Sunday 2 December 2007

December Member Of The Month

Congratulations to our December Operator of the Month: Country Charm Swiss Cottage, Gorge Walk Guest House, The Ardent Alpaca & Elms on Finch. Our operators of the month have their brochure in prime position with in the VIC and their image and link on the home page of www.beechworthonline.com.au

Indigo Shire / Atauro Island Friendship Group

Indigo Shire / Atauro Island Friendship Group
Media Release

Indigo Shire is in the process of forming a Friendship Relationship with Atauro Island, just off the north coast of East Timor. We are establishing a Friendship Group in the Shire and invite you to attend our Information Day at The Old Priory on December 8th.

To assist our find raising efforts, entry for adults is by gold coin donation, children are free.

From 11.00am until 5pm there will be information stands in the grounds of the Old Priory representing H.I.A.M Health; the Australian East Timor Association (Melb); Great Divide Coffee Roasting (Fair Trade Coffee tastings); the unique eco-tourism development on Atauro Island and established Local Government Friendship Groups.

At 12.00 Gabrielle Samson will speak to a slide presentation about life on Atauro Island. A Community development worker, Gabrielle has worked on Atauro Island for more than 10 years. She originally went to the island to start a kindergarten and then began working with the high school. She has also helped the community start their own development organisation.

At 12.30 There is a singing workshop where we will learn the tune “Mai Mai O Nia Rain” a simple song in Tetum that we can sing together at the evening concert.

1.30 – 3.00 Workshop “What is a Friendship Group?” The aim of this workshop is to provide information to our community about the work and workings of other local government friendship groups and we are looking for ideas from within our own community on how we can support our friendship community, Atauro Island.

Guest speakers will include Gabrielle Samson, community development worker on Atauro Island for more than ten years; Dr.Wendy Connor who works on Atauro Island as a volunteer doctor and representatives from established local government friendship groups.

At 3.30 we are showing the very moving film, “A Hero’s Journey.” Entry is $5 Adults and children are free.

For more information about the day’s program, contact conthw@westnet.com.au.


The information day will be followed by a great concert in the evening featuring Bhan Tre, Braemar and Red Rock. These performers and the sound technician, Darren Christie, are all donating their time and Pam & Graeme at the Old Priory are donating their lovely venue.

The concert begins at 7.30pm. Tickets are $25 adults and $10 children. For more information and bookings, call (03) 5728 2275 or 0428 286 556. All proceeds from the concert will go to H.I.A.M Health. The concert is “cafĂ©-style” with only 100 tickets available. The three bands have a great following in the North East and we suggest you book your tickets early

Relay for Human Rights on Olympic Agenda - Global Torch Relay to arrive in Beechworth 2nd December 2007

Following a two-month long European passage with its last stop being in the UK, the Global Human Rights Torch Relay (GHRTR) arrived in Australia, Sydney 27th October for a national tour.

The Torch arrived in Melbourne on the 16th November, and as part of the Victorian leg of the relay, will be received in Beechworth on the 2nd of December.


Torch Relay 9am – 10:30am

Main street Shopping Centre

Inspired by the Olympic torch relay, the GHRTR is an international campaign that seeks to put human rights on the Beijing Olympic agenda. The 12-month global relay calls for an end to all human rights violations committed by the Chinese communist regime. It highlights the persecution of Falun Gong, the most severely persecuted group in China today, the plight of Tibetans, Christians, democracy campaigners, outspoken lawyers and reporters, as well as the fueling of oppression and slaughter in Darfur, Burma, Zimbabwe and North Korea.

During the run up to the 2008 Olympics, the GHRTR will visit more than 100 cities on five continents to publicise its founding premise that the Olympics and crimes against humanity cannot co-exist in China.

The GHRTR was initiated by the Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong (CIPFG) which consists of over three hundred legislators, religious leaders, lawyers, medical doctors and human rights advocates from Europe, Asia, North America and Oceania. Established in 2006 its aim is to go into China to independently investigate the persecution of Falun Gong, especially the reported crimes of organ harvesting. www.cipfg.org

The GHRTR is sponsored and supported globally by Asia-Pacific Human Rights Watch Charitable Trust and All-China Alliance for Protecting Human Rights & Opposing Violence, and in Australia by Free China, Darfur Australia Network (DAN), Democracy for Burma (D4B), Tibetan, Vietnamese and many other communities and organisations as well as the Chinese pro-democracy movement.

Media contact: Philippa Rayment 0417 371 305
Website: www.HumanRightsTorch.org