Monday, October 25, 2010

Photos of joint picnic with Burma Campaign Australia


On 24 October, prisoner of conscience and pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi will have spent 15 years under house arrest in Burma. She is one of approximately 2,100 political prisoners in Burma. To mark this sad occasion NSW Community Campaigns held a picnic event in collaboration with Burma Campaign Australia.

Update on conditions in detention centres: telephonic Q&A with Graham Thom


Amnesty International has warned that detention conditions on Christmas Island are deteriorating rapidly and asylum seekers there, as well as in other detention centres around the country, are at grave risk of self-harm and mental illness.

An Amnesty International delegation has just returned from an inspection tour of Christmas Island, the Curtin detention centre in Western Australia, and detention facilities in Darwin.
“Morale within Australia’s detention facilities is quickly getting worse, leading to rising incidences of self-harm and attempted suicide,” said Dr Graham Thom, Refugee Campaign Coordinator for Amnesty International Australia.

From 2 – 9 October 2010 Amnesty International visited the Northern Immigration Detention Centre and the APODs (alternative places of detention) in Darwin, the Curtin Immigration Detention Centre, and detention facilities on Christmas Island. The visit was organised in cooperation with the Department of Immigration and Citizenship. While visiting the centres Amnesty International had the opportunity to meet with detained asylum seekers on both an individual and group basis. The organisation also met with staff and service providers.
On the 3rd of November 2010 from 1-2pm Graham Thom will report on his trip in more detail. There will also be time to ask him questions. Activists are invited to come to the NSW action centre (Level 1, 79 Myrtle Street, Chippendale) or to dial in (dial in number is 1800 153 721 and the PIN is 261 358).

Friday, October 22, 2010

Training day Update

On the 13th of November 2010 Amnesty International is organising its second training day of the year to allow NSW activists the opportunity to attain a broader understanding of both our current campaigns, activism strategy and how to improve your action group. This training day will, differently than the previous one, focus extensively on our Refugee Campaign, Burma Campaign and Dignity Campaign. We are also offering a newly developed and very interesting workshop on Community Organizing/Public Relations. Also an insight on Amnesty International Australia’s lobby work and an introduction on AIA’s relations with the government will be presented.

Amnesty International NSW will reimburse travel and accommodation expenses for activists who live far away. Lunch and afternoon tea will be provided. If we get a big turn up from places out of Sydney we will also consider an evening drinks/dinner event.

Where: AIA NSW Action Centre, Level 1, 79 Myrtle Street, Chippendale,

When: 13th of November 2010 from 10am until 4pm

RSVP, inquiries or suggestions: nswccintern@amnesty.org.au or on 83967667

Looking forward to see you all on the training day!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Asia-Pacific Briefing September 2010

Some good news:



  • The relase of the AI IS report "Don't Mine Us out of Existance: Refinery and Bauxite Mine Devestate Lives in India" formed the basis of the government’s decision to axe the mine. The authorities also stalled plans for six fold expansion of the alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, at the base of the hills, and raised questions over pollution.

  • Pazilat Akeniyaz, a Uighur asylum seeker in the UK who had participated in the 5 July 2009 riots in Urumqi, was recognised as refugee on appeal by the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber on 21 September after a letter of support was issued by Amnesty UK which the China Team assisted in drafting. The determination holds that "there is much evidence from a wide spectrum of sources about the risks faced by who took part or are suspected of having taken part in the event of 5 July 2009" and is likely to set a precedent in similar asylum cases in the UK.

Some Emerging Situations:



  • Peace talks with the Taleban: President Karzai named a 70-member Peace Council on 28 September. The Peace Council was approved by the Peace Jirga held on earlier this year in Kabul, and its role is to facilitate the reconciliation process with the Taleban and broker the peace deal. Most of the Council members are the same factional leaders and warlords who have dominated the wars and politics of Afghanistan in the past 30 years, and who have been fighting the Taleban and are widely accused to have committed human rights violations and war crimes. Among the Council nominees there are eight women, at least seven of them are known of having links to Jihadi leaders. The composition of the Council is likely to damage the reconciliation process and undermine human rights of the victims

  • Conflict IDPs: Reports from Arghandab district of Kandahar province claimed that about 950 fmailes (6,500 - 7,000 people) have fled the mose active combat areas of Zhari and Arghandab districts and settled in Kandahar city. These figures have not been confirmed yet by the UNHCR.

  • Pakistan flood displaced and relief: According to new estimate following the most recent flooding in Sindh province at lease 10 million people are currently without shelter. The number of those flood affected in 55 relief camps had reached 76,869. Poorly handled relief efforts, corruption, and favouritism have added to the distrust that many Pakistanis already feel for their civilian politial leaders, while the armed forces hae improved their image performing rescue and relief mission in the flooded areas.

  • The politburo of the Chinese Communist Party leaders wil meet from October 15 to 18 for their most important annual gathering.

  • In Nepal there has been a continued failure to elect a PM, leaving the caretaker's government in charge. The unstable political situation makes lobbying difficult as decision makers may not be in office in a couple of months time.

  • In Myanmar (Burma) a monk was sentanced to 15 years in prison, allegedly for "anti-election" activities. He is believed to have had leaflets criticising the 2008 constituion and calling for the release of political prisoners.

Government Must Follow Refugee Policy

A great article in The Australian by Labor for Refugees - well worth a read!

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/government-must-follow-refugee-policy/story-e6frg6zo-1225935116151

Detention centre tours reveal deteriorating conditions for detainees

An Amnesty International delegation has just returned from an inspection tour of Christmas Island, the Curtin detention centre in Western Australia, and detention facilities in Darwin.

Amnesty has warned that detention conditions on Christmas Island are deteriorating rapidly and asylum seekers there, as well as in other detention centres around the country, are at grave risk of self-harm and mental illness.

“Morale within Australia’s detention facilities is quickly getting worse, leading to rising incidences of self-harm and attempted suicide,” said Dr Graham Thom, Refugee Campaign Coordinator for Amnesty International Australia.

“The mood on Christmas Island is particularly despondent. While meeting with asylum seekers there last week, I met grown men who were reduced to tears within minutes and who showed me scars from where they had been harming themselves. These are blatant symptoms of a system that is failing the people it is supposed to protect.”

With some 5,000 asylum seekers now being held in unacceptable conditions in centres across Australia, Amnesty International is calling on the government to urgently rethink the policies of mandatory detention and offshore processing.

The Australian Government has a legal responsibility not to arbitrarily detain asylum seekers, or to subject them to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Amnesty International does not believe current detention conditions are in keeping with this responsibility.

“The Gillard Government needs to urgently move to a more sustainable means of processing asylum applications on the Australian mainland,” said Graham Thom.

Amnesty International believes that as a matter of priority, the Minister for Immigration, Chris Bowen, should immediately arrange appropriate community alternatives to detention for families with children, unaccompanied minors and survivors of torture and trauma.

Graham Thom will be meeting with Chris Bowen on Monday the 18th of October. Dr Thom will be discussing the deteriorating conditions in Australia’s detention centres and presenting the 20,000 petitions signed by Australians against the Federal Government’s discriminatory policies towards asylum seekers.

A comprehensive report detailing the findings from the recent detention centre tours will be made available on Amnesty’s website over the coming weeks.

Training Day - 13th November

On the 13th of November 2010 Amnesty International is organising its second training day of the year to allow NSW activists the opportunity to attain a broader understanding of both our current campaigns, activism stratgey and how to improve your action group. This training day will focus on our Refugee Campaign, our Demand Dignity Campiagn and lobbying local government, communiy campaigning and community organising and making human rights accessible to new audiences.

We have other staff members within Amnesty International and some external trainers facilitating the training so this is a great opportunity to take part in free quality training.

Amnesty International NSW will reimburse travel and accommodation expenses for activists who live far away, including petrol costs and flight costs for those that live particularly far. Lunch and afternoon tea will be provided. If we get a big turn up from places out of Sydney we will also consider an evening drinks/dinner event.

Where: AIA NSW Action Centre, Level 1, 79 Myrtle Street, Chippendale,
When: 13th of November 2010 from 10am until 4pm
RSVP or inquries by Oct 26th : nswccintern@amnesty.org.au or on 83967667
Looking forward to see you all on the training day!

End of Year Volunteer Party

Amnesty International’s NSW Branch will be hosting an end of year party to celebrate this year’s successes and thank the fantastic work of our volunteers.

A photography exhibition based on various campaigns that we have worked on this year will be held on the night. We would love to include photos from your action groups and your events, stories or even a short video clip about who you are and what you do.

We also encourage you to nominate a member of your group for a special recognition award. The theme of the award would be up to your discretion and only limited by your imagination.

We ask that any photos, award nominations and any other materials you wish to contribute to the night be emailed to us by mid November so we will have some time to collate and decorate.

The party will be held on Wednesday the 15th of December at the Pine St Gallery in Chippendale. Finger food and beverages will be provided. An invitation will be sent out soon, please save the date for the time being.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions!

Staffing arrangement for next 6 weeks!

As of Monday the 18th of October until 26th of November I, Ruby - NSW Community Campaigner, will be out of the office. During this time I will be in the Northern Territory in Arnhem Land working with an indigenous community on their traditional Homeland in a number of projects that connect to indigenous rights and empowerment.

Amnesty International has allowed me this excellent opportunity as part of their professional development project for staff. This will no doubt be a great opportunity for me to improve my understanding of working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and assist my campaigning as part of the Demand Dignity Campaign on indigenous rights, which focuses specially on Homelands.

During this time, Courtney Payne will be acting up as NSW Community Campaigner. Amanda Atlee, who currently job shares with Holly Fingland as Office and Volunteer Coordinator will be acting as the NSW Community Campaigns Assistant. This period will be for 6 weeks starting 18th October until 26th November. I will return to work Monday 29th of November.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Face to Face locations week beginning 11/10/2010

Monday:
Lidcombe/LidcombeRailway St/OTS
Singleton/Singleton/OTS *note*Get permission fromnearby shops. DO NOTWORK near Milba RoseGiftware

Tuesday:
Revesby/Revesby/OTS
Cessnock/Cessnock/OTS

Wednesday:
Muswellbrook/Muswellbrook/OTS*note* Near CBA, near mainintersection
Toronto/Toronto/OTS

Thursday:
Broadway/Broadway/OTS
Muswellbrook/Muswellbrook/OTS*note* Near CBA, near main intersection

Friday:
Milsons Point/MilsonsPoint/OTS
Scone/Scone/OTS

Saturday:
Scone/Scone/OTS

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Face to Face Locations for week beginning 4/10/10

Sorry about the delay.

05/10 -
Sutherland/Sutherland/ OTS
Singleton/Singleton/OTS *note* Get permission fromnearby shops. DO NOT WORK near Milba Rose Giftware

06/10 -
Dulwich Hill/DulwichHill/OTS
Muswellbrook/Muswellbrook/OTS*note* Near CBA, near mainintersection

07/10 -
Paddington/Paddington/DTD*note* DONT MOVE TO ST VINCENTS
Toronto/Toronto/OTS

08/10 -
Leichhardt/Leichhardt/OTS
Maitland/Maitland/OTS

09/10 -
Singleton/Singleton/OTS *note* Get permission fromnearby shops. DO NOT WORK near Milba Rose Giftware

Friday, October 1, 2010

Government lifts discriminatory asylum seeker policy

The Federal Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, announced yesterday that the government has lifted the suspension on the processing of asylum claims by Afghan nationals, effective immediately.

Dr Graham Thom, Refugee Coordinator for Amnesty International, welcomed the move however stated that the Australian government deserved no praise for reversing this harmful, discriminatory policy.

“Around one thousand Afghan individuals, including families with children, have been subject to this freeze. As a result, many of them are likely to spend close to a year, if not longer, in remote detention facilities while the government scrambles to process their claims. This is manifestly unacceptable.”

“It should not be forgotten than the current issues we are seeing in Australia’s detention facilities are problems of the government’s own making, and the results of short-sighted and ill-considered moves such as this policy.”

Afghan asylum seekers affected by the suspension will now be provided with access to an Immigration Advice and Application Assistance Scheme agent and assistance in preparing claims.