News
Have we, Australia, become a country that breeds mass murderers with our words?
In this speech given at the Palm Sunday Rally for Refugees, Richard Flanagan says we are better than our politicians’ dark fears...
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Some questions to ask your electoral representatives prior to the election
It is clear that the Australian electorate wants an end to the intentional cruelty of asylum seekers and refugees. Should the proposal to close the offshore detention centres and bring the asylum seekers to Australia be put forward, would you support it? What...
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You can help
- provide hospitality and practical support for people seeking asylum
- actively network with like-minded individuals and groups who are working for justice for asylum seekers
- promote advocacy for the rights of people seeking asylum
- engage in education about asylum seekers’ issues
- donate or volunteer
About BASP
Staff
Brigid Arthur csb, Founder & Project Coordinator, is a Brigidine Sister with a long and passionate career as an educator. She has been described as ‘an octogenarian human rights advocate, protester and leader.’
Libby Saunders, Project Coordinator, is an experienced social worker who worked in disability and community care before joining BASP in 2014. Libby is mainly involved with housing and volunteers at BASP.
Volunteers, kindly support our everyday work with an extraordinary range of expertise and experience.
Aims
The Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP) is a Melbourne-based initiative of the Brigidine Sisters which aims to:
- Provide hospitality and practical support for people seeking asylum;
- Actively network with like-minded individuals and groups who are working for justice for asylum seekers;
- Promote advocacy for the rights of people seeking asylum;
- Engage in education about asylum seekers’ issues.
Volunteer
We have many volunteer opportunities e.g. volunteer for our Friendship through teaching English program, providing friendship and support to an asylum seeker family along with personalised assistance in everyday English. Help families settle in their Australian community by exploring local facilities and services together. Volunteers work in pairs, visiting an assigned family once a week for about an hour. Please contact us to help.
Be informed about asylum seekers in Australia
Authorised Travellers
Contrary to the images sometimes projected by government and the media, most asylum seekers arrive in Australia by air as authorised travellers.
Ordinary Human Beings
Asylum seekers are ordinary human beings with the same emotions and reactions that most of us would have in similar circumstances.
Persecution
They have been involved in persecution in their own countries that we find hard to imagine from the safety of this country.
I am helping a family from Chad to speak English. I feel good to know that my assistance helps a mother of five negotiate the daily shopping run. It’s been my privilege to come to know a caring and grateful new Australian family.
JennyBrigid brought a toy helicopter to the detention centre so I could send a birthday present to my son in Sri Lanka. I haven’t seen him since he was a baby.
Raka (not his real name)You accepted me unconditionally and you changed my life from sorrow to joy, from darkness to light and from no hope to hope.
FrancineYou can help BASP
Contact us to assist, get involved, donate time, money, household goods or expertise.