Wild Dingo Press

Para was barely five years old when civil war erupted in Sri Lanka. Nearly three decades later it ended in appalling horror and bloodshed. Tens of thousands of innocent civilians died. Survival required courage, ingenuity – and the kindness of strangers. 'The Power of Good People' is Para’s story of survival against all odds.

Para Paheer’s story could be one of tens of thousands, except that he lived to tell the world of the horrors; but more importantly, to record and pay tribute to those, often courageous, people without whom he would probably not be alive. Para was a child born into a very poor Tamil family when one of the modern world’s longest civil conflicts erupted. He was thirty-one when he was rescued from the Indian Ocean while sailing to Australia to seek asylum.

While in Christmas Island Detention Centre, Para became penfriends with Alison Corke, a member of the Apollo Bay branch of Rural Australians for Refugees, in Victoria. On his release from detention in 2011, Para moved in with the Corke family. 'The Power of Good People' is the collaboration of Alison and Para.

To be launched by Julian Burnside AO QC, human rights and refugee advocate, barrister, and author.
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Saturday 18th November at 4pm
St Mary's Hall
190 Myers St
Geelong VIC 3220
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Free event
RSVP by Wednesday 15th November:
http://tpogp.eventbrite.com.au/