Newsletter Issue No. 59      November 2008

Ake Senio employed in Bulai Barber’s store at Castletown. Meet Ake at Lenards

In this edition: Activities Calendar                                  1 Date claimers                                          2 Family well being in Upper Ross            2 Skilling Queenslanders for work             3 AGM – President’s report                       3 TMSG Talent – Persistence Pays            4 Various stories                                        5 Office hours in Tokelau, page                 6

 

 

 

AGM – President’s Report

 

Dr Betty McLellan chaired TMSG’s 17th Annual General Meeting held on 27th September, 2008 at St Joseph’s school, Mundingburra.  The meeting was attended by 67 members.

Reports of the organisation’s endeavours for 2007 – 08 were given by the president, manager, auditor and women’s group coordinator.  All the reports especially the managers and auditors clearly showed the continuing expansion of TMSG’s work through approximately 12 different projects and programmes long and short term.

Sheila Hawthorn (President) said:

The management of TMSG is constantly amazed at how much activity we can satisfactorily undertake in our Mundingburra premises especially, of course, as we continue to have a very harmonious relationship with the Blessed Mary McKillop Parish staff which enables us to have generous access to and regular use of space and facilities in the Fr. Brooks Paterson Centre.   Our very sincere thanks to all of them for always being so welcoming t o the Friday English class, the monthly Women’s group gatherings and for whomever else requires the use of that facility.

She also extended sincere thanks to all the staff and volunteers of 2007 - 08 for their untiring efforts in the various programmes which do indeed cover a huge range of professional challenges and tasks.

Meg Davis (Manager) also acknowledged “the wonderful contribution of our registered 38 volunteers to the organisation in a vast range of seen and unseen duties including working bees at Anne St house, visiting newly arrived refugees and migrant families, arranging social outings with them, tutoring in English, seeking out bargains, teaching people to use lawn mowers, assisting people to move house, cleaning out garages, working in the garden/s and most importantly, being interested in and friendly with all new people to our community.”

Meg paid a special tribute to the late Anne McLelland who died recently for her support in offering accommodation to three single refugee entrants in 2005-06 and for her enormous efforts in raising community and church funds to cover the costs of air fares for a family of six from Kakuma refugee camp.

During the meeting Consulata Sakaria (Volunteer Coordinator with Refugee Settlement Program) introduced and welcomed people who arrived recently in Townsville: 

Lambert Nkukito, Immaculee Nyirangeza and their children, Blaise, Bruce, Brigaire, and Belise – Rwanda
Idrissa Kilenge (Burindi) and Clotilida Musangamana (Rwanda) and their children Kadafi and Rehema
Anaclet Twagirazezu (Rwanda)
Alain Dunia (Rwanda)

 

Among the business of an AGM is the election of the organisation’s Management Committee.

TMSG’s committee for 2008-09 is
President                                                     Sheila Hawthorn
Vice president                                             Fred Ogden
Secretary                                                     Linda Davis
Treasurer –                                                Elodie Oxenham
Women’s Group Coordinator           Cristina Martinez

Members                                                            Dianne Innes
                                                                          Allison Craven
                                                                           Amanda Smith
                                                                           Iris Min He
                                                                        Jennifer Stirling

Peter Dadic (auditor) assured the meeting and all members that TMSG’s finances are in a very healthy state and congratulated the Management Committee on the outcomes of the financial statements which reflect successful operations across a wide-range of programmes.

Gibson-Dadic Accountants was re-appointed as TMSG’s auditor for 2008-09.

Apologies were extended from
Seham Al Kemesy, Jelal Al Amery and their children Maryam, and Ramez Al Amery all from Iraq and Lorna recently born in Australia
Abshir Abdullah Somalia  and
Ravi Theeparuban Rajendram Sri Lanka who was working

 

 

Persistence Pays big Dividends for TMSG  President Sheila Hawthorn.

Sheila’s persistence in her education of others to choose language carefully pays big dividends in the nicest possible way.

It’s not a personal financial dividend but an acknowledgement and a reward of much greater significance.

Sheila has had a song dedicated to her by our very own loyal and valued committee member Fred Ogden for her continued reminder to us all to be conscious and active against the adoption of war-like phrases.

Successful graduates of Sheila’s prized course in “Choosing Words Carefully” demonstrate competence by using words and phrases which promote peace and harmony instead of thoughtless desensitising, ‘war-like’ phrases such as:

• Bullet point instead of dot points
• Targets instead of goals
• Battle on instead of make progress
• Weapon against poverty instead of instrument for success
• Terminate your employment rather than complete your contract

 

Let there be Peace!

These are the lyrics to Fred’s song:

Mr P
(Blind eyes do not see)

You’re elected; you’re protected -
yet you’ve gone and resurrected all the sayings that we all have heard before.

You say that you’re a man of peace; and for this you’ll never cease;

but you keep on sendin’ brothers into war!

You get economic satisfaction, contemplating interaction – selling guns and missiles to another.
Your tanks and guns and uniforms, are round the world – they’re there in swarms;
But you don’t seem to notice Mr P,
‘cause you’re looking with your blind eye –
and blind eyes do not see

Watch the money pile-up with the eye that sees.
Set your blind eye on the fighting that it’s paid for.

It’s your blind eye now that looks upon
the slaughter and the killings done,
but you don’t seem to notice Mr P,
that the missile that kills others has just killed one of your brothers.

Mr P – are you looking?
Of course you are - but blind eyes do not see

 

© Fred Ogden - PO Box 4243 Kirwan Queensland 4817 Australia
Permission is given to copy for free distribution with these lines attached

Hear Fred live at the PCYC on 22 November

 

Out of the fire and into the Kitchen!

Patti and Carmel from the TMSG Skilling Queenslanders for Work program organised two familiarisation sessions on Monday 27 October and Tuesday 28 October for ten women intending to complete a Food Handlers Course at TAFE the following week.  The women enjoyed two great nights. 

The first night was held in the TMSG Parish Hall and the second night at ESL teacher Carmel Cannon’s family restaurant, the Crazy Gecko, at Alligator Creek.  Carmel taught the women the basics of food handling and some food handling language and concepts such as hygiene, chemicals, temperatures, storage procedures and personal presentation. 

Tasty meals were prepared by the women on both nights and they all left with nutritious recipes and a greater knowledge of food handling techniques. 

We wish them well in the TAFE Food Handlers Course!!

 

 

 

 

 

Jonas (TMSG international placement student) emailed to give us his best wishes and sent this photo from his travels on his way home to Denmark.

 

Anaclet Twagirayezu, one of TMSG’s recently settled refugees, visited JCU to explain what it was like to live in a refugee camp.  People in the audience are thinking of going abroad to work with an international medical relief organisation that aids victims of armed conflict, epidemics, and other disasters. Anaclet is pictured with Marayam Ebrahimi from Afghanistan who also gave a presentation of her (refugee) experience.

CAMS, Pacific Islands, Townsville- Bula vinaka!  I’m Peni Toga, of Fijian descent and was engaged by CAMS Townsville in February 2008 to work specifically with the Pacific Islands communities in Townsville. CAMS Townsville organised a three-day Community Consultation from 17 – 19 March.  Representatives from eight communities namely the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tokelau, Niue, PNG, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu discussed possibilities for the future.  Elaine Seeto, Pacific Islands Communities Advocacy Worker with Multilink, Logan conducted the sessions. In the ensuing meetings, three other communities - Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, and the Federated State of Micronesia came on board.  Kiribati was also represented by Tuvalu through mutual arrangement. Townsville Multicultural Support Group (TMSG) through CAMS is continuing to play a mentoring role. The outcome of the consultation sessions brought to light a range of challenges and issues – housing, literacy needs, understanding civil law, service provision, education and training obstacles and various other issues.

There was an overwhelming realisation that most of the Pacific Islanders were coping with these challenges on their own, with some communities resorting to the ‘kinship system’ to cope. Naturally, the need for some form of organised body to advocate and address these needs was unanimously expressed. Thus, the concept of PIREG (Pacific Islands Reference Group) was initiated. A number of objectives were agreed upon within a workable framework that we hope will address the challenges that had been identified. A Steering Committee comprising two representatives from each island community was formed to further the dream of establishing and incorporating a Pacific Islanders’ organisation. This committee holds meetings every first Wednesday of the month.  On 6 August, an association constitution was formally adopted and office bearers were appointed. Through due process, the results of the inaugural election were as follows: President:                      Tui Savu (Fiji) Vice-President:            Peni Toga (Fiji) Secretary:                     Lisa MacNaughton (TMSG) acting Treasurer:                    Vicki Laban (Vanuatu) Legal Advisor:              Tui Savu (Fiji) volunteered Patron:                          Two names have been nominated