�Apologies for duplications + unrequested mail -Please circulate this message! - Tell your friends and colleagues! Reconciliation Float for the Mardi Gras Parade 1999 --------------------------------------------------- � http://reconciliation.queer.org.au/mg99.htm Support Reconciliation! Come march in Mardi Gras! Last year 'Queers 4 Reconciliation' organised the inaugural Reconciliation Float in which approximately 400 people participated. The central feature of the Float was a Goanna built by the Nindethana Aboriginal Project in Moree and artists from Mardi Gras. The float was an enormous success both with the crowd and with the participants. It is important to keep the issue of Reconciliation on the queer communities agenda and the Mardi Gras Parade is an excellent opportunity for this to happen. More importantly the process of putting this float together is a wonderful example of people coming together with a common goal whilst having a bit of fun. One of the main reasons that last years float was so successful was the critical mass of Indigenous people involved. In fact for the Reconciliation float to be successful, the involvement of Indigenous people in all aspects of the float, from putting it together, to marching on the night, is of critical importance Consequently both the queer Indigenous community here in Sydney through organisations such as Mardi Gras, BlackOUT and ACON, and the wider Indigenous community are involved in support and partnership in the float. Indigenous organisations such as the National Council for Reconciliation, ATSIC (NSW), The Aboriginal Land Council, AnTar, Wik-Ed, the NSW State Reconciliation Committee, the Eora Center and many others have been asked to take part. Most importantly an invitation has been extended to the Indigenous Elders of Sydney to lead the float. This offer has been taken up by a number of elders who will lead the float. We hope that this years float can match the exuberance and excitement of last year's float. Of course this is dependent on us organising things well as well as the involvement of people like you. Who Can March in the Parade? Anyone who is supportive of the principles of Reconciliation and has an understanding of the gay and lesbian community can march in the Float. The Mardi Gras Parade is a chance for the gay people of Sydney and Australia to celebrate our identity. However, Reconciliation is something that involves gay people and extends beyond the gay community. So it doesn't matter if you are gay or straight or bi, black or white or pink, able or disabled - if you believe Reconciliation is important to support then come along. We would particularly like to invite children to march in the Float with us (although depending on how young you are, you may have to have a parent with you!). The Rainbow Serpent Last year the Nindethana Aboriginal Project in Moree invited Mardi Gras artists to work with them building a Reconciliation Float using the Goanna Totem. Indigenous people of Moree contacted Mardi Gras again this year to offer the Rainbow Serpent that they had built as part of the Parade. The reason for the Rainbow Serpent being built was to celebrate the return of an area (land and lake) sacred to the Rainbow Serpent and the Indigenous people of Moree. The Rainbow Serpent is 17m by 1.5m and is made of wood and chicken wire and muslin painted in rainbow colours. It takes about 8 - 10 people to carry it. Indigenous people from Moree will come down to Sydney and carry the Serpent and participate in the Float. The Rainbow Serpent will be with us in Sydney a couple of weeks before the Parade. The Rainbow Serpent is intended to be a central feature of the float. The Sea of Hands is a recognised symbol of Reconciliation in Australia. Last year people who participated in the float carried Hands that they decorated themselves. People were given a number of opportunities (Mardi Gras workshop and Fair Day) to decorate their Hands. People will be carrying their Hands in the walking group of the Float. This was the largest component of the Float last year and we expect that to the case this year as well. Colour Theme: Everybody to wear something coloured black or white or pink How Can You Be Involved in the Float? There are a number of ways in which you can be involved in the Float: Being part of the organising teams putting the float together. These teams will each have a coordinator and range from activities from fundraising to organising volunteers, helping out when we have days at the Mardi Gras workshop and the Bump Out Team (putting everything away at the end of the parade). Walking and carrying the decorated Hands (this is the way most people were involved in last years Float) Walking and carrying one of the letters on the sticks (may need a couple of practice sessions before the parade) Helping with the Rainbow Serpent (probably involves assisting the people carrying the Rainbow Serpent) Helping out at the Fair Day Stall - planning and putting the staff together, handing out information, assisting people to register for the float, collecting signatures for the citizens petition, assisting people to decorate their Hands. Bump Out Team - this group of people of people are responsible for getting everything packed up and put away when the parade finishes - its a big job but somebody has to do it!! Odd jobs: creating anything this size means that there will always be a heap of odd jobs. PLEASE REGISTER! This year Lisa-Marie Syron from the Lesbian & Gay Anti Violence Project (AVP) and Garry Convery are co-ordinating participants registration forms and helping to disseminate information about important dates and times associated with the Float. There are a number of reasons that we need people to fill in registration forms: Help us coordinate where people want to be in the Float Work out what skills people have to offer Provides us with contact details so that we can get information to you There are a number of ways in which you can stay in contact: The Lesbian and Gay Anti-Violence Project: Room 6 Level 1 94 Oxford Street Darlinghurst 2010 tel: 9360 6687 fax: 9380 5848 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Garry Convery will be in the AVP Office Mon, Wed, Fri, 3:00pm - 4:00pm Come to the weekly meetings at Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby Room 4 Level 1 94 Oxford Street St Darlinghurst 2010 6pm on Wednesdays (unless otherwise advised) Bookmark this web site, and keep coming back! http://reconciliation.queer.org.au/mg99.htm Financial Contribution People participating in the float are being asked to contribute five to ten dollars depending on what you can afford. We will be collecting this money at the briefing sessions to be held in the week before the Parade when we hand out the Parade passes. In making a decision to ask for a financial contribution we were aware that not everybody will be able to make a contribution. This will not exclude you from participating in the float. IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER MEETING DATES: EVERY WEDNESDAY GAY AND LESBIAN RIGHTS LOBBY ROOM 4 / LEVEL ONE 94 OXFORD STREET DARLINGHURST 2010 AVP PH) 02 9360 6687 bh E-MAIL) [EMAIL PROTECTED] MARDI GRAS WORKSHOP DAYS: Saturday 20th February: 1pm to 5pm More days may be organised. Call the AVP for more information. Mardi Gras Street Address Crn of Gowrie St and Erskineville Road Erskineville (Big White Building opposite the BP Petrol Station) PARADE BRIEFING MEETINGS: It is very important to attend one of the two Parade Briefing Meetings as we will be handing out the Parade Passes which you will need to get into the Parade area on the night. Without these passes you may be denied access to the Parade Marshalling area. We will also be giving out last minute details on the Float and anything else that we need to let people know about. 1) Wednesday 24th February: 6 to 7.30pm 2) Thursday 25th February: 6 to 7.30pm VENUE TO BE ANNOUNCED - STAY TUNED TO THIS WEBSITE If you cannot make either of these nights please try and organise with a friend or someone you know who is able to attend to pick up the pass on your behalf. STAY TUNED TO THE WEBSITE FOR UPDATES ON FLOAT INFORMATION. IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO SOMEONE YOU CAN POP INTO OR RING THE ANTI-VIOLENCE PROJECT ON MONDAY WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS BETWEEN 3PM AND 4PM. BLACK + WHITE + PINK WANT THE RECONCILIATION FLOAT TO BE THE BIGGEST FLOAT THAT THE MARDI PARADE HAS SEEN. TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO COME ALONG AND HELP US CELEBRATE RECONCILIATION MARDI GRAS STYLE. Who is BLACK + WHITE + PINK? B+W+P is a group of volunteers who have come together around a range of projects over the last two years concerned with Reconciliation specifically in the queer community in Sydney. B+W+P are connected to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project (AVP) who act as a secretariat for us. The aim of Black and White and Pink (B+W+P) is to keep Reconciliation between Indigenous people and non Indigenous people on the agenda of queer community in Sydney. B+W+P were recently awarded a state Reconciliation award for some of the work we have done. Some of our projects have included working with the Sydney Star Observer on the 1998 Survival Day 1998 and hosting the "Harmony : An Afternoon of Reconciliation" Forum. ------------------------------------------------------- RecOzNet2 has a page @ http://www.green.net.au/recoznet2 To unsubscribe from this list, mail [EMAIL PROTECTED], and in the body of the message, include the words: unsubscribe announce or click here mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]?Body=unsubscribe%20announce This posting is provided to the individual members of this group without permission from the copyright owner for purposes of criticism, comment, scholarship and research under the "fair use" provisions of the Federal copyright laws and it may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner, except for "fair use."
