|
|
C-BERSS EX-PRESS
September 1999
Issue 3, Vol 2
|
|
| |
|
All Newsletters : September 1999 : Historic Meeting Helps To Build Bridges
Historic Meeting Helps To Build Bridges
Advocates and Agencies united by a common concern - the earnest desire to help heal the wounds of the past for former child migrants - took part in an historic meeting in London last month.
In all, there were 13 agencies represented, including agencies that had sponsored the CHild Migrant Scheme from the UK, the Child Migrant Trust, and C-BERS Services from Western Australia. C-BERS Services was represented by our Chairperson Maria Harries.
On the agenda was the discussion of practical matters - how to pool information, track down records, track down long lost families, how to support former child migrants wanting to re-establish contact.
Just as importantly those present sought to build a basis of common understanding that would foster co-operative working relationships into the future - what it's like in Australia, how do we nurture our professional staff and prevent the risk of people burning out, how do family members and other people feel who are on the receiving end of a reunification trip?
In the end, the human relationships that were forged out of the meeting will help to support our common goals, just as much as the policies and procedures that we decide upon.
Represented at the UK Meeting: Barnados, Catholic Children's Society, Catholic Child Welfare Council, Family Care Society, Father Hudson's Society, Fegan's Child and Family Welfare, Middlemore Homes, Nugent Care Society, Salvation Army, Sisters of Nazareth, the Children's Society, AND the Child Migrant Trust, AND C-BERS Services.
|
|