Sydney Alliance

2020 has been a hard year – but it has not treated everyone equally.

In the face of unprecedented challenges, some of the hardest hit communities saw great leaders set up. Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the federal government has denied international students and others on temporary visas any safety nets.

But international students, supported by Sydney Alliance and our allies, organised and galvanised to secure $21 million funding for crisis accommodation.

This is just one of many stories of power from 2020. We all, as part of the Alliance, have much for which to be proud. Can you support this work by signing up to be a regular donor to the Alliance?

Donate for 2021

2020 in numbers & pictures…

February

22:the number of organisations which were involved in direct clean up, welfare, fundraising or organising around bushfires. This was a taster of what 2020 would call on us to do.

March

80: face-to-face ‘Postcode-2020’ listening events the Alliance had planned on March 3rd. You can imagine what happened!

78: leaders who joined our COVID-response call with only 36 hours notice on March 23rd. At that meeting, the Alliance took a position to campaign for a program which would become known as Jobkeeper, a raise to Newstart payments, a moratorium on evictions and energy bills and for “physical distancing with social solidarity” rather than "social isolation”.

April

182: organisations nationally signed on to call for JobKeeper and Jobseeker to be extended to everyone living in Australia – particularly those hundreds of thousands of temporary migrants who’d lost their jobs and were stranded by border closures.

413: pieces of individual correspondence made to NSW and Federal MPs.

44: individual testimonies from Sydneysiders suddenly destitute due to the coronavirus pandemic.

18: TV, radio and print stories about the impacts of the pandemic on temporary migrants between April and September.

May

$21 million: the amount that our Alliance won from the NSW government for emergency accommodation for international students, who are not supported by Jobkeeper. Many students had lost their jobs, had been evicted and were living hamper to hamper. We recognise the Oz International Students Chapter, a newly formed international students organising group supported by the Alliance and Sydney Community Forum.

June

$6 million: the amount our Alliance won from the NSW government for emergency support for temporary migrants living in Sydney, including people seeking asylum.

July

14: local Alliances responding to issues emerging from the coronavirus pandemic and the bushfires in Camden and Wollondilly. Over 300 people participated in their local organising groups. To join yours in 2021, email dbarrow@sydneyalliance.org.au.

August

$15,000: funds raised in individual donations to support 3 placement organisers to work with their own communities of people seeking asylum. To support this work into the new year, you can make a donation here.

September

6: meetings with Sydney federal government MPs on the escalating crisis for temporary migrants not supported by Jobkeeper and the lack of emergency support.

1: decisive letter from these MPs to the Federal Treasurer and Social Services Minister.

$7M: emergency funds given to the Red Cross for this cohort of temporary migrants.

October

22: children of people seeking asylum accessing childcare thanks to our collective efforts.

2: new Early Childhood Education Centres providing places for the children of people seeking asylum.

November

90+ submissions, 16 calls, 3 live speakers addressing the full Council

70-100: people who will be able to access affordable housing only 200 metres from Marrickville Station by repurposing a disused church for housing. All thanks to local Alliance campaigning with Churches of Christ.

December

4: NSW Liberal government MPs our Voices for Power team built relationships with, including Tanya Davies and Geoff Lee.

236: new leaders trained in community organising.

25+: new assistant organisers through the Alliance intensive internship program.

8: New organisations joined the Alliance family in 2020, including: Our Lady of Dolours Catholic Parish Chatswood, Women’s Reconciliation Network, Freshhope - Churches of Christ, Multicultural Youth Affairs Network NSW, Muhajirin Association, Australian Conservation Foundation, Blue Mountains Refugee Support Group and the United Workers Union!

5000: people who took action this year across our agenda to support – temporary migrants, international students, people seeking asylum, public transport, affordable housing, clean and affordable energy, safe and secure jobs and towards the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We will start 2021 recommitted to work with First Nations.