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Oxfam Australia
Diamond Valley Group

C/- 34 Hakea St Watsonia 3087   email: dvcaa@optushome.com.au   web: http://home.vicnet.net.au/~dvoxfam

DV Oxfam Meeting
Friday 18th April
Abdehadi Matar
Darfur Australia Network

This month Abdelhadi Matar, President of the Darfur Community Association of Australia, will speak to us about the situation in Sudan and his experiences as a refugee fleeing from the conflict there.

Abdelhadi is also involved with the Darfur Australia Network (DAN) which is a not-for-profit community organisation run by the Darfur community to raise awareness about the continuing tragedy in the Darfur region of Sudan, assist in the resettlement of Darfuri refugees and build solidarity between the Australian people and the people of Darfur.

For background reading there is an article on Abdelhadi's escape from Sudan and subsequent arrival in Australia in the "New Matilda" entitled "My Heart is in Darfur" written by Maria Franco. http://www.newmatilda.com/

Meeting with
Diamantino Nhampossa
the Executive Director of UNAC
Sunday 13th April at 3pm
4 St Ronan's Court
Eltham 3095

Carole Wigg has invited Diamantino Nhampossa, the Executive Director of UNAC, National Union of Small Scale Farmers, from Mozambique, to speak at her home on Sunday 13th April. 

Diamantino is visiting the Melbourne Oxfam Office for a short visit and is looking for  the opportunity to visit some local groups and speak about the projects that UNAC run in partnership with Oxfam Australia.

UNAC is a movement of small scale farmers working to achieve social and economic rights for all small farmers in Mozambique.  Oxfam Australia has funded three UNAC projects in Funhalouro district. UNAC's work concentrates on two principal themes: 1) Promote activities aimed at strengthening the target communities to increase their capacity to plan at the local level, influence agricultural policies and increase their capacity to lobby on relevant issues; and 2) Strengthen agricultural production activities using local systems that are easy to access for the small land-holder farmers and promote an economic development environment based on the farmers own strategies.

If you have some time on Sunday, or you know of friends who may be interested in meeting and hearing Diamantino please come along.  Contact Carole on 9439 7272.

Where to with Reconciliation
in Nillumbik ?
NRG Discussion With Daryl Taylor
Wednesday 14 May 2008 at 7.30pm
at Steve Herbert's Meeting Room,
718 Main Road, Eltham.
Park at the rear or in Brougham Street.

DVOXFAM members are invited to an important discussion with Daryl Taylor on "Where  to with Reconciliation in Nillumbik?"

This year the Shire has passed their Reconciliation Charter and the Federal Government has made the Apology. and the UN has passed its Indigenous Rights Bill.  Reconciliation is renewed and we all have a responsibility to help the processes move along towards equality of living standards, health, justice and constitutional rights.

This meeting replaces an earlier arrangement which had to be cancelled at short notice.

Daryl was community Development Officer at Nillumbik Shire Council 1998-2000 and was responsible for implementing Aboriginal Reconciliation policy and programmes for the Shire. He is now working as an independent organisational and community development consultant to all levels of government and community groups.