JusticeNEWS 17 February 2010

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In this edition

Uniting Church President to visit Christmas Island

New resource - An Economy of Life booklet

Positions vacant in the Uniting Church in South Australia

Elenie's upcoming speeches

Christmas Island visit

President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev. Alistair Macrae will visit Christmas Island from 22-24 February. He will be joined by a delegation including the Anglican Archbishop of Perth, The Most Rev. Roger Herft, Rosemary Hudson Miller, Associate General Secretary Justice and Mission for the Synod of Western Australia, and Natalie Shymko, Communication Manager for the National Assembly.

At a time when public attention is high and the debate about asylum seekers arriving by boat is often ill-informed, the delegation is keen to see, first-hand, the conditions for asylum seekers on the island. They will assess people's wellbeing and the level of care and support they are offered. This visit continues the long-standing commitment of the Uniting Church in Australia to highlight the plight of asylum seekers and refugees and to work for justice and fair policies which uphold Australia's obligations under international law. This reflects our commitment to extending justice and compassion to those most in need.

Please continue to check the Assembly website as news from their visit will be posted in the coming weeks and months www.assembly.uca.org.au

New resource: An Economy of Life booklet

The Twelfth Assembly meeting of the Uniting Church adopted a statement which discusses how we understand human progress and our relationship with the natural world - An Economy of Life: Re-imagining human progress for a flourishing world.

UnitingJustice now has copies of the An Economy of Life statement in a colourful, bright booklet available for church members. They can be ordered (free of charge) by contacting UnitingJustice on 02 8267 4236 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

If you'd like to see a PDF version of the booklet, it's available here on our website.

Pamphlets and other resources to assist church members to engage with and use the statement will be available in the coming months.

This booklet is the latest in a suite of resources produced for church members, outlining the Assembly's main policies, which you can check out here on our website, with hard copes available from UnitingJustice free of charge.

Positions available in the Uniting Church in South Australia

The Mission Resourcing Network of the Presbytery and Synod of South Australia currently has three positions vacant:

Solidarity and Justice Officer (half time)
Mission Planner for Multicultural Ministeries (half time)
International Mission Officer (half time)

Two positions may be combined into a full time position for a suitable applicant. For more information on these positions, see the MRN website

Elenie's upcoming speeches

Our National Director, Elenie Poulos, has a number of speaking engagements coming up.

Elenie will speak at the Climate Action Network Australia annual conference, as part of a panel discussing climate change advocacy in the current domestic political landscape. This session is for CANA members only, however the first session of the conference 'Unpacking Copenhagen: What happened, what is means and where we're headed' on Wednesday 24 February is open to the public. For more information and to register, see the CANA website.

Elenie will also speak at Lane Cove Uniting Church in Sydney on the World Day of Prayer, Friday 5 March, and at an International Women's Day event hosted by Woollahra Council on the evening of Wednesday 10 March. More information on these events will be posted soon on our website.