| Announcements |
NEWS: ERC has moved to a new location!
The Edmund Rice Centre has left its Croydon location to move to new premises at Flemington / Homebush West. The move took place during the week Monday 18th August to Friday 22nd August 2008. NB: ERC email was out from Thurs 21st to Wed 26th August 2008 The new location, only 100 metres to the south of Flemington railway station, is on ground level and fully accessible. New address: Edmund Rice Centre
PO Box 2219 (15 Henley Rd )
Homebush West NSW 2140 Ph: (02) 8762 4200
Fax: (02) 8762 4220
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link to ERC's new location on Google Maps | The Staff and Board of the Edmund Rice Centre wish to express their debt of gratitude to the Sisters of St Joseph who were our gracious hosts in the St Anthony's building at Croydon for the past 3 years.
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ERC Media: Afghanistan research uncovers grave dangers for deportees from Australia - 4th April 2012
MEDIA RELEASE -- Sydney, Wednesday, 4th April 2012
Research in Afghanistan uncovers grave dangers faced by deportees from Australia
Deportations research just conducted in Afghanistan by the respected Australian social justice organisation, Edmund Rice Centre, has revealed further horrors confronted by asylum seekers who have been returned there by the Australian Government.
“In this visit to Kabul, further to our previous visits, we met and interviewed another 31 returned asylum seekers. 29 of these 31 are living in extreme danger,” affirmed ERC Director, Phil Glendenning. “We confirmed the deaths of another two returnees and the kidnapping of one other who is now presumed dead.” Read more
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Just Comment Vol 14 No 1 -- Disaster Capitalism
The concept of ‘disaster capitalism’ was conceived by extreme neoliberals at the University of Chicago dedicated to eliminating the public sphere so that business would be free and unfettered; and almost all social spending cease.
It feeds on the misery suffered by people whether in war, terrorism, natural catastrophes, poverty, trade sanctions and market crashes. Disasters are opportunities to generate huge profits and earnings.
The concept also applies in countries such as Australia where people who are asylum seekers are detained in centres, and prisoners held in prisons, run by ‘for-profit’ corporations. This new economy is outlined in Naomi Klein’s The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. The scheme always exploits people for profits.
Read more
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Just Comment Vol 13 No 3: Haiti. Fed on dependency, starved of independence
Through subjugation, revolution and further subjugation, the colonial West, that has never wanted a free Haiti, has robbed Haiti of its food, money and popular government. The ‘looters’ - from the US and France - have profited from the ‘three-cornered trade in sugar, manufactured goods and slaves’. In the name of 'free trade', US neo-liberal policies ruined Haitian agriculture by forcing the small nation to lower the tariffs that protected its rice growers. US subsidised rice flooded the market forcing the mass migration of small farmers to the capital Port-au-Prince, further adding to the overcrowded slums which made the earthquake so much more devastating. Under the cover of earthquake relief, the most predatory ‘looters’ continue to come from outside Haiti’s fragile borders. Haiti needs genuine allies - not another foreign occupation force - this time under the cover of aid. Read more
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ERC Submission: Immigration Detention
The Edmund Rice Centre has made a submission to the Federal Parliament's Inquiry into Immigration Detention. The Inquiry which was called in June by Senator Evans, the Minster for Immigration is being conducted by Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Migration. In its submission the Edmund Rice Centre (ERC) argues that mandatory detention should be dropped immediately, presenting evidence of how it is in breach of Australia's legal commitments under the 1951 Convention relating to the status of refugees.
ERC submits that:
• Australian reception of asylum seekers should embrace a continuum of measures ordinarily based on well-supported accommodation with communities which may, in extreme circumstances, include detention.
• Any decisions concerning which measure to apply in particular cases should only be applied after proper judicial review according to the principles of proportionality and necessity consonant with Human Rights Law.
• Wide community involvement and engagement with Government is the best way to fulfil Australia's commitments under the Convention.
The full submission can be read here
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ERC Media: Urgent Need to Protect Those Deported To Danger
An Edmund Rice Centre call in the wake of tragic death in China The tragic death of the man known as Mr Zhang who was forcibly returned to China by Australian immigration is not an isolated case. Edmund Rice Centre Director, Phil Glendenning, said today that the latest tragedy reveals once more the serious errors in Australia’s treatment of people seeking protection. Recently returned from a research visit to five countries monitoring rejected asylum seeker safety, Mr Glendenning said, “Australia has deported many rejected asylum seekers to situations where they are being persecuted and their lives are at risk.
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Just Comment Vol 11 No 4: War in D.R. Congo
The world’s media has been saturated with coverage of warfare in recent years, yet the deadliest conflict since the Second World War has gone virtually unreported by the press. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has endured a loss of life on the scale of September 11 every two days since 1998. This war, and the silence that surrounds it, has been sustained by the vested interests of nations and corporations hungry to make a profit. - Download document here: .pdf 91KB (2 pages)
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Download a fully referenced background version of this publication here: .pdf 118KB (6 pages)
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Banned in Malaysia, the Chinese Spectacular now tours Australia
With highlighted attention on the abuse of human rights in China in the lead up to the Beijing Olympics, Associated Press (AP) has reported that the Malaysian Government has banned performances of an artistic dance presentation seen as critical of China. The AP report quoted an unnamed official in Malaysia's Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage as saying the show's performance permit was revoked because the Chinese Embassy complained that the organizers were supporters of Falun Gong. "We have to take care of our relationship with China. It is very important." the official said. Parts of the performance hint artistically at the persecution of Falun Gong practioners by police in China. The show is on a world tour and will be presented across Australia in coming weeks with performances:- - Melbourne: 28-30 March 2008
- Sydney: 2-5 April 2008
- Brisbane: 7-8 April 2008
- Canberra: 11-12 April 2008
- Adelaide: 14-15 April 2008
For ticket information visit www.divineperformingarts.org
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Just Comment Vol 11 No 3: Sri Lanka
Since independence in 1948, Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) has been the site of escalating violence between the majority Sinhalese community and minority Tamils. The current ethnic conflict has deep historical, racio-religious, geo-political and economic roots intermingled with local power politics. - Download document here: .pdf 87KB (2 pages)
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Download a fully referenced background version of this publication here: .pdf 286KB (6 pages) |  |
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Afternoon Tea for the Future -- Tuesday, 1st April 2008
The next ERC Afternoon Tea for the Future is to be held here at the Edmund Rice Centre (1st floor, 9 Alexandria St Croydon NSW) from 2pm to 4pm on Tuesday, 1st April 2008. Afternoon Tea for the Future is a regular activity of the ERC's Eco-Justice Program, allowing a space for relaxed discussion on topics relevant to Ecological Justice and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles. The topic is “Corporations: Are we marketing the Earth away. We will also look at two case studies, bottled water industry and Green plastic bags. We have a short 10 minute excerpt from the DVD, The Corporation, followed by facilitated discussion and a break for afternoon tea. Donations: $5 covers costs. $2 Concession
Enquiries to Leonie Cornell leoniec@erc.org.au
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