After Asha

2016-02-25

Emma Davidson and Rosanne Bersten

For 10 days, unions, community groups and refugee rights organisations camped, rallied, sang, and even slept outside Lady Cilento hospital in support of Baby Asha: a 12-month-old girl at risk of being returned to the detention centre on Nauru. Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, Senator Larissa Waters and the Australian Greens stood in solidarity with these groups as well as the doctors and nurses who refused to discharge this child into detention.

On the 20th February, the call went out that representatives of Border Force were at the hospital, with the intention of removing Baby Asha against the recommendations of her doctors. In response, hundreds of people showed up at the hospital entrance – prepared to stop Asha from being removed from the hospital. The following day, Peter Dutton announced that Baby Asha would be released into community detention.

This was a great win for community power – but there is still more to be done. Asha is still at risk of being returned to Nauru. And there are another 267 vulnerable men, women and children living in the community that the government intends to return to Nauru or Manus.   

In the last few weeks, actions have taken place across the country calling on the government to #letthemstay. Church leaders have occupied ministers' offices, people have hung off bridges displaying banners, doctors have called for a boycott of detention centres... the movement to open our hearts is gathering momentum.

How will you get involved? 

Here are just 10 ideas to get you started:

  1. Join an event in your local area – or propose one of your own – see this list at CommunityRun.
  2. Write to your local MP and to the PM.
  3. Sign up to support the campaign.
  4. Contact Senator Hanson-Young's office to find out how you can get involved in your local area.
  5. Donate to support The Australian Greens to continue to fight for the rights of people seeking asylum.
  6. Get along to the Palm Sunday Rally on March 20 in your city – stay tuned for further details.
  7. Pass a motion at your community organisation or in your union branch in support of the 267.
  8. Follow the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre on Twitter and Facebook and the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support and Advocacy Network on Facebook to receive notifications of snap actions.
  9. Create art to convey your hope, your sadness, whatever you're feeling about the situation. Connecting with emotion helps change people's minds in ways cold facts just can't.
  10. Spread the word – every conversation matters. Talk with your family and friends about the kind of diverse, welcoming and compassionate community you'd like to live in and what they can do to help bring about change.