On Friday, 29th March 2019, Gary and Brenda Bendall, Paul Henriques and Angela Wadham attended the Role Model Assembly at Glen Taylor School, Glendowie, on behalf of the church, and assisted in the Duffy presentation of books to pupils. It was a pleasure to be part of this school event, and our Church was thanked by students for our sponsorship.
Continue reading Duffy Books – Role Model AssemblyWhat does Amnesty do?
We investigate and expose the facts, whenever and wherever abuses happen.
We lobby governments, and other powerful groups such as companies. Making sure they keep their promises and respect international law.
Each month we write letters in response to Rapid Action requests from Amnesty International.
The October letter is written for the Nicaraguan student leaders and others who had been arrested and detained for exercising their rights to peaceful protest about the Nicaraguan authorities increasingly repressive strategies including promoting a Shoot to Kill Strategy and Repression of Social Protest in Nicaragua. One of the students arrested is a young medical student and cousin of a New Zealand citizen.
Gary, Paul, Angela and Brenda were very happy to attend the Duffy Role Model’s Assembly at Glen Taylor School last month. Thanks to the PSJ Group and the Church’s congregation, our Church is able to provide 50% of the cost of new books distributed to the pupils at Glen Taylor School on an ongoing basis. The books given are ones that the children choose, and take home to keep. Quite a moving thought isn’t it, helping kids build up a Library of their own at home!
The students were a delight and the staff welcoming. We look forward to building a closer relationship with the school’s management and students, with possible assistance in other areas. We hope to be able to bring some ideas for participation to the congregation early next year.
Paul reports that the Tongan dyslexia project ran well this year and has now finished as students are busy after school studying for their end of year exams. The tutors from the Library Trust we work with are looking forward to next year. In Samoa the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture have restarted the dyslexia project on a small scale and have asked about our idea of developing a Samoan version of the Steps dyslexia programme.
Gary and Brenda Bendall talk about a possible linkup with Duffy Books in Homes
Paul Henriques gave us an update on the Pacific Dyslexia Aid Programme in particular his visit last month to Tonga, and his upcoming visit to Samoa.
An update from Paul Henriques on the recent work of the Peace and Social Justice Group.
Article in Quest (scroll to P4) re Samoan Dyslexia Aid Project.
Quest is the journal of the Australia New Zealand Unitarian Universalist Association.
Follow this link to a detailed article on the early years of the Samoan Dyslexia Aid Project in the Spring 2016 issue. See pages 4-7.
A member of our church’s congregation, Dr Paul Henriques, laid the foundation for this project in January 2014. A dyslexic person himself, Paul has focussed his considerable knowledge and ability to start a pilot project in Samoa, aimed at helping Samoan primary and secondary school age children, using a computer software and workbook based programme called “Steps”.
In 2014, with the support of the Peace and Social Justice Group, Paul met with the Samoan Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture (MESC) to initiate the pilot project where 4 schools were chosen. Teachers and Ministry staff were trained in the Steps programme by Paul, who then monitored progress over the following year. The church, through the PSJ Fund, donated 16 computers to the 4 schools for use in teaching dyslexic students.
