Heads, from donations and from profits from sales. The ASC depends on
donations to enable it to support asylum seekers in a number of important ways
– providing interpreters, legal assistance, food, English lessons, help with
finding accommodation, and much besides.
Fr. Frank Brennan comes to Coffs
Harbour
Fr Frank Brennan is a human rights
lawyer who is well known for his demands for justice for refugees and for his
defence of the vulnerable and powerless. He will be speaking at the Norm Jordan
Pavilion, which is located at the showground in Coffs Harbour.
Date: Friday 21st
September
Time: 6.30 pm for a 7.00 pm start.
Fr. Brennan will be interviewed by
Dr Jan Strom and the topics to be covered are indigenous representation in the
Constitution, climate change policies and Australia’s refugee policy.
The event is organized by Coffs
Harbour Council of Churches. All are welcome.
National RAR campaign: #Kids Off
Nauru
Our national committee is urging
all RAR groups to make a big push in the weeks ahead to bring the detention of
children to an end. There are still more than 100 children held on Nauru, and
many of them have spent the whole of their young lives there. Please write
letters (ideally, even more so if hand written) or send emails to any or all of
the politicians listed below. Tell them that:
Whilst there is undoubtedly a huge
problem across the world with so many people fleeing war, poverty and
persecution, locking up children is not a way to solve it.
Up to half of these children are
suffering from mental health problems which are a direct result of the
situation which our government has placed them in.
The facilities on Nauru are utterly
inadequate, in relation to health, accommodation and education.
A number of the children are
seriously unwell, and doctors have urged that they be evacuated from the
island, yet their professional judgements are consistently ignored by
bureaucrats in Canberra. This is not acceptable. The government’s
intractability is putting young lives at risk.
None of us would accept this if
these were our children or grandchildren.
All the children and their families
should be evacuated immediately from Nauru and brought to Australia for
resettlement here or in other safe countries.
The politicians listed below all
have the same parliamentary address, which is:
House of Representatives,
Parliament House, PO Box 6022, Canberra, ACT 2600
Email addresses: Scott Morrison:
Google “contact the Prime Minister” and follow the links. You have to complete
a short form and then write your message.
Josh Frydenberg (Deputy PM): Josh.Frydenberg.MP@aph.gov.au
Bill Shorten (Opposition Leader): Bill.Shorten.MP@aph.gov.au
Tanya Plibersek (Dep Opposition
Leader): Tanya.Plibersek.MP@aph.gov.au
Don’t forget the date: Sunday 14th
October
We have started planning for our
get-together/ entertainment/lunch and auction on 14th October. At
this stage, could you please put the date in your diary and have a look around
for some suitable items for our auction. We hope to raise $1,000 for the ASC,
but we can only do that if lots of people come along, and if we have plenty of
good quality and interesting items for the auction. Please let Mike know if you
have something for the auction by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com or
phone him on: 6569 5419.
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