MCRN assists volunteer residents
to come together around social
justice issues and create opportunities for others to have a voice,
participate, contribute to political discussion and promote a fair go
for all. MCRN has been able to assist these groups with meeting space,
resources, auspice of activities and facilitation as needed. They are
an important part of the Mountains rich activist tradition.
Some of the groups
that MCRN supports are:
BM ANTaR - BM
Australians for Native Title and
Reconciliation formed in 1997 and has been resourced by
MCRN
since 2000. ANTaR organizes annual Journey of Healing events, makes
submissions on government policy, assist Aboriginal organisations with
general and specific projects, holds seminar s and raises community
awareness on a range of indigenous issues.
Some of our successes include
advocating to BM Council for an
Aboriginal community cultural development worker, assisting BM
Aboriginal and Cultural Resource Centre with gaining re-current
funding; gaining resources for Gundungurra language revival and
printing of .Sing you Brave People . local stories and holding seminars
on land rights and the impact of racism.
Friends of
Gundungurra Tribal Council formed in
2000 to assisted GTC to build up the Tribal Council administrative
systems. MCRN is also assisting GTC in the development of an Area
Indigenous Land Use Agreement (AILUA) and in the handover of part of
Clairvaux Community Centre to GTC.
Multicultural
Residents Association formed in 1994
to combat social isolation for migrants living in the Mountains. This
group has organised annual Carnivale celebrations for many years as
well as Connecting Cultures concerts. It puts out a regular newsletter
and organised social events for interested residents of all cultures.
Movement for Change
/ Blue Mountains People for Peace:
BMP4P formed in response from
local people at the impending Iraqi
war.
In November 2003, the group
organised a highly successful Peace
with Justice Concert, attracting over 350 people with two stages
entertaining simultaneously. This group has had a focus of education
and social action on peace issues and MCRN continues to auspice their
activities as necessary.
In November 2004, following the
Federal
election, MCRN auspiced a public meeting attracting 120 people.
Movement for Change was formed from this meeting, aiming at linking
social justice groups to work together on common educative events and
activities. Both groups now operate as egroups:
Blue Fringe Arts
Festival was established in as the
Adrienne Brown Memorial Trust and has facilitated annual Arts
Exhibition. It provides an opportunity for people living with a mental
illness to exhibit their creativity and has achieved a reputation for
fine and innovative work. In the past couple of years it has expanded
to holding an annual Poetry evening / competition. MCRN has just taken
on auspice of this un-funded project.
Blue Fringe Arts
Festival contact 4759 3699
culture.mcrn@bigpond.com
Blue Mountains East
Timor Sisters Project
BMETS was established in 2004 to
foster connection and friendship
between women in Blue Mountains and women in Timor-Leste. BMETS has
over 20 active members and sixty active supporters find out more from
the website www.bmets.org.au
Six BMETS members visited
Timor-Leste in July 2005 and strengthened
relationships and plans. From 2004 - 2006 we have sent over $60,000
directly to Timor-Leste projects.
Our projects
include:
We have held two
major Forums:
We have assisted BMCC to establish
a Friendship relationship
Committee with Hato Builico in the Mountainous cold area in central
Timor.
The Blue Mountains East Timor
Sisters project is a great model of
community development both locally and overseas.
We have an active
membership of over 20 women, with over sixty supporters who assist our
work. The Sisters have a great ability to use the particular skills and
experience of each member to enable them to become involved at the
level of their interest and passion.
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