In Ballarat on the 17th November, in RUN 4 A CAUSE, Ballarat RAR was represented by Team MacPhail, running a half marathon to raise funds for refugees and asylum seekers living in the Ballarat region. The public has responded well to the cause, at this stage $2500 has been raised. What a great effort! Thanks to David and Sophia MacPhail and Lassie.
Tecber Ahmed Saleh visited Ballarat on her campaign for her people in Western Sahara, hosted by Ballarat RAR, and Ballarat Trades Hall.
Monday 9th September 2019, Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees rallied with Tecber Ahmed Saleh with a call to “FREE WESTERN SAHARA : MOROCCO OUT NOW”, out on the main street of Ballarat, and outside MP Catherine King’s office in Lydiard St. Tecber later spoke in the Ballarat Trades Hall to a public gathering, highlighting the plight of her people displaced into refugee camps. And explained how Morroco exploits Western Sahara’s natural resources, such as phosphate, which is exported in large qualities to New Zealand, the main country supplied world wide. Read the Ballarat courier article about the event here.
Ballarat RAR kicks off #5YearsTooMany Campaign
16-22 July 2018
30 people braved Ballarat’s cold 7 degrees winters day to attend rally.
Rally started at Catherine Kings office and all then at 11:30 processed down to Queen Victoria Square in front of the Town Hall spending 45 minutes being very visible to traffic and pedestrians.
Ballarat RAR – 19 July 2018 – #5YearsTooMany
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A launch of Behrouz Boochani’s book ‘No Friend But the Mountains’, 8th May, at the Eureka Centre in Ballarat, a collaborative event with Ballarat City Library, and Courier (local newspaper). There was a live video link with Behrouz on Manus Is. with the audience being able to ask him questions. The venue was at the Eureka Centre in Ballarat, and the event was booked out very quickly. There was good media coverage, with a video of the event on the Courier webpage.
Mark Isaacs talk on his latest book ‘The Kabul Peace Prize’, on 15th July, at the Uniting Church Ballarat, with a great response from the community with a full house, and some media coverage. Mark’s talk stimulated a lot of conversation on the night, as he told of his experience in Afghanistan, spending time with Kabul’s young people as they strive for peace by actively breaking down prejudicial barriers. Courier newspaper link.
Ballarat RAR Convener, Kath Morton, is Ballarat Citizen of the Year
Ballarat’s Citizen of the Year winner Kath Morton has been recognised for her work to improve the lives of refugees and asylum seekers in Australia.
Ms Morton is a foundation member of Ballarat Rural Australians for Refugees where she organises regular visits to people detained at Melbourne Immigration and Transit Accommodation in Melbourne, raises funds for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and lobbies the Federal Government seeking changes to refugee policy.
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