I would like to say a big thank you to the lovely women of the Koorunga branch of the Country Women’s Association of WA for their hospitality when I recently travelled to Wannamal to talk to them about my new book More to the Story – conversations with refugees.
They were a great group to talk to, with many questions and a wide-ranging discussion on refugees and asylum seekers. They were particularly interested when I spoke about the chapter on Katanning and how I had discovered it was an extraordinary example of a rural community where local people and businesses have a long history of welcoming new arrivals, whatever their nationality, faith or culture. Visiting Katanning’s Harmony Day was one of the many highlights of researching and writing the book.
The CWA of WA has a rich history of improving the welfare and wellbeing of people in our community so it wasn’t surprising that one of the audience asked how they could help. I talked about some of the wonderful organisations that assist new refugees in Western Australia and how they rely on volunteers and donations. You can find more information on Getting Involved and also in the book.
It was my first time talking to a community group about the book and was a very enjoyable experience. And the scones were great!
I have more talks and events coming up in the new year and I’m always open to other suggestions, if you’d like to contact me.
Thank you to the Koorunga branch of the CWA
