Roadside Demo Report
Harbourside Market Report
Refugee Council of Australia Report
Another Cruel Blow for Asylum Seekers
Is Australia Racist
Roadside demonstration report : Bellingen, 23rd February
Another successful roadside demonstration last week in Bellingen, with about ten supporters turning up. There was lots of positive feedback from both motorists and pedestrians. There can be no doubt, from our three years’ experience of these events, that these demonstrations are both morale-boosting and effective. They promote the cause of asylum seekers, and they encourage people to reflect on the serious mistreatment of refugees languishing in offshore detention centres. With your support, we will keep them going until government policy changes and until the last refugee on Nauru and Manus Island finds safe refuge in another country.
Our next roadside demonstration will be in Nambucca Heads by the Pacific Highway adjacent to the Plaza shopping centre on Thursday 9th March from 3.00 pm until 4.30 pm. Two weeks later, on Thursday 23rd March, we will be demonstrating in Coffs Harbour, by the Pacific Highway opposite the Base Hospital, at the usual time.
Why not make a resolution to join us?
Market report from the Harbourside market on 26th February
What can we say, other than that it was somewhat wet? We did collect some signatures for our petition and had a number of very positive conversations with market goers before the heavens opened. We stuck it out until about 11.00 am, by which time everyone was beating a hasty retreat. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen very often, so we won’t be deterred!
Our next market stall will be at the Bellingen Market on Saturday 18th March. If you can help out for an hour or so between 9.00 am and 1.30 pm, then please let Mike know by emailing him at: mandm.griffin2@bigpond.com.
Thereafter, we have market stalls planned for Valla Beach market on Saturday 1st April and Coffs Harbourside market on Sunday 23rd April.
Refugee Council of Australia Report: State of the Nation
Last week the Refugee Council of Australia published an important report “State of the Nation 2017”, which sets out in great detail the situation facing refugees and people seeking asylum in Australia. The final section, “What should be done? The challenges ahead,” is particularly informative, and well worth reading. It states: “Australia’s policies towards people seeking asylum, especially those who come by boat, are among the world’s worst. Australia, alone in the world, sends people seeking asylum by boat to tiny islands with threats that they will never be able to seek safety in Australia. Australia is one of the few countries in the world that locks up people indefinitely. Australia forces people into destitution. Australia leaves people in limbo.....” You can read the full report by Googling : Refugee Council of Australia: State of the Nation 2017.
Yet another cruel blow for Australian asylum seekers
In yet another cruel twist aimed at making life more difficult for asylum seekers living in Australia waiting to have their refugee status finalised, the government is now making that process even more difficult and precarious for them. Under the so-called fast-track process –which is nothing of the kind- asylum seekers have recently been told that their applications have to be completed within 60 days or less. The application process is long and complex, involving the completion of a 60-page document in English. It is impossible for asylum seekers to complete the document without legal assistance, and yet the government has cruelly and deliberately cut the funding for legal assistance by an incredible 90%. Many asylum seekers have been on a waiting list for assistance for up to a year. What are they supposed to do? They are now being threatened with the loss of any support payments, having their bridging visas cancelled, losing access to Medicare or even having their right to claim asylum withdrawn.
You can read the article here: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/27/thousands-of-asylum-seekers-given-days-to-lodge-complex-applications-or-face-loss-of-rights
Once you have read the article, please consider writing to your MP (which for most of us is Luke Hartsuyker), to Minister Dutton and to the Prime Minister.
Email addresses:
Is Australia Racist?
On Sunday night SBS showed a documentary, hosted by Ray Martin, called "Is Australia Racist?". It was very interesting, especially in the way it noted how racism has changed over the last few decades. In particular was a short piece with an advertising executive about "framing". A group of people were shown two different versions of reporting of a boat load of asylum seekers arriving in Darwin. Depending on how the clip was framed the peoples responses were poles apart. There were several other experiments to gauge peoples reactions that are worth watching.
It includes articles from many sources and letters to politicians and newspapers.
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