Newsletter for 27 February 2018 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Next Roadside Demo - Bellingen March 8th 2:30pm}

_{Fundraising film screening this coming Sunday, March 4th}

_{Freedom Stories - DVD available for loan}

_{Harmony Festival - Coffs Sunday 25th March}

_{Conditions on Nauru exposed}

_{Roadside demonstration report}

_{A big thank you to the group of supporters who turned up for last week’s  roadside demonstration in front of the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour. As always, we had lots of support from passing motorists, together with the usual small minority of dissenters. We feel that it’s really important to keep the issue of the cruelty of our government’s  asylum policy in the public eye. It’s clear that the Coalition and the Labor opposition will maintain  the current regime of indefinite offshore detention unless we, the Australian voters, convince them that the tide has turned, and that this cruel and inhumane policy is no longer a vote winner.}

_{Our next roadside demo will be on Waterfall Way in Bellingen, near the Yellow Shed, on Thursday 8th March from 2.30 to 4.00 pm. It would be great if a few more supporters could join us.}

_{Fundraising screening of Hope Road: Sunday 4th March at 2.00 pm}

_{A final reminder that our fundraiser for the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown is this coming Sunday at the Memorial Hall in Bellingen, starting at 2.00 pm. You will find a flyer about the screening attached to this newsletter and we would greatly appreciate it if you could print a few copies and share them with your friends or work colleagues. It’s an inspiring film which you will enjoy, so please come and join us if you can. We’ll have a stall in the foyer where you can buy our asylum seeker merchandise. The ASC, like other NGOs working with refugees and asylum seekers, is desperately in need of funds to enable them to continue with their important work, so we are very much hoping for a good turn out.}

_{Freedom Stories : a great DVD available on loan}

_{You may remember that we advertised this DVD, available on loan to RAR supporters, a couple of weeks ago. Freedom Stories is a documentary-based project that brings together a collection of personal stories from former asylum seekers who sought asylum in Australia at a time of great political turmoil circa 2001, but who have long since dropped out of the media spotlight. The people who participated in the project are all now Australian citizens. Given the ongoing controversies over  “boat people” it is timely that their stories be heard. To borrow the DVD, contact Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com. The DVD is licenced for public viewing, so in addition to viewing it at home, you might like to consider organising a viewing for a local group, which could have a big impact for our cause.}

_{Margaret Henley, who has recently watched the film, writes:}

 _{I experienced a mixture of emotions as I watched this documentary:  elation at seeing these former refugees as productive Australian citizens, sadness at hearing of the traumas they suffered and anger at the heartlessness of the Australian government’s treatment of these asylum seekers.}

 _{I admired Aoham, a teacher from Iraq who struggled with the difficulties of finding a teaching job at a school other than an Islamic one. Reyhana, after suffering depression for three years after leaving detention, now works at the Migrant Resource Centre in SA. She no longer wears a veil and emphasised that she now has the freedom to make that choice.}

 _{What impressed me about the men who were interviewed was their determination to establish their own businesses, from tiling to painting to forming a company, which organises work for sub-contractors. They did not avoid talking about the pain of being separated from family, the depression many of them still suffer from and the memories of self-harm they witnessed in the detention camps.}

 _{One of the more unexpected stories in the documentary showed Sherie, mother of three sons, one of whom has cerebral palsy. She was taking driving lessons in a truck, almost ready for her Heavy Rigid licence but aiming for the licence that will enable her to drive B-doubles. “I’ve always wanted to be a truck driver” she said.}

_{Harmony Festival 2018: Coffs Harbour, Sunday 25th March}

_{This year’s Harmony Festival will take place on Sunday 25th March from 9.30 am until 2.30 pm in the Botanic Gardens, Coffs Harbour.  The festival will be a wonderful celebration of everyone’s journey to calling Coffs Harbour home. Come along and enjoy an uplifting day of cultural performances and vibrant world music. If previous festivals are anything to go by, you will find the event full of life, colour, happiness and amazing aromas from around the world.}

_{Entry is by gold coin donation and all are welcome. It will be a great family day out.}

_{If you would like to volunteer on the day, than please phone Jane on: 6648 4850.}

_{Appalling conditions on Nauru exposed}

_{It seems almost unimaginable that refugees and asylum seekers on Nauru, including children, are still living in mouldy tents, with no air-conditioning, on this tropical island. About 20 fly-in-fly-out  former Nauru immigration detention centre workers have become seriously ill as a result of of exposure to mould, and the microbiologist contracted to assess the problem,  Dr Cameron Jones, says that the contamination was “of epic proportions”. At least three confidential documents have been prepared for government over four years, detailing that “highly toxic” mould was an overwhelming problem across the centre, and posed a “major risk to the health and safety of the occupants”. Notwithstanding the evidence to the contrary, the government insists that “there have been no cases of anyone developing health issues following exposure to mould at the Nauru RPC”.}

_{How can we continue to expose these asylum seekers and refugees to such appalling danger? Yet another reason to close these hell holes and bring these innocent people to Australia for resettlement.}

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_{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.}

_{This newsletter is sent to >500 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

_{(482 likes)}

_{Twitter Account @RARBellingenNam}

_{Email address bellingen.rar@gmail.com}

Newsletter for 19 December 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Market report for 2018}

_{Next Roadside Demo - Bellingen Thursday January 11th 2:30pm}

_{Update on offshore detention}

_{Wrap for 2017}

_{Market calendar for 2018}

_{We have now finalised our markets for 2018, and we thought that you would like to make a note of them so that you can join us from time to time. We would welcome supporters from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm for an hour or two. As we’ve said so often before, the markets are a great opportunity to interact with the public, to get our message across about the current cruel, bipartisan asylum policy , and to enjoy one another’s company for  while.}

_{The dates and venues are as follows:}

_{Saturday 20th January: Bellingen}

_{Saturday 3rd February: Valla Beach}

_{Sunday 18th February: Coffs Harbour}

_{Saturday 17th March: Bellingen}

_{Saturday 7th April: Valla Beach}

_{Sunday 22nd April: Coffs Harbour}

_{Saturday 19th May: Bellingen}

_{Saturday 2nd June: Valla Beach}

_{Sunday 17th June: Coffs Harbour}

_{Saturday 21st July: Bellingen}

_{Saturday 4th August: Valla Beach}

_{Saturday 15th September: Bellingen}

_{Saturday 6th October:  Valla Beach}

_{Sunday 21st October: Coffs Harbour}

_{Saturday 17th November: Bellingen}

_{Saturday 1st December: Valla Beach}

_{Next roadside demonstration: Bellingen, Thursday 11th January}

_{Our first roadside demonstration in 2018 will be on Waterfall Way in Bellingen on Thursday 11th January from 2.30 until 4.00 pm . You will find us by the roadside opposite the entrance to the golf club, adjacent to the Yellow Shed. Please make a note in your diary and join us if you can. Subsequent roadside demos will be held as follows:}

_{Thursday 25th January: Coffs Harbour, opposite the Base hospital}

_{Thursday 8th February: Toormina, opposite the former Sawtell nursery.}

_{Thursday 22nd February: Coffs Harbour, at The Big Banana.}

_{Update on offshore detention}

_{In recent days it has been announced that a second group of refugees from Nauru and Manus has been approved for relocation the the US. There may be up to 150 of them, which is great news for each and every one of them. The indications are that the refugees will fly to the US in the coming weeks. For the remaining 1800 or so refugees and asylum seekers, the indefinite suffering continues and the veiled threats directed at the New Zealand government  for its repeated offer to accommodate 150 refugees per annum from our offshore hell-holes have been reinforced in recent days by Barnaby Joyce. Only we, the voters, can change the bipartisan stance adopted by the Coalition and Labor which has resulted in so much suffering in our name. In an article in  The Saturday Paper at the weekend, Richard Cooke  spells it out: “ The situation cannot continue. The humanitarian disaster on Manus is now unignorable and unsupportable. No person of conscience can vote for it, and those who call themselves humanitarians have to vote on the basis of policies, not platitudes”. You can read the full article on our Facebook page.}

_{All the more reason for us to continue to apply pressure on the Labor Party to finally assert that this has gone on for far too long, to declare that it will end mandatory detention if elected, that it will close the camps and that under no circumstances will it reopen them. That was the thrust of our recent open letter, signed by 535 people, to Shayne Neumann, the Labor Shadow minister for immigration. At the time of writing, we are awaiting his response.}

_{That’s it for 2017!}

_{This is our final newsletter of 2017. Our next newsletter will appear in your inbox on Tuesday  9th January. A big thank you to all of you who have supported our work in 2017 by helping at the markets, attending our roadside demos, coming to our meetings and fundraisers, writing letters and emails, making phone calls, writing to the press, and much more. We are a strong and active organisation and we are undoubtedly helping, by our collective efforts, to shift the national thinking about the cruel treatment of asylum seekers and refugees. Let’s keep it up next year, for as long as it takes to bring this shameful chapter in our nation’s history to an end.}

Newsletter for 3 October 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

_{Next Market Stall -Valla Beach Sat 7th October}

_{Another death on Manus}

_{Duttons latest attack on refugees}

_{Our new petition}

_{Next Roadside Demo - Coffs Hospital Thursday October 12th 2:30pm}

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_{Our next market stall: Valla Beach, Saturday 7th October}

_{Please note that our next market stall will be this coming Saturday at the Valla Beach market. We’ll have the new petition to sign and as usual we’ll be handing out leaflets, talking to market goers and selling merchandise to raise funds for the Asylum Seekers Centre. If you can lend a hand between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm, then please let Mike know by emailing him at : mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com, or just drop by to say hello and to sign the petition.}

_{Another death on Manus Island}

_{A Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker, Rajeev Rajendran  32,  died on Manus overnight.  He is the 6th Manus Island detainee to die in the past four years.  This is another reason why we need to double our efforts in writing to politicians and attending the rallies this Sunday and also on the 15th in Sydney.}  

_{On and around  Sunday 8 October, around Australia, rallies and other protests will be held around Australia calling for the asylum seekers and refugees on Manus Island and Nauru to be brought immediately to Australia:   “Manus Island and Nauru – Not Safe for Refugees – Bring Them Here”}

_{There is extreme concern that the Manus Island detention centre is closed on 31 October, the asylum seekers and refugees will face real dangers if they are forced to live in the PNG community.  Some have already been attacked and the PNG authorities are not able to protect them. The situation on Manus is again reaching crisis point, as the situation there and on Nauru grows more desperate. Pressure on the refugees on Manus to leave the detention centre is growing daily, as Immigration bulldozes compounds, cut back activities and shuts off power and water. But it is not safe for refugees outside in the community on Manus Island. In late June a refugee was attacked with a machete and robbed, almost losing his arm. Both inside and outside the detention centre, the government's criminal neglect of the people it is responsible for has resulted in too many deaths already, most recently the death of Hamed Shamshiripour.}

_{Many of the people on Manus and Nauru have been detained for four years. Although we welcome the prospect that some will be resettled in the United States, it is not known how many will be accepted by the US, and there is no indication about how long it will take. The only certainty is that some of the people detained on Manus and Nauru will be left to fend for themselves..}

_{The Australian Refugee Action Network (ARAN) –a national network of scores of refugee activist groups – has called for these protests as matter of urgency. These are listed in a following section.}

_{Dutton’s latest attack on refugees}

_{Last week, some 52 refugees from Manus and Nauru finally boarded  planes to take them to safety in the US, following years of suffering in our offshore detention centres. Minister Dutton’s response to their departure, rather than acknowledging that this would be a new start for the refugees, was to vilify them on his favourite commercial radio station. He labelled them as “economic refugees” – a term that does not exist either in domestic or international law – and suggested, amongst other things, that the refugees on Nauru were in possession of  “the world’s biggest collection of Armani jeans and handbags”. He painted a picture of the Nauru and Manus island detention centres as akin to holiday camps and suggested that, once off the islands, the refugees would tell a different story. The evidence, of course, is very different. The harsh reality of our offshore detention centres has  been well documented, in spite of the government’s attempts at secrecy. They are places where the picture is one of physical violence, including murder, rape and sexual abuse of women and children, allegations of torture by guards, medical neglect leading to death, and catastrophic rates of mental health damage, self-harm and suicide attempts. For the Minister to attempt on national radio to portray these hell-holes as places where people are actually enjoying their stay is a disgrace. If you want to tell him so, then please email him at : minister@border.gov.au.} 

_{Our new RAR petition}

_{We have put together a new petition, which is in the form of an open letter to Shayne Neumann, who is the Labor Shadow Minister for immigration and border protection. The petition is supported by the national RAR committee and has been distributed to all RAR groups around Australia. Our plan is to launch it at our next market in Valla Beach. The text of the petition is set out below, and a petition sheet is attached to this newsletter for you to download and print. It would be wonderful if a significant number of our supporters could collect signatures from family, friends and colleagues. Details of what to do with completed petition sheets can be found on the form.}

_{Dear Mr Neumann,}

_{The Australian government has clear obligations under the Refugee Convention and international law to treat people seeking asylum with respect and humanity, to assess their asylum claims in a timely manner and to resettle in Australia all those arriving on our shores who are found to be refugees, regardless of their mode of arrival.  We therefore call upon the Labor Opposition to:}

_{·         make unambiguous its opposition to mandatory detention.}

_{·         demand the immediate  resettlement in Australia of all genuine refugees on Manus and Nauru who are not cleared for resettlement in the US.}

_{·         commit the Labor Party to working with other countries in the region and with UNHCR to provide alternative, safer pathways to eventual resettlement in safe  countries, including Australia.}

_{·         demand that people currently held in offshore detention who have close family  members living in Australia be able to rejoin them here as a matter of urgency.}

_{National Day of Action in support of refugees}

_{A number of rallies to protest about the government’s treatment of asylum seekers and refugees will be taking place across Australia in the days ahead. Details so far are as follows:
Canberra. 8th October. 1.00 pm. Garema Place
Geelong. 8th October. 11.30 am on the lawns at the Waterfront.
Melbourne. 8th October. 2.00 pm at the State Library.
Hobart. 6th October 5.00 pm. at the corner of Murray and Macquarie Streets.
Sydney. 15th October. 2.00 pm. Venue tbc.}

_{If you happen to be in one of these places at any of the above times, you might consider joining the rally to send a clear message to the government that we do not support its cruel and punitive asylum policies. If you have friends or families  living in these cities, you might want to encourage them to attend.}
 

_​

_{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.}

_{This newsletter is sent to >500 recipients}

_{Our Face book is at https://www.facebook.com/Rural-Australians-for-Refugees-Bellingen-and-Nambucca-Districts-269696303205083/timeline/}

_{(482 likes)}

_{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}

_{Attachments area}