April 2017 Bulletin
CATHOLIC ALLIANCE FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM
APRIL 2017 BULLETIN
We believe that together we CAN make a difference, starting with small acts of kindness and hospitality and becoming a collective voice demanding more compassionate asylum seeker policies.
Make a tax deductible donation to CAPSA today!
Engage Hearts & Minds: A Toolkit for Refugee Action
Learn ways you can get involved in your local community – host a
conversation, meet your MP, stage a Circle of Silence. This toolkit is
designed to provide the tools and inspiration to transform our
communities to become active and welcoming towards refugees.
You can find a PDF version of the toolkit here and request a hardcopy here. To support the toolkit, we will also be running some training. Check out the story below for more info!
Visit our website for all the details!
Attend a training session or help us run one!
Throughout the year we will offer two types of training to enable
groups to go back to their communities and take action. We will offer
training to host Community Conversations and to meet local MPs.
At the moment, we only have workshops scheduled in Melbourne in May and June, which you can check out here.
If you want to help us run a training session in your area, shoot us an email so we can work with you to make it happen!
Learn more about and RSVP to the training sessions here.#FairGoForFamiles: A Campaign for Family Reunion
We are joining with a range of other groups to call for our greater access to family reunion for people who have had their claims for refugee status confirmed and are living in the Australian community. We believe families are an integral part of our communities and help people thrive in their new homes.
You can read about the experiences of people who have had both positive and negative experiences of family reunion in Australia on the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA) website.
You can also read an article by Fr Andy Hamilton exploring why, as Catholics, this issue is of particular importance.
Sign our pledge for family reunion here.
EVENT: Australian Refugee Action Network (ARAN) Conference (May 20-21)
The ‘Talking Change – Making it happen’ conference in Canberra from May 20-21 is set to be an important event for those fighting for positive change for refugees and people seeking asylum.
The event will provide a space to share ideas and campaign strategies, organising techniques and ways of improving communication between different groups.
Check out all the details and register here!
Recommended reading & viewing
Manus Island detainee to release film shot on mobile phone – Behrouz Boochani – ABC Radio
Parramatta Bishop urges Australia to do more for refugee and asylum seekers during Brisbane trip – Mark Bowling & Peter Bugden – The Catholic Leader
UNHCR to refer at least 850 refugees from Manus Island and Nauru for US resettlement – Sarah Whyte – Radio National
‘People just want a chance’: the Australian network connecting refugees with jobs– Ben Doherty – The Guardian
Iraqi refugee is too weak from hunger strike to be deported, say activists – Christopher Knaus – The Guardian
Interculturalism: how diverse societies can do better than passive tolerance – Glenda Ballantyne & Amrita Malhi – The Conversation