Commencing 9.30am with International Women’s Day special guest speaker, Shen Narayanasamy.
Celebrations extended to 3 pm for those who would like to stay.
SWAN is delighted to welcome Shen as our speaker for IWD 2020.
Shen is the Human Rights Campaign Director at GetUp! and one of Australia’s powerful influencers of political discourse around humanitarian issues. She founded the “No Business In Abuse” campaign targeting corporate involvement in mandatory offshore detention of asylum seekers, and led #LetThemStay, which prevented the deportation to Nauru of hundreds of asylum seekers. Her recent work was in Canberra on the Medevac Bill effort.
Shen’s background prior to GetUp! is in human rights law, economic justice and land rights. She was the Economic Justice Advocacy Coordinator with Oxfam, and formerly a lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright. Shen may be a familiar face to our members as she has also appeared on the ABC’s political programs The Drum and Q&A.
Entry: $10 at door – membership registration / entry donation for members. Morning Tea is provided.
Since International Women’s Day falls on the date of our meeting, we will extend the celebrations until 3 pm for those who would like to stay for all or part of this.
Lunch at approx. 12 noon will be BRING A PLATE TO SHARE – finger/fork food –Oven and microwave are available. A great chance to meet some of the members you do not already know and perhaps reflect on what Shen has said.
Approx 1 pm We will play the Podcasts of the 3 Boyer lectures by Rachael Perkins (25 minutes each)
01 The End of Silence: The genesis of the Uluru statement
Rachel Perkins reminds us of the significance of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and why it’s the most important message Indigenous people have sent to their fellow Australians in over four decades.
02 The End of Silence: With the consent of the natives
From colonial times to the present, Indigenous people have wanted a say about the laws and policies that affect them. Rachel Perkins discusses what needs to be done to guarantee that the Indigenous voice is heard.
03 The End of Silence: Makarrata
In Rachel Perkins final Boyer lecture she details the dual proposal for a Makarrata Commission and a process of truth telling about our nation.
Approx 2.30 group discussion of the podcasts
SWAN sincerely thanks SECRET GARDEN of Mornington for their contribution of beautiful flowers.
Pamela retired in October 2016 after twelve years full time work at Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (Melbourne) advocating for people in detention and community. Clearly Refugee policy is unfinished business in Australia and retirement certainly doesn’t mean one finishes being an activist.
Since workplace retirement Pamela volunteers with the tireless and remarkable Sister Brigid Arthur of the Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project. Pamela is also a member of Refugee Advocacy Network and Liberty Refugee Policy Group and is one of the regular MITA Detention visitors.
Pamela would like to re-visit SWAN to discuss the current dire situation for asylum seekers and explore some practical ways to help. She says “We have not yet turned the politicians away from their cruel policies but numerous groups of decent people have shown much kindness and compassion to people in need and continue to argue and advocate for humanitarian change.”
Please come from 9.30 to chat and have a cuppa. All women welcome. $10 membership at the door or $10 donation to our social justice causes if you are already a member.
2019-09-15 September 15th 2019
Date: Sunday, 15 September 2019
Location: Mt Martha House Community Centre, 466 Esplanade, Mt Martha
Leonie Morgan AM wants to see more women in our Parliaments and in local government councils. Much of her work within Australia, in the Pacific and Asia over the past twenty five years has focussed on women political candidates, MPs and Councillors. This work was acknowledged in 2017 when Leonie was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant services to women, in particular equitable political representation.
Leonie will discuss her passion for equal political representation with particular reference to her co-founding of EMILY’s List Australia and her current work for the International Women’s Development Agency (IWDA). This brings six new Myanmar women MPs together with six Australian women MPs as mentors. The Program has been so successful that Leonie is now replicating this Women Supporting Women Program for IWDA with women MPs from Timor-Leste.
2019-07-14 July 14th 2019 Meeting
Date: Sunday, 14 July 2019
Location: Mt Martha House Community Centre, 466 Esplanade, Mt Martha
Our guest speaker for NAIDOC week will be Irene Fisher with support from Deb Mellett, Acting Senior Social Planner, Aboriginal Culture and Community Development for Mornington Peninsula Shire.
Irene is a Jawoyn woman from the Northern Territory and a passionate advocate for Indigenous rights. Irene spent many years working in Indigenous Health Care in NT as the CEO of Sunrise Aboriginal Health Service, Katherine, which serviced ten remote communities in Central Arnhem Land and Roper River region. Irene also had many years as a Board Member with the Aboriginal Medical Service Alliance NT, the peak health body representing Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, and until recently she worked as the Aboriginal Health Program Manager with Primary Health Network servicing the Frankston and Mornington Peninsula areas.
Registration and light refreshments at 9.30 Cost $10.00 includes membership if not already a member..
2019-05-19 May 19th 2019
Date: Sunday, 19 May 2019
Location: Mt Martha House 466 The Esplanade Mt Martha. Main Hall
PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF VENUE
Please join us at 9.30 to meet new friends, chat, have a cuppa and some snacks share an interest in social justice and listen to an interesting talk.
Our guest speaker will be Micaela Cronin. Micaela was the CEO of Hagar International for three years, from the beginning of 2016 when she moved to Cambodia to take up the global role. She has now returned to Melbourne to take up a role as the Director of the Future Social Services Institute, a partnership between RMIT, the Victoria Council for Social Services and the Victoria government, and will be moving onto the International Hagar board of directors.
With offices in nine countries around the world, Hagar is an international NGO providing trauma informed services to women and children who have experienced human trafficking, slavery, gender based violence and human rights abuses. Hagar was founded in Cambodia 25 years ago, and now delivers programmes in Cambodia, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Singapore and Myanmar.
It is not necessary to be a member. $10 at the door.
2019-03-10 March 10th 2019
Date: Sunday, 10 March 2019
Location: Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Chamber. Corner of Queen and Vancouver streets. Mornington
Please join us in celebrating International Women’s Day 2019. Our guest speaker will be Nyadol Nyuon.
Nyadol is a lawyer, writer, community advocate, and accomplished public speaker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Victoria University and a law degree from Melbourne University.
She is a Sudanese-Australian woman who was born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia and spent some of her childhood in the Kakuma Refugee camp in Kenya. Nyadol arrived in Australia as a refugee in 2005.She now works as a lawyer at Arnold Bloch Leibler in Melbourne, is passionate about social justice and a fair society and interested in Australian and world politics and the nature of our public discourse.
Nyadol brings a unique perspective to public debate and is a recognised social commentator regularly appearing on various media outlets including the ABC’s The Drum and Q & A.
She is an occasional contributor for The Age and has been published in the SMH and the Saturday Paper, and other publications. She is the recipient of awards in recognition of her work in combating racism and empowering migrant and refugee women.
The SWAN Committee is delighted to welcome Nyadol Nyuon, our speaker for IWD, and urge all members to attend to hear this truly amazing woman.
$10.00 entry. Refreshments from 9.30 followed by the speaker.
Come and meet other women who share an interest in social justice, in a safe, friendly space.
** Special note: there will be a permanent change to our meeting venue after this MARCH 2019 meeting. All subsequent meetings will be held at Mt Martha House, 466 Esplanade, Mt Martha **
2018-11-18 November 18th 2018
Date: Sunday, 18 November 2018
Location: Mornington Shire Chambers, Corner of Queen and Vancouver Streets, Mornington.
Join us to hear Dr Dalal Smiley, the CEO of Wellsprings for Women in Dandenong. Dalal was born in Lebanon and can speak Arabic, French and English. She migrated to Australia with her mother and brother in 1976 following the civil war in Lebanon. Dalal’s migration experience led her to work in the migrant settlement and language services sector. She pursued studies in social sciences, public policy, diversity management and business management. Her career included working in senior roles in local, state and federal governments and not for profit sector plus she founded the Victorian Arabic Social Services which she chaired from 1998- 2005. In 2009 Dalal won a scholarship from the Emergency Services Foundation to conduct a study in the UK on diversity in emergency services, and in 2016 was awarded an honorary doctorate of law for her contribution to the development of equity and social inclusion in Victoria.
Wellsprings for Women is an organisation dedicated to the development and delivery of accessible, responsive and inclusive educational, recreational and social opportunities and pathways for disadvantaged and isolated women to create a better future for themselves, their families and communities. Wellsprings in recent years has worked tirelessly to support migrant, refugee and asylum seeker women by providing a welcoming environment for them to learn English and other skills while offering on-site child care, practical assistance, social interaction and friendship to create an inclusive and supportive experience and ensure hope for the future of their new lives, and that of their families in Australia.
Doors open at 09.30. $10.00 entry
2018-09-16 September 16th 2018
Date: Sunday, 16 September 2018
Location: Mornington Shire Council cnr Queen and Victoria St, Mornington
EVENT IS NOW FULL. Our guest speaker will be Gillian Triggs, Former President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Now based at Melbourne University.
Professor Triggs will speak about “Australian human rights regression: from H.V. Evatt to M. Turnbull”.
Doors open at 9.30.
Bookings essential for both members and guests. Please phone Erica 0404 811 422 by September 12th.
$8.00 includes refreshments. Come and meet other like minded women who share an interest in all things to do with social justice, in a safe and friendly space. Membership is not necessary.
2018-07-01 July 1st 2018
Date: Sunday, 1 July 2018
Location: Mornington Shire Council cnr Queen and Victoria St, Mornington
The theme for NAIDOC Week for 2018 is “Because of her, we can!” …. the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women to community, family, history and nation”.
Our speaker for our NAIDOC week meeting will be Celeste Liddle, an Arrernte woman, an opinion writer, a trade unionist and public speaker, currently serving as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Organiser of the National Tertiary Education Union.
She writes a blog Rantings of an Aboriginal Feminist.
After outlining her background, she will cover other topics which may include such items of interest as the Uluru Statement, the possibility of establishment of a First Nations VOICE enshrined in the Constitution, and any update on progress towards TREATY.
