Category Archives: Australia

Burrumbuttock Hay Run

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This post was originally published in the February 2018 issue of the monthly newsletter of The Down Under Club of Winnipeg, The Southern Yarn – http://downunderclub.mb.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Yarn2018_02-Feb.pdf

On January 26, 2018, the 13th Burrumbuttock Hay Run headed west to provide essential resources to drought-stricken farmers across regional New South Wales and Queensland. What exactly is the hay run and how did it get started?

Photo: http://hayrunners.com/index.php/photo-gallery/

The Burrumbuttock Hay Run (BHR) was founded by Brendan Farrell in 2014. When he heard about a farmer in Bourke, NSW, struggling in the drought, Brendan offered to take him a truck load of hay to help him out.

There have now been 13 successful hay runs delivering donated hay to drought-affected farmers all over NSW and Queensland.

BHR is about mates helping mates in times of need. Farmers impacted by drought often struggle to ask for help, and many also battle mental health issues because of the financial strain of trying to keep the farm afloat.

Although the hay delivered only provides temporary relief, it’s about showing fellow Australians that someone cares about them. Awareness and education are also important for Brendan and the team because they believe “Aussie farmers are critical to our future in Australia”. Continue reading →

Top two ‘most positive’ countries

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A very interesting article from Global Citizen listing the results of a survey on perceptions of the five most peaceful countries in the world.

Earlier this summer, research firm Ipsos released their findings from a poll asking this question to over 18,000 people across 25 countries. They asked participants whether a handful of countries and supra-national governmental agencies (like the European Union) were “having an overall positive or a negative influence on world affairs.”

Their results might surprise you.

One of the entities is not even a country, and based on the fact you’re reading this post on this website, you’ll likely be pleased at #1 and #2.

http://glblctzn.me/2hw43n5

 

Rainbow results

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Australia is playing catch-up to many modern democratic countries in moving forward with permitting same-sex marriage. Controversially, the parliament put it to the public to voice their opinion.  

Read all about it here in The Conversation.

Australia has voted overwhelmingly to legalise same-sex marriage with 61.6% marking the “yes” box. But even though Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is on the winning side and aiming to have same-sex marriage legalised by Christmas, his troubles are far from over, with a stoush over the wording of the bill set to heat up.

(read more…)

You are invited to attend …

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Thanks to Winnipeg immigration lawyer Bashir Khan for bringing this event to our attention.

The Winnipeg Branch of the Canadian International Council is holding an event on Tuesday October 31 at 5:30 pm, at the Jekyll & Hyde Pub, 437 Stradbrook Avenue.

Dr Wil Hoverd will speak on “Five Eyes” from a New Zealand perspective. The smallest Five Eyes country has a thing or two to teach Canada about how a small country can hit above its weight in the world.

Free to attend and no RSVP is required. Everyone is welcome to attend.

The “Five Eyes” refer to an intelligence alliance comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. These countries are bound by the multilateral UKUSA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence.