DASSAN UPDATE 16/3/12
Dear friends,
In todays update
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Next DASSAN meeting
Can you help?
Visitor Training Night
Group visits to Wickham Point
Human Rights Award
NTCOSS asylum seeker forum
Easter actions in support of asylum seekers - how to get involved
NT Volunteer awards 2012
taking action - What can I do
News update - DASSAN in the news
Next DASSAN meeting
DASSAN meetings are a chance to meet other people in the network, and to
share ideas and information. DASSAN meets fortnightly on Monday nights - our
next meeting is this coming MONDAY 19th March from 530 to 7 pm, at
Melaleuca Refugee Centre ( in Rapid Creek Business Village).
All welcome - for more information contact dassan2011@gmail.com
Can you help?
- DASSAN will be having a stall at the ‘Big Gig’ Youth Week event. Can you
spare a few hours to assist on Friday 13 April from 1 – 6pm? at the
Darwin Museum please contact Meredith: meridavies@gmail.com
- community visitors are needed for people in detention at the DAL, the NIDC
and Wickham Point ( see visiting information below or
contact dassanvisits@gmail.com)
- Join Alison Dowell. local artist, for DASSAN banner
painting! contact alisondowell@aapt.net.au.
- We need help in using social media - do you have skills in this area?
contact dassan2011@gmail.com
- Can you offer support, company, or practical assistance to people living in
Darwin on Bridging visas? Contact Sarah Kavanagh on 8924
3989 skavanagh@redcross.org.au
Visitor training night
DASSAN runs regular training sessions for new visitors and we always have
names of many people in detention who would like a visitor from the community.
Our next training session is this Monday - March 19th, 630 - 8pm, following
the DASSAN meeting. For more information contact the DASSAN visitor
coordinator.
St Vincent de Paul also coordinates a visitor and support program to groups of
people in the Detention Centres, as well as an excursion program.
Contact volunteer.nt@svdpnt.org.au
Group visits to Wickham Point Immigration
Detention Centre
The first group visit to Wickham point was last Sunday - thank you to the 10
people who came along. There are now nearly 800 people at WPIDC and we
have requests for personal visits from many people. We will also be continuing to
go on group visits ( transport provided)
You are welcome to join us for this visit without committing to ongoing visiting.
For more information please contact Al at dassanvisits@gmail.com.
Human Rights Award
It was an honour to receive the 2012 Human Rights Award under the category of
Law & Policy from the NT Council for Human Rights Education (NTCHRE). It is
great to see the work that DASSAN does recognised, and a special thanks to the
young VIetnamese girl who accepted the award on my behalf.
One of the joys of working with DASSAN is working with so many dedicated,
talented, passionate and committed people. This is an award that acknowledges
the work that all of us do - thank you.
As the President of NTHREC said :
" It is always a challenge to take people out of their comfort zones and invite
them to take ownership and leadership to those seeking freedom from
fear. Justine has achieved this with DASSAN with growing interests from the
Darwin community. The knowledge management of asylum seeker updates
through the DASSAN e-bulletins are effective tools to educate the public about
the inconvenient truths and convenient untruths of people in detention. The
community engagement which DASSAN spearheads with excursions and visits
to the detention centres is a powerful message to people in detention that people
in Darwin do care for them. This keeps their spirits high and will contribute to
their good mental health .We at NTCHRE commend Justine and DASSAN for
their invaluable work. One of the persons who nominated Justine quoted her
“Until we are all free, none of us are free”. Well said."
NTCOSS Asylum Seeker Project and Forum
NTCOSS will be holding forum for all service community service agencies either
currently involved in providing services to asylum seekers of interested in
becoming involved. The Forum will be held on Tuesday 3rd April (9am to 3pm)
and will involve:
• the provision of information in relation to Detention and where the provision of
services to asylum seekers is going; and
• an opportunity for service providers to discuss who is involved in providing what
services and what involvement they would like to have in the provision of
services and where.
For more information please email Tracy Worrall on projects2@ntcoss.org.au
National Anti-Racism Strategy
The Australian Human Rights Commission and its partner agencies will be
holding public consultations around the country over the next few months as part
of the developing the National Anti-Racism Strategy. The aim of the Strategy is to
promote a clear understanding in the Australian community of what racism is and
how it can be prevented and reduced. The public consultations will commence in
late March and finish in early May. For details of the NT consultations please
visit: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/racial_discrimination/NARPS.html
Easter actions in support of asylum seekers
Over the last few years, Easter has been a time when asylum seekers
supporters and activists have gathered at detention centres to draw attention to
the inhumanity of the government's mandatory detention policy. Shamefully,
Darwin is now the detention capital of Australia, and - this year - people plan to
come to Darwin from around the country to demand an end to the policy and
show their support for asylum seekers.
Are you interested in being involved in this weekend of activities? There are
many ways you can help:
Good Friday Rally and March - free the Refugees
(flyer for distribution at the end of this email)
DASSAN is organising a march and rally in Darwin City on Good Friday at
noon, together with some Church groups, to draw in broader community
involvement and start the weekend with a peaceful, political event. This will end
with a BBQ at Christchurch Cathedral- are you interested in helping cook or
donate food?
For more information contact Peter 0429694083
Rock Against Racism
* Together with Darwin Aboriginal Rights Coalition, we are also organising
a Rock Against Racism on Easter Saturday evening. contact Meri at
meridavies@gmail.com
Easter Convergence
There will be many people here from interstate to support asylum seekers and
there will be actions throughout the weekend - See the website
here : http://refugee-rights.net/darwin-2012/about/
If you want to find out more, or have other ideas of how you can help, please
contact Emma: emmaisnow@gmail.com
NT Volunteer Awards 2012
Nominations close TODAY for the 2012 NT Volunteer Awards. This is a unique
and valuable opportunity to have volunteers and organisations recognised at this
annual event.
Many people do amazing volunteer work for asylum seekers with DASSAN consider nominating someone as a way of acknowledging their work and letting
more people know about what we do
Nominated volunteers and organisations will be announced by the Chief Minister
during National Volunteers Week in May 2012.
For more information or to nominate visit www.territorytogether.nt.gov.au
Taking Action - what can I do?
Visiting people in detention
Writing letters to people in detention
Writing to politicians
GIfts for people in detention - contact Fernanda at dassan2011@gmail.com
contribute to our website - contact David at dassan2011@gmail.com
Get involved with DASSAN - all people who support asylum seekers are
welcome to join us
Help with organising a national refugee advocate convergence on Darwin this
Easter - contact Emma for more information at dassan2011@gmail.com
learn more about the issues
Links and News Update
DASSAN has been in the news several times over the past week :
Immigration staff get a taste of hotel luxury
Fernanda Dalhstrom, from the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network, says the
Department has its priorities wrong. "We don't need to be spending vast amounts of taxpayer
money putting up DIAC staff in luxury accommodation
Two refugees attempt suicide in Darwin detention centre
The Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network (DASSAN) has been informed
by asylum seekers inside the Northern Immigration Detention Centre (NIDC) that two
Iranian asylum seekers attempted suicide this morning
Darwin detention centre in meltdown as new hunger strike starts
DASSAN has
been informed by asylum seekers inside the Northern Immigration Detention Centre (NIDC) that
a hunger strike commenced today in the centre
stay tuned for more media coming up.
Other news over the last week:
Serco manual 'outdated', but Bowen won't talk about new training docs
Immigration Minister Chris Bowen responded to Crikey's publication of the 2009 and 2010 Serco training manual
see the 400 page manual here - ( It includes graphic sections on how “Client Services
Officers” — many with the same level of training as nightclub bouncers — are to “hit” and “strike”
asylum seekers, and how to needle jugulars and pressure points in the event of a ruckus.)
DIAC claims that there are later editions but refuses to release them
Indonesia rejects Tony Abbott's asylum seeker plan
TONY Abbott's plan to turn
around asylum seeker boats mid-ocean and send them back to Asia has been slammed as
"impossible" by Indonesia.
Refugee group condemns Oakeshott's push for offshore processing
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott is attempting to get legislation through parliament that will allow asylum seekers to b
Asylum rejects go on to get visas
ALMOST 80 per cent of the Immigration Department's
rejections of asylum-seekers' refugee applications are being overturned in the courts or by
independent reviewers
Court dismisses asylum seeker appeal deadline
The department has been issuing letters to asylum seekers rejected as refugees, stating they
have 35 days to seek judicial review before the government begins making arrangements to
deport them
More asylum seeker blood on Australia's hands
The Australian Government and the Coalition must accept some responsibility for the death of a 28-year-old Afghan as
Indonesian detention centre last month.
Oakeshott urges oppn support for boat bill
Independent MP Rob Oakeshott says his bid to end the asylum-seeker impasse allows a more
humanitarian way of offshore processing
'Unfair' system forces asylum seekers to fight court cases without legal help
ASYLUM seekers are going to court without legal representation because there is no government funding for lawyers,
$53m boost to deal with asylum seekers
AN EXTRA $53 million will be injected into NT
police services, as part of a Commonwealth deal over asylum seekers. The Federal cash will
add another 94 officers to NT Police
Asylum seekers cross country to find work
ASYLUM seekers allowed to live in the community on the Gillard government's new bridging
visas are travelling thousands of kilometres to find work, a major refugee advocate has revealed.
Asylum seekers allegedly abused in Indonesia
Indonesian police have uncovered evidence that asylum seekers are being abused at an immigration detention centre
Lives 'at risk' without offshore processing
Australia's asylum-seeker practices are ''not
good public policy'', Department of Immigration and Citizenship secretary Andrew Metcalfe said
yesterday.
The truth about airborne asylum seekers
The Howard Government policies did stop the boats, but asylum seekers continued to come by
air at a rate of about 4000 per annum. In the last 10 years, 76 per cent of asylum
seekers coming to Australia came by air.
More Tamils to be resettled after stalemate
A total of 38 refugees from the boat, which carried 254 asylum seekers on the way to Australia
when it was diverted to the port of Merak, will be resettled here, an Immigration Department
spokesman confirmed
Australian opposition's Nauru asylum plan under attack
A former head of the Australia's Immigration Department says the Opposition's plans to reopen
an asylum-seeker detention centre on the Pacific island nation of Nauru if it wins the next
election, would be foolish and futi
Asylum seeker riot detainees found to be genuine refugees
MOST asylum seekers detained during Christmas Island and Villawood riots were later found to be refugees, new dat
numbers of rejected detainees
Cheers
Justine
dassan.org
twitter: @dassan12