Advance Australia Fair - Building Sustainability, Justice and Peace
Workshop - Reigniting hope for refugees and asylum seekers
Sunday 31st July 2005
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Workshop discussion outcomes
High priorities for action
- Community education on fear of ‘otherness’
- Liaising with trade unions for bans on detention centre expansion
- Supporting a human rights instrument in Australia
- Campaigning to abolish Bridging Visa E visas and TPVs
Other concerns
- Accountability under the Migration Act and Regulations
- Refugee and asylum seeker health
- Deportations
- ‘What now’ for children released from detention
- Need for more coordination among refugee networks
- Excision of territories
- Need for a Royal Commission
- Treatment of detainees, including during transfers
- Concerns about the operations of Global Solutions Limited
- Compliance activities of DIMIA
Some contacts and websites
National
Refugee Action Groups
Open, democratic, grass-roots action groups exist in most major Australian capital cities, with a focus on policy change through political campaigning and direct action. These groups focus on core issues such as an end to mandatory detention, closure of the camps, permanent protection, and an end to the Pacific Solution.
Other national organisations
Rural Australians for Refugees
admin@ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org |
Rural Australians for Refugees is an informal network of over 80 groups operating throughout regional and rural Australia. Individuals and communities are encouraged to form their own groups, in response to the needs, resources and capacity of the local community. RAR groups generally focus on community education, parliamentary lobbying and community mobilisations. |
Children Out of Detention - ChilOut
friends@chilout.org |
Although based in NSW, ChilOut supports and undertakes work on a national and international level. ChilOut coordinates a visiting and writing program and undertakes petition and media campaigns, community education and parliamentary lobbying. |
Labor for Refugees
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Labor for Refugees campaigns for policy reform within the ALP. While it has not yet achieved success at a federal level, its call for a more compassionate approach to refugees has been supported by all state ALP conferences. |
Refugee Council of Australia
info@refugeecouncil.org.au |
The Refugee Council of Australia is a non-profit peak organisation which provides information on and advocacy for refugees and humanitarian entrants in Australia on behalf of 90 organisational members. |
A Just Australia
mail@ajustaustralia.com |
A Just Australia brings together over 11,500 individual supporters, 120 non-governmental organisations and over 70 prominent Australian Patrons. Its campaign activities incorporate community education and public awareness, parliamentary lobbying, research and letter-writing. |
Amnesty International Australia |
Amnesty International’s National Refugee Team develops the organisation’s position, policy and activities on the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers. It works with regional refugee teams around parliamentary lobbying, media campaigning, community education and policy submissions. |
Australians Against Racism
info@australiansagainstracism.org |
Australians Against Racism works predominantly within the arts community and the media to counter destructive stereotyping of race, culture and religion. |
Australian PEN Centres
judithbuckrich@optusnet.com.au |
PEN is a worldwide association of writers which advocates the right of freedom of expression, and on behalf of writers harassed or imprisoned for their views through parliamentary lobbying and media publicity. PEN Centres exist in Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Brisbane. |
Victorian based organisations
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
asrc_volunteer@yahoo.com.au |
The ASRC seeks to promote and protect the human rights of asylum seekers living in the community and in detention through working at a grassroots level to meet their daily living needs, through community education programs and by advocating and lobbying at a structural level to create genuine social change. |
The Justice Project
info@thejusticeproject.com.au
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During the federal election campaign of 2004, The Justice Project focussed on the production of Ranking Cards outlining where every election candidate stood on the question of refugee policy reform. It is currently working towards an Australian Bill of Rights. |
Al-Amel TPV Association
amel@ameltpv.org.au |
Al-Amel TPV Association was established by TPV holders for TPV holders. It aims to be an active voice for TPV holders in a broad range of agencies, networks and forums on refugee issues, and works to build understanding within the broader Australian community. |
Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre
rilc@rilc.org.au |
The Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre undertakes work around policy development and law reform. RILC contributes regularly to a range of policy forums at the state, national and international levels. |
Actors for Refugees
mail@actorsforrefugees.org |
Actors for Refugees works within the film, television and theatre industries to encourage grass-roots participation in community campaigns by industry members, and to encourage industry practitioners to undertake projects which tell the stories of refugees and asylum seekers. It also lends public profile to the work of other refugee advocacy groups. |
| Fitzroy Learning Network |
fitznet@vicnet.net.au |
| Victorian Alliance for Refugees |
03 9593 3838 |
| Hotham Mission – Asylum Seeker Project |
asp@sub.net.au |
| Outer East Asylum Seeker Support Network |
lijkmac@labyrinth.net.au |
| Researchers for Asylum Seekers |
jborn@unimelb.edu.au |
| Residents for Refugees |
r4r_deakin@yahoo.com.au |
Other organisations
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