Local advocacy group, Grandmothers for Refugees, hosted a vigil at Civic Park on April 6, calling on Novocastrians to prioritise meaningful policy change ahead of the upcoming election.
Co-ordinator of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Grandmothers for Refugees branch, Marion Gevers, said attendees sought to raise awareness of the increasingly desperate situation of refugees and asylum seekers globally.
“In view of the poor weather and the late event notice, we were very grateful for the support of our vigil … we had a lot of support from people driving past and tooting horns and the like,” Gevers said.
Grandmothers for Refugees have long been active in Newcastle, with the group recently commemorating six years of weekly vigils.
“Aside from the vigils, we have a nationwide network of advocacy groups with whom we meet to keep informed about different developments,” Gevers said.
“We discuss what sort of policies and strategies we need to promote with government, especially if another party comes to power.
“Many of us also write letters and make phone calls to ministers and politicians.”
With a federal election looming in May, Gevers said her group was among a raft of advocacy groups campaigning for government reform.
Mission personal for local GFR co-ordinator
Gevers said that her passion for justice was a product of her upbringing, making her particularly sympathetic toward those fleeing war and persecution.
“My grandparents were refugees in the First World War, and my parents were refugees in the Second World War,” Gevers said.
“Every person has a right to live in dignity, a right to safety, and a right to an education – these are rights that people should not be deprived of and that are part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
“All the people who have come to Australia in the last 10 years have been deprived of the most productive years of their life—what they’ve gone through would break any man, woman or child.
“It has been a terrible, slow torture inflicted on those mostly young people, whose names were obliterated in favour of a number that they were addressed by, the cruelty of indefinite detention and, even when freed, the temporary status they still live in, resulting in separation from their families for over a decade.”
Gevers said it was the obligation of all Australians to advocate for this vulnerable demographic and prioritise the issue during the upcoming election.
“It’s up to people who are privileged in their way of life to offer refugees and asylum seekers safety and refuge,” Gevers said.
“We are one of the wealthiest countries on earth, and we owe that to people who aren’t so lucky and are driven out of their country by war and persecution, seeking a safe place to live to restart their lives.
“There’s so much to do – writing to ministers and continually targeting concerning issues when they come on the national agenda is among the actions that can be taken.”
The advocate said there had been a tremendous increase in awareness and support of the issue since the group’s beginnings six years ago.
“I can see that at our vigils – when we started six years ago, we were lucky when we got 30 toots in an hour, but now we get well over 300 in an hour, including from police and bus drivers, along with pedestrians.”
Cr McCabe leads council agenda
Novocastrian’s ongoing commitment to refugees was recently proven by the unanimous decision of City of Newcastle (CN) councillors to request the urgent settlement for all refugees who sought sanctuary and a safe home in Australia.
Councillors asked Newcastle Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes, to request assistance from the current Minister for Home Affairs, Karen Andrews, along with ministers in the NSW Senate and House of Representatives.
Councillors also endorsed adding CN to the list of local councils supporting the Back your Neighbour campaign, a joint mayoral petition asking the Prime Minister to take meaningful action for those seeking asylum.
Greens councillor for Ward 2, Charlotte McCabe, introduced the Notice of Motion at CN’s Ordinary Council Meeting on March 22 after becoming inspired by the actions of other councillors in Hobart, Moreland and Greater Dandenong.
“I thought it was a good opportunity for the City of Newcastle to add their voice to this renewed call to free the refugees,” Cr McCabe said.
Cr McCabe’s Notice of Motion noted that Australia held 66 refugees and asylum seekers in locked detention, approximately 448 in community detention and approximately 504 on short-term bridging visas.
It also noted that 104 people were detained in Papua New Guinea and 112 at Nauru.
“We must speak up to support refugees and asylum seekers because it is their legal right to seek asylum in our country,” Cr McCabe said.
“We know that with the serious global tensions and increasing pressures resulting from climate change, we will see an increase in refugees forced to flee their homes.
“It is a moral responsibility for Australia to provide refugees and asylum seekers with a safe place to live.”
A spokesperson for CN said steps were being taken to “continue its longstanding tradition as a progressive, inclusive, welcoming global city”.
They added that the council was currently developing a new social strategy to address the issue.
Grandmothers For Refugees will continue its advocacy work in Newcastle, including a vigil every Thursday from 5 pm to 6 pm at Civic Park, except in the first week of the month when the vigil is on Wednesday.
Maia O’Connor