About

Stream episodes on demand from www.bitesz.com (mobile friendly). Show notes podcast 15 – Refugee Week in South East NSW Welcome to About Regional – a new place for the stories of South East NSW. Refugee Week is being marked around the region, the theme is a clever play on words borrowed from our national anthem - “With courage let us all combine.” The aim of the week is to celebrate the contribution refugees make to Australian society and to ultimately build a better understanding between different communities and bring about successful integration. A range of cultural, social and advocacy events are planned across the Eurobodalla, Bega Valley and Snowy Monaro in the coming days. At Cooma on Thursday (June 22) there is a film screening, “Constance on the Edge” between 5:30 and 7:30 at the Cooma Multicultural Centre on Mittagang Rd. ‘Constance on the Edge’ follows charismatic Constance, a mother of six, as she confronts her painful past in war torn Sudan, and risks everything in Australia so her family can thrive. Filmed over 10 years in Wagga Wagga, the documentary is an unflinchingly honest portrayal of one refugee family’s resettlement story in regional Australia. The Bega Valley branch of Rural Australians for Refugees has a packed program of movie screenings, dinners and author talks and on Friday, June 23 at 10 am in Littleton Gardens Bega, a rally to raise awareness of Refugee Welcome Zones. And in the Eurobodalla, locals are invited to join in a celebration in Moruya on Saturday morning (June 24) as the Welcome Scroll visits on its national journey. The Welcome Scroll is 5 metres long, features hand turned red gum handles and the signatures of representatives from over 140 Refugee Welcome Zones around the country - including the signature of Eurobodalla Mayor Liz Innes. Head to Russ Martin Park between 10 and 12 this Saturday, they’ll be food and live music and you can check out the Moruya Markets at the same time. South East NSW busy as always! To this week’s podcast - William Maley is Professor of Diplomacy at the Australian National University, and Vice President of the Refugee Council of Australia, he has just been in the region as a guest of the Social Justice Advocates of the Sapphire Coast. Bill’s book “What is a Refugee?” is a guide to the complex issues that surface whenever refugees are discussed, while also telling the stories of families and individuals who have sought refuge. Bill came to Merimbula keen to motivate and inform advocacy around the issue, hoping for a more human approach to refugees from the Australian Government and sections of Australian society. He spoke for almost an hour, to about 200 people, I’ve boiled it down to about 17 minutes, I’ve cleaned the audio up as best I can, but there is a little bit of background noise, which I hope doesn’t get in your way. Thanks for tuning into About Regional, your feedback, story ideas and advertising enquiries are welcome, just flick me an email – hello@aboutregional.com.au Thanks to my partners in this week’s podcast - Light to Light Camps – pristine beaches, great food, hot showers and comfy beds. This is your chance to explore the Wilderness Coast in style. See you out and about in South East NSW. Cheers Ian Subscribe, rate and review About Regional via all good podcast apps including Apple Podcasts, audioBoom, Stitcher, PocketCasts, Podbean etc. #regional #nsw #australia #aboutregional