Friday, December 17, 2010

Amnesty International Australia’s response to Wednesday 15 December’s tragic asylum seeker boat crash on Christmas Island

Following reports that a boat carrying asylum seekers crashed off Christmas Island in the early hours of Wednesday 15 December, Andrew Beswick, Campaigns Director for Amnesty International Australia, released this statement: “This tragic incident is a reminder of the very real risks that asylum seekers take in their search for safety. The decision to get on a boat to seek asylum is never taken lightly, and it should be remembered that asylum seekers who come to Australia are human beings asking for our help.” “In the vast majority of cases, asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat are found to be genuine refugees fleeing violence and persecution. Today’s events are a distressing reminder of the heavy price that these people sometimes pay in their search for protection.” “While the exact details of this incident are still emerging, it is a reminder of the fact that human beings are at the heart of the debate around asylum seekers.” “Nobody wants to see asylum seekers risking their lives by undertaking dangerous boat journeys in search of safety. However, in reality, the only way of preventing asylum seekers from attempting such journeys is to provide them with viable alternatives. This includes increasing the capacity and willingness of countries across the Asia Pacific to protect refugees.”

Amnesty International Australia also made statements concerning the tragedy in the following media:

Sunrise, Channel 7, 16 Dec 2010, ‘Risking it all for a better life’: http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/play/-/8520500/asylum-seeker-tragedy/

SMH, AFP, 15 Dec 2010, ‘At least 27 dead in Australia boat tragedy’: http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/at-least-27-dead-in-australia-boat-tragedy-20101215-18xu8.html

The Age, AAP, 15 Dec 2010, ‘At least 27 die in Xmas Island boat crash’: http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/at-least-27-die-in-xmas-island-boat-crash-20101215-18xkt.html

The Australian, 16 Dec 2010, ‘Refugee policy blamed for wreck’: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/refugee-policy-blamed-for-wreck/story-fn59niix-1225971755329

If your action group is interested in organising an action in response to this event, such as a candlelight vigil or other awareness raising activity, please contact NSW Community Campaigner, Ruby Johnson:

Tragic incident a harrowing reminder of the dangers facing asylum seekers in their search for safety

MEDIA RELEASE 15 December 2010: Tragic incident a harrowing reminder of the dangers facing asylum seekers in their search for safety

In response to reports that a boat carrying asylum seekers crashed off Christmas Island earlier today, Andrew Beswick, Campaigns Director for Amnesty International Australia, said:
"This tragic incident is a reminder of the very real risks that asylum seekers take in their search for safety. The decision to get on a boat to seek asylum is never taken lightly, and it should be remembered that asylum seekers who come to Australia are human beings asking for our help.

"In the vast majority of cases, asylum seekers who come to Australia by boat are found to be genuine refugees fleeing violence and persecution. Today’s events are a distressing reminder of the heavy price that these people sometimes pay in their search for protection."
"While the exact details of this incident are still emerging, it is a reminder of the fact that human beings are at the heart of the debate around asylum seekers."

"Nobody wants to see asylum seekers risking their lives by undertaking dangerous boat journeys in search of safety. However, in reality, the only way of preventing asylum seekers from attempting such journeys is to provide them with viable alternatives. This includes increasing the capacity and willingness of countries across the Asia Pacific to protect refugees."

Thank you for all your hard work!

Hi everyone,

First I wanted to send my apologies to you all that I was not able to attend the Christmas party this week. Unfortunately I was not able to be there as I am in Melbourne at an all campaign meeting planning all the great work ahead for 2011.

I wanted to be able to take this opportunity to thank you all for your hard work, tireless campaigning and commitment to Amnesty in 2010.

Highlights for me this year have been the hard work and human rights impact on the refugee campaign, teh work on womens rights in PNG, our work on Burma in solidarity with other Amnesty sections in the Asia Pacific region and all the amazing events and activities organized by action groups.
Hopefully 2011 will also bring great success and quality campaigning with lots planned for the refugee campaign or work on homelands & indigenous rights - and also incredible celebrations as part of AI 50

I look forward to building new actions groups, working with existing action groups and having a 2011 filled with human rights impact.

Have a great Christmas break and see you all in the new year!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Refugee Campaign Update

We are currently planning training sessions to teach activists how to hold a conversation as part of our ’10 Conversations’ campaign. The first training session will be held in the Action Centre on Thursday 13th January 2011 with two more to follow in late January/early February. Everyone is welcome to attend and learn how to have a conversation about refugees. Further details will be provided in early January.

We will be sending out conversation booklets shortly for those of you who would like to test them out on your family and friends over the Christmas holidays. We would love it if you would give these a go and let us know how you found it.

Furthermore, we will also be holding a brunch at Bondi Beach on Saturday 22 or 29 January 2011 (TBC) to highlight the journeys refugees undertake to reach Australia. The brunch will be held in conjunction with the painting of a mural by local artist Shannon Crees. Shannon’s mural will be based around refugees’ journeys from darkness to light.

AI@50: International "Toast to Freedom" Event

In 2011, we will be 50 years old and what better way to celebrate and kick off a year of events than with a global Toast to Freedom. It directly connects our 50th anniversary to our foundations and tells our story from 1961 to today.
The Toast to Freedom event will take place simultaneously around the globe with many countries taking part and making the event their own.
However, the toast must be more than a brief gesture or moment in time with no longer lasting impacts for human rights. The toast should be communicated as a toast to ‘freedom from fear and freedom from want’ and is also a chance for AI to launch a global action – calling for people to take a stand and take action for human rights in 2011.

Face to Face Locations Starting 13/12/10

Tuesday 14th December - Baulkham Hills, Panania and Singleton

Wednesday 15th December - Baulkham Hills, Summer Hill and Scone

Thursday 16th December - Baulkham Hills, Petersham and Hawks Nest

Friday 17th December - Baulkham Hills, Circular Quay and Muswellbrook

Saturday 18th December - Baulkham Hills and Newcastle

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Face to Face Locations Starting 6/12/10

Monday 6th December - Merimbula and Picton

Tuesday 7th December - Bega and Moss Vale

Wednesday 7th December - Narooma and Goulburn

Thursday 8th December - Batemans Bay

Thursday, December 2, 2010

You are still a charity if you lobby government

Aid/Watch has won its appeal to the High Court against the Tax Office about its charitable status. It had had its charitable status removed by the ATO on the grounds that the majority of its activities were about lobbying the government. Aid/Watch then appealed this decision all the way to the High Court.

The High Court has held that the political lobbying Aid/Watch engaged in through its campaigns to ensure the proper allocation of foreign aid by AusAID did NOT deprive it of its charitable status. The court went further and said that lobbying in and of itself is in the public interest and is for a public benefit so therefore, falls in the definition of a charitable activity. The Court stated that political debate was enshrined in our Constitution and that encouraging public debate by lawful means (i.e. not inciting violence, by bribery etc) concerning relief of poverty is a 'purpose beneficial to the community' under charities law.

Gary Lee, director of Aid/Watch said:

“This decision is a win for freedom of political communication in Australia. It resolves almost a decade of uncertainty for many charities and strengthens the ability of charities to advocate for the public good.
“We are pleased that the High Court has agreed with many of our arguments – that engaging in political debate is an essential part of advocacy work and very much in the public interest.”

This is now the law in Australia.

What does it mean for AIA?

It means that our advocacy and campaigning work cannot deprive us of charitable status - they actually strengthen that status. It means that for other charities who are seeking to persuade the government in the public interest, those activities are now secure by virtue of this judgement. It also overturned in Australian law a case from the UK (McGovern) which involved AI and which had been relied upon a great deal in Australian charities law. That case in 1982 stated that not all of our objects were charitable, for example, those where we try to persuade governments to uphold human rights.