SWB Programs

The Social Justice Centre

The Social Justice Centre is coming to Murdoch University campus through Students Without Borders.

The Centre will have a dedicated area on Murdoch University's Bush Court opposite the campus office of SWB.

The Centre is being sponsored by SWB and OXFAM and coordinated by our SWB Co-ordinator.

You will have the ongoing opportunity to drop in to the Social Justice Centre and learn about internships, programs, actions and other organisations and their programs that you can get involved with and contribute towards making a difference.

You can become a social justice, human rights, peace, cultural, environmental, conservation, sustainability activist and contributor.

Learn about established organisations such as Greenpeace, Amnesty, the Wilderness Society, FERN, others and the less well known but as just as worthy.

Please navigate to the Partner Organisation webpage and read more about the Social Justice Centre and the relationship between Students Without Borders and OXFAM Australia.

studentswithoutborders@rocketmail.com

Paddy Cullen, OXFAM Australia Campaign Manager

paddyc@caa.org.au

paddyc@oxfam.org.au

Critical Voice - Community at Work

The Critical Voice will return to Universities and increase in community. University is about the formation of critical identity and location. To be 'free' to make decisions means one 'must live in the right psychological conditions'.

The Critical Voice Forums are being held on in university lecture theatres for students and staff to get involved in terms of the higher education sector and to determine the direction of education in terms of society.

Critical Voice is opening dialogue with community, with the media, with the internet, through every relation.

More Information

studentswithoutborders@rocketmail.com

Food Hampers and Community Recycling Drives

Students Without Borders coordinates many food hamper drives for the impoverished. Many of our food hamper drives are for the student community, as student poverty is increasing and unfortunately is often disguised as part and parcel of the student experience. Ultimately addressing student poverty assists in retention rates and academic performance and altering the social demographic by ending cycles of poverty.

Last year the Murdoch Guild ran quite a few food hamper drives through communities and these were richly contributed to. Gerry Georgatos of both Murdoch Guild and Students Without Borders spoke to Mark McGowan's, State Minister for Education, Rockingham, Val Street, electorate branch - where local community members were present. Student and general poverty were a core element of the discussion.

The local members coordinated community contributions for donations - food and other usable items. These were distributed as hampers to Rockingham campus and Murdoch campus university students.

We have evidenced the necessary benefits of this program and have decided to continue it, to widen it.

We also coordinate soup kitchens and free general store on Murdoch campus.

studentswithoutborders@rocketmail.com

8Ball Computer Recycling Program

During 2005 540 computers recycled from the verges, repaired, refurbished and donated to people and students in need.

During 2006 7,000 computers recycled from donations from right throughout Western Australia. 10,000 donations of computers, superseded and non-working. They arrived in pallet loads from Karratha, Kununurra, Kalbarri, Broome, Kalgoorlie, Bunbury, Margaret River, Esperance, Geraldton, from right throughout Perth, from general citizens, businesses, schools, from institutions.
Perth has very little opportunity for genuine recycling and the 8Ball Recycling Program is an incredible step towards meeting this need and addressing social inequity.

During 2007 4,500 computers so far have been recycled, refurbished and donated.

Anyone can donate superseded computers, can donate resources to assist, can donate support functions, can donate their time to promote the benefits of this ongoing program, can donate their I.T. skills and time to assist us in recycling, refurbishing and donating these computers.

studentswithoutborders@rocketmail.com

Painted Dog Conservation Inc (PDC)

The Painted Dog Conservation Inc (PDC) is an organisation which was started up by a few dedicated people here in WA. They started in 2003 and have been heavily involved with a conservation program in Hwange National Park,

Zimbabwe

which works hard at halting the decline in African Painted Dogs through anti-poaching methods, rehab of sick animals and educating the local peoples. They have also recently started supporting two more projects one in Lower Zambezi National Park,

Zambia

(website: www.awdczambia.org) and another in Bushmanland,

Namibia

.

PDC are involved in:

Provision of resources and facilities to support research into Lycaon pictus, aka African Painted Dog
Conservation of Lycaon pictus, with particular emphasis on threat prevention
Education of the wider community on dogs and related wildlife issues
Treatment and care of sick or injured dogs and the rehabilitation of such dogs back into their natural environment
Increasing in the range states the population of Lycaon pictus (Painted Dog).

To get involved visit www.painteddogconservation.iinet.net.au or e-mail pdcinc@iinet.net.au

If you can help run a Market Daze stall contact Amanda Ash
A.Ash@murdoch.edu.au

PCs for Refugees

PC’s for Refugees is a program run through Engineers Without Borders. The program aims to provide basic computer knowledge to refugees or migrants and it also provides recycled computers when the students don't already have a computer of their own.

At the moment there are a number of tutors and there are also a couple of computer technicians who volunteer their IT smarts when something goes wrong. Volunteers visit their student's home each week and run through basics on the computer, such as word processing, using spreadsheets etc. Eventually when the student has gained some basic knowledge, the program provides them with an internet connection which is paid for by the program for a year, and they are taught email and internet skills.

”As a tutor, I believe this program is valuable as we live in such a technology run world. For example, we all know how much we use computers as part of our university studies - the uni sends a lot of important information via email, we need to do internet-based research, and all our assignments are expected to be word processed. Since tutoring as part of this program I have realised how all of these technology based tasks we do so quickly and simply on a daily basis are really overwhelming for someone that may have never used a computer before, especially someone who is also learning English as a second language,” says volunteer Rachel Riley.

Although it is run as part of Engineers Without Borders it is not necessary for you to be in any way connected with engineering. And as it involves teaching really basic sort of skills there's no need to be a computer wiz or to have any IT training (that's what the computer technicians are for).

To find out more about what it's like to be a tutor, you can contact Rachel Riley at 30271497@student.murdoch.edu.au.

Or if you want to apply straight away, or have any other queries, or you have computers you wish to donate, you can contact Geoff Roy on ewb@cadplan.com.au

Read Write Now!

Read Write Now offers one-on-one literacy and numeracy tutoring to adults free of charge. Students looking for help come from all walks of life and the program offers confidentiality. With a solid 25 year history, Read Write Now is a volunteer organisation with approximately 1000 volunteers, assisting up to 1200 students every year.

Volunteer tutors undergo a nationally accredited training program that gives them some skills and strategies for working with adult students. During the training course they are matched with a student by their regional coordinator. Ongoing support and advice for tutors is available from coordinators and the Read Write Now! central office staff.

In association with First Click, Read Write Now is now offering adult students assistance with the basics of computer literacy. For more information on becoming a volunteer tutor, or for information on how to find a tutor, please phone 1800 018 802.

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/training/initiatives-events/content-read-home.asp