20.4 C
Byron Shire
March 18, 2024

Poetic plea from Gaza

Latest News

Body found near Byron in search for missing man

A body believed to be that of a man reported missing last week has been found, police on the weekend said.

Other News

Big field of cyclist’s race at the Cavanbah Centre

Byron Bay Cycling Club (BBCC) kicked off its autumn season with criterium racing at the Cavanbah Centre track last Sunday.

Family garden day this weekend

The Mullum Autumn Plant Fair invites plant enthusiasts and nature lovers alike to a jam packed day filled with talks, hands-on activities, community vibes, and ecological knowledge sharing, with a massive array of plants for sale.

Bangalow Film Festival

There are still plenty of great films to see at the Bangalow Film Festival – highlights include Eskawatã Kayawai – The Spirit of Transformation, the story of the cultural and spiritual renaissance of the Huni Kuin people from the Brazilian Amazon forest through their connection with Ayahuasca, and Freud’s Last Session when on the eve of the Second World War, two of the greatest minds of the 20th century, C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud converge for their own personal battle over the existence of God – both on Wednesday.

COVID-19 pandemic has cut life expectancy globally

COVID-19 reversed earlier trends toward longer life expectancies. During the pandemic, life expectancies globally dropped by 1.6 years according to a new study published in the Lancet medical journal.

Big family Kaleido fun day May 5  

Following the success of Blue on Burringbar Festival in Mullumbimby last year, the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce and Creative Mullum are putting on a fun, interactive community event this year on Sunday, 5 May.

Food security at stake, say NSW Farmers

Australia will be unable to feed itself and farmers will be driven out of business unless radical action is taken to reform the supermarket retail sector, NSW Farmers has told a senate inquiry today. 

Gareth W R Smith, Palestine Liberation Centre Byron Bay

This heart cry from Gaza, written by Gazan poet and writer Mohammed Rafik is remarkable for its beauty, honesty and embrace of life, it would make a wonderful addition to The Echo whose values it celebrates: www.wearenotnumbers.org/home/Story/868.

Here is a brief extract:

In Gaza, beneath the dark evening sky, somewhere between the smoky smell of gunshots and the crying children, my mother gave birth to me. It was underneath the light of the moon that I would exit her womb head first, toward the flames of war. If I had then the cognitive awareness of what war was, I might have slipped back into the refuge of a womb. Instead, the only option was, and continues to be, to live through it.


Support The Echo

Keeping the community together and the community voice loud and clear is what The Echo is about. More than ever we need your help to keep this voice alive and thriving in the community.

Like all businesses we are struggling to keep food on the table of all our local and hard working journalists, artists, sales, delivery and drudges who keep the news coming out to you both in the newspaper and online. If you can spare a few dollars a week – or maybe more – we would appreciate all the support you are able to give to keep the voice of independent, local journalism alive.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

State of destruction

Tasmanians go to the polls next weekend, in an early election brought on by Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockcliff, whose party has fractured during its ten years in office but is currently warning voters not to elect a Labor minority government, which he's been calling a 'Coalition of Chaos'.

Connection?

Is there any connection between a five-star resort that is about to build holiday apartments and houses a kilometre from the clothing-optional beach at...

Wallum works 

With the recent issuing to the developer, Clarence Properties, of a subdivision works certificate, the fate of the Wallum heath and woodland at Torakina...

Floodplain Mullumbimby

Mullumbimby is a floodplain. Every time we have a heavy downpour I am up and down through the night, checking if the water is...