We had an enjoyable meeting on Wednesday night although due to a few apologies (it's assignment crunch time!) we decided not to have club committees but instead talk about projects as a group.
Community Service
* Amanda has to confirm but we have set a tentative date of Nov 22nd to decorate the Children's Surgical Ward for Christmas. It will only take us a few hours at the moment but it will definitely make a different for the children who have to spend time there in the leadup to and over Chrissy.
* The Sherwood Christmas Festival is the week after on Friday 28 November! This is one of our major fundraisers so it'd be great to have all hands on deck! The money this year will probably go to Brisbane Youth Service which works with homeless young people and young families. The festival is a lot of fun and may or may not include a tub of ice-cream and several spoons ;)
* Emily has floated the idea of developing a calendar to raise money for the local community. At this stage members have suggested donating raised funds to the Milpera art and music therapeutic program for refugee students.
* Jen West from Zonta is coming on October 15 to talk to us about their club's work with the Murri Sisters's Safety House.
* Anti-Graffiti will be cancelled in November and December due to other projects in November and the silly season in December! So please consider coming to the ones on the last Sundays of September and October as they will be our last anti-graffiti mornings this year.
International Service
* Jenna finished her bike ride from Bundaberg to Brisbane and she and her two friends raised well over $750 for Polio Plus! Look out for a blog post soon about the ride. Well done Jenna! You're a star :D
* Richard told us that he actually grew up in Malawi in central Africa and he has connections to an orphanage there. He raised the idea of the club fundraising for the orphange there which we all thought was a fantastic idea. We even floated the idea of putting together a trip to visit and do some hands-on work!
* And our friends Valmor and Marcelo from Brazil told us that their club in Brazil is interested in putting together some sort of joint project and everyone at the meeting was very excited about this possibility!
* Emily has been in touch with Ailsa Hay who works in RAWCS (Rotary Australia World Community Service) to talk about opportunities for Rotaractors to join in overseas volunteer work (like my trip to Daru, PNG last year) - people should talk to Emily if interested.
* Meryll let us know that the Rotaract Club of South Brisbane is co-ordinating a collection for the Uplift Project which co-ordinates the collection and donation of second-hand bras for women in Fiji, PNG and the Cook Islands. Second-hand bras don't attract import duty and give women access to a necessary and expensive item. Women often suffer from a fungal infection due to the tropical climate and lack of support. Bring along any second-hand bras you can collect to Meryll who will pass them on to South Brisbane.
Professional Development
* Michelle McDowall of TickTax Australia will be presenting a mini-seminar at the next club meeting (Wed 1 Oct) on tax preparation and services. Michelle is a CPA Accountant and Past President of the Rotary Club of Sumner Park. If you have any specific questions you'd like answered on tax please email Cat at catherinemcdowall [at] hotmail [dot] com who will forward your questions on to Michelle.
* Our recruiting stand at the Engineers expo at UQ was a great success so Anthony and Sharon will co-ordinate setting up similar stands at a UQ market day. Thanks guys!
Club Service
* It's just under two months until our first birthday - everyone's keen to have a barbeque and drinks to celebrate!
* On the last Wednesday in October we will have a club movie night in the auditorium.
* Our Chrissy party will be on Friday 5 December, replacing the meeting on Wednesday 3 December. We will probably be going out to the Steak House at the Regatta for dinner and drinks.
Until next time!
Showing posts with label international service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international service. Show all posts
19 September 2008
18 July 2008
Update on Darfur
"The International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor has charged Sudan's President with genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur in a move Khartoum warns could set fire to the region.
ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the court for an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, the first sitting head of state to be indicted by an international court since Liberia's Charles Taylor and before that Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic.
"Moreno-Ocampo has presented evidence today showing that... Bashir committed the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur," the prosecutor said in a statement...
International experts say at least 200,000 people have died in Darfur and 2.5 million have been displaced since a rebellion erupted in 2003. Khartoum says 10,000 people have been killed." ABC News.
BBC's Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict has been updated to reflect the changing situation in Sudan.
Come and learn more about the conflict in Darfur.
The Rotaract Club of South-West Brisbane will be screening the award winning documentary The Devil Came on Horseback on Friday 15 August at 7pm at St Aidan's. For more information please email the club at rotaractswb@hotmail.com or click here to view the invitation.
The Devil Came on Horseback - Trailer
Interview with a Refugee from Darfur
ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo asked the court for an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, the first sitting head of state to be indicted by an international court since Liberia's Charles Taylor and before that Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic.
"Moreno-Ocampo has presented evidence today showing that... Bashir committed the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Darfur," the prosecutor said in a statement...
International experts say at least 200,000 people have died in Darfur and 2.5 million have been displaced since a rebellion erupted in 2003. Khartoum says 10,000 people have been killed." ABC News.
BBC's Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict has been updated to reflect the changing situation in Sudan.
Come and learn more about the conflict in Darfur.
The Rotaract Club of South-West Brisbane will be screening the award winning documentary The Devil Came on Horseback on Friday 15 August at 7pm at St Aidan's. For more information please email the club at rotaractswb@hotmail.com or click here to view the invitation.
The Devil Came on Horseback - Trailer
Interview with a Refugee from Darfur
16 July 2008
Changeover; PNG Update; What's New; Date-Claimers
Changeover
Well I (Cat) had a post ready to go about Changeover when I noticed a report and photos are already up! Great minds hey. So instead congratulations to the new board and thank you to the old board, especially Emily, for getting us up-and-running and creating a club with such a fun and friendly atmosphere. Thank you also to Lionel, Chris, John and the other members of Jindalee and other local Rotary clubs for all your support this year. We look forward to working with you this year. :)
Update from PNG
Here, it is as busy as ever. I am now into surgery: I am just coming back from Daru where we had 167 cataracts and pterygium surgeries in 4 days. It has been so great to see the joy of all the old and not so old people who could see. I am planning to bring the surgeon to Kiunga the first week of August to do the same, I am really struggling with the hospital administration to have the theatre fixed for that date. It is nearly a desperate situation at Kiunga hospital. They only need 2 operation tables, a sterilizer, they bring all their equipment with them. Even that is hard to get, the hospital is no more than a clinic, no doctor since 5 years. Dr Darman the opthalmologist is using a new method for cataract, no stitches, it takes about 7 minutes per surgery, the next day the patients see very clearly straight away, it is really wonderful.
Last week I brought 3 children to Tabubil for cleft palate surgery, this week I am bringing 4 more and next week 3 others, it will be great, I have been waiting for a plastic surgeon to come for such a long time, it is so hard to get them here, there are only 2 in the country. I am glad it will be done, next will be our 17 children with club feet in Daru!
There are also building going on, 2 classrooms for the deaf, one in Daru and one in Kiunga. I gave it to a contractor. It is nearly finished in Kiunga. Daru will start soon.
-- Sr Pierrette
What's New This Year
Change of meeting time: The new meeting time is 6:45 for 7:00pm.
Rotating Chairperson: Each week we will have a new member acting as Chairperson to help develop leadership and presentation skills.
New roster system: Please check the bulletin for the new roster up until year end. Members will rotate through Chairman, Duty Officer and Fellowship Officer.
These changes will be explained in more depth at tomorrow night's meeting. We will also discuss the possibility of changing the meeting night from Thursday to a Wednesday.
Date Claimers
27 July - Sunday - 8am - Anti-Graffiti
31 July - Thursday - 6:45pm - Trivia Night with Rotaract of South Brisbane
15 August - Friday - The Devil Came on Horseback screening
31 August - Sunday - 8am - Anti-Graffiti
Well I (Cat) had a post ready to go about Changeover when I noticed a report and photos are already up! Great minds hey. So instead congratulations to the new board and thank you to the old board, especially Emily, for getting us up-and-running and creating a club with such a fun and friendly atmosphere. Thank you also to Lionel, Chris, John and the other members of Jindalee and other local Rotary clubs for all your support this year. We look forward to working with you this year. :)
Update from PNG
Here, it is as busy as ever. I am now into surgery: I am just coming back from Daru where we had 167 cataracts and pterygium surgeries in 4 days. It has been so great to see the joy of all the old and not so old people who could see. I am planning to bring the surgeon to Kiunga the first week of August to do the same, I am really struggling with the hospital administration to have the theatre fixed for that date. It is nearly a desperate situation at Kiunga hospital. They only need 2 operation tables, a sterilizer, they bring all their equipment with them. Even that is hard to get, the hospital is no more than a clinic, no doctor since 5 years. Dr Darman the opthalmologist is using a new method for cataract, no stitches, it takes about 7 minutes per surgery, the next day the patients see very clearly straight away, it is really wonderful.
Last week I brought 3 children to Tabubil for cleft palate surgery, this week I am bringing 4 more and next week 3 others, it will be great, I have been waiting for a plastic surgeon to come for such a long time, it is so hard to get them here, there are only 2 in the country. I am glad it will be done, next will be our 17 children with club feet in Daru!
There are also building going on, 2 classrooms for the deaf, one in Daru and one in Kiunga. I gave it to a contractor. It is nearly finished in Kiunga. Daru will start soon.
-- Sr Pierrette
What's New This Year
Change of meeting time: The new meeting time is 6:45 for 7:00pm.
Rotating Chairperson: Each week we will have a new member acting as Chairperson to help develop leadership and presentation skills.
New roster system: Please check the bulletin for the new roster up until year end. Members will rotate through Chairman, Duty Officer and Fellowship Officer.
These changes will be explained in more depth at tomorrow night's meeting. We will also discuss the possibility of changing the meeting night from Thursday to a Wednesday.
Date Claimers
27 July - Sunday - 8am - Anti-Graffiti
31 July - Thursday - 6:45pm - Trivia Night with Rotaract of South Brisbane
15 August - Friday - The Devil Came on Horseback screening
31 August - Sunday - 8am - Anti-Graffiti
24 March 2008
Last Thursday - Sudan Information Evening
The Sudan Information Evening held last Thursday night was a great success. Amanda and the rest of the International Service committee should be congratulated. We had many guests including Rotarians and friends of Rotaractors.
In spite of some last minute changes to guest speakers due to illness, the committee arranged for three amazing speakers. The first was Adele Rice from Milpera State High School in Chelmer. Milpera is a unique high school in the Education Queensland system for recently arrived teenagers who have little to no English, refugees and immigrants. It prepares its students for schooling in a main-stream high school and also helps with settlement.
Adele spoke about her work with African refugees, particularly Sudanese students who have often spent many years in refugee camps in the countries bordering Sudan. She touched on a few major issues that hinder these teenagers (some of whom aren't much younger than us) as they try to make a new life in Australia. The two big issues that stood out for me were that so many students are dealing with grief... many of them are parentless or only have one parent and almost all of them have family or close friends left back in the refugee camps. The other was illiteracy. Many of them have snippets of several languages but are not literate in any of these. This also affects their parents. The school works especially hard to help the students in these two areas. They have art and music therapy programs and they do a lot of work on pre-literacy and pre-numeracy, which relies heavily on a volunteer base.
Our other guest spearker was Lisa Siganto from Airfares for African Refugees. While refugees on one category of visa are flown to Australia free of charge by the government and receive extensive help in settlement, including an individual case worker, refugees on another visa category have to pay for their own airfare and have almost no help with settlement when they arrive in Australia.
A couple of years ago a neighbourhood group of women came up with the idea of a revolving loan scheme. When a refugee in Australia sponsors another family to come here they can ask AFAR for a loan equal to the cost of the airfare. The sponsor acts as guarantor for the loan since they are already employed or have government allowances. When the new refugees arrive in Australia, they pay the loan back interest-free over a period of 2-3 years out of their wage or allowances. When the loan is paid back in full the money is available for a new family. The group raised over $80 000 for the loan scheme and St Vincent de Paul auspice them and they have started extending their help to resettlement services, not just airfares.
Lisa was kind enough to bring her good friend Zobaida and her family to the evening. Zobaida is a 25-year-old Sudanese woman with four beautiful young children between the ages of one and nine. She immigrated to Australia with her husband and children three years ago.
Since immigrating to Australia Zobaida and her family have sponsored another family through AFAR to come to Australia.
The thing that struck me the most was that they too are facing problems caused by a lack of affordable housing. The family might have to move to Caboolture as that's where the most affordable housing is. Apparently Caboolture have quite a progressive program when it comes to refugees but there's still the problems of leaving all the friends that you've made, the primary school with its special ESL program and so on. The saddest thing though was that Zabada said sometimes they would go to look at a house within their price range and they would be told that it was no longer on the market, that a tenant had been found. But then the house would still be listed afterwards.
All in all it was a wonderful night and it really opened my eyes and it'll be great to see where the club decides to go from here.
(If anyone else in the club wants to write about their thoughts on the night please feel free to update the blog yourself. If you're not sure how than email me your post at s4055109@student.uq.edu.au and I'll put it up for you or you can always add a comment to this post.)
In spite of some last minute changes to guest speakers due to illness, the committee arranged for three amazing speakers. The first was Adele Rice from Milpera State High School in Chelmer. Milpera is a unique high school in the Education Queensland system for recently arrived teenagers who have little to no English, refugees and immigrants. It prepares its students for schooling in a main-stream high school and also helps with settlement.
Adele spoke about her work with African refugees, particularly Sudanese students who have often spent many years in refugee camps in the countries bordering Sudan. She touched on a few major issues that hinder these teenagers (some of whom aren't much younger than us) as they try to make a new life in Australia. The two big issues that stood out for me were that so many students are dealing with grief... many of them are parentless or only have one parent and almost all of them have family or close friends left back in the refugee camps. The other was illiteracy. Many of them have snippets of several languages but are not literate in any of these. This also affects their parents. The school works especially hard to help the students in these two areas. They have art and music therapy programs and they do a lot of work on pre-literacy and pre-numeracy, which relies heavily on a volunteer base.
Our other guest spearker was Lisa Siganto from Airfares for African Refugees. While refugees on one category of visa are flown to Australia free of charge by the government and receive extensive help in settlement, including an individual case worker, refugees on another visa category have to pay for their own airfare and have almost no help with settlement when they arrive in Australia.
A couple of years ago a neighbourhood group of women came up with the idea of a revolving loan scheme. When a refugee in Australia sponsors another family to come here they can ask AFAR for a loan equal to the cost of the airfare. The sponsor acts as guarantor for the loan since they are already employed or have government allowances. When the new refugees arrive in Australia, they pay the loan back interest-free over a period of 2-3 years out of their wage or allowances. When the loan is paid back in full the money is available for a new family. The group raised over $80 000 for the loan scheme and St Vincent de Paul auspice them and they have started extending their help to resettlement services, not just airfares.
Lisa was kind enough to bring her good friend Zobaida and her family to the evening. Zobaida is a 25-year-old Sudanese woman with four beautiful young children between the ages of one and nine. She immigrated to Australia with her husband and children three years ago.
Since immigrating to Australia Zobaida and her family have sponsored another family through AFAR to come to Australia.
The thing that struck me the most was that they too are facing problems caused by a lack of affordable housing. The family might have to move to Caboolture as that's where the most affordable housing is. Apparently Caboolture have quite a progressive program when it comes to refugees but there's still the problems of leaving all the friends that you've made, the primary school with its special ESL program and so on. The saddest thing though was that Zabada said sometimes they would go to look at a house within their price range and they would be told that it was no longer on the market, that a tenant had been found. But then the house would still be listed afterwards.
All in all it was a wonderful night and it really opened my eyes and it'll be great to see where the club decides to go from here.
(If anyone else in the club wants to write about their thoughts on the night please feel free to update the blog yourself. If you're not sure how than email me your post at s4055109@student.uq.edu.au and I'll put it up for you or you can always add a comment to this post.)
14 March 2008
Darfur Information Evening Thurs 20 March
ROTARACT
ACT NOW
The Rotaract Club of South-West Brisbane would like to invite Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors and the community to learn more about the conflict in Sudan. Since 2003, 400,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced.
Our guest speaker will be Jenny Ryan from Airfares for African Refugees and the Mater Mothers’ Hospital. Sudanese refugees from the local Brisbane community will also be there to share their experiences.
Date: Thursday 20 March 2008
Time: 6:30 for 7:00pm
Location: Auditorium, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School,
Cnr Ruthven St & Aidan’s Way, Corinda
RSVP: rotaractswb@hotmail.com
If you would like a copy of the flyer in PDF format please email rotaractswb@hotmail.com
Date: Thursday 20 March 2008
Time: 6:30 for 7:00pm
Location: Auditorium, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School,
Cnr Ruthven St & Aidan’s Way, Corinda
RSVP: rotaractswb@hotmail.com
If you would like a copy of the flyer in PDF format please email rotaractswb@hotmail.com
08 February 2008
International Service: Sudan
From this week's bulletin
Our project this year: Sudan
Sudan is the largest of the many coutnries that make up the African continent. Its history reads as a continuous list of civil war and unrest. However, most notable in its history is the war that currently rages in the western region, Darfur.
Sicne 2003 the tribal communities that inhabit the region of Darfur have fought against the political, economic and social marginalisation brought on them by the Sudanese government. In retaliation, the Sudanese government have armed the Arab Janjaweed militia and charged them to clear the civial population bases in Darfur.
Since this time, hudnreds of thousands of people have been killed, and more than 2.5 million people have been displaced fromt heir homes. Despite efforts by the UN and African Union, the fighting continues. This is the 21st century's first genocide. It has been raging for over four years and still there is very limited public knowledge of it.
We have decided that our major international service project this year will be to create a greater public awareness about the absolutely horrible atrocities that continue to occur in Darfur. We want people to know about it, think about it and want to do somehting to help.
Currently we are still in the ideas phase of our planning, but we are seriously committed to doing something that will make a difference!
For further information on Darfur a great website is The Enough Project.
Also try looking at:
BBC's Q&A: Sudan's Darfur Conflict
The Darfur Australia Network
Our project this year: Sudan
Sudan is the largest of the many coutnries that make up the African continent. Its history reads as a continuous list of civil war and unrest. However, most notable in its history is the war that currently rages in the western region, Darfur.
Sicne 2003 the tribal communities that inhabit the region of Darfur have fought against the political, economic and social marginalisation brought on them by the Sudanese government. In retaliation, the Sudanese government have armed the Arab Janjaweed militia and charged them to clear the civial population bases in Darfur.
Since this time, hudnreds of thousands of people have been killed, and more than 2.5 million people have been displaced fromt heir homes. Despite efforts by the UN and African Union, the fighting continues. This is the 21st century's first genocide. It has been raging for over four years and still there is very limited public knowledge of it.
We have decided that our major international service project this year will be to create a greater public awareness about the absolutely horrible atrocities that continue to occur in Darfur. We want people to know about it, think about it and want to do somehting to help.
Currently we are still in the ideas phase of our planning, but we are seriously committed to doing something that will make a difference!
For further information on Darfur a great website is The Enough Project.
Also try looking at:
BBC's Q&A: Sudan's Darfur Conflict
The Darfur Australia Network
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