Dear friends
In an extremely ambitious people’s campaign, the ASRC is launching The Hot Potato tour – a project designed to take the heat out of the conversation and debunk myths about asylum seekers.
We will launch our Hot Potato food truck on 13 August 2013 from Melbourne’s Federation Square. Fronted by ASRC ambassador Imogen Bailey, the customised Hot Potato van will travel through Victoria, NSW and QLD.
The Asylum Seeker issue has been an Australian political Hot Potato for as long as we can remember. Continually passed from one politician to another, who seem only to manipulate the facts to score points, without any action to actually solve the problem.
The issue is now so hot that everyone in Australia seems to have an opinion. So we thought it was time to get the conversation out in the open and see if we can cool the heat down.
Come and join The Hot Potato van and add your voice to the conversation.
Locations for the entire tour will be revealed shortly. For now, we are inviting you to join us at the launch:
Federation Square, Melbourne
13 August 2013
12:00 pm – 2:30 pm
There will be music, performances, and of course – conversation and potatoes!
From Federation Square we head straight to Dandenong, VIC for 4 pm, 13 August 2013. The exact location in Dandenong will be announced on Facebook, Twitter and the website. We would love to see supporters in Dandenong if you can make it!
The tour aims to cool a highly politicised debate with cold, hard facts. Imogen will be joined at various points in the campaign by high profile ambassadors including Malcolm Fraser, Julian Burnside, Gotye, Mark Seymour and others for media interviews, press calls and photo opportunities.
Celebrity participants and volunteers from the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre will staff the van’s kitchen. Together with Imogen, members of the public and ambassadors will engage in conversations about the issue in a specially adapted ‘Dining Room’ over a delicious hot potato.
Along the way, we will meet a diverse range of communities and electorates, share the facts and allow people to change their minds for themselves.
The Hot Potato
10 million conversations – 10 myths – 10,000 hot potatoes – 10 days – 1 hot issue
Website: www.thehotpotato.com.au (launching on Monday 12 August 2013)
Facebook: Asylum.Seeker.Resource.Centre.ASRC
Twitter: @ASRC1
There will be many ways for you to get involved even if we are not stopping in your city – so stay on the look out for more emails from us.
Many thanks, and see you on The Hot Potato tour!
Sincerely,
Jana Favero
Director – Community Pillar
jana.f@asrc.org.au
03 9326 6066