BMETS Book Sale Aug 29th / 30th

The Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters are holding their annual Book Sale on Saturday August 29th and Sunday 30th - yes that right - we are expanding to a two day event! We need lots of books.
Donations gratefully received from now on at 8 Westborne Ave, Wentworth Falls.
Ring Ruth for more details on 4757 1953.
And mark the dates in your diary - CWA Hall, Leura - the place to get your years reading a a great price!

Thanks,

Join us for another East Timor Garage Sale

The next East Timor Garage Sale will be held this Saturday May 9th 9 - 3. The East Timor Garage Sale provides a great opportunity to turn unwanted goods into cash for women and children in Timor Leste. You will always find some little treasure at a very reasonable price! Remember Mother's Day is coming up soon. Buy a great Mother's Day gift that your mum will love and at the same will help women in East Timor!

Donations still needed - deliver to venue anytime this week prior to sale. Venue: 66 Wentworth St Blackheath. Call Gail on 4787 6310 for more info. Cancelled if raining.

Welcome to our Sydney and Hunter East Timor Sisters!

We have been working with our Sydney Sisters for some time now. The Sydney Sisters have been fund raising in the North suburbs of Sydney. They were instrumental in raising funds for the water tank for Mana Kassian's village in Bugoro. They have raised the profile of our group in their community. Well done Sydney Sisters!
Just before Christmas we were fortunate to assist the establishment of the Hunter East Timor Sisters group. We look forward to a very productive relationship with our sisters in the Hunter.

Fernanda Borges visit Saturday March 7th

Fernanda Borges will be visiting the Mountains on Saturday March 7th.
Fernanda is a leading East Timorese politician and the only female party leader in the Timor Leste national parliament (see below).
BMETS will be holding a Forum at Blue Mountains City Council from 2-4, which will include a screening of ETWA's Tais documentary film ‘Heru Ini Lafu: Weaving Life’.
Fernanda will be accompanied by the delightful Clinton Fernandes, who many will remember from his visit a couple of years ago. .
They will attend a MMET event at Bonnyrigg on Sunday and go to Newcastle for a HETS even on Monday!
You can also watch a short video of Fernanda at: http://abc.com.au/rn/latenightlive/features/timor/episode1.htm
More information 47574478Mary

Other related East Timor events:
The next BMETS Garage Sale is on Saturday 21st February at 66 Wentworth St, Blackheath - donations welcome Ring Gail for more details 47876310
The Springwood East Timor Support Group extends an to everyone to attend their
Concert "Music that Smiles for Children" - Sunday 15th February (2-5pm) at the - an afternoon of relaxing music, to raise much-needed funds for Topu Honis Children's Home in the enclave of Oekusi, Timor Leste. The concert will be held at The Carrington Ballroom, Katoomba. Bookings with Chris and Vanessa 4758 8030

More about Fernanda Borges -
Fernanda Borges is in Australia to coincide with International Women's Day and the launch of East Timor Women's Association (ETWA) long-awaited film. Ms Fernanda Borges, a leading East Timorese politician and the only female party leader in the national parliament, will be visiting Australia as part of IWD events, celebrating the achievements of women. This year also marks ten years since the people of East Timor voted for independence in a historic ballot. Fernanda Borges will speak about the critical role played by women in the struggle for independence, as well in cultural regeneration and national development. She will call for justice for the crimes against humanity perpetrated against the people of East Timor during the occupation. Ms Borges will speak in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra at the screening of the documentary film ‘Heru Ini Lafu: Weaving Life’. Heru Ini Lafu is a meditative and unique film that journeys into rural communities to show a side of East Timorese life that is rarely seen on the Australian screen. The film highlights women’s contributions to the independence struggle and celebrates their critical role in cultural regeneration and national development. Most importantly, the film reveals the beauty of East Timorese culture and details the creative processes of traditional Tais weaving. It also demonstrates the positive role played by Australian community groups in women's empowerment and the fight against poverty. The film is produced by East Timor Women Australia, an Australian group that has organized Fernanda Borges’ visit.

BMETS on holidays

After a very fruitful year which included
* Visit to the Mountains by our Timor-Leste Sisiter, Beba Sequeria,
* Forum with Kirsty Sword Gusmao attended by almost 200 people
* Visit to Timor by three of our Blue Mountains Sisters to meet project
* At least five Garage Sales and a Book Sale raising tens of thousands of dollars
* and the production of our fourth annual calendar
we are having a rest till February.
Contact us on 47574478 or 4784 1718 if you need us,

December BMETS events!

Firstly we are gathering donations now for our last BMETS Garage Sale of the year to be held on Saturday December 13th at Gail's on the corner of Prince George St amd 66 Wentworth St, Blackheath 4787 6310 - we really apprciate the generousity of the local community in making these sales such a success, both in recycling you things though us and coming on the day to buy great bargins. Please spead the word. This is also a greqt opportunity to meet our Sister from Timor-Leste, Beba Sequeria, who is visiting us in December.

Secondly, our Catalogue of Christmas gifts is available by emailing us on marywaterford@optusnet.com.au if you would like to support us by buying a gift certificate for someone that will assist women and children in East Timor. We cam also send you our BMETS Report that summerises our activities in our four years of building international friendship with our nearest neighbours.

Thirdly we have magnificent Blue Mountains east Timor Sisters 2009 Calendars - they are beautiful - A4 size, one page per month, illustrated with beautiful photographs of East Timorese women combined with art work from Arte Moris. There is background information about women and about our group. And we are abit slow to get themo out there. we are asking people to sell 3-5 of them for us @ $10.00 each - ring 47574478 if you are able to help.

And finally we are on the beg ....
Are you up-grading your laptop or know anyone who might be? The Blue Mountains East Timor Friendship Committee is trying to source a couple of lap-top computers (preferably with XP and Microsoft Office installed) to send to our partners in Hato Builico, East Timor. The computer needs to be battery powered laptop as power is only available each night for four hours. It will be going to a great home - there is currently only one computer in the community and people are very eager to learn computer skills.

Thanks so much for your support.

NEXT BMETS GARAGE SALE

The next East Timor Garage Sale will be held at 66 Wentworth Street, Blackheath, Saturday 13th December 9am - 2pm. This sale will also provide an opportunity to buy some lovely Christmas gifts or pick up a calendar. We still need quality donations for this sale. Please call Gail on 4787 6310 for more info. We look forward to seeing you there!

Traditional East Timorese Weaving Exhibition and Sale

The Blue Mountains East Timor Sisters (BMETS) are holding another Timorese Weaving Sale and Exhibition on Sunday 23rd November. These exhibitions provide an important outlet for the sale of traditional weavings in the Blue Mountains. The weavings are produced by hand using a simple back-strap loom. Each one is unique and bears the traditional designs of the area in which it was made.

“Tais, as these weavings are known, are an important part of Timorese culture. Women produce tais for celebrations and ceremonies. They are handed down across the generations. They are beautifully woven and are produced as they been for centuries using this simple weaving technique.” said Judy Finch from BMETS.

“Each year members of our group visit East Timor to talk with women and communities about ways that we can assist them to achieve their goals. During these trips we purchase tais from various women’s cooperatives. This way we know that the money we pay goes directly to support women and their families. Once in Australia we sell the tais at our events. Again all monies raised go back to projects in East Timor. This way we are able to assist women and their communities twice.” said Ms Finch.

“We will be inviting our guests to purchase tais. We have a variety of sizes, colours and styles and all are at reasonable prices. They range in price from $15 to about $80. They make great Christmas presents. Coming to the exhibition is a good way to avoid the shopping malls and buy a gift that will make a difference.” said Ms Finch.

This year Beba Sequeira will be visiting the Blue Mountains and will be speaking at the tais exhibition. She will be talking about the current situation in East Timor. She will also be speaking about the work of BMETS and other Blue Mountains groups in East Timor.

The tais exhibition starts at 2.30 Sunday 23rd November and is held at Mid Mountains Community Centre, New St, Lawson. For more information call Judy Finch on 4757 4478.