WA NEWSLETTER December 2017 Edition
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
Update from Margaret River What can we learn from Regional activists?
AUSTRALIA
SAID YES Amnesty LGBTQI group convenor answers: Where to from here?
AMBER’S W4R BEHIND THE SCENES
ACTIVIST Q&A WITH RICHA
ADELINAH AND RACHEL ON COMMS
this is us
04
02
Branch President’s Letter Our wins, growth, and the plan for 2018
12
Write For Rights: Behind the Scenes
16
Activist Q&A - Richa Malaviya
06
Australia Said Yes!
08
An Update From Down South
But where to from here?
WA’s Write For Rights ambassador’s experience
Reflections from four months in the CIE team
Tips and tricks from Regional activists
10
Community Organiser Update Lessons from the FWD+Organise Conference
20
Action Group Directory
14
Talking in Circles
All the info you need to get involved!
Innovations from the WA Communications team.
Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
03
Branch President’s Letter
Leonie Alexander Chief Editor
Dear Members and Supporters, As 2017 draws to a close, I would like to thank you all, our members, supporters and activists for your ongoing contribution to Amnesty and the human rights movement. It is wonderful to be a part of such a committed and strong human rights community, and together we have once again made a difference! Successes Marriage Equality was an important campaign win for Amnesty and the LGBTQI community, and huge congratulations to our LGBTQI activists and supporters who worked tirelessly in a difficult political climate to achieve such a wonderful outcome. The Women’s Rights Group achieved a major goal by requesting the Branch AGM (BAGM) and the National AGM (NAGM) to recommit to a campaign on Women’s Rights, and commit to a gender mainstreaming approach to all campaigns and to support the regional and national work of women’s rights activists. Fantastic work from Marsha Reid and the WA Group who were instrumental in setting up the National Women’s Rights Network, which now meets quarterly and is already having major impact on the direction of the organisation, including creating content for the Amnesty website.
04
Thanks to the work of our staff and key volunteer leaders, the region has grown with new groups in key electorates, Midland Group in Hasluck, and a group being seeded in Rockingham in the WA Premier’s electorate of Brand. The WA Branch is growing! This month we welcomed baby Tiwonge James into the WA Branch! Congratulations and our best wishes to Kombe and her husband on the birth of their lovely baby boy. Tiwonge has already attended his first Branch Committee meeting, a very promising start in what we hope is a lifelong commitment to human rights! We have also worked on co-opting new members into the Branch Committee to replace those who were awarded staff contacts. It is exciting to note the interest in working at the regional leadership level as a BC member, and we’re proud to announce that the BC now has 12 members. We will be introducing our new members to you in January.
The year ahead We have some exciting plans for the new year and our move to a new Action Centre in February will enable to us to better engage with the community, increase our visibility, and provide an exciting space for staff, volunteers, activists and the Branch Committee to work together and expand our human rights impact. Women’s Rights will be a focus at the beginning of the year, and our campaign for a human Rights Act for WA will kick off in February with a training session run by Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and MP Lisa Baker. Work on Refugee Rights and our Community is Everything Campaign will continue to be a focus, and our new Brave Campaign, focusing on individuals at risk, will be a yearlong priority. A very happy Christmas and holiday season to you all from the WA Branch Committee, and I look forward to working with you all in the New year. Leonie Alexander
Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
05
AUSTRALIA SAID YES! LGBTQI+ ACTION GROUP CONVENOR, HANNAH,
DESCRIBES THE DAY WE GOT THE NEWS, AND HER PLAN FROM HERE.
As we look back on this incredible win that LGBTQI+ communities and allies have fought for, it is important to recognise exactly how far we have come. Equal Marriage entered the Australian political discussion over 13 years ago. Before this point, marriage wasn’t explicitly defined in Australian law. Then on the 27th of May 2004, the Attorney-General at the time introduced the Marriage Amendment Act. This amendment made same sex marriages illegal. We sat down with Hannah, who convenes Amnesty WA’s LGBTQI+ action group, to get her take on all the little wins that made equal marriage possible.
LGBTQI+ rights activists Jasmine (left) and Hannah (right) at the LGBTQI+ group karaoke night.
06
How long have you been working as an activst for LGBTQI+ rights? Hannah: I’ve been doing smaller things all my life, but really stepped up when I became an Amnesty
activist four years ago. What has changed during those four years? Hannah: What a lot of people forget is that Equal Marriage rallies didn’t just pop up out of nowhere. People have been coming together to stand up for LGBTQI+ rights for years now. But during my time as an activist I’ve seen two changes. The first is that people became willing to talk about LGBTQI+ issues in their personal lives. Looking back, even just a few years ago, Equal Marriage wasn’t on the cards for LGBTQI+ people because for many it wasn’t even a topic of discussion. The second is that because of the incredible work of activists and organisers, people began to see the rallies for the first time. TV crews started attending the events, and newspapers started using the media releases we sent out because
who were constantly used as a scare tactic. When the final count was revealed, it was such a beautiful moment. This was a massive leap forward for Australia, in a fight that always felt two steps forward, one step back. But it was also a little scary because there is now a tangible number behind the people who voted no, and that was also upsetting. It’s during those times, the ones that I’m upset about the 38% who voted no, that it helps to remind myself that we couldn’t have even had this conversation in 2007. Who knows what the next 10 years will bring us?
SARAH, SOPHIE, HANNAH AND MARK AT THE SURVEY VOTE ANNOUNCEMENT
they knew people cared. Can you describe a day in the life of a Queer person during the postal survey? Hannah: One of the worst parts was Facebook. And it wasn’t just reading some of the horrible comments made by trolls on the Equality campaign posts. When a campaign puts an ad on Facebook, there’s a section above the post that lists all of your friends who like the page. So I would get No Campaign ads telling me it was “okay to vote no” against human rights, and I would also be reminded that I still have friends that would vote no.
Was there anything about the conversation that surprised you? Hannah: Almost anywhere you looked, there were new allies stepping up to fight for LGBTQI+ rights. Walking through the City of Vincent and the Town of Vic Park you couldn’t go 50 meters without coming across a Yes poster. The number of offices, theatres, universities, and government buildings that flew the rainbow flag was really inspiring.
people, and we all stepped up our activism together. Having everyone come together like that was incredibly exciting. What can these new allies do to help fight for LGBTQI+ rights in 2018? Hannah: The truth about the “debate” that surrounded the postal survey is that it targeted some rainbow communities more than others. This is particularly true for transgender and intersex communities who were subject to so much hate and fear. In the new year it is important that those of us who fought for the Yes vote stick around to support these communities. This is a massive leap forward, but we still have work to do.
To join or support Hannah and the LGBTQI+ action group next year, like the group on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ AIALGBTQIaction/
It was everywhere, and because we had such a simple ask, I think it clicked really well for a lot of people. Even big businesses were realising that it was a smarter economic decision to be an ally for LGBTQI+ rights. Friends and family saw how the situation was affecting Queer
Banner painting for the LGBTQIA+ group’s float at the Pride Parade.
Then I would watch TV and it felt like the No Campaign was getting more attention during the news, as well as in ad campaigns between segments. I’d hear from friends in Melbourne and Sydney who saw horrible posters. I’d watch as millions of dollars were poured into Transphobic advertising and feel terrible for Trans Australians
Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
07
AN UPDATE FROM DOWN SOUTH
LESSONS FROM THE MARGARET RIVER ACTION GROUP
The Margaret River Amnesty action group started in 1980. During the last 37 years it has worked on countless campaigns, developed actions with hundreds of attendees, and employed their signature brand of community organising to create massive wins including the official designation of Margaret River as a Refugee Safe Zone.
How did the Margaret River group
It seems to me that groups are like
start?
that, they can go dormant for a
We sat down with Rod, the group’s convenor, to hear what they’ve been up to lately and see if the group had any tips for activists in Perth.
Pauline, the convenor at the time,
the door and say “well, I actually
gave things a real shake up. She’s
think we need to do something
a real organiser. Even at points
for people seeking asylum”. That
where there were just a few people
person was normally Pauline. It’s
around a dinner table, her energy
because of her that we decided to
made it feel like a real community.
push for a Refugee Safe Zone.
bit. For us, urgent actions gave the We began in 1980 and worked
group something concrete to do
on Amnesty campaigns, particu-
at each meeting, and we made it a
larly letter writing, for a number
point to encourage and celebrates
of years. The group temporarily
other human rights contributions
disbanded as some of us left to
too.
the Gold Coast and Sydney but it reformed as people came back in
Sometimes we’d just be sitting by
the early 1990s.
ourselves, writing urgent actions; and someone would come through
08
What are some of Margaret River actions that the group is particularly proud of? Definitely becoming a Refugee Welcome Zone last year. We played a really central role in having 9 local groups team up and lobby local council. Including local churches, the chamber of commerce and social groups. I think that’s what makes things move. Not
justice work. But not for the
just having people power, but
reasons people think. This isn’t a particularly lefty community. It’s a Liberal/coalition community. People aren’t predisposed to social justice and we actually get quite a significant amount of resistance against our actions.
having people power from a number of places and backgrounds and experiences. I also think that our work on the Community Is Everything campaign is really important. There are just so many reports that come out and slam the federal government. Sometimes the best thing we can do as activ-
But that’s the thing, often the most important strategy is to help people in power to understand that it’s not JUST the lefties demanding change.
ists is to just put those reports in the government’s face. They need to know that we see these things. What is it like activating a more regional community? I think it is easier to do social
The leadership isn’t always about standing up in front of council. It’s sitting down at the chamber of commerce and asking them to join you in front of council. Having such a closeknit community like Margaret River helps have those conversations.
What are your plans for 2018 and how can Perth activists help? We’ve been focusing a lot on the horrible things happening to the Rohingya people, and will likely continue to push the Federal Government to take a stance for them. There is also plenty of work still to be done for Indigenous Youth Justice. So we will be spending a lot of time on the Community is Everything campaign. If any Amnesty supporters in Perth would like to join us for a meeting, we usually meet on the first Wednesday of every month. Send us an email for more information: rod-wehc@netserv.net.au
Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
09
AMBER BLAKE SPEAKS AT THE HUMAN RIGHTS DAY MARKETS IN VIC PARK
“In the face of conflict, we often find ourselves willing to accept compromise and incremental change, instead of tackling issues at their root.”
COMMUNITY ORGANISER UPDATE Last month I had the exciting opportunity to attend the FWD+Organise conference. For those interested in building power in their communities, FWD+Organise is all about learning to do what we do better. It combines training in both digital and face to face organising, teaching us how we can better use online and offline tools to change lives. I’d be happy to sit down and chat to anyone about the skills I learnt across the 2 day conference, but for now I’d like to share my top 5 takeaways.
10
1. DON’T ASK WHO WANTS TO LEAD, ASK WHO WANTS TO GET TO WORK This is a key sentiment in the work of Becky Bond of the Bernie Sanders campaign. But it was echoed by speakers throughout the conference. Santiago Bell-Bradford of Momentum (UK) quipped “If someone joins the revolution to do HR hold onto them”. Building powerful community leaders is such an important aspect of community organising, but when doing this it’s vital that we work with systems that recognise people who show up and do the work, not simply those who want to be leaders. Becky Bond had a very simple system for choosing office managers for her distributed campaign centres: the person who wanted to clean the office got to run it. If you want to build a powerful and productive group, watch out for those members who are consistently showing up to do the work, and don’t overlook them for those speaking the loudest.
2. REVEAL POWER TO YOURSELVES, NOT JUST DECISION MAKERS Revealing your power, and the power of your community to decision makers is vital to a successful campaign. But revealing power to yourselves is even more crucial. It is through this shared demonstration of strength, unity and courage that we can create enduring teams. If we want to move decision makers, our members need to believe in the power we possess, and be capable of accessing it. 3. UNDERSTAND YOUR POWER AND WHERE IT’S BEST USED This is particularly important when we are working directly with frontline communities. When working in solidarity with rights holders, it is essential that we give them primary ownership over the campaign, taking on only that work which relieves some of the burden from their shoulders. This requires a subtle understanding of the power we possess, and where it can be best used to raise the voices of frontline communities. A few simple tips to keep in mind: always start by listening, make sure the solutions are driven by the community, do your research first to ensure you don’t overburden rights holders and use language that already exists in the communities with which you are working.
THE AMNESTY MOUNT LAWLEY GROUP AT A LETTER WRITING MEETING WITH SIMON MILLMAN MLA.
4. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS EARLY, NOT JUST WHEN YOU NEED SOMETHING When building partnerships, we need to move beyond transactional relationships, towards ones of mutual respect and benefit. When we’re working in high pressure situations it’s incredibly easy to grab partnerships quickly when we need something and throw them away once we’re done. But if we want to create long lasting change, we need to plan ahead. With the new year just around the corner, why not start 2018 by thinking about a potential productive partnership, and developing a 12 month plan to cultivate and nurture that relationship? 5. WE NEED SOLUTIONS AS RADICAL AS THE PROBLEMS WE FACE This is the final idea I’d like to leave you with. In the face of conflict, we often find ourselves willing to accept compromise and incremental change, instead of tackling issues at their root. Being strategic in our asks is important, and sometimes working on small pieces of the puzzle is more achievable. But whatever piece you’re tackling, make sure it fits into a picture of the world you want to see.
Sophie Hartley
Community Organiser
SOPHIE, RUNNING A STALL SHARING BETTER SOLUTIONS FOR INDIGENOUS YOUTH JUSTICE.
Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
11
Amber Blake is the Western Australian Write for Rights ambassador. Amber is an active member of the Mt Lawley group, and has helped coordinate all of Perth’s W4R events. We asked her to
WRITE FOR RIGHTS: Behind the scenes
share her experience of the campaign.
12
In August 2017, Amnesty Australia gathered a small group of everyday, local activists to discuss the Write for Rights (W4R) 2017 campaign. I was fortunate to go on behalf of Western Australia, regardless of my amateur status! The other members of the group were from city and regional Amnesty groups, across six states/territories. The cases for this year’s W4R were already decided and we previewed the cases with background stories and photos. First individually and then as a group, we decided which cases struck a chord with us – which cases had an aspect that would be easy to relate to for both activists and the public. We chose two cases; In the case of Mahadine from Chad, we all connected with the fact he was a young father and that he had been jailed for a Facebook post. Australians are high users of all social media and this aspect of Mahadine’s case made a direct “hook” with most people. Secondly, The Istanbul Ten reminded us all of our own local Amnesty Action Groups. Their arrest at a human rights training day was so familiar to us all. With these cases in mind we brainstormed strategies for W4R promotions. We wanted to come up with a suite of practical ways every local action group could take on, to whatever degree they were able.
I am proud to say that our goal was achieved. This year, the activist resources were plentiful. The usual case posters, solidarity cards and petitions were bolstered by slogans, activity books, hashtags and a prize promotion. A simple slogan “Keep your coins, we want CHANGE” and providing a give away Activity Book including petition actions are new ways to engage with the general public. We also started the idea of incorporating pets into our promotions. This has worked wonders at pet themed events that Amnesty attended nationally, and may be used again in the future. The group still meets monthly, by phone, to share W4R progress in each state and discuss ideas for Individuals at Risk. It’s hoped that this is the area we will work in, between yearly W4R campaigns. We recently connected with our Japanese counterparts by video, who reached out to discuss W4R. Well done to all the WA activists who have contributed to W4R this year. Amongst many other priorities, the strong effort for W4R is amazing. I’m sure we’ll see more W4R successes come from our work, as past campaigns have achieved.
KEEP YOUR COINS, WE WANT CHANGE
13
14
TALKING IN CIRCLES
HOW THE WA COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IS USING MEDIA TO BUILD POWER IN 2018.
One of the most valuable experiences I’ve ever had with Amnesty is the intro to community organising training. Over the course of ninety minutes, the training takes activists through a community organiser’s theory of change. Peeling back the corners of social impact to better understand community, strategy, tactics, empowerment and communication. One of the core models to this training are the circles of commitment. The names of each circle are different depending on who you ask, but there are always five of them, beginning with community and ending with core.
LETTER FROM THE COMMS TEAM Social media gives us the platform to connect to instantly with our community. We currently reach 1834 people through our Amnesty WA Facebook page, supported by our committed activists and members. With a growing team of talented media volunteers, we are dedicated to creating more local content and giving the public insight into what it means to be an activist in WA. Recently, we launched our #MyAmnestyWA series to promote your local action groups and encourage more people to join. We also designed a Facebook series for the Write 4 Rights 2017 campaign which aimed to connect the 10 cases to local spaces, showing how easily it could have been for any activist to be prosecuted for defending human rights.
These circles show us a clear pathway to leadership within the movement. People who start all the way out at community, being influenced by our work, can gradually step up their involvement all the way to core, where they might run action groups, coordinate actions, implement WA-based initiatives or take a Governance role. Over the last two months, our communications team has been working to design channels that speak to each of these circles directly. Raising outrage, hope and action levels for people out in the community circle, emphasizing WA-based voices for people who are already contributing, and sharing organising resources and self care practices for people in our core.
Moving into 2018, we are looking forward to starting up our Amnesty WA blog to inspire and provide a space for all activists to contribute their thoughts on human rights, activist life, and more. In order for us to continue strengthening and diversifying our social media presence, we plan to continue focusing on the promotion of local Amnesty events, and sharing the unique human rights issues that West Australians can create change in. You can help us to ensure your interests are represented by letting us know of any upcoming human rights events you will be hosting or participating in.
Rachel Cowcher and Adelinah Razali WA Communications Team Directors
It’s been super exciting to work with Rachel and Adelinah as they grow their team and process. I can’t wait to see the incredible results they create in 2018!
Mark Brisbane
Activism Support Coordinator Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
15
ACTIVIST Q&A
RICHA MALAVIYA Richa spent four months working in the WA office as the Community is Everything campaign assistant. We sat her down to talk about what she’s been up to in her role.
1
HOW MANY DIFFERENT WAYS HAVE YOU DEFENDED HUMAN RIGHTS WITH AMNESTY OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS? I started at Amnesty International as Personal Assistant to Tammy Solonec (Indigenous Rights Manager) in 2014. From 2015 I was the WA Youth Advisory Group (YAG) representative and from 2016 I was WA Secretary for the Branch Committee. Since mid 2017 I was fortunate to get the role of Indigenous Campaigns Assistant.
2
3
16
There are two areas to the work the Indigenous Rights Team. First there is Core work which includes international work, casework, deaths in custody, homelands, and other Indigenous Rights issues that arise generally. The second area is what activists are generally more aware of- the Community is Everything (CiE) Campaign.
IF YOU COULD GIVE EACH OF OUR ACTIVISTS ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WHEN WORKING ON CIE, WHAT WOULD IT BE? Working on campaigns is not always easy. I think the most important thing activists can do is pay respect and empower the stakeholders you advocating for. This includes doing things such as: • Meet our RAP agreement requirements by using Indigenous suppliers as much as possible. • At every meeting and event acknowledge the traditional owners. • Pay for a welcome to country if possible by doing this you are supporting the community. • Give stakeholders a platform to share their voice.
4
5
WHAT DOES A “INDIGENOUS RIGHTS CAMPAIGN ASSISTANT” DO?
NEW INNOVATION OF LOPITUSM I think pushing yourself into new areas and roles always impacts your personal activism. With this role I was able to understand Amnesty International a little bit more, and how it works a little better. One of the things that really stood our to me was the importance of challenging our Federal Government when we are not happy. As party of the Australian community, we have a right to hold our MPs and elected representatives accountable. It also amazes me the impact we can have- even if we don’t get results we want, we still make an impact- some things just take time. I guess then the answer to this question is that being the campaign assistant has made me more resilient, bold but also more patient as an activist.
ALIQUYAM SEGUNDA PARTY The demands of Human rights and activism in 2017 has been quite challenging and exhausting at times. In 2017 we were challenged by the images that came out of Don Dale, and severity of conditions in our detention centres right across Australia. However, these challenges also led to some successes. For 2018, I am most excited about the momentum that is building around Change the Date. I think it’s time for us to work towards the kind of country we want Australia to be, acknowledge our history and pay our respects to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities. I am looking forward to showing my solidarity at One day in Freo on 28th Jan.
Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
17
action shots
REFUGEE RIGHTS
WRITE WRITEFOR FOR RIGHTS RIGHTS
SOLIDARITY ACTION WITH THE MEN ON MANUS
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY MARKETS IN VIC PARK
An Update
WRITE FOR RIGHTS 18
WRITE FOR RIGHTS STALL AT THE PAUL MCCARTNEY CONCERT
INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
HANDING THE NT ROYAL COMMISSION TO JULIE BISHOP
WRITE REFUGEE FOR RIGHTS RIGHTS
REFUGEE MENTAL HEALTH PANEL DISCUSSION
WRITE FOR RIGHTS
IGNITE NIGHT! WA WRITE FOR RIGHTS LAUNCH
Amnesty WA Branch December Newsletter
19
Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AmnestyInternationalWA/