Befriend a child in detention

Tonight Dr June Factor came and spoke to our Spiritual Cafe group. She began the Befriend a Child in Detention project with the idea of sending children's books to children in Australian and off shore detention centres.

People began sending her books and also accompanying letters (with stamped self addressed envelopes for replies). Soon schools got involved.

Did you know that the Australian Government has provided the Cambodian government with $40 million together with another $15 million to resettle four asylum seekers who took up the offer to relocate there? That's not even taking into account deals with PNG or Nauru. We are spending obscene amounts of money to keep people off our shores.

The Government had allegedly paid people smugglers to turn boats around. Why don't people just settle in the first 'safe' country after fleeing their homeland?

Very often these countries have not signed up to the UN charter on human rights, therefore refugees become shadow people without rights or access to work, schools or support for the basic necessities of life. They can be deported or imprisoned at any time with little or no legal recourse.

We need a balanced, compassionate and sensible solution to this crisis, but locking children up isn't part of the solution. I believe one day the Government will have to apologise for this just as it has had to apologise for the stolen generation.