ARAN (Australian Refugee Action Network) Conference

Saturday 7 July – Sunday 8 July: The ARAN Conference is in Melbourne: Politics and Protest – the Fight for Refugee Rights. The Australian Refugee Action Network is organising the second ARAN National CONFERENCE, which will be held in Melbourne on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th July 2018 – we hope you are planning to join us there! The conference is moderately priced ($40 concession, $75 full) and is open to anyone interested in refugee activism and advocacy. Conference dinner on Saturday night – Tamil Feast at rooftop venue in CBD. Additional $35. Gather with other activists and advocates for refugee rights from across Australia to: Discuss the political context and campaign priorities; Share ideas and experience for mobilizing and effective campaigning; Explore strategies for networking across activist and advocacy groups to strengthen the campaign effort. Keep updated with the latest about the conference at including some low cost accommodation options.For more information email Marie at info@refugeeadvocacynetwork.org.au. Bookings at www.trybooking.com/375468

Action grounded in personal and communal spiritual practiice

Thanks again to Dale Hess for his Monday morning missive. Among the items in his list is one that references Gandhi. The article is not short but for The Editor one part stood out:

Effective nonviolent political action does not spring from a vacuum; it grows out of daily living grounded in personal and communal spiritual practice, and in constructive service to one’s immediate and surrounding communities. Nonviolence on the political stage is only as powerful as the personal and community-based nonviolence of those who engage in it. The importance of the ashram experience flows from this understanding.