AAN logo
The big news this month is that AAN has a logo. Designed (pro bono) by AAN Committee member Cornel Robinson, the logo represents connection. Here’s what Cornel has to say about it:
“The idea behind the design was to combine the feeling and cultural visual stylings of Australia and Afro cultures, whilst incorporating elements which symbolized a union and /or connection. I feel that the design is strong, easy to recognise, fresh and blends the Australian-African connection in a simple way. Hope you like it”.
The other big news is that AAN is now on FaceBook. Join our FaceBook group and invite your friends.
And keep an eye on this website or FaceBook for details of the venue for the next AAN dinner on 25 July.
Categories: AAN Events
May 26, 2009 · Comments Off
Bring your family and hang out with us at the next AAN Sausage Sizzle.
Saturday 20 June, 1.00pm – 4.00pm.
Johnson Park, Constitution Rd, Dulwich Hill
Johnson Park on Google Maps
We will provide a sausage sizzle but you are welcome to bring other food for the BBQ and/or salads etc. to share.
Johnson Park has enclosed play equipment, a basketball court, and plenty of space for bikes and kicking a ball around.
There’s plenty of parking or it’s a short walk from the 425, 426, 428 & 445 Bus routes (get off near Dulwich Hill shops).
If it’s raining we will meet at Abla’s patisserie on New Canterbury Rd, Dulwich Hill. Call Suzanne on 0417 777 131 if the weather is uncertain.
Abla’s on Google Maps.
Get out your diaries
We haven’t yet set a date for our July picnic, but AAN will be meeting for another fabulous dinner on Saturday, 25 July. So put it in your diaries now and check back in for more details – or sign up to our newsletter.
Categories: AAN Events
Tagged: AAN Events, mixed race families
April 28, 2009 · Comments Off
The next AAN picnic will be
1.00pm – 4.00pm
Saturday 2nd May
at Central Gardens Reserve Merrylands
Cnr Merrylands Rd & Cumberland Highway.
View Map
Come along and meet new people and families of mixed backgrounds. Bring some food to share, and enjoy good company. The children will enjoy exploring the animal exhibits in the park and there is plenty of room for bike riding or ball games.
If it is raining we will meet at a Cafe close by. Please contact Suzanne on 0417 777 131 for more details. Hope to see you all there!
Categories: AAN Events
Tagged: AAN, African Australian, bicultural families, mixed race families
Will it be you?
Are you craving couscous? Fretting for fufu? Obsessing over okra? Satisfy your cravings and enjoy a friendly evening out: join AAN for a delicious African meal at African Feeling Cafe, 501 King St Newtown at 7.00pm, Friday 17th April.
African Feeling serves a range of tasty and authentic dishes from across the continent. You can opt in to the $30 set menu, or choose from the menu on the night (may be slightly cheaper). BYO.
Ensure you have a seat and book for dinner by emailing admin@australianafricannetwork.org.au or call Jill on 0424 853 717. (Make sure you let us know if you want the set menu or not).
AAN picnics
We have two picnics planned for coming months – 2nd May at Merrylands Central Park and 20 June at Johnston Park in Dulwich Hill. Keep an eye on the website for details or sign up for updates
Categories: AAN Events
AAN wishes a Happy New Year to all our members and supporters.
While our regular picnics will be starting up again soon, we haven’t yet made plans for activities in 2009 – we will be doing so at our first meeting for the year in Mid-February, with our newly elected committee.
At our AGM on December 12 we welcomed new committee members, re-elected some old ones and farewelled one of our Co-Convenors. The new committee is:
Non African Co-Convenor: Annie Stopford
African Co-Convenor – vacant. Thanks to Gloria Davidson, one of AAN’s founding members, for all her work in this role. Gloria has had to resign due to other commitments, but we know she’ll stay a staunch supporter of AAN.
Secretary: Suzanne O’Garey
Treasurer: Jill Sergeant
Ordinary members: Mohamed Dukuly, Nicole Cunningham, Cornel Robinson, Liz Tinney
There are still vacancies on the committee – if you’d like to be involved, email admin@australianafricannetwork.org.au.
Download Annual Statement and Financial Report Please note this covers the financial year from incorporation in August 2007 to 30 June 2008.
CD Winners
Winners of the Putumayo CDs were drawn at the AGM. Congratulations to new members Jessica O’Garey and Cornel Robinson.
End of year party
Around 80 adults and children attended the AAN end of year party in Lakemba on December 6th. The weather smiled upon us, the band was fantastic, the food was delicious and of course the crowd was fun and interesting. Were you there? Check back in soon to see if we captured you on film in our party slideshow.
Our thanks to Canterbury Council for sponsoring this event with a Harmony Day Grant, and also to Kindia Clothing (call Sara on 0415 096 526 for gorgeous hand-made African children’s clothes) and Adom Beauty and Braiding, 37 Enmore Rd Newtown (ph: 02 9550 6630) for providing raffle prizes.
Categories: AAN Events
Tagged: AAN, AAN Committee, AAN party, Australian African Network
Don’t forget to come to our African Australian BBQ
Saturday December 6th
2.00 – 5.00pm
Sports Club Hall, Parry Park, Punchbowl Rd, Lakemba
See map
We provide halal meat, marinated African-style, salads and bread. Soft drinks will be on sale. Bring your family, other drinks if you want to, coins for our raffle (fabulous prizes) and your best dance moves.
For more info email admin@australianafricannetwork.org.au or call Jill 0424 853 717 or Suzanne 0417 777 131.
Download the flier and stick it on your fridge so you remember, or email it to your friends.
Our thanks to Canterbury Council for sponsoring this event with a Harmony Day Grant.
Categories: AAN Events
Tagged: AAN, African Australian
Australian African Network is holding its first Annual General Meeting ever:
11.30 – 12.30, Sunday December 14
Location: Please note that the venue has changed and the meeting is now at Campsie. Call 0424 853 717 for the address if you are intending to come.
If you are a member of AAN you get to vote for a new AAN Committee and office bearers. If you are not a member, it’s not too late to join – you can do so right up to the day of the meeting, and go in the draw to win one of two fabulous Putumayo African music compilation CDs.
Nominating a committee member or office bearer
AAN has up to eleven committee members, made up of seven ordinary members and four office bearers: two Co-Convenors (one African, one non-African heritage), one secretary and one Treasurer.
If you wish to nominate someone for the AAN committee or as an office bearer you must be a member of AAN. You will need to make your nomination in writing no later than 7th December 2008. Your nomination must be seconded by another AAN member and you must have the written agreement of the person you are nominating. Email nominations are acceptable. Email to admin@australianafricannetwork.org.au or post to PO Box 411 Dulwich Hill NSW 2203.
Meeting Agenda
The business for the meeting will be:
1. Approval of new membership applications
2. Annual report by Co-Convenor/s
3. Treasurer’s report
4. Vote on special resolution (see below)
5. Vote on new committee and office bearers if required or validation of new committee and office bearers if there is no competition for places. (members are automatically appointed unless there are too many nominations).
6. Draw of Putumayo CD winners
Afterwards we will go to lunch somewhere local – all welcome.
Download AGM info (includes date and venue, membership form, proxy form, and special resolution info.
The rules
The AAN rules describe the procedures for nomination of the committee and the general meeting. If you’d like to know more, download the rules.
For more info email admin@australianafricannetwork.org.au.
Categories: AAN Events · Australian African Network · Membership
AAN is having an African Australian BBQ on Saturday December 6th.
We invite our friends and supporters to join us from 2.00 – 5.00pm at the Sports Club Hall, Parry Park, Punchbowl Rd, Lakemba for our end of year BBQ with live music and DJ.
We provide halal meat, marinated African-style, salads and bread. Soft drinks will be on sale. Bring your family, other drinks if you want to, coins for our raffle (fabulous prizes) and your best dance moves.
For more info email admin@australianafricannetwork.org.au or call Jill 0424 853 717 or Suzanne 0417 777 131.
Download the flier and stick it on your fridge so you remember, or email it to your friends.
Our thanks to Canterbury Council for sponsoring this event with a Harmony Day Grant.
Categories: AAN Events
Tagged: AAN, African party, intercultural, mixed race families
In October 2007 AAN started an online survey. We wanted to know more about the challenges and needs of people in mixed relationships in NSW, and also what kinds of activities they’d like AAN to do. It’s a first that we know of in Australia.
75 people filled in the survey and the key issues that they named as important were lack of connection to African culture and community, cultural issues, and racism and prejudice. They were most interested in AAN doing picnics, and seminars on political and cultural issues.
39 of the people who answered the survey were currently in a mixed relationship and 20 used to be, and the remainder either were “just friends” or did not answer the question. They represented 18 countries and all regions of Africa, and 24 different language groups.
56 women and 18 men filled out the survey. 21 were of African heritage and 52 were non-African. 36 were the parents of mixed children.
For more detail Download the survey results summary (PDF, 5 pages).
We are very pleased with the response, it has provided useful information which will help us as an organisation. Thank you to everyone who took the time to fill it in.
We will be keeping the survey online until the end of year because we are keen to get the views of more men and more African heritage people, so as to get a fuller picture of what people in mixed relationships want & need. So if you haven’t already, please do the survey, and/or encourage your partners and friends to do so too.
Do the survey online or Download the survey (MS Word) and email or post it back to us.
Categories: AAN Actions · cross cultural relationships
Tagged: AAN, African Australian, Australian African Network, biracial, intercultural families, mixed race families
A.A.N. celebrates the election of the first black American president. We want to pay tribute not only to Barack Obama’s extraordinary spirit and vision, but also to his mother and grandmother, and to his whole extended multicultural and multiracial family.
In the aftermath of Obama’s historic election, we received an email from Endashaw Tesema, an African leader in Australia, honouring all those women who have had the courage and determination to build intercultural and racial relationships and families, despite enormous obstacles and opposition at times. With his permission, we include an extract from his email here:
“Many would rather I did not make this comment but following Milton who once said “a grateful mind owes not but still pays” I wish to pay at this moment in history, not later.
It is women like you who have followed their hearts, not the expectations of others, in more cases than not at great personal price, that helped in the speedy arrival of a moment in history today.
Thank you for meeting us half way to help us cross the bridge, to propel the world toward transition at a more accelerated speed than would have been otherwise.
Without the brave women like you having met us half way, America would have taken longer to make history; many millions of people would have passed away without witnessing this change; many millions of people whould have simply continued to hang on to Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” with no hope of realising this dream in their lifetime. The reason is those who granted the making of this history would have been less prepared to cause the realisation of this dream. Together, the women like you and us have shaped the history that has just unfolded.”
A.A.N really appreciates this recognition, and also acknowledge all the men who also play such a critical role in creating and sustaining intercultural and racial families.
Categories: Australian African Network · cross cultural relationships
Tagged: Add new tag, barack obama, bicultural, biracial families, mixed race, multiracial families, US elections, white mothers
