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If you are interested in being involved in group activities not listed here, or have an idea for a campaigning, fundraising or awareness-raising project, then why not start a group of your own? There are plenty of on-line resources that groups can use to find out about issues, work together, and make your projects more effective. Here are a couple of examples:
Local and special interest groups in Australian Capital Territory meet for awareness-raising, campaigning and fundraising activities to support Oxfam Australia's programs both in Australia and in developing nations around the world.
To make contact with any of the ACT based groups listed below, contact the ACT Committee.
Location Based Groups
ANU Group
This group aims to raise student awareness of development issues such as the Nike campaign to students and the general campus. Actions include letter writing, petitions, market day stalls, hosting speakers and promoting the Nestle boycott. The group is also interested in drawing on experiences and supporting development campaigners who are looking for new avenues of support.
Northside Group
The group is the ACT's oldest group, celebrating 20 years in 2001, but the members are interested in doing new things and in having fun. The group runs games nights and organises a wine sale each year.
The Northside Group continues to organise a range of regular fundraisers throughout the year, including as barbeques and the Book Stall at the Christmas Fair. This year the Group also contributed to the development of a webpage for the use of Groups, to be included on the Oxfam Australia website.
The Northside Group is currently coordinating its annual second-hand book-stall for the Oxfam Australia Christmas Fair. If anyone has books they would like to donate please contact the ACT Committee.
Special Interest Groups
Community Leadership Program Group
This group has grown out of returned participants from the Community Leadership Program. It is part of the broader national CLP network.
Fair Trade Group
This group has just started recently, and is campaigning to increase awareness and use of fair trade products, such as tea, coffee and chocolate, in the ACT. The group plans to make the Australian National University a Fair Trade Campus.
In February 2005, the Group organised a stall to run at the ACT Multicultural Festival's Food and Dance Extravaganza, an event attended by an estimated 50,000 people. Jasper Coffee attended to sell Fairtrade certified coffee to the crowds, and volunteers talked with interested people about fair trade.
A series of events was organised during Fair Trade Fortnight in May 2005. These included stalls in local markets, public places and shopping malls, and a campaign café on the future of the Fairtrade mark. These events were run in conjunction with events at the Oxfam Shops, which held free tastings of Fairtrade chocolate at the shops, and donated chocolate to give out at events.
In September 2005, the group's petition to the ACT Legislative Assembly was presented by Greens MLA Deb Foskey, who also successfully moved a motion that the ACT Legislative Assembly use and support Fairtrade products and producers.
Find out more about the groupReading Group
This group meets every two months to discuss readings on development-related issues. The group often takes its topic from the topic of the latest campaign café.
In 2005, the group organised its readings so as to contribute to the development of Oxfam Australia's private sector engagement policy. It is planning to continue orienting its activities to Oxfam Australia policy development.