Students without Borders Murdoch Guild of Students
Working towards a Better Future
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We acknowledge and respect the traditional custodians whose ancestral lands we are now part of. We acknowledge and remember the incredible atrocities inflicted upon them. This is and will forever be their land. |
Students
Without Borders follows in the footsteps of Doctors Without
Borders, Engineers Without Borders and many of the other
Without
Borders. The organisation takes advantage of our student community,
which represents tremendous natural and social capital. The students
who become involved gain the incredible benefits from making a
difference. They add to both their identity and capacities. Students Without Borders was inspired by several recycling programs and additional and support learning initiatives by Gerry Georgatos, now the current Murdoch University Guild of Students Manager. These initiatives were further developed by the Murdoch Guild and partner organisations. One of these programs, and because it was grassroots and non bureaucratic, went on to become one of Australia's most voluminous recycling programs. Hence with this inspiration Gerry Georgatos went on develop further programs, predicated by social justice and community development, and brought them under the banner of Students Without Borders.
The Murdoch Guild, May 2007, unanimously decided to assist the development of Students Without Borders and to ensure its value to Murdoch University students, to all Perth Universities and Australia wide. SWB has 150 programs and 100 campaigns. We are concentrating efforts on developing these and more programs . The programs provide students with pre-entry workplace skills, hands on experiences, interpersonal skills, intra and inter cultural awareness, regional and global awareness, new perspectives and many other positive attributes.
Get Involved
Anyone can get involved with one of our many programs, internships, partnerships, contributions, forums. Simply fill in a form or drop in to Students Without Borders, prominent on Murdoch University’s Bush Court, next to Physical Sciences. Or if regional or interstate ask your local Guild or your University's Student Services to assist you with your inquiries. Universities throughout Australia are bringing on Students Without Borders and your best bet would be to contact your campus Guild. You can add to your education and make a difference. If you're a student your experience will be recorded on your University Academic Transcript.
UNICEF through Students Without Borders
Students Without Borders has won ACUMA's 2007 National Award for Best Community Outreach Program.
The 8Ball Program was ACUMA's 2007 National Award Runner Up for Best Student Development Program and also received ACUMA’s 2007 Honourable Mention
SWB has won ACUMA's 2008 National Award for Best Website!
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MAKE A
DIFFERENCE ON CAMPUS
Apply to be a UNICEF University Liason Officer  UNICEF are looking
for a 2009 University
Liaison Officer (ULO). If you would like to apply, please
send
your CV and a covering letter to swb@guild.murdoch.edu.au
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Upcoming Events
| Date | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2009 | Uranium Workshop | Learn more about uranium mining from water usage to safety concerns, the viability of nuclear power and alternative energy solutions. Oxfam House, 5 King William St, Bayswater. Contact admin@anawa.org.au to register your interest. |
| July 2 - 20, 2009 | Blueprint for a Better World | Caritas, in conjunction with AusAID, brings you 'The Millenium Development Goals and You', an interactive exhibition on tackling poverty in the world. More info |
| July 5 - 11, 2009 | NAIDOC Week 2009 | Flag raising ceremony, fun day, library story time and "Common Ground" with music, dancing and story telling. More info |
| July 7, 2009 | Quiz Night | The United Nations Association Australia (WA) invites you to a night of fun and trivia! 6.30pm @ Belmont Sports & Rec Club. More info |
| July 10, 2009 | NAIDOC Perth Ball | This eagerly anticipated social event is an opportunity for NAIDOC Perth to share with the whole community their Elders and history. This year will feature highlights from the Coolbaroo Club League, ballroom dancing, fine dining and wonderful entertainment throughout the night. More info |
| July 15, 2009 | Tree Planting | All community members are invited to attend a tree planting day at Burlong Pool with BBQ and drinks provided. 10am - 3pm. More info |
| July 15, 2009 | Uranium Workshop | Learn more about uranium mining from water usage to safety concerns, the viability of nuclear power and alternative energy solutions. Oxfam House, 5 King William St, Bayswater. Contact admin@anawa.org.au to register your interest. |
| July 16, 2009 | World Food Crisis | Oxfam Executive Director, Andrew Hewett, will be in Perth speaking on the intersection of climate change, the food crisis and the financial crisis for people living in poor communities. Alexander Library, 6pm. |
| July 25, 2009 | Santiago de Cuba Carnival | Dance to latin band Rumba y Cafe at Kulcha to celebrate 50 years of the Cuban revolution. Tickets $25/$22 pre-sale. 8pm. For more info visit www.kulcha.com.au |
| July 27, 2009 | Global Health Short Courses | GHSC is an 8 week course; each week, a public lecutre is held at UWA on topics such as "Making poverty history" (the causes and cures of global inequality). More info |
Helping communities in Uganda
Students Without Borders has shipped 9 containers of recycled computers
and other goods to international destinations to assist people out of
acute poverty. We have sent recycled computers to Uganda (twice),
Zambia, Tanzania, Ghana, Senegal, Kenya, India and to Indonesia. These
superseded computers, which otherwise would have become junk litter and
toxic waste, have been recycled, refurbished and donated by university
students who are part of the Students Without Borders' program 8Ball
Computer Recycling. Students from Murdoch and Curtin universities, and
several volunteers from community, are who at this time are
refurbishing the computers. Our last container left for Uganda in early March destined for the northern province of Kasese. Computers are destined for primary schools without any, for training centres and other facilities. Our next international project is for Uruguay, and we have begun. Through the International Red Cross and the Uruguayan government we will ensure a minimum of 200 computers that will be sent to schools, school hall training centres and other facilities throughout certain regions of Uruguay to assist paraplegic students.
8Ball, since its inception in late 2004, has recycled more than 35,000 computers, most of them donated to students, and communities within WA.
If you wish to get involved with the 8Ball program, either to help with contributions, or your IT skills, or in terms of funding and in kind support, please contact either Vicky Edwards on swb@guild.murdoch.edu.au, or Gerry Georgatos at guildmanager@guild.murdoch.edu.au
SWB perennially thanks the Murdoch University Guild of Students for its historical and contemporary support in getting SWB off the ground, and though SWB is growing as a national body, the Murdoch Guild can take pride in its relationship and support of the SWB Murdoch chapter.
Emancipating Education For All
Reclaim Your Education Week
Global Week of Action November 16-22, 2009
Students Without Borders International and the unaffiliated small but growing group Reclaim Your Education Australia have joined an international education movement begun in Germany and now spreading around the world, to rally cries for the end of overt commercialisation of our universities and the cruel death of the socially inclusive identity forming nature of critical thinking based tertiary education.
Rallies
and gatherings occurred all over the world in a Global Week of Action
for Reclaimyoureducation, from April 20 to April 29, 2009.
People around the world already successfully united for the 'International Day of Action against the Commercialisation of Education' (05/11/08) and the 'Reclaim your Education - Global Week of Action' (20-29/04/09). With each internationally co-ordinated protest we get stronger! We are very motivated now to unite for a Global Week of Action coming this November, which will be even bigger than the previous day and week of action.
To read about all the rallies and gatherings worldwide, please visit http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/actions-during-global-week-action-summary
To read about the coming GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION, NOVEMBER 16-22, incorporating November 17, the International Student Activists Day (which remembers the students and citizens who had their lives taken in student protests at the Athens Polytechnic and on and off universitycampuses in Greece, Nov. 17, 1973), please visit http://www.emancipating-education-for-all.org/content/global-week-action-2009
"Students Without Borders, working with ReclaimYourEducation, coordinated rallies in the city parks of Perth, the Esplanade and Hyde Park, on April 20, 24 and 25. We attracted an average of 50 students and citizens to each peaceful and informative gathering. For us, this was a good start, although quite poor and indicative of apathy when contrasted with efforts everywhere else. We relied on the often proved fact that from little things big things grow. We spoke about education as notionally identity forming and its commercialisation in terms of a corporate world's hierarchical wants needing to be addressed or that we shall continue to devolve into automatons. We hope that they will all become members of SWB and RYE and get involved in the campaigns to address the pervasive endemic problems" - Gerry Georgatos.
Reclaimyoureducation Australia needs university staff and students to get involved with its group in order to strengthen and coordinate campaigns and dissemination and position themselves as a legitimate lobby group.
Students Without Borders Murdoch has always been about improving tertiary education and providing tertiary education with every opportunity in community based education towards ones degrees and service learning goals.
Students Without Borders is helping to
raise funds to send a Murdoch student to a Canadian treatment centre
to save her life from Anorexia Nervosa. There are no centres of this
type in Australia, and the treatment will help to address the
underlying issues which led to the development of this disorder.
Fundraising events are being organised and collection tins will be placed around campus at the Guild outlets. If you would like to make a larger contribution, please contact G.Georgatos@murdoch.edu.au or T.Saetta@murdoch.edu.au. If you would like to help organise events, please contact G.Georgatos@murdoch.edu.au.
Article from the Sunday Times
Do you have good IT skills?
Can you spare a couple of hours each week to refurbish computers?
The 8Ball Computer Recycling Program needs you!!!
We refurbish donated computers and provide them to low-income students and disadvantaged community members, both in Australia and overseas.If you would like to become involved in this fantastic project, email swb@guild.murdoch.edu.au for more details. If you provide more than 40 hours of your time you will be eligible to have your participation recorded on your Academic Transcript.
Visit the 8Ball page
Led by Gerry Georgatos, students and academics believe that to address many of the blights that the First Nation peoples of this continent continue to endure there must be compulsory substantial indigenous continent in all university undergraduate programs."If all Australians are educated in the truth then we will have a greater capacity for social and equitable inclusion and a greater ability to engage with another.
It is not a matter of whether Universities can cost this type of education, it is a matter of whether Australia can afford not to. It has been one of the most horrific crimes of this country for far too long", Gerry Georgatos Read more
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War drove student to help kids - The West Australian, 20/04/2009
 "There has never been a convenient time to protest against injustice" Visit the SALUTE website |
 Read Issue 1 here |
 Read Issue 2 here |
Students Without Borders has won for category 1: Working Creatively To Make A Difference (small organisation) in WA. We won on the strength of the website and the scope it has for encouraging students to play a part in their community. Gerry Georgatos, the SWB creator and Guild Manager, won 2008 Outstanding Commitment by an Individual for his contributions to education and indigenous rights. SWB was also delighted to be a finalist for Category 3: Strengthening Volunteering (small organisation) in WA for the 8Ball Program.
The award winners were:
Category 1: Working Creatively To Make A Difference (small organisation) in WA - STUDENTS WITHOUT BORDERS WEBSITE
Category 2: Working Creatively to make a difference (large organisation) in WA - ASSOCIATION FOR SERVICES TO TORTURE AND TRAUMA SURVIVORS (ASeTTS)
Category 3: Strengthening Communities - WALPOLE COMMUNITY RESOURCE TELECENTRE
Category 4: Strengthening Volunteering - VOLUNTEER TASK FORCE
Category 5: Strengthening the Community Services Industry - NO FINALISTS SELECTED
Category 6: Business & Community Partnerships - VINCENTCARE SCRAP TO GOLD PROGRAM
Category 7: Strengthening Rural and Remote Communities - REMOTE ABORIGINAL SWIMMING POOLS PROJECT
Category 8: Organisational Excellence - KIDNEY HEALTH AUSTRALIA
Category 9: Outstanding Commitment by an Individual - GERRY GEORGATOS (the Students Without Borders Coordinator, & Murdoch Guild of Students General Manager)
Congratulations to all of the organisations and individuals who were recognised as finalists and/or winners for their dedication and hard work.
Murdoch Guild of Students -
supporting the initiative that is now Students Without Borders
supporting the initiative that is now Students Without Borders
Murdoch University Guild of Students, Australia's award winning Student Association, is highly regarded as the political leader of Student Associations. Guilds and Student Associations throughout Australia note Murdoch Guild of Students as the most active student activist and political organisation in the country and this has continued even while in Voluntary Student Unionism. Murdoch Student Guild still manages a suite of commercial services on campus, such as the Tavern, Sports and Recreation, Cafes, Shops, the development of sport, etc.., but has remained true to its student representation, student rights issues and involves itself in the general human condition and the plight of our planet.
At the recent 2008 Tertiary Access Group National Conference (Telstra Dome, Melbourne) Murdoch Student Guild was noted by many as a Guild built on its social justice campaigns and ethos.
The Murdoch Student Guild has survived Voluntary Student Unionism, the devastating legislation by the former Federal Government. It hangs in there amid a difficult financial climate imposed by VSU and regular bouts of needless hostility with its vice chancellery. Due to VSU, Student Associations across Australia have lost 2,600 staff during the last two years, 40% of their staff. Murdoch Student Guild continues, to the line, hanging in there, with its 35 permanent staff and 18 elected students.
Murdoch Student Guild is famous for the longest student 'sit-in' in Australian university history; 30 days when it took over the university senate over the issue of the university increasing student fees. It has been recorded and documented in HANSARD. In December last year, its Guild President, Clare Middlemas, at the commencement of her tenure, saved student space when she led her Guild through a 14 day sit-in of the student space to save it from the vice chancellery. As a result of the student sit-in the Guild and the University built a student comon room - a student meeting room that converts to a student crisis centre.
"We came in to improve the student lot. We were elected on campaigns that wanted us involved with our educational future and involved with the social ills that plague all of us," Clare Middlemas, Guild President.
There comes a time when the operation of the machine becomes so odious, makes you so sick at heart, that you can't take part; you can't even passively take part, and you've got to put your bodies on the gears and upon the wheels, upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you've got to make it stop. And you've got to indicate to the people who run it, to the people who own it, that unless you're free, the machine will be prevented from working at all!" Mario Savio, student activist, UC Berkeley, 1964.
SWB
would like to thank Assoc. Prof. Glen Stasiuk, Director of the Kulbardi
Aboriginal Centre for a donation of $500, Fernand De Varennes, the
Acting Dean of Law for a donation of $500 from the Murdoch University
School of Law, and Nathan Giles and the Office of Corporate
Communications and Public Relations at Murdoch University for a
donation of $1550. Their generous support made it possible to
run
'I
Will Not Fall', an event organised by the Students Without Borders
Action Group. The aim of the event was to raise awareness of
the
issue
of
violence against women, and all funds raised at the event will be
donated to Zonta House Women's Refuge.
I Will Not Fall was held on Saturday 6 December at Ginger's Garage in Northbridge. We raised well over $1000 for Zonta House Refuge, which they will use to fund an outreach program that aims to improve the self-esteem of women who have experienced domestic violence. The night featured performances by Damien Thornber and the Orphans, Joe Bludge, Hayley Beth, One Tiger Down, Nat Ripepi, Zxspecky, and Charlotte, a tribal dancer.
