E-mail newsletter sent by Sara Bainbridge, Friday 19th June @ 2:54pm
Hello all -
It may be the end of the academic aear but it's not the end of Refugee Week!
Tomorrow (Saturday) you can get FREE cakes and drinks by just dropping into Bonn Square. Find STAR in New Road Baptist Church from 11 til 2, where you can hang out, listen to music, have a cuppa and find out more about refugee and asylum issues by just having a friendly chat.
Then head over to the Ultimate Picture Palace in Cowley at 4pm to watch 'Grow Your Own' This comedy centres around a group of gardeners at a Merseyside allotment, who react angrily when a group of refugees are given plots at the site, but after they get to know them better, soon change their minds.
And on Sunday at 4pm, Ultimate Picture Palace will be showing Ken Loach's 'It's a free world'.
Hope to see you there to celebrate Refugee Week 2009!
STAR xxx
E-mail newsletter sent by Eleanor Mortimer, Monday 15th June @ 5:21pm
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Refugee Week Social - at the Monday Roast, The Cellar, 8.30pm, £4
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Just a reminder that as part of next week's Refugee Week events,
the Monday Roast (the much loved Sunday Roast, but on a Monday)
will play host to the Oxford Refugee Week Social, with a stall
run by STAR and Amnesty. There will be petitions and letters to
sign, plus some extremely tasty supportive cakes.
This is the last Sunday Roast this term: - a roast based GARDEN
PARTY with flowers, picnic items and the requisite bunting. Come
down for:
................
OPEN STAGE
................
a melee of oxford's finest strummers and warblers.
please contact daisy or cat (facebook/ gmail) if you'd like to
play (or nominate someone else to play)
......................
STAR biscuits!
.....................
E-mail newsletter sent by Eleanor Mortimer, Thursday 11th June @ 11:14am
Hello all,
Just a reminder to come along to the KA at 6pm if you want to be involved in STAR next year. Even if you don't want to hold a position, come anyway!
Positions available are:
President
Treasurer
Secretary
National STAR Liaison Officer
Campaigns Coordinator
Volunteering Coordinator
Publicity Coordinator
x
E-mail newsletter sent by Sara Bainbridge, Tuesday 9th June @ 8:20am
NEXT MEETING: 6pm, Thursday, in the KA.
We'll be discussing how the Refugee Week publicity is going, our SOCIAL with Amnesty, other Refugee Week stuff, our poster and banner campaign and having COMMITTEE ELECTIONS!
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Eleanor Mortimer, Thursday 4th June @ 10:22am
Letter writing session STAR/Amnesty/Liberty. Friday 5pm The Lamb and Flag. St Giles
. -----------------------------------------------------
Oppose the Campsfield Detention centre and the building of Bullingdon Removal Centre.
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Over 3,000 immigrants are indefinitely detained in the UK at any one time. Having claimed asylum in this country men, women and children are locked up while the government deal with their claim. This process can take months, or even years. They are often treated badly, and suffer from mental health problems, not knowing when they will be released. A recent study highlighted the case of one man who had been shuffled around UK detention centres for 8 years. His only 'crime' was arriving here without the correct documentation. These people do not have a voice in the UK.
20 minutes from Oxford, in Kidlington Campsfield Detention Centre holds 200 innocents. The government has plans to build another detention centre in Bicester. This will hold 800 people, and will be the biggest in Europe.
Stop this happening. Come and write to your MP!
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E-mail newsletter sent by Sara Bainbridge, Monday 25th May @ 11:39pm
REFUGEE FORUM
Tuesday 26th May
Oxford Union (non-members £3)
5pm – 6:30pm
OUSU, The Union and The Council For Assisting Refugee Academics (CARA) present a Refugee Forum with four superb panelists - not to be missed. The issue of refugees is one which affects everyone, especially here in Oxford, given the close proximity of Campsfield Detention Centre and the often forgotten issue of refugee academics.
Chairing the Panel:
LORD JOHN KREBS (Kt, MA, DPhil, FRS, FMedSci, Hon Dsc)
Principal of Jesus College and Son of Hans Adolf Krebs, the German biochemist who described the uptake and release of energy in cells (the Krebs cycle).
Members of the Panel:
GUSTAV BORN
Professor of Pharmacology at KCL and son of the Nobel Prize winner Max Born.
KATIE GHOSE
The director the British Institute of Human Rights and a member of the taskforce advising the government on the Commission for Equality and Human Rights.
‘LAYLA’
Libyan academic in Human Rights Law. Imprisoned in 2002 for criticising the Gaddafi regime in her postgraduate thesis. She fled Libya and sought asylum in the UK later that year.
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Eleanor Mortimer, Monday 25th May @ 11:03am
Dear STARS
Mobilising meeting for Calais No Border Camp: happening TONIGHT in Wadham. All Welcome!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OXFORD MOBILISING MEETING FOR CALAIS NO BORDER CAMP
7.30pm-8.30pm, Monday 25th May
Wadham Refectory
This meeting is for all Oxford-based activists who are hoping to go to the
Calais No Border camp (23rd-29th June), and/or the big demo from Calais town
centre to Coquelles detention centre on 27th June.
The meeting will cover practical questions, such as how we co-ordinate travel
from London to the camp and/or demo, and how we mobilise for Calais over the
next month. There will also be some info sharing about the demo and what is
happening during the camp.
We will also discuss the possibility of solidarity action(s) in the UK on 27th
June, for those who are unable to travel to Calais.
Hope to see you there,
London No Borders
E-mail newsletter sent by Eleanor Mortimer, Friday 22nd May @ 11:15am
Dear STARs
Below are the minutes from the meeting yesterday,
See you all at the Refugee Forum, Tuesday 5-6.30 at the union!
Elle x
STAR minutes Week 4
1) present: Olly, Edgar, Richard, Zoe, Scarlett, Habiba, Elle, Sara, Dom, Laura
2)Refugee week
Richard has written letter asking for donations for football tournament. Sara to check and hand out for distribution
3)Social event with Amnesty at end of 7th week. Edgar to organise with representative from Amnesty (possibly Babylove)
4)Living on £35 worth of sainsburys vouchers a week in 7th week. Make T-shirts to promote what we are doing. Use praxis to exchange money with vouchers, so it is also practical. Use network of charities in Oxford to make this a big thing. Elle to contact other groups and make Facebook group
5)POSTER campaign. Loong discussion. Many ideas on how to get across the unfairness of the system, combining Let Them work and vouchers:
idea 1) profile of a professional with brief details of how much they could be earning/contributing towards society, and how much they are being given in vouchers.
Idea 2) Olly suggested subverting mastercard advert:
Night out: $10
Weekly shop: $25
Living without fear of persecution: priceless?
We all have the right to live without fear of persecution.
Driven from their homes, skilled people from all over the world come in the hope of finding sanctuary
They are detained, forbidden from working and given just $35 a week to live on.
Could you live on $35 a week?
Is this freedom?
Any other ideas, please email them to me , and Ill send them around! Elle to contact Oxhub poster making person, anyone else with graphic skill, please get involved!
6)Campsfield Protest next Sunday,. It would be really goof to have a student turn out. We will have a stall next Friday on Broad Street to persuade people to come. Elle to bring banners from rally. Sara to do cheap photocopying at OUSU of the anti-detention leaflets (if that’s okay Sara?- I will send you the leaflet)
7)Mobilising meeting for Calais No Borders Camp in July
Room booked in Wadham from til 10.
8)Project with female refugees. Laura has been given some money to put together a publication focused on the experience of female refugees and asylum seekers in this country. STAR will be involved in this in Michealmus. Email to be sent out to mailing list to gage interest.
E-mail newsletter sent by Sara Bainbridge, Wednesday 20th May @ 11:18pm
Hello hello
(Please look at this in HTML - it's prettier that way)
Here's a reminder about a STAR meeting, today, Thursday 21st May at 6pm in the KA pub. Please do attend if you want to get involved! We need committee members or just friendly faces who want something to do...
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Eleanor Mortimer, Monday 18th May @ 5:48pm
Dear STARS,
Please find below the minutes from last weeks meeting....
See you again on Thursday 6PM in KA
X
MINUTES
-Meeting with Close Campsfield and London No Borders to promote the Calais No Border camp in June. This will hopefully happen on 25th May in Wadham refectory.
OLLY to check out room
-Football tournament: SARA needs helium, and cake donations. RICHARD to draft letter asking for donations.
-Richard’s idea for a campaign this term: Comparing facts and figures. Ie. How much an MP has claimed on expenses for a luxury pot plants, and how much an asylum seeker is given to live on. These will be a poster campaign as well as giant banners stuck everywhere
EVERYONE TO GO AWAY AND RESEARCH
Letter writing event- joint with amnesty/liberty
Other ideas
Social event with Amnesty at the beginning of 8th week? To mark the beginning of £35 week. Need someone to organise this!
Cage. For use in raising awareness. ELLE will make/find
E-mail newsletter sent by Eleanor Mortimer, Thursday 14th May @ 1:20pm
Hi STARS,
Just a reminder that there will be a meeting TODAY 5pm in the Kings Arms
Come along if youre thinking of getting involved...
Elle x
E-mail newsletter sent by Sara Bainbridge, Wednesday 13th May @ 12:16pm
Hello lovely STAR people
This email looks better in html, apparently.
If any of you are interested in helping STAR out with Refugee Week at the end of this term - you can do everything from football tournaments to putting up posters - then please do come to the King's Arms Pub at 5pm on Thursday. We will be the friendly-looking group with 'STAR' stickers on.
In other news, there is a panel discussion on Monday 18th May (4th week) at 7.30pm on the topic of 'Healthcare for Asylum Seekers' (see below)
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Sara Bainbridge, Monday 27th April @ 9:44pm
STAR SOCIAL
7-9PM Week 1 Wednesday 29th April at THE HOUSE COCKTAIL BAR
(Blue Boar Street, OX1 4EE...down Wheatsheaf Yard, just off the High Street).
Interested in getting involved with projects ranging from street theatre to
rallies to 5-a-side football with Asylum Welcome’s youth team? On the
mailing list but unsure of how to actively get involved? Or are you a member of
another group interested in hearing about possible collaboration with STAR’s
activities? STUDENT ACTION FOR REFUGEES is launching its trinity term card
with an informal gathering at THE HOUSE cocktail bar (upstairs), and we would
love for YOU to drop in for a chat. ALL are welcome! Look forward to seeing you
there!
For more information/queries please see our facebook group page
(http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2418522144&ref=ts#/group.php?
gid=2418522144&ref=ts) or email victoria.obrien@stcatz.ox.ac.uk
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Monday 20th April @ 2:28pm
Welcome back all, hope you had a great vac. Plans for next term are well underway, there will be a social, speaker event, Union debate, Campsfield demos, and it culminates with Refugee Week in 8th week which is an UK wide programme of events which celebrate the contributions of refugees.
We'll be having a meeting to discuss all this this Wednesday at 5pm in the Kings Arms, new faces welcome as always.
STAR
x
PS And here's a couple of simple things you could do to make a refugee's life better.
Help abolish voucher schemes
Neil Gerrard MP has tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling for an end to the use of supermarket vouchers to support asylum seekers, see:
http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=38144&;SESSION=899
Help generate support for this EDM to see the voucher scheme abolished for good!
Simple Acts Campaign – Refugee Week
If everyone does at least one of these simple actions, we could make a big change to the way refugees and British born people see each other.
Do a Simple Act
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Wednesday 11th March @ 8:55pm
Hey all,
There are a couple of events tomorrow night that people might be interested in (which, for all those who are really keen and wanted to go to both, unfortunately clash). 'The Illegals' is testimonies of undocumented migrants, while Citizens for Sanctuary are a grassroots political charity working to change the British asylum system.
There are also a couple of things that it would be great if everyone could do when they have a spare minute - signing a petition supporting the Let Them Work campaign, and if you have a few more minutes, get your MP to support the early day motion. More details on this and other events are below.
Also, plans for next term are well underway, there will be a social, speaker event, Union debate, Campsfield demos, and it culminates with Refugee Week in 8th week which is an UK wide programme of events which celebrate the contributions of refugees. Look out for a termcard.
Hope you have a great end to Hilary,
STAR
x
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Friday 27th February @ 10:53am
Thanks to all who made it to the rally yesterday, it was brilliant!
One more notice of a protest today that you may be interested in:
EMERGENCY PROTEST - GORDON BROWN IN OXFORD
Oxford Radical Forum, Oxford Students' Stop the War Coalition, Oxford SWSS and other
student groups are calling for a demonstration against UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown who is speaking at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford on Friday 27 February (TODAY):
_affairs/events/romanes_lecture.html
In the last week we've seen 850 job losses at the BMW plant in Cowley. Billions have been spent bailing banks, but Brown hasn't acted to save the jobs of thousands of people. People not Profit!
As a key architect of Britain's occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, blind supporter of the 'War on Terror', self-avowed 'friend of Israel', and supporter of immigrant detention, Gordon Brown must know how passionately Oxford students deplore his policies:
Please be outside the Sheldonian at 12:30pm- bring banners, placards,
whistles, leaflets and BE PREPARED TO SHOUT!
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Saturday 21st February @ 2:14pm
Dear STARs,
Somehow 6th week is almost upon us, which means it's time for STAR Action Day. Whoop! This year we're going to holding a rally protesting against the detention of refused asylum seekers. This is a particularly pressing issue for Oxford, with Campsfield Detention Centre just a few miles away from us, and there being proposals for a new huge centre in Bicester, which isn't far away either.
The rally is THURSDAY 6th wk (26th) 1:30, we'll be meeting outside the Sheldonian and then marching to Bonn Square where a couple of speakers will give their views on why detention is so wrong.
As usual we'll be meeting on Sunday at 5 in the Mitre if anyone wants to come and help with last minute preparations. We're hoping to plaster posters all over the city so please let us know if you can help out with getting them around your college/department/wherever and we can pidge them to you.
STAR
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Monday 9th February @ 10:36am
It's very late notice, but if anyone's interested there's a meeting about the detention centre in Bicester tonight. Bill, bmackeith@btinternet.com, has one spare car seat if required.
STAR
In light of the government's proposal to build an 800-place immigration
detention centre, the local campaign in opposition has called a public meeting
tomorrow Monday evening in Bicester. All are welcome! As of now the roads are
open and passable and public transport running!
Bill MacKeith, Treasurer CABIRC
NO DETENTION CENTRE IN BICESTER!
PUBLIC MEETING
IMMIGRATION DETENTION: THE REALITY
7:30pm, MONDAY 9TH FEBRUARY
St Edburg's Church Hall, Bicester
Speakers
Apollo Milton Okello, a refugee from Uganda, on the realities of detention,
Andrew Hornsby-Smith, Kidlington Parish Councillor, on the UK Border Agency's
planning application,
Peter Townsend, visitor to Campsfield House for local charity Asylum Welcome,
Organised by Coalition Against Bullingdon Immigration Removal Centre (CABIRC),
PO Box 377, Bicester, OX26 9FT www.cabirc.org.uk
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Saturday 7th February @ 6:37pm
Just a quick message to say we'll be meeting as usual on Sunday (tomorrow) at 5pm in the Mitre to discuss our upcoming events, hope to see you there.
And if you haven't already, read the article in the Cherwell about Campsfield (and get all your friends to read it too.)
STAR
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Friday 30th January @ 4:01pm
Dear All,
This term is going to be full of events concerning detention, with street theatre (see the OUDS website or contact victoria.obrien@stcatz.ox.ac.uk if you're interested), a huge poster campaign, a debate and more, with details coming your way soon.
We'll be having another meeting on Sunday (1st Feb) at 5pm in the Mitre (corner of High Street and Turl Street) to discuss our progress, would be great to see you there.
Below are details of some other events you might be interested in.
STAR
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Thursday 22nd January @ 12:45pm
Dear STARs,
This term we're going to be focussing on detention (just like Obama). With Campsfield Detention Centre just outside Oxford, and plans to open a new centre in Bicester, it's vital that we show that many of us are oppposed to the unjust and indefinite detention of refugees and asylum seekers.
So we're planning on having a series of events drawing attention to the shocking policies pursued by the British government and bringing the stories of forgotten people to the public's attention. We're looking at having a number of days of street/guerilla theatre, and combining this with a big poster/leaflet campaign and more, aiming to really spread the word about the inhumanity of detention.
We'll be meeting on Sunday at 5pm in the Mitre (corner of High Street and Turl Street) to plan the term's events. It would be great to see many of you there, this could be a really powerful movement and we need your help.
Dom
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Sunday 23rd November @ 11:33pm
Dear STARs,
This is just a reminder about events this week as well as to let you know that we'll be meeting on Tuesday at 6pm in the Mitre (on the corner of Turl St and High St) to discuss STARry stuff. Please do come along, even if you've never been before, we're all very friendly and would love to see some new faces!
X
Dom
PS Last time I meant to welcome all those who hadn't been getting our emails before, and apologies that you've missed out on half a term's worth of communication.
Continue reading this e-mail newsletter
E-mail newsletter sent by Dom Weinberg, Wednesday 12th November @ 5:01pm
Dear all STARry people…
Some dates for your diaries below.
For more information on any of these events, please email sara.bainbridge@mansfield.ox.ac.uk
We are also looking to set up new volunteering projects, especially with this group http://www.ocvc.ac.uk/bridging-project
If you’re interested in volunteering, please send an email to sara.bainbridge@mansfield.ox.ac.uk and include any areas you may be interested in – working with young people, teaching English, drama groups, playing football – anything really!
Lots of love,
STAR xxx
PS As you'll all probably notice, we've finally switched to using groupspaces and hopefully email addresses have been transferred properly and everyone who's asked to be unsubscribed before has been. Apologies if not, please let me know (dominic.weinberg@balliol.ox.ac.uk).
Dom
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Posted by Anup Patel, Monday 27th October @ 3:31pm
Refugees have helped London become a great city
Are you proud that for centuries London has been a place of safety for people fleeing persecution?
Would you like to see today's refugees given a warmer welcome?
If so, find out more about a brand new venture
London: City of Sanctuary
Launch - including speakers and performance by Actors for Human Rights
For more info see: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=36144626366&ref=nf
Posted by Jenny Allsopp, Friday 23rd May @ 10:16am
Taking the launch of the first Independent Asylum Commission report as a starting point, this question-time style panel discussion will tackle the many issues surrounding the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in the UK today, both in terms of policy and public response.
Chair:
Anthony Bradley, research fellow, Institute of European and Comparative Law, University of Oxford.
Panel members:
Commissioner Canon Nick Sagovsky, Independent Asylum Commission
Professor Roger Zetter, Director, Refugee Studies Centre, Department of International Development (QEH), University of Oxford
Sushila Dhall, Counsellor, Refugee Resource
Ghislaine Safari, Oxfam worker and interpreter for Refugee Resource
Rt Hon Evan Harris, Member of Parliament
Refreshments will be available after the event.
See www.independentasylumcommission.org.uk to download a copy of the latest IAC report, Saving Sanctuary
This event is bought to you by STAR (Student Action for Refugees) and Refugee Resource as part of the Oxford Hub Series
Posted by Anup Patel, Saturday 24th February @ 2:22pm
SPEAKER EVENT: Frances Webber an experienced immigration barrister from Garden Court Chambers will be speaking on asylum law and its practice. We will be discussing how well the existing system works and whether there is a fairer alternative.
Posted by Anup Patel, Saturday 24th February @ 2:16pm
As part of the national Star Action Day we will be having a stall near the Sheldonian theatre. Come to the stall to sign the action day petetion against ending free english lessons for young asylum seekers.
Posted by Anup Patel, Thursday 23rd November @ 8:36pm
Protest outside Campsfield House 13 years after it was first used to detain asylum seekers. 11:15am, meet outside Debenhams (Magdalen Steet) to catch the 59 bus, look for a group of students. Or join the group cycle ride from Martyrs Memorial.
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