A happy New Year to you all
Roadside demonstration: Thursday 10th January
in Bellingen. 2.30 to 4.00 pm
Next market stall: Saturday 19th January
at Bellingen market
Market dates for 2019
Adelaide welcomes asylum seekers
A happy New Year to you all.
Let us hope that 2019 brings some hope for the 1200
refugees and asylum seekers who remain trapped on Manus and Nauru. Sadly, as
the Federal election looms, it is more likely that the pain and suffering will
continue, given that the Coalition continues to insist that it alone will be
tough on “border protection” and the Labor party will continue to assert that
it can be relied upon to be equally committed to the punitive agenda of
(indefinite) offshore detention, combined with the refusal to allow any asylum
seekers who arrived by boat to be resettled in Australia. As we have stated on
many occasions before, our campaign to end the cruel policy of offshore
detention and the demonization of asylum seekers will continue until this
shameful policy is brought to an end. We hope that many of you will turn out to
support the cause at our roadside demonstrations and markets throughout the
year. And, in anticipation of our campaign continuing into the future, Santa
delivered us a new roof for our market stall gazebo!
Roadside demonstration: Thursday 10th January
in Bellingen. 2.30 to 4.00 pm
A reminder that our first roadside demonstration of
2019 will take place this Thursday on Waterfall Way in Bellingen.You
will find us opposite the entrance to the golf club, adjacent to the Yellow
Shed. Please come and join us if you can, and let’s show people that we are as
committed as ever to ending the cruelty of offshore detention. If you are not
able to attend this demonstration, then please note that we hold them fortnightly
from 2.30 to 4.00 pm at four different venues. The venues for January and
February are as follows:
Thursday 10th January: Waterfall Way,
Bellingen
Thursday 24th January: Hogbin Drive,
Toormina
Thursday 7th February: Big Banana,
Coffs Harbour
Thursday 21st February: Pacific
Highway, opposite the Base hospital, Coffs Harbour
Next market stall: Saturday 19th January at
Bellingen market
Our first market stall of 2019 will be at the
Bellingen market on Saturday 19th January from 9.00 am until
1.30 pm. As usual, we’ll be handing out leaflets, encouraging people to sign
our new open letter, chatting to market-goers and selling our merchandise on
behalf of the Asylum Seekers Centre. If you can join us to help on the stall
for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
Or just drop by to say hello and sign the letter.
Market dates for 2019
Saturday 19th January: Bellingen
Saturday 2nd February: Valla Beach
Sunday 24th February: Coffs Harbour
Saturday 16th March: Bellingen
Saturday 6th April: Valla Beach
Sunday 21st April: Coffs Harbour
Saturday 18th May: Bellingen
Saturday 1st June: Valla Beach
Sunday 23rd June: Coffs Harbour
Saturday 20th July: Bellingen
Saturday 3rd August: Valla Beach
Sunday 25th August: Coffs Harbour
Saturday 21st September: Bellingen
Saturday 5th October: Valla Beach
Saturday 16th November: Bellingen
Saturday 7th December: Valla Beach
Adelaide welcomes asylum seekers
Whilst
our government redoubles its efforts to demonise refugees and asylum seekers,
many Australians continue to welcome them with open arms, in the true
Australian tradition of friendship and compassion. Every year, Adelaide Hills
resident, Catherine Russell opens her doors to host new arrivals for a
favourite Australian tradition, a barbecue. Catherine explains: “This is to
make them feel welcome, make new friends and make them feel comfortable living
in the Adelaide community.” The asylum seeker families were both grateful and
enthusiastic in their responses to the hospitality provided by Catherine and
her friends. Typical responses were: “When we left Nauru and came to Australia
we were so excited, because we are safe now, my family are happy, my children
are happy.”…”We want to be good people for Australia, we want to be
useful.”…”We don’t want extra things. We just want to live.”
It is surely time for our politicians to start
listening to the people of Australia, the majority of whom have made it clear
that they want offshore detention and the cruelty towards asylum seekers and
refugees to end.
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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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
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