Just Rights Queensland sponsored human rights events held in 2007
Australians Against Capital Punishment hosted a candlelight vigil for all people facing execution across the world at 5.30pm Friday 14 December 2007 Queens Park, Brisbane. Speakers include Stephen Keim QC and Senator Andrew Bartlett, along with a statement from Lee and Christine Rush, parents of one of the young Australians facing execution in Indonesia.
JRQ participated in Lighting the Candles of Dignity, at which multifaith prayers were offered and a rountable dialogue occurred. This event was held at 7.00 pm, Monday 10 December 2007 at the Multi-Faith Centre, Nathan Campus.
Human Rights Day was also celebrated at the Supporters Launch of the Peoples Charter Project, held at 6pm Sunday 9 December 2007 at Ahimsa House, West End. The Peoples Charter Project is a community initiative to develop a Queensland Human Rights Act led by JRQ and Amnesty International. Click here to download the flyer.
A Human Rights Day Family Fun Picnic was held at 12 noon on Saturday 8 December 2007 at Poinciana Park, Moorooka. The event was organised by the Refugee Action Collective.
A Human Rights Day Speakout sending the message to the new government “Dear Prime Minister, Don't forget to bring all the troops home, restore Dr Haneef's visa, free the refugees, and more ...” was held at 4.30pm Friday 7th December at Brisbane Square. Speakers included Jeff Brunne (JRQ). John Howard may have gone but the "war on terror" and the attacks on human rights assoicated with it still remain.
A week before the federal election, a rally was held to highlight the reasons why Howard Has To Go. The rally was held at 11am, Saturday 17 November 2007 at Queens Park, Brisbane and highlighted issues of racism, the war in Iraq, the need to invest in renewable energy and Indigenous rights.
Remember the SIEV-X? On this tragedy’s sixth anniversary, JRQ participated in a multi-faith service held at the Peace Pagoda, South Bank from 6pm Saturday 20 October 2007. The service was followed by a candlelit procession to the Queensland College of Art (South Bank) for a commemorative film screening at 7pm.
The Australia at the Crossroads Coalition followed its City Hall Meeting with a “Reclaim our Democracy” Day of Action on Saturday, 13 October 2007. Hundreds of people gathered at ABC Studio to present a petition to the next PM, demonstrated at various locations and marched from Brisbane Square to South Bank Parklands. Issues highlighted included human rights, the War in Iraq, social services, rights at work, Indigenous rights and global warming. Click here to download the flyer.
Tuesday 9 October was World Anti-Death Penalty Day. To mark this occasion, Australians Against Capital Punishment supported by Just Peace, Amnesty International, JRQ and others held a forum at 6.30pm at level 2, Trades & Labour Council Building, cnr Peel and Grey Street, South Brisbane. Click here to download the flyer.
Following speakouts JRQ coordinated on 27 and 28 September 2007 Supporting the People of Burma in the midst of the crackdown by the ruling junta, JRQ along with others held a rally at St Mary’s Church, South Brisbane from 11.30am, 7 October 2007. Speakers included Father Terry Fitzpatrick (St Mary's), Toh Swee-Hin (Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University), Andrew Bartlett (Australian Democrats) and Jim McIlroy (Socialist Alliance).
Working Together for Indigenous Self-Determination held a talking circle entitled Indigenous Voices around the World on 16 September 2007. Click here to download the flyer .
A Peoples Charter Roundtable washeld at 6pm on Monday 10 September at St Mary's Church Office. The roundtable is an open invitation for people to come along and hear about the progress of the People's Charter Project. Peter Frank, the Director of the New Matilda national human rights act project, was the special guest and spoke about the national campaign strategy and how it lines up with the Peoples Charter initiative.
On 22 August 2007, Australians against Capital Punishment held their third forum at St Mary's Church South Brisbane, this time asking religious representatives to present their perspectives on the death penalty. Click here to download the flyer and here to read the speech I delivered as a representative of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship.
On Wednesday 8 August, JRQ was one of the community groups who joined together to put on the Australia at the Crossroads forum at Brisbane City Hall. Some great speakers addressed a gathering of 1200 people on the social, economic and environmental challenges we face and the need for a new direction. Click here to download the flyer.
In June the UN Special Rapporteur on Housing tabled his report at the General Assembly on the housing crisis in Australia. JRQ partnered with United Nations Association of Australia and Q-Shelter to hold a Forum on Affordable Housing on Thursday 2 August. Click here to download the flyer and here to read the resolution from this forum that was tabled and endorsed at the national UNAA conference.
On Sunday 22 July, JRQ supported the holding of a well attended community forum calling for Justice for Dr Haneef was held at the Multi-Faith Centre at Griffith University. Click here to download the forum flyer.
In their second forum , Australians against Capital Punishment held a political forum on the death penalty on 7 June 2007. Click here to download the forum flyer.
On 23 May 2007, JRQ partnered with Amnesty International to hold a forum on the anti-terror legislation and the need for a bill of rights at Parliament House. Click here to download the flyer.
The Amnesty Activate Schools Conference on Human Rights and Dignity was held on Friday 27 April at Moreton Bay College. JRQ, as part of its Youth Advocacy Program, facilitated a workshop at the conference to help foster activism and advocacy skills.
Following on from the Rights of the Child forum in February, JRQ partnered with Youth Affairs Network to host a Queensland Campaign Meeting: Nurturing Non-Violent Communities for Children and Young People on Thursday 26 April.
The national launch of Australians against Capital Punishment occurred on 22 April 2007 at the Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle Street, Brisbane. Click here to read the forum flyer.
On Sunday 18 March 2007, JRQ partnered with Refugee Action Collective and Stop the War Collective to raise awareness of developments in Christmas Island and the issues involved. Click here to read the No Australian Guantanamo flyer.
On Thursday 15 February 2007, a forum was held at the Undumbi Room in the Parliamentary Annexe, Brisbane on the Rights of the Child. Click here to read about the Children's Rights in the 21st Century forum and the articles that appeared in the media.
On Saturday, 27 January 2007 a landmark workshop was held to begin a process to support Indigenous Self-Determination in Queensland. Click here to read about the Working Together for Self-Determination workshop, the speeches that were made and what documents were produced.
