::Politics & Humanity - Australia's Refugee/Asylum Seeker Debate Got this email from the inimitable Ross Farley (who I work with at Tear Australia). He does what I do in that he takes two bits of information that you may not normally put together, and then he puts them together with dramatic/sarcastic/deadpan yet so painfully obvious kind of way that it makes us squirm at our own stupidity and inhumanity. Thanks Ross!

*****************************************************

Hi,
There is lots of public discussion about asylum seekers so I thought I would get up to date on the current statistics. Then I thought I may as well pass on this information. So here is what I discovered.

_1. Refugees_

* There are currently about 10.5 million refugees in the world.

* The UNHCR has a resettlement program that finds new countries for
refugees. Various countries allocate the number of refugees they
are willing to take every year. (Australia has recently increased
its allocation to 13,500 places.) Unfortunately the total number
of places made available to the UNHCR for refugee resettlement is
only 76,740 per year.

* Many argue that all refugees should apply to the UNHCR and wait
for processing. It is a matter of simple arithmatic that they
would have to wait an average of 136 years to be resettled. (10.5
million refugees divided by 76,740 places) That is a very long
queue. (That figure of 136 years also assumes that there are no
more wars or natural disasters in the next 136 years to add to the
refugee numbers.)

* If the 100 wealthiest countries took an extra, one-off intake of
about 105,000 refugees each, then the argument that refugees
should wait their turn could begin to have some validity. After
that every wealthy country would also need to dramatically
increase the number of refugees they were willing to accept.

_Visa overstayers_

* Visa overstayers are illegal immigrants who came to Australia on
tourist visas and do not leave.
* The countries of origon with largest numbers of these illegal
immigrants are UK and USA.
* In 2007-2008, the number of visa overstayers was 48,500 compared
to 25 boat people arrivals. They outnumbered boat people by 1,904
to 1.
* Of the last 12 years, 2000-2001 had the most boat people arrivals.
That same year Australia had 60,000 visa overstayers. They
outnumbered boat people 14 to 1.
* Consider the differences. Asylum seekers usually enter Australia
openly and hand themselves over to the authorities and ask for
asylum. Visa overstayers pretend to come for a holiday when the
intend to stay. Refugees are also fleeing danger. What is so
dangerous in the UK and USA?
* Why is there such a public outcry about refugees but not about
visa overstayers?

I hope this is helpful and maybe I have saved you some research time.

Thanks,
Ross

_Sources
_www.immi.gov.au
www.unhcr.org
www.refugeecouncil.org.au

Labels: Asylum Seekers, Culture, Discipleship, Faith, Humour, Refugees, Resources, Tear, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:53 PM   0 comments

::Itinerary-This week... Itinerary Update:
For those interested, I will be speaking in the following locations in the next week. Hope to see you there!

Yarra Valley Vineyard
60 Cave Hill Road, Lilydale
6pm Wednesday 15 July
"Biblical Frameworks for Trade Justice"

Forge/Tear Tasmania Conference
Rocherlea Community Hall, Archer St, Rocherlea
Friday 17 July to Sat 18 July

Labels: Activism, Events, Forge, Itinerary, Lifestyle, Tasmania, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 12:30 PM   0 comments

::Itinerary-Bangladesh 2009 Some of you may know that for the last three years, Tear has been working on developing a partnership with Christian schools in helping the learn from our partners in the third world. After three and a half years of work, we are seeing the next major milestone, taking a class of year 12's to Bangladesh to visit HEED.

I will be accompanying them for the next 2 weeks. you can see what we are up to on their blog created to chronicle that particular trip here... http://dccbangladesh.weblog.com/

Labels: Discipleship, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:01 PM   0 comments

::Rants-Go on, buy something! SPAM ALERT! Hey guys, buy prezzies this Christmas from my shop! http://www.usefulgifts.org/ugshop/id/1692 Help communities in the developing world at Christmas time.

Tear now allows you to set up your own shop. You can invite friends and family to buy presents during the Christmas period from your own Virtual Useful Gift Shop. If you are starting to feel nausea from the upcoming orgy of consumption and excess, get in early and shut that beast down.

"Truly, it is more blessed to give, than to receive."

Labels: Christmas, Consumerism, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 12:04 PM   0 comments

::Rants-A great idea! This is like the best idea in the whole world! Those of you who are familiar with Tear will know about the whole Gift Catalog thingy. You buy, or have people buy for you, items out of the gift catalog that benefit communities in the developing world.

Well now, you can set up a virtual gift shop. You can create your own catalog online, invite all your friends and have them shop from your customised premises. And if you are anything like me, you don't have to worry about handling money, receipts, cards etc. It is all done automagically.

Seriously, Christmas shopping without leaving home! Go crazy go nuts!

Labels: Consumerism, Resources, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 1:36 PM   1 comments

::Rants-Reflections from the Tear National Conference Spent the weekend in Sydney for the Tear National Conference. It was mostly a wonderful time (I got yelled at! Imagine that? Me upsetting someone?) being able to reconnect with many old friends, time to make some new ones, and also a time to bring some heat to ideas that need to see the light of day. In that respect, if a conference can do that, I think it is a great use of time and resources...

Some highlights include:

1. Time to meet with the newly recruited Tear young adults workers and volunteers from around Oz. What a wonderful bunch of honest, sincere and passionate people. It is moments like that when I reckon I have the best job in the world!
2. Hearing some fantastic people communicating what they are doing to see God's Kingdom and his justice come. Education is good, however, when education and information arises out of action, and some very difficult, gutsy, fight the powers action, it gives that teaching all the more gravitas.
3. Spending some (very brief) time with people who have, and I hope continue to shape my life in positive ways.

If and when the recorded sessions are made available, I will post some links.

Labels: Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 11:01 AM   0 comments

::Rants-Petroleum and Rice I know I work for a great organisation when the things that quietly disturb the quiet recesses of my mind are addressed. What do I mean? Well for a while now, I have been acutely aware of how rising fuel costs have driven up the *global* price of food.

You certainly know that the price of fuel has gone up as most of us drive regularly and need our cars. You may or may not know that the price of food has gone up.

If you live in a poor community, then you are certainly aware that the price of food has increased. Dramatically. There have been food riots in some parts of Africa and Asia, not unlike the beginnings of some B grade science fiction stories, as a result of rising fuel prices.

So this stuff sits in the back of my mind and I wonder what to do, what to say, feeling powerless. And the along comes an email from Sally at Tear...

The world price of rice has doubled in less than a year. Other staple foods have reached record prices. And, of course, the world's poorest people are being hit the hardest.

You can help a community help itself by investing in a rice bank.

http://www.usefulgifts.org/gift.php?type=447

Please promote this new gift

Labels: Economics, Faith, Politics, Spirituality, Tear, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 12:47 PM   0 comments

::Rants-Making sense of suffering... Having a hard time with the disaster in Burma. When the tsunami struck a few years ago, my feelings of anger, frustration and resignation were significant. My framework for coping was stressed to the limit.

This time around, the stupidity of an elite regime is simply exacerbating a situation that simply did not have to have a death toll that is as great as it is. I don't want to think about it. I want to shut it all out and cope with it in ways that are just unhealthy.

What makes the Burma situation a little more complex for me is the fact that Tear has significant partners and fieldworkers (some I know personally) who are in the midst of it all, and we are being kept constantly updated. Try as I might to distract myself, it is in my face.

I am not sure if it will help you, but I have found that some of the reflections of our partners and fieldworkers has helped my processing. You can find them here...

http://tear.org.au/projects/emergencies/burma-cyclone-relief/

You can also make a donation to some of Tears wonderful and faithful partners in Burma too if that helps.

Labels: Burma, Rants, Tear, Theology

  Posted by Stephen @ 9:14 PM   0 comments

::Notes from Baptist Union SA Myspace Camp For those of you who were gunning for the notes from the Baptist Union South Australia Easter Camp, here they are! Enjoy!

(Note: You have to click on the white box above to advance the presentation one page at a time.)

Labels: Adelaide, Culture, Gen Y, South Australia, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 8:50 AM   3 comments

::Itinerary-On and off road... It's getting hard to keep this thing up to date. I have spent the better part of the last week in Adelaide. I was the speaker at the Baptist Union of South Australia Easter Camp. It was a bit of a challenge speaking to people as young as 12 and up to 30ish. Try keeping a group of 170 people spanning those age groups happy!

The feedback I have gotten from Jason Hoet and his team was very encouraging. A number of people, after having a whole bunch of sessions to discuss the radical Jesus, made some kind of commitment to try and respond. In a note passed on to me, one of the campers said "thanks for the brutal altar call. It was real and painful, but I think God wants it like that".

In retrospect, I spent most of my time trying to persuade people not to respond. God calls us to enter into a broken and painful world to make a difference. He calls us not to maintain the unhealthy defence mechanisms (even the socially acceptable ones!), rather he invites us to expose our heart to even greater pain.

It's two edged. You open up your heart to pain and further wounding, means that your heart is also in a place to experience the kind of joy just not possible to dead people.

May God's grace strengthen the first time commitments, the recommitments and the three individuals who chose that night to serve the poor overseas! Looking forward to radical stories in the future!

Labels: Events, Gen Y, Itinerary, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:32 PM   0 comments

::Opportunity-Job going at Tear There is a *great* job going at Tear in Victoria. Check out the details here:

http://www.tear.org.au/getinvolved/staff-vacancies/victoria-young-adults-development-officer

Obviously feel free to pass it around.

Labels: Lifestyle, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 5:23 PM   1 comments

::Activism-Secret Society I have spoken to some of you about the secret society. We are starting to form for next year. If you are interested, email me asap so I can include you in on the formation process.

Labels: Discipleship, Lifestyle, Spirituality, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 3:21 PM   0 comments

::Rants-E Invite for Tear Gift Catalogue Ever seen those trendy Avant Cards in cafe's around Australia?

Now you can send an electronic one inviting people to use the Tear Gift Catalogue online!

Go here: http://www.avantcard.com.au/SendCard.php?input=SelectCard&id=492

Labels: Christmas, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 2:32 PM   0 comments

::Rants-Gift Catalogue goes Green Very excited that after some incredibly hard work, the Geeks at Tear have updated the Catalogue with new *Green* gifts!

You can check out the catalogue here http://www.usefulgifts.org/ ...

Get your Christmas Shopping in early!

Labels: Lifestyle, Rants, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 10:47 AM   0 comments

::Rants-Humour This is one of the funniest youtube video's I have seen in a long time. Thanks to Steve Drinkall for putting me onto it.

Labels: Humour, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 5:11 PM   0 comments

::Rants-Wanted: Free Music for a Good Cause Do you know (or are you in a) band that wants to donate music for free to some young documentary makers who are doing some good stuff for TEAR around environment and poor communities in the developing world?

Happy to credit you/them!

If so, send me a message with the details!

Labels: Rants, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 2:33 PM   4 comments

::Rants-NepalDEEP This will be a cracker! I was a part of designing the Tear Short Term program and this trip to Nepal is part of the overall program. I can guarantee that involvement in NepalDEEP will be hazardous to your faith!

Wish I was leading it!

Keep an eye on this link for more details as they become available...

Labels: Culture, Discipleship, Lifestyle, Rants, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 4:24 PM   1 comments

::Rants-Back on Deck...

Well it is official! I am now a Bachelor, even though I have been married for 12 years. On Saturday I received the award for Bachelor in Mission Studies from Tabor College in Melbourne. I have been studying for the better part of 10 years. This is a photo of me with one of my students who also graduated on Saturday. Her name is Beth Rumble and she was better at getting the photo's out of her camera than I was. Thanks Beth.

Well, I am back on deck too, after taking three weeks off to build it that is! I had three weeks to rebuild our veranda (or deck) that had rotted all the way through, but I was back on deck last night, preaching at Ballarat Family Church of Christ. What a great community! I met so many people keen to want to do something about social change. I will look forward to developing a partnership with their church. Quite a few of them seemed keen to participate in Tear's DEEP trip to Nepal.

I will hopefully be blogging every other day or so now that I am back on deck.

Technorati Tags: Tear

Labels: Blogging, Itinerary, Rants, Tear

  Posted by Stephen @ 8:32 AM   0 comments