Dignity in a Teacup – True Stories of Courage and Sacrifice on Christmas Island is an account of author Christine Cummins’ five years as a torture and trauma counsellor to asylum-seekers confined in off-shore detention.
Christine will be appearing in Woodend next week, as a special guest of Macedon Ranges Rural Australians for Refugees, to recall memories of her time working at the Detention Centre and sign copies of her book.
The social justice and human rights advocate is a credentialed mental health nurse with a Master’s degree in Mental Health.
She has served as a psychiatric nurse specialist and acted as a community mental health clinician providing crisis intervention, assessment and case management.
She is currently convener of Rural Australians for Refugees, Bendigo.
Further afield, she has worked with Indigenous communities in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia and with aid agencies in Sri Lanka and Iran.
Any of these experiences in her rich and varied work history would provide more than adequate material for a book, but it was her five years working on Christmas Island that finally persuaded Christine to venture into print.
The event is scheduled for 2pm on Saturday March 12 at the Norma Richardson Hall, 15 Buckland Street Woodend.
Entry is free of charge, though any donations for the support of refugees in Australia will be gratefully accepted.
Light refreshments will be served and, in order to assist with catering, attendees are asked to register their interest at www.trybooking.com/BXHDW
