The Castlemaine Branch of Rural Australians for Refugees is holding its Annual General Meeting tonight, Monday November 15, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm, at the Castlemaine Town Hall. The guest speaker will be Michael Annear who has recently been appointed to a senior position at the Mount Alexander Shire Council after many years working with the International Red Cross. He led the delivery of programs across the Asia-Pacific region to improve public health, shelter, water and sanitation and provided rapid responses in countries experiencing major natural and human caused emergencies. Mr Annear will speak about the flow of economic migrants and refugees across the globe and the role Australia could play in both reducing that flow and the suffering that accompanies it.
Castlemaine RSR chair Bronwen Machin said they welcome all to come to their AGM. “Even during the COVID times our group has raised money for refugees, both locally and in Victoria. We raised enough for two detainees to be moved to Canada and we have advocated to members of Parliament. Now we want new people and energy onto the Committee of Management and to the organisation so we can do more and advocate better on behalf of those our government treats appallingly,” she said.