In September 2019 the Australia Western Sahara Association hosted Tecber Ahmed Saleh, an advocate for human rights, who lives in the Saharawi refugee camps in south-west Algeria.
Tecber’s tour has been generously supported by Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA.
Tecber works in the Ministry of Health in the Saharawi refugee camps and studied in the USA and Spain. Western Sahara has been occupied and its people in exile for 44 years. Approximately 170,000 Saharawis remain displaced in refugee camps. The Saharawi people are calling for the United Nations mission in Western Sahara to add a mandate for the monitoring of human rights in the territory, and for a free and fair United Nations referendum.
It has been a very successful visit to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra and Tecber is currently in New Zealand for a tour of six cities.
Enthusiastic support for Tecber and the Saharawis at UnionsNSW / Apheda event. Photo courtesy of Holly Creenaune
Press coverage of the Australian part of Tecber’s tour
New Zealand press coverage of Tecber’s tour
Other information :
You can support the ongoing educational activities and crucial humanitarian relief by donating through Union Aid Abroad-APHEDA: Support for Western Sahara
Tecber Ahmed Saleh, health worker in the Western Sahara Ministry of Health. Photo by Timothy Ginty, used with permission.
Events in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra during September
Sydney: Tuesday 3 September 6:30pm: Dinner with Tecber In Conversation: Life in the Western Sahara Refugee Camps, featuring the Hon. Dr. Meredith Burgmann
Sydney: Thursday 5 September, 12 midday: Lunchtime talk at Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, in the HR Carne Lecture Theatre, RMC Gunn Building B19, at The University of Sydney.
Sydney: Thursday 5 September 5:30pm: Panel discussion at Sydney Trades Hall, Human rights and selfdetermination: Western Sahara and Timor Leste. Speakers: Tecber Ahmed Saleh; Luciano Romano – Consul General of East Timor in NSW; Mr Kamal Fadel – Representative of the Frente Polisario [Western Sahara] in Australia and New Zealand. Sydney Trades Hall, 1-4 Goulburn Street Sydney. Supported by UnionsNSW and Union Aid Abroad APHEDA.
Melbourne: Tuesday 10 September 6:30pm: Dinner and fundraiser at the North Fitzroy Arms Hotel. Tecber lives in the Saharawi refugee camps where she works in the Ministry of Health. She is visiting Australia on a speaking tour supported by Union Aid Abroad APHEDA. Full price meal is $45, concession $40, drinks at bar prices.
Melbourne: Thursday 12 September 7:30pm: Saharawi Rights and Recognition at the Institute for Postcolonial Studies. The panel will feature: Julia Dehm – La Trobe University, Tecber Ahmed Saleh – Ministry of Health, Saharawi refugee camps, Randi Irwin – University of Newcastle, Kamal Fadel – Representative of the Frente Polisario (Western Sahara) in Australia and New Zealand. 78-80 Curzon St, North Melbourne
Canberra: Tuesday 17 September 6-7pm; A presentation by Tecber Ahmed Saleh, hosted by the United Nations Association of Australia and the ANU Centre for International and Public Law. Drinks from 5.30pm. Fellows Rd Theatre 1, Fellows Rd Annex of ANU College of Law North Building 6A.
Canberra: Wednesday 18 September 6pm: Refugee Action Campaign, Africa’s last colony, stories from the Western Sahara refugee camps with Tecber Ahmed Saleh, Dickson Tradies, Badham Street, Dickson ACT, 2602
Sydney: Wednesday 25 September 1pm-2pm: Lunchtime seminar on Western Sahara -Africa’s last colony: the legal, political, environmental and human aspects of the conflict, hosted by UTS Climate Justice Research Centre and the Faculty of Law UTS. UTS Business School (Building 8), Room 4.010, 14-28 Ultimo Road Ultimo, FREE EVENT.
Sydney: Thursday 26 September 6pm Federation of Italian Migrant Workers and Families (Filef) Human Rights Evening at Leichhardt Library, Piazza Level Italian Forum, 23 Norton St, Leichhardt.