Paul Bartholomew letter to Labor Party on asylum seeker policy - 4 May 2017

To:

shayne.neumann.mp@aph.gov.au

Sent:

Thu, 04 May 2017 12:23:30 +0800

Subject:

Offshore detention centres

Dear Mr Neumann

I am writing to express my dismay and deep concern at the continuing detention of refugees and asylum seekers on the offshore detention centres in Nauru and Manus Island.

These people have done nothing wrong. They have simply exercised their legal right to seek asylum in Australia to escape the horrors of war, persecution and torture in their home countries.

Yet they have now been held for more than 4 years in these detention centres where there are continuing documented cases of physical and sexual abuse and where many of the detainees are experiencing depression and other severe mental health issues .

I have been a Labor party voter all my life up until the last Federal election. I have always thought of the Labor party as the party that stands up for disadvantaged people and has a strong commitment to human rights. Apparently this is no longer the case. Like many other previous Labor party voters, I can no longer support  a party that offers bi-partisan support to the Government's continuing cruel and inhumane treatment of refugees and asylum seekers on Manus Island and Nauru.

What will happen to the detainees who are not part of the people swap deal with the USA whenever that might happen? It is simply nonsense to suggest these people could be settled permanently in PNG or Nauru where there are no housing, no jobs, no opportunities and hostile local communities.

The only sensible and humane solution is for these people to be processed in Australia  and, if found to be legitimate refugees, then to be resettled in Australia.

If the Labor party  can't support this for purely political reasons then surely you should advocate strongly for immediate closure of the offshore detention centres and the people brought to Australia until such time as they can be safely resettled in other suitable countries.

Regards

Paul Bartholomew

Newsletter for 2 May 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next Roadside Demo - Thurs 4th May Big Banana 3pm

Offshore detention centres - who is responsible?

National RAR petition

Next Roadside Demonstration: The Big Banana: Thursday 4th May.

Our next fortnightly demonstration is this Thursday, 4th May in Coffs Harbour, next to The Big Banana, from 3.00 pm until 4.30 pm, weather permitting. Please consider joining us for the demonstration, given that these events are such a good way to get our message across about the evil policy of indefinite offshore detention. As always, we have lots of banners and placards to share.

Two weeks later, on Thursday 18th May, our demonstration will be in Nambucca Heads, by the side of the Pacific Highway, adjacent to the Plaza shopping centre.

Offshore Detention Centres: Who is responsible?

For  several years now, we have constantly been fed the line by our government that all aspects of the organisation and running of the detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island are the responsibility of the governments of Nauru and PNG. Numerous reports by international bodies have rejected this claim, reminding the Australian government that it cannot simply outsource its international and humanitarian responsibilities.This week, in response to enquiries about the serious outbreak of dengue fever on Nauru, which is affecting a significant number of detainees and refugees on the island, the Department of Immigration refused to comment, stating that the outbreak is “a matter for the government of Nauru.”

However, a Senate standing committee, which has recently delivered damning findings from a seven-month enquiry into allegations of abuse in offshore detention centres, firmly rejects the government’s deceitful stance. The report notes that the Australian government pays for all the costs associated with the detention centres, engages the contractors, owns all the major assets and is responsible for negotiating third-party resettlements.The report goes on to state that the government clearly has a duty of care for the asylum seekers and refugees transferred to Nauru and Manus Island, and “to suggest otherwise is fiction”.

The Greens stated that the establishment and operation of the regional processing centres is “a shameful chapter in Australia’s national story” and recommended that they be closed immediately, with the  asylum seekers and refugees brought to Australia.

National RAR Petition to close offshore detention centres

In recent months, we have collected some 350 signatures for the national RAR petition, which our group is coordinating. Petition sheets have been arriving in the post each day, and at the time of writing  we have approximately 3,000 signatures from many RAR  and refugee support groups around the country. We have decided to extend the deadline for the return of the petitions until the end of May, as they cannot be presented to Parliament until the sitting week of 13th- 19th June. The petition will be presented to Parliament by Lisa Chester, the Labor MP for Bendigo.

Please find attached a copy of the petition. If you could  print it off and collect signatures from family and friends, that would be much appreciated. Hard copies of the signed petitions (electronic copies are not permissible) can be returned to our market stall in Bellingen on 20th May, or posted to Mike Griffin –his details are on the sheet.

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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Chilout - important announcement

Extract from Chilout Newsletter for April 2017 Important news regarding their organisation’s future.

For all Chilout newsletters click on Chilout Newsletter Tab at top of page

As a valued supporter and follower of ChilOut you may be aware of the “refugee swap deal” which the Australian government is negotiating with the United States. While we hope this deal will mean people will be resettled in the United States, our position remains that all people seeking asylum held on Nauru and Manus Island should be brought to safety in Australia immediately, they are our responsibility.

We plan to scale back our current operations while we observe the developments on Nauru and Manus Island closely. We will continue to be active online –  via our website, Facebook, Twitter and other platforms – promoting and campaigning for the rights of children in detention. However, we will no longer undertake other projects and activities (our current Youth Ambassador program ended in March).

We would like to say special thanks to our two staff members who have dedicated their time and passion to the cause: Niru Palanivel, our Campaign Manager has maintained our strong links throughout the sector and with the community and Zoe Grant, who started as a Youth Ambassador, took on the position of Community Engagement Officer, managing our Youth Ambassadors. Both have contributed their wholehearted passion and skills towards freeing the children. We thank them and wish them all the very best.      

ChilOut is one of 23 organisations under the End Child Detention Coalition (ECDC), with a support base of 140,000 people across all states and territories. The ECDC continues the targeted work of child rights in this area and we encourage our followers to support their work. 

Please click here to visit ECDC’s website to learn more!

Newsletter for 25 April 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Roadside Demo Report

Coffs Harbour Market Report

Events on Manus Island

Roadside demonstration report

Last Thursday, a much-depleted group of supporters held  a roadside demonstration in Bellingen. We received lots of positive responses and support from passing motorists and pedestrians, which is always encouraging. It would be good to see more of our supporters participating in these demonstrations, as they are such a good way of getting our message across. We cannot simply fold our tent because Minister Dutton tells us that the Coalition policy will not change, notwithstanding our “bleating” about the issue. Our response was to create a new placard, especially for Mr Dutton!

Our upcoming roadside demos are as follows:

Thursday 4th May adjacent to the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour.

Thursday 18th May on the Pacific Highway in Nambucca Heads, adjacent to the Plaza shopping centre.

Thursday 1st June on the Pacific Highway in Coffs Harbour, opposite the Base hospital.

Thursday 15th June on Waterfall Way in Bellingen, adjacent to the library.

All the roadside demos start at 3.00 pm and end at 4.30 pm.

Coffs Harbour market report

Our market stall on Sunday at the temporary venue was a great success. The sun shone brightly, we had lots of visitors, collected 75 signatures on our petition, sold lots of merchandise and welcomed some new supporters. In addition to the many positive conversations that we had with market-goers, we also gave out information sheets about our group and about offshore detention. Our colourful stall continues to attract a lot of attention, and we didn’t have a single difficult conversation throughout the morning.

Our upcoming markets are as follows:

Saturday 20th May: Bellingen

Saturday 3rd June: Valla Beach

Sunday 25th June: Coffs Harbour

As  always, we are looking for helpers between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm, so if you are able to help out for an hour or two at any of these markets, then please put the dates in your diary.

Events on Manus Island

Supporters will be aware that there was a serious incident at the Manus Island detention centre on Good Friday, in which many shots were fired. Eye-witness accounts speak of drunken naval officers shooting into the detention centre, causing panic amongst both the refugees and detention centre workers. Minister Dutton immediately linked the incident to simmering tensions around an allegation of sexual assault that had taken place some weeks earlier, and suggested in addition that asylum seekers had lured a five year old child into the centre. The senior police officer on Manus, Inspector David Yapu, states that the incident was caused by drunken naval officers who attacked both the asylum seekers and members of the  workforce at the centre. He further stated that  a ten year old child had entered the detention centre a week earlier, had subsequently been returned unharmed to his parents, and that the two incidents were not linked.

Having insinuated that  the asylum seekers were to blame for the incident, rather than  the  drunken naval officers, Mr Dutton now says that we should let the police investigation run its  course. Echoes of the “children overboard” story here ! 

Our roadside demo in Bellingen

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 >480 recipients

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

Newsletter or 18 April 2017 Rural Australiansds Nambucca Distgricts for Refugees Bellingen an

Next Roadside Demo - Thurs 20th April Bellingen 3pm

Next Market - Coffs Harbour, Sun 23rd April

Home Among the Gumtrees

Violence at Manus Island

National refugee action conference - Canberra May 20-21

Newsletter for 11 April 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next Roadside Demo - Thurs 20th April Bellingen 3pm

Next Market - Coffs Harbourside Sunday April 23rd

No business in abuse

Health care on Manus Island in disarray

Roadside demonstration : Thursday 20th April in Bellingen from 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm.

Sadly, owing to the forecast of rain for the whole of the day last Thursday, we cancelled the planned roadside demonstration outside the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour. But worry not, we have another planned for Thursday 20th April in Bellingen! You will find us in the usual spot on Waterfall Way, adjacent to the library, between 3.00 pm and 4.30 pm. Please consider coming to join us if you can. As always, we have lots of banners and placards to share, we just need some willing hands to hold them aloft. Please put the date in your diary.

Market Stall: Coffs Harbourside market, Sunday 23rd April from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm 

Our next market stall will be in Coffs Harbour on Sunday 23rd April. We have had a run of bad luck with the weather for our stalls in recent months, so let’s cross our fingers and hope that the sun will shine. The Harbourside market is located near the jetty and we are looking for helpers from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. As always, we will be selling our asylum seeker merchandise, handing out information leaflets, collecting signatures for our petition and seeking donations for the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown. It’s a great opportunity to interact with the public and to get to know other RAR supporters. If you can join us for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.

Amnesty warns companies about getting involved in abuse on Nauru and Manus island

Bowing to public pressure, the Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial, which owns the camp management company Broadspectrum, announced some time ago that it will not work in the offshore detention camps beyond its current contract, which expires in October. A new Amnesty briefing document argues that any companies taking over from Broadspectrum will be participating in a deliberately abusive regime. The briefing document states: “Any company or organisation taking up this toxic baton will be complicit in an intentionally abusive system, in direct contravention of its human rights responsibilities, and will be exposing itself to potential liability and damages claims.” The document goes on to say: “The Australian government has created an island of despair for refugees and people seeking asylum on Nauru, but an island of profit for companies making millions of dollars from a system so deliberately and inherently cruel and abusive that it amounts to torture.”

We can but hope that no company will want to take the risk of accepting a contract for the continuation of the cruelty and punishment of the asylum seekers and refugees on Nauru and Manus Island, who remain the responsibility of the Australian government. These people, who have committed no crime, should be brought to Australia for processing and resettlement. It’s time to end the shame!

Health care on Manus Island in disarray

In recent days, the Manus Island detention centre’s for-profit organisation – International Health and Medical Services – has been forced to abandon the island because, according to the PNG government, it was found to be practising medicine unlicensed. The company has temporarily been replaced by a skeleton staff from a PNG company, which is providing only basic and emergency medical care. The effect, inevitably, is that some detainees requiring medication for chronic conditions – as many of them do – have been left without medication. If a situation like this were to arise in any of our towns and cities, there would rightly be a huge outcry, but the issue has hardly registered on the radar of the Australian media. It seems that as long as the government can keep these ongoing crises hidden from view, with little scrutiny or accountability, then our politicians – both government and opposition - are happy to look the other way. We need to keep up the pressure to end this cruelty.

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 >480 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

Roadside demo tomorrow April 6 - cancelled due to weather.

Notification received on 5 April 2017 that the Roadside demo to be held on 6 April has been cancelled due to weather. 

Newsletter for 4 April 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

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.

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 >480 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

Newsletter for 28 March 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Next Market - Valla Beach April 1st

Next Roadside Demo - Thurs 6th April Coffs Base Hospital 3pm

March in March Report

Home Among the Gumtrees Update

Sri Lankan Curry Lunch Report

Next market: Valla Beach, Saturday 1st April from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm

Our next market is just a few days away, and we are hoping for better weather, having been rained off at Coffs Harbour and Bellingen recently. As always, we are looking for support between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm to help with getting signatures on our petition, giving out information leaflets, selling our merchandise and interacting with the market goers. You don’t need to have any previous experience or in-depth knowledge about the asylum seeker issues as there are always “old hands” around to assist. If you are able to join us for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at : mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.

Roadside demonstration report

Given our very crowded calendar in recent days, it was not surprising that we had just a small (but enthusiastic!) band of demonstrators at the roadside in Coffs Harbour last Thursday, and it was great to welcome a new member to our ranks. As usual, we received lots of very positive feedback from passing motorists, which reinforces our feeling that these demonstrations are very worthwhile. Our next demonstration will be on Thursday 6th April by the Pacific Highway, outside the Big Banana in Coffs Harbour. We will be there with our banners and placards from 3.00 pm until 4.30 pm, so do consider joining us if you can.

March in March report

It was great to have such a large RAR contingent at last Saturday’s March in March. We had enough people to deploy all our banners and placards, so we were a very visible presence for the asylum seeker cause. We collected more than 40 signatures on our petition and raised $200 for the Refugee Advice and Casework Service appeal. A big thank you to all those who were able to join us.

Home Among the Gumtrees Update

Our participation in this venture has been in the works for quite a while, so you will be pleased to learn that it is finally coming to fruition. Just over a week ago, a small group of us met with Sandra Hawker, who is the enthusiastic and hardworking volunteer State Coordinator of the Home Among the Gumtrees  asylum seeker support organisation. The purpose of this volunteer group is to offer some respite for asylum seekers living in capital cities by seeking support from RAR groups to host asylum seeker families for a few days. We are delighted to tell you that an Iranian family – a couple and their two sons -  will be arriving by train on 8th April and will be hosted and supported by members of our  group who had volunteered some time ago to help with this venture.  The cost of their train fares has been met through a combination of our funds and donations. If this first visit goes well, we could consider hosting further visits in the future, provided that we have volunteers willing to participate. We’ll report on the visit in due course.

Curry lunch and auction report

On Sunday, thirty RAR supporters and friends  were treated to a wonderful Sri Lankan lunch, thanks to the amazing generosity of Margie and Georgie, who are longstanding activists in our group. It was a truly fantastic event and greatly enjoyed by everyone who participated. We are greatly indebted to Margie and Georgie for volunteering to put on the wonderful feast and for ensuring that we had a full house for the event. They deserve a medal!  The lunch, together with donations from people who were not able to attend, raised a staggering $1,175 for the Refugee Advice and Casework Service appeal.  We also held an auction between the main course and dessert, with  22 items going under the hammer, raising a further  $962. There were some suggestions that Mike might consider a second career as an auctioneer, but we don’t think that he should be encouraged! The total raised on the day was  $2,137, far exceeding our target of $1,000.  A huge thank you to everyone who contributed. Together with the $200 raised at the March in March, we have been able to send $2,337 to RACS to support their urgent work in assisting asylum seekers to complete their applications for refugee status.

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 >480 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

Newsletter for 21 March 2017 Rural Australians Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Sri Lankan Curry Lunch Sun 26th March

Auction items?

Next Market - Valla Beach April 1st

Next Roadside Demo - Thurs 23rd March Coffs Base Hospital 3pm

March in March - Sat 25th March 11am

Sri Lankan Curry Lunch: Sunday 26th March at 1.00 pm: 12, River Street, Mylestom

In last week’s newsletter we set out the proposal for a curry lunch to take place this coming Sunday, in response to the urgent appeal for funds by the Refugee Advice and Casework Service, as they struggle to meet the impossible deadlines for asylum seekers in Australia to submit their claims for protection under the Refugee Convention. So far we have not had much response from supporters for the event.  The cost will be $30 per person, and all the money raised will be donated to RACS. If you plan to attend, then it is essential that you let our hosts Margie and Georgie know by Thursday evening (24th March), so that they can either organise the shopping or cancel the event. Please email Margie and Georgie at: gsmh@fastmail.fm or phone: 0414 592 519 to book seats for you and your friends. 

Auction: going, going............?

At the proposed curry lunch, we hope to hold an auction to raise further funds for the RACS appeal. If you have an item that you think will sell for at least $20, then please let Mike know by email at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.  or phone him on: 6569 5419 by Thursday evening.

Markets

As we are sure you will be aware, the Bellingen market was cancelled last weekend, due to the very heavy rain.  We are not having much luck of late, having also been rained off recently in Coffs Harbour!

Our next market will be at the Valla Beach market onSaturday 1st April. If you are able to help out at any time between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm, then please let Mike know by emailing him at : mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.  Let’s hope that the sun shines and that we can make up for the disappointments of Coffs Harbour and Bellingen.

Roadside demonstration: Thursday 23rd March from 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm in Coffs Harbour

Our next roadside demonstration will be this Thursday, 23rd March in Coffs Harbour, (weather permitting). You will find us by the side of the Pacific Highway, opposite the Base hospital. Please come and join us if you can. We have lots of banners and placards to share, and these demonstrations are an important reminder to people that we will not give up the fight for justice and humanity  for asylum seekers, whether they be on Manus Island, Nauru or  mainland Australia.

March in March: Nambucca Heads, Saturday 25th March at 11.00 am

As explained in last week’s newsletter, there will be a March in March in Nambucca Heads on Saturday 25th March, at which we are hoping for substantial presence of our RAR supporters. If you can join us and help carry our banners and placards, then please come to the Plaza shopping centre car park for an 11.00 am start.  We plan to march with our banners to Bellwood Park and to address the crowd.

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 >480 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

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Newsletter for 14 March 2017 Rural Australians for Refugees Belllingen and Nambucca Districts

Roadside Demo Report

Next Market Stall - Bellingen Sat 18th March

Update on visa application deadlines

Sri Lankan curry lunch - Sunday 26th March

March in March - Sat 25th March

Roadside demonstration report

We held another successful roadside demonstration in Nambucca Heads last week. A good turnout by our supporters, including three  people that we haven’t seen for a while and one new member – together with Mags the dog! A great opportunity to chat as well as to engage with the passing traffic. The weather was reasonably kind, and we received overwhelming support from passing motorists and truckies. Our next demonstration will be in Coffs Harbour by the Pacific Highway opposite the Base hospital. on Thursday 23rd March from 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm. Do come and join us if you can.

Next market stall: Saturday 18th March at Bellingen market

Our next market stall will be at Bellingen market this Saturday from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. We’ll be collecting signatures on the RAR petition, selling our asylum seeker merchandise and talking to market goers about the plight of asylum seekers, particularly those held in indefinite detention on Manus Island and Nauru. If you can lend a hand on the stall for an hour or two, then please email Mike at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com   to let him know.

Update on visa application deadlines

As we reported earlier, many thousands of asylum seekers living in Australia on bridging visas have found themselves facing impossible deadlines to submit their refugee claims. The 60-page application forms typically take, even with the assistance of a lawyer, eight to ten hours to complete, and they have to be “right first time”.  Volunteers at Sydney’s Refugee Advice and Casework Service have been working 18-hour shifts, while Australia’s legal fraternity has volunteered hundreds of hours of pro bono assistance. A leading refugee advocate, Kon Karapanagiotidis, writes: “This has just been catastrophic for the asylum seekers caught up in this. Where once we had to call our critical assessment and treatment team once or twice a week to respond to someone threatening or committing self-harm or suicide, it’s five times a day now. This is breaking people.”

In last week’s newsletter, we asked supporters to think about how we might raise funds to help with this crisis. We are really grateful to those of you who have responded with helpful suggestions, as a result of which we can now reveal what we intend to do. Here is the plan!

Sri Lankan curry lunch and auction: Sunday 26th March at 1.00 pm: 12, River Street, Mylestom

Thanks to the enormous generosity of Margie and Georgie, two of our long-standing supporters, you are invited to a Sri Lankan curry lunch at their house in Mylestom. The cost will be $30  per person, and all the money raised will be donated to the Refugee Advice and Casework Service. Wine will be provided, but BYO beer/soft drinks. You might like to dress up in Asian style for the occasion! It will be a lot of fun, and our target is to raise $1000 to support legal advice for asylum seekers.  Please email Margie and Georgie at: gsmh@fastmail.fm  or phone: 0414 592 519 to book seats for you and your friends. Seating is limited, so get in early.

If you are able to help out with the sweet course, then please give Margie a call.

We also plan to hold an auction at the end of the meal, and we are seeking lots to put under the hammer. If you have something that you can offer for the auction that is not too bulky and that will sell for at least $20, then please let Mike know by email at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com  or phone him on: 6569 5419, to give him the details. If you are not able to come to the lunch, but would like to offer something for sale, then please get in touch with Mike to arrange collection. So far we have two lots: a pair of original paintings and a mixed case of red wine. If we can get 20 lots to sell in twenty minutes, we could make a tidy sum!

Please support this fundraiser in any way you can.

March in March: Saturday 25th March in Nambucca Heads, from 11.00 am

Our RAR group has supported the March in March in Coffs Harbour on several occasions. The organisation is not politically aligned and offers a range of groups the opportunity to make their voices heard on a wide range of issues from climate change, coal seam gas, conservation, education , the ABC and many issues in between. This year the event will be held in Nambucca Heads, and we plan to march with our banners and to address the crowd when it reaches Bellwood Park.  If you can join us at the event, please come to the Plaza shopping centre car park in Nambucca Heads for an 11.00 am start. We have lots of banners and placards to share.  It would be good to have a strong RAR presence.

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 >480 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

Newsletter for 7 March Rural Australians for Refugees Bellingen and Nambucca Districts

Roadside Demo Nambucca Thurs 9th

Next Market Stall - Bellingen Sat 18th March

Refugee Advice and Casework Services Appeal

Our next Roadside Demonstration: Thursday 9th March, Nambucca Heads: 3.00 pm to 4.30 pm

A final reminder that our next roadside demonstration is this Thursday in Nambucca Heads. We we will located in our usual spot, on the Pacific Highway adjacent to the Plaza shopping centre. Please come and join us if you can, even if only for part of the time. We have lots of banners and placards to share, but we do need a sizeable group of supporters to help to get our message across  to passing motorists.  It would be great to see a few new people. Why not give it a go?

Our next market stall: Bellingen market, Saturday 18th March from 9.00 am to 1.30 pm

A reminder that our next market stall will be at the Bellingen market on Saturday 18th March. We are seeking support from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm.  Many of you will be familiar with the Bellingen market and you will know that it is a busy and lively event. It presents a great opportunity for us to talk to market-goers, give out leaflets, collect signatures on our petition, sell our refugee merchandise and collect donations for the Asylum Seekers Centre in Newtown, to whom we have donated $750 since August last year. If you can join us for an hour or two, then please let Mike know by emailing him at : mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.

Refugee Advice and Casework Services appeal

Last week in the newsletter we wrote about the latest crisis facing asylum seekers living in Australia, as they seek to meet the sudden imposition of impossible deadlines for their applications for refugee status. It is  incredibly difficult for asylum seekers to complete  the 60-page application, which is in English only. They cannot do so without legal assistance, and yet, as we reported, federal funding for legal assistance has been reduced by 90% in recent times. As David Manne, the executive director of Refugee Legal explains:  “These people are not refusing to apply. To understand this process means people need legal assistance, and what’s been removed is public legal assistance.These 60-day letters have created great fear and panic in the refugee community. There’s a serious miscarriage of justice here – it could mean the deportation of people to torture or death.”

In an effort to increase the level of legal support available, the Refugee Advice and Casework Service has launched an online appeal to raise funds, the details of which we posted our our RAR Facebook page on 28th February.  (Our Facebook link is at the bottom of this newsletter). We know that several of our supporters have already made generous donations, which is great. Some people have suggested that we could organise a fundraising event. Ideas include a charity lunch at the Bellingen Butter Factory; a concert; or a charity auction. What do you think? Have you any suggestions that you would like to put forward? And, importantly, would you be able to help with organising an event? Please let us have your responses by email to: bellingen.rar@gmail.com. It would be helpful to have your responses in the next week or so, since we will need to move fairly quickly if we decide to undertake a fundraiser.

If you have difficulty in finding the link on our Facebook page, then simply Google  “Refugee Advice and Casework Services” and follow the prompts.

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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 >480 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