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Celebrating Refugee Week

The Staging Post screened in Wonthaggi in celebration of Refugee Week.

By Portal Admin - 7th July 2019 - Back to News

To help celebrate Refugee Week, special documentary The Staging Post was screened in Wonthaggi recently, to a rapturous audience.

The free event was organised by the South Gippsland Rural Australians for Refugees (SGRAR) with support from Bass Coast Shire Council, and held at the Wonthaggi Union Community Arts Centre.

The film documents the life of refugees who are stranded in Cisarua, Indonesia. Star of the film Muzafar Ali and film maker Jolyon Hoff were at the screening and took questions from the audience after the film. Around 100 people attended the fantastic event and helped raise over $1,200 for the Cisarua Learning Centre for Refugees in Indonesia.

Felicia Di Stefano from SGRAR said the screening was a joyous occasion.

"We witnessed the courage, resourcefulness and resilience of people who had suffered loss and trauma," Felicia said.

"Having Muzafar Ali and Jolyon Hoff there to speak and answer questions made the film more close and real.

"The generous response of the audience was gratifying."

Bass Coast Councillor, Les Larke, attended the screening and said the film was, "Inspiring and demonstrated the power of community, no matter how dire the circumstances."

Support for this event is consistent with Council’s status as a Refugee Welcome Zone. Council welcomes refugees and encourages the enhancement of cultural and religious diversity in the community.

Council will continue to work with SGRAR on future activities that help raise awareness in our local community.

If you are interested in supporting refugees in our community, contact SGRAR by email at sgrar07@gmail.com or Council’s Social and Community Planning Team on 1300 BCOAST (226 278) or (03) 5671 2211.


Members of the South Gippsland Rural Australians for Refugees group, Bass Coast Shire Council staff and Jordan Crugnale MP celebrated the successful film screening of The Staging Post recently, with refugee and star of the documentary Muzafar Ali and his mother.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com

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