Adam and Ned’s Big Walk for Refugees Nears Canberra

With the support of dozens of generous, compassionate, typical Aussies along the way, father and son duo Adam Richards and Ned Thorn are completing the last steps of their 310km walk between Sydney and Canberra. The walk begun on 24 February at Sydney Opera House is an encore of their 1200km Adelaide to Canberra stroll last year.

This larrikin, apolitical pair is patriotic, sincere, ocker, bonded and tougher than their own boots. They are great tv and radio talent as previous interviews show (see below). Adam is an Adelaide lawyer. Ned has leave from school. They value their time together as well as standing up for kindness and a “fair go”.

Bursting blisters, swollen feet and fire ant stings have been offset by warm welcomes. Adam and Ned have been heartened to encounter breadth and depth of ordinary Aussie support for refugees. A relay of very comfortable offers of accommodation ensured the pair did not have to camp for a single night of their trek.

Adam has stuck to a 1000 calorie diet in solidarity with offshore refugees struggling to remain properly nourished on sporadic rations.

Again, they’re taking the message to leaders that the Department of Home Affairs and Immigration’s abuse of asylum seekers on and off-shore is unacceptable. The fortnight of their walk has seen two more attempted suicides on Manus and still more for asylum seekers onshore.

Adam and Ned say Aussies have nothing to fear from the children still in mouldy tents on Nauru. However we stand to lose if their potential, education, health and morale is wasted.

Releasing a handful at America’s slowest convenience doesn’t change the fact that, as of last Friday, there were officially 1250 humans still constrained by offshore detention for up to 6 years and many more who are still not free to travel, learn or work in some form of detention or bond onshore.

“Bring Them Here or Set Them Free” is the message.

The public is invited to walk in with Adam and Ned on Saturday 10.03.18. They’ll start at 10am.

Aussie love boats and sailing. The second annual #CanberraWalkForRefugees will conclude with an ironic cardboard boat regatta in Lake Burley Griffin on Sunday. This event will be attended by John Hargreave and Shane Rattenbury among others. It starts at the Mint Oval at 10am. It should reach Parliament at noon and the Lake by 1.15pm.

Rally Sunday 11.3.18

Mint Oval 10am onwards
Speeches outside Parliament House Noon
Regatta at Lake Burley Griffin 1.15pm

F. www.facebook.com/canberrawalkforrefugees

w: www.canberrawalkforrefugees.org.au

e: info@canberrawalkforrefugees.org.au

t: @walkforrefugees #CanberraWalkForRefugees #AdamandNed
Jane Salmon