Barbara Brewster of Buderim Buddies writes letters to the refugees in Woomera
A growing number of Sunshine Coast residents are opening their hearts and homes to the thousands of refugees in Australian detention centres.
Buddies, based in Buderim, was founded five months ago and has since engaged in a dedicated letter-writing campaign to asylum seekers as young [...]
Barbara Brewster with a picture of the Afghan family she has come to know and love
AUSTRALIANS need to look behind the rhetoric to see the world of heartache suffered by refugees, says a Buderim group opening its hearts and homes to asylum seekers.
Author Barbara Brewster started Buddies 10 months ago after speaking to a refugee [...]
Freedom Bid
Sunshine Coast teenager Meg Foley is leading a letter writing campaign to free the longest serving detainee in Western Australia’s Port Hedland immigration detention centre.
Ms Foley, 18, a student at Australian Catholic University and a Maroochydore parishioner, is rallying support for Abdul, a 24 year-old Afghan asylum seeker who has been in detention for [...]
We should have dates and venues soon for Queensland briefings in late October or early November by research staff of the Sydney-based Edmund Rice Centre in regard to their report Deported to Danger - A Study of Australia’s Treatment of 40 Rejected Asylum Seekers. For those who have not seen it the report is available [...]
…this book acknowledges the work of individual Australians and Refugee support Networks in turning around the Howard Government’s stance on the refugee issue. Marion Le highly recommends it and worked closely with Michael during his research and writing. The book is being launched in Melbourne at the Fitzroy Learning Network by Tim Costello. Ali Mullaie [...]
Welcome to the first regular campaign bulletin for Rights Australia. Formed last year, Rights Australia campaigns for more effective protection of human rights in Australia, and aims to bring to community attention situations where: *human rights are being neglected and abused; *lives could be improved if human rights were protected; *support can be given [...]
The first publication, Another Country, is the result of a thorough collaboration by writers in the Baxter detention centre, PEN Australia, and refugee advocates right around Australia. Published last year as a special and limited, edition of the Southerly magazine, edited by author Tom Keneally and PEN Sydney Convenor Rosie Scott, Another Country is now [...]
Here is a small story from the Fitzroy Learning Network in relation to the recent arrival of two young men from Nauru. It is forwarded to remind people to never believe that what we are doing doesn’t make a difference. WELCOME TO OUR NAURU BOYS Today , at short notice, we welcomed Ali and Aslam [...]
From “The Australian” on 9 –10 July Alan Ramsay writes that “The Hilton is a cheaper option for detainees”. Global Solutions Ltd (Australia) has a m per annum contract to run immigration detention facilities. According to the Auditor General, when overheads and contract administration is included, this amount is estimated to be 0m. The number [...]
More than 1000 asylum-seekers facing deportation may be able to stay in Australia after a groundbreaking Federal Court judgment yesterday undermined a key plank of the Howard Government’s visa protection system. The full bench of the Federal Court ruled that asylum-seekers whose temporary protection visas had expired could not be deported unless the government proved [...]