Vic/Tas Uniting for Refugees Network Annual Engagement Survey

As part of the Justice and International Mission (JIM) Unit’s current and upcoming advocacy, campaign and lobbying work on issues of refugees and people seeking asylum, we would love to hear back from our key supporters about a few key aspects of our work. We would really appreciate it if you could spend a few minutes filling out the below questions, and return to Jill Ruzbacky, UCA Synod Centre, 130 Little Collins Street, Melbourne 3000 (or scan and return via email to ) by Friday 23rdDecember, 2016.

1.Name: ______

2.Congregation or Community Name: ______

3.Contact details: Phone: ______

Email: ______

Mailing address: ______

4. The fair, humane and just treatment of those who flee persecution and come to
Australia as refugees and people seeking asylum is of concern to members of our congregation/community/social justice group (tick):

□ Definitely □ To most people □ To some people □ Not really

5.In the past year our congregation/community/social justice grouphas taken part in the following actions on this particular issue(tick all that might apply):

□Received the Vic/Tas Uniting for Refugees Network monthly e-newsletters
□Signed a postcard action
□Signed a petition (online or hardcopy)
□Written letters to Members of Parliament or Senators
□Visited your local Member of Parliament or Senators to discuss this issue
□Hosted an event during Refugee Week; Refugee and Migrant Sunday (or similar)
□Attended a wider community event such as the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for
Refugees or the World Refugee Day rally
□Supported UnitingCare agencies’ asylum seeker programs (such as Lentara UnitingCare Asylum Seeker Program)
□Other: ______

6.In the future, our congregation/community/social justice groupmay be interested in taking part in the following actions on this particular issue (tick all that might apply):

□Receiving the Vic/Tas Uniting for Refugees Network monthly e-newsletters
□Signing a postcard action
□Signing a petition; getting other Congregation members to sign
□Writing letters to Members of Parliament or Senators
□Visiting local Members of Parliament or Senators to discuss this issue
□Hosting an event during Refugee Week; Migrant and Refugee Sunday (or similar)
□Supporting UnitingCare agencies’ asylum seeker programs
□Attending a wider community event such as the Palm Sunday Walk for Justice for
Refugees or the World Refugee Day rally
□Being part of the “Give us a Sign” project (joining other Congregations to have a banner on our Church building/or a permanent message on a Church noticeboard)
□Working together with other Churches/denominations in our local community
□Having a staff member of the JIM Unit come and speak with members of the
Congregation about the UCA’s work in this area and where support could be given □ Using social media (Facebook, Twitter) and websites for advocacy/campaigning
□Other: ______

7.On the particular issue of refugees and people seeking asylum, what are the specific things you believe people in your congregation/community/social justice group are most passionate about (tick all that might apply):

□Ensuring there is fair and just treatment of those people who seek asylum
□Changing the narrative in our wider society about refugees/people seeking asylum
□Removal of children from detention
□Off-shore detention/processing
□Engaging Government around fair and transparent policies and procedures
□Ensuring access to legal services in the community

□Treatment of people in detention facilities
□Lengthy processing times of those in detention
□Government policy of mandatory detention
□Treatment of those who arrive by boat seeking asylum
□Uniting Church speaking out about issues of injustice and breaches of human rights
□Temporary Protection Visas / lack of permanent protection arrangements
□Right to Work for people seeking asylum

□ASIO detainees (those detained after receiving a negative ASIO security clearance)
□Other: ______

8.Are there any other comments / suggestions / ideas for the JIM Unit’s work in this area that you would like to offer?
______

9.I would be interested in exploring the possibility of volunteering with people seeking asylum in 2017 who live in the local community

□ Yes □ Maybe – I’d like further information □ Not at this time

If yes, I could volunteer in the following area/s: ______

(eg. English tutoring; handiwork; qualified legal/migration advice; gardening; crafts or other)

Thank you so much for your willingness to give us your feedback, we do very much appreciate it!
If you have any questions about this at all, please don’t hesitate to call Jill in the JIM Unit on 9251 5266 or contact her via email at: