In this newsletter:
June from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm
about the
awarding of a hugely lucrative contract last year to the little-known
contractor Paladin in a secret deal which excluded the PNG government
from bidding for the contract, which expires at the end of June.
Minister Dutton says that he expects Paladin to continue to provide
services to the detainees, but the PNG government is expressing
strong opposition to the move.
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Roadside
demonstration report
Our
next market stall: Coffs Harbourside market, Sunday 23rd
June from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm
Local
events during Refugee Week
The
Stamp Collection: a second appeal!
A
fundraising date for your diary: Sunday 28th
July at 2.00 pm,
Nambucca Heads
Offshore
detention in the spotlight
Roadside
demonstration report
We
had a record number of supporters at our Big Banana roadside
demonstration last week. It was really heartening to welcome a
significant number of new participants to swell the ranks of our
regular crowd. All agreed that the event was very worthwhile, and
that it is important to keep the issue of offshore detention in the
public spotlight. A big thank you to all who participated, and we do
hope that more people will consider joining us from time to time.
Our
next roadside demonstration is planned for Thursday
27th
June, by the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour, opposite the base
hospital, from 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm. Please
join us if you can.
Our
next market stall: Coffs Harbourside market, Sunday 23rd
A
reminder that we have our next market stall at the Coffs Harbourside
market, which is located near the jetty, on Sunday 23rd
June from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. As usual, we’ll be handing out
leaflets, talking to market-goers, encouraging people to sign our
open letter, and selling merchandise to raise funds for the Asylum
Seekers Centre. The markets present a great opportunity for us to
interact with the community, to talk about the cruel realities of
offshore detention and the harsh treatment of asylum seekers living
in Australia awaiting the outcomes of their claims for protection. If
you can help out at our stall for an hour or two, then please let
Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
Local
events during Refugee Week
Apologies
for the short notice about these events for Refugee Week, but here
they are, and we hope that there will be something to interest you.
Wednesday
19th
June: share a meal, share a story: Scotts Head
Come
along to Scotts Hub, 1/5, Adin Street, Scotts Head. Bring some food
to share, bring a story about refugee or asylum seeker connections
that you may have, and enjoy the company of people united by their
shared humanity. Start time: 5.00 pm. Email Janet Granek for further
details at: granekj@gmail.com.
Thursday
20th
June: Freedom Feast, Coffs Harbour Showground. 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm
Freedom
Feast is a long table sit down shared community meal experience with
a variety of live entertainment, all coming together under one roof
for an incredible evening of food, conversation, music and dancing.
Relax in the Showground Exhibition Pavilion and enjoy live music and
dance performances from diverse local cultural communities with
culinary flavours from across the globe. Please bring a plate of food
to share.
Full
details of the event can be found on our Facebook page. Just click on
the link at the bottom of this newsletter.
Friday
21st
June: film screening of The Staging Post at Cavanbah Hall, Coffs
Harbour
This
uplifting film tells the story of a small group of asylum seekers
stuck in Indonesia. In addition to the screening, Jolyon Hoff, the
Director, together with Muzafar Ali, the star of the film, will be
present to introduce the film and to engage in a Q and A forum
following the screening. This is a free event, but please book your
tickets at: www.jettytheatre.com.
Time: 6.30 pm for a 7.00 pm start. Cavanbah Hall is located at 191,
Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour.
The
Stamp Collection: a second appeal!
In
last week’s newsletter, we asked for help in relation to the
extensive stamp collection that one of our supporters has donated to
us to raise funds for the Asylum Seekers Centre. We are still
seeking someone who might advise us on how best to proceed to get the
collection valued and put on the market – or better still, someone
who might take on the task of getting the collection valued and sold.
If you think that you can help, please let Mike know by emailing him
at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
A
fundraising date for your diary: Sunday 28th
July at 2.00 pm, Nambucca Heads
We
are in the early stages of planning a major fundraising event which
will take place in the beautiful main hall of the Nambucca Community
and Arts Centre building on Sunday 28th
July, starting at 2.00 pm. We can promise you a wonderful and varied
afternoon of music, which we guarantee you will enjoy. Further
details in the weeks ahead, but in the meantime, please put the date
in your diary.
Offshore
detention in the spotlight
It
is becoming clear, as the weeks since the election go by, that the
government is under considerable pressure from several quarters in
relation to offshore detention. On Manus island, both the governor
and the police chief have spoken out about the epidemic of self-harm
amongst the detainees in recent weeks. They have indicated that they
believe it is time for the Australian government to take
responsibility for the welfare of the detainees, and to evacuate them
from the island.
In
addition, the PNG government has expressed its unhappiness
The
independent MPs Rebekha Sharkie and Zalli Stegall have also spoken
out in recent days about the plight of the detainees. Rebekha
Sharkie has made it clear that she intends to campaign to bring
offshore detention to an end once parliament resumes, stating: “we
will not stop our pressure on the government, because they cannot
leave people languishing there indefinitely”.
There
are still more than 800 people languishing on Nauru and Manus, with
an increasing number of them being brought to Australia for treatment
for serious medical conditions, which themselves are a direct result
of the pain and suffering which our government has deliberately
inflicted on them.
About
300 of the remaining detainees have been approved for resettlement in
the US, and they are expected to depart in the weeks and months
ahead. The government has no plans for the remaining 500 detainees,
who are becoming more desperate and more unwell as each week goes by.
It is surely time for our government to accept the New Zealand offer
to resettle 150 refugees, and for the remainder to be brought to
Australia for treatment and resettlement either here or in another
safe country willing to take them.
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