Susan is a Peace Activist and specializes in social empowerment. We met Susan at last years Eltham Festival and thought then that spending an evening with her would be of interest and would provide stimulation for us all.

Susan also works a lot with children an Anti Bullying programs, the Children's Parliament and Peace and Non Violence, and towards the changes we would all like to see in the world.

As a "Peace Clown" Susan works with Patch Adams, so we might well see a clown at the door.

Come along and listen and also take part in discussions  about social empowerment--one of the key factors in all of Oxfam's program work. You are sure to be both entertained and informed.

Next year will be the 40th year the Walk has been run. It will also be the last one.  The income generated from the Walk and the level of participation has continued to decrease, so it has been decided, after a national review, to end this activity.

Diamond Valley Oxfam has such a long tradition of organizing a regional Walk that we feel we must go out with a 'bang' and not a whimper and make this an event to be remembered.

How do you feel about being involved? Would you be willing to join the Committee? Any ideas?????

The Committee will meet for the first time prior to the Group Meeting on October 14, at 6.30pm at the Eltham Living and Learning Centre.

Val Byers, Susan and Jock McKay, Colin Ross and Cathie Roby have all volunteered and they would like others to join them with some new ideas. Ring Cathie if you are interested. Tel 9459 9527.

Those of you who attended our June meeting will remember meeting Michael Gordon, National Editor of the Age, and Ali Mullaie, the you Afghani asylum seeker.

Michael has now written a book about Ali and other asylum seekers on Nauru, and it is available at Meera's Bookshop at $16.95. It is wonderful little book. It is extremely informative and one you will want to read.

For those who were not at the meeting, Ali Mullaie, is a young Afghani asylum seeker teaching computer skills to Nauruan school children. "Freeing Ali" follows his his story from Afghanistan to Nauru and ultimately to Melbourne--and recounts the experiences of the survivors of the SIEV X tragedy, and the "Children Overboard" saga.