Shouts from the desert

The following came from Jeremy Goff at the Bennelong Institute on Wednesday, but my schedule being what it is at present, I promptly forgot about it until today:

Tuesday 23 November, 7pm, Riverside Girls High Common Room.

Rightly or wrongly, Anne Henderson is widely seen as a "conservative" in the Australian political scene.

Whether or not the label is appropriate or relevant, what can be said with certainty is that Anne has been a strong advocate for refugees caught in the Federal Government's logical vortex of queues, boats, detention centres and Temporary Protection Visas. She has been directly responsible for the release of numerous TPVs from Villawood Detention Centre, has a TPV holder living in her home, and was instrumental in helping me raise $40,000 and organise community support for a tour of western NSW, Canberra and Sydney by the Brisbane-based Tiger 11 Refugee Soccer Club in April 2002.

But her approach differs dramatically from the protests and "actions" we have seen on TV news since 2001. To be effective in the current political environment, Anne believes a more sophisticated and subtle approach can be highly effective.

And she has very kindly offered to share her experience with us at the Bennelong Institute.

Share, too, her experience with the "Sanctuary Movement" which raises funds to help people in OS refugee camps with Visas to actually get to Australia instead of languishing in the camps - it's an untold chapter of the Refugee story in Australia.

As I said in a previous email to welcome our latest attendees, I'm also interested in exploring a whole range of important issues that seem to be cutting across the old ideological divides. So hearing from Anne should be very interesting.

As always everyone is invited to chew the fat with the Supper Club at Vespa Cafe on Victoria Rd, Gladesville, after Anne's talk.

Don't forget to keep on feeding your ideas for speakers and topics for future events.

Cheers,

Jeremy Goff
0411 477233