Justice News
UnitingJustice e-news 13 August 2010
Time running out to get your UCA Election Resources
With a week to go until election day, it's not too late to check out the National Assembly's Federal Election Resources - Building an Economy for Life: Your Faith, Your Vote, Your Voice.
The resources have been extremely popular with church members, and hard copies are still available from our office. Simply reply to this email or give us a call on 02 8267 4236 to get your copies.
All of the resources, including some available on the web only, are available on the Assembly's Election 2010 webpage.
UN Committee examines Australia's record on racial discrimination
On Tuesday 10 August 2010 and Wednesday 11 August 2010 in Geneva, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination reviewed Australia’s compliance with its international legal obligations to respect, protect and promote the human right to equality and freedom from racial discrimination.
The Committee considered issues including the Northern Territory Intervention, the treatment of asylum seekers and refugees, and the impact of counter-terror laws on Muslim communities. A delegation of representatives from non-government organisations attended the hearing, including Aboriginal elders from the NT whose communities are directly affected by the Intervention. Rev Dr Djiniyini Gondarra OAM, a Uniting Church minister from Arnhem Land, was part of this delegation.
UnitingJustice Australia recently endorsed the NGO Shadow Report submitted to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination for consideration in their reporting. You can find more information about this report on the Human Rights Law Resource Centre website.
After the hearing, the Committee will issue a report card on the state of racial discrimination in Australia and provide recommendations to the Australian Government for improving its laws and policies.
Social Justice Sunday 2010: 'Peace by with you'
The National Council of Churches' Social Justice Sunday resource is now available to church members.
Social Justice Sunday falls each year on the last Sunday in September, which this year is the 26th. The theme for this year's resource marks the end of the Decade to Overcome Violence, a World Council of Churches initiative, and is titled Peace be with you: Witnessing to peace in a violent world.
The resource combines information and prayers on a range of peacemaking issues. A PDF version will be available to download shortly from the NCCA website.
Hard copies can be ordered, free of charge, from UnitingJustice. Simply reply to this email, or give us a call on 02 8267 4236.
If you'd like further peacemaking resources for education and worship, take a look at the International Day of Peace resources on the UnitingJustice website.
New proposals for asylum seeker policy
The Uniting Church in Australia joined with twenty other Australian Non-Government Organisations to put forward a policy statement setting out the principles we would wish to see implemented as part of an effective and sustainable regional protection framework for refugees and asylum seekers.
You can read this statement here on our website.
Sustainable September resources
In 2010, the theme of the Sustainable September resources is climate change.
Sustainable September is an event run on an annual basis in Western Australia, which provides an opportunity to demonstrate sustainability in action and celebrate the people who are making it happen. Church members all over Australia will find the resources produced for Sustainable September this year useful in their worship and Bible study activities.
You can download these resources from the WA Green Church website.
One million pleas to abolish nuclear weapons
The Million Pleas project aims to gather one million pleas from people all over the globe calling on the leaders of nine nations to finally retire the bomb. Million Pleas is an initiative of ICAN (the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons) and has been launched in this the 65th anniversary year of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Visit millionpleas.com to see the Million Pleas film filmed in Hiroshima with school children and Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors) spreading the "please" message, and add your own plea (via a YouTube video, through Facebook or Twitter, or by email).
Voting 'below the' line this election
If you are concerned about where your Senate preferences will be going with a vote above the ballot paper line this election, why not consider voting 'below the line'.
This idea produces for many images of hours wasted organising and numbering the boxes on a Senate ballot paper the size of a small car only to discover at the last minute that you’ve missed a box or two, however the process doesn’t need to be that daunting.
By visiting the Below the Line website, www.belowtheline.org.au, you can find out who will be preferenced in your ‘above the line’ vote and, if you aren’t completely happy with this, easily reorder your preferences for a ‘below the line’ vote. You can then print out the result to take with you to the booth on election day.
Christmas Island chaplaincy: a light in the darkness
Christmas Island is a tiny speck in the Indian Ocean, yet it will seem vast compared to some of the tight spaces Rev Christine Senini worked in. And she won’t have to sleep in a bunk bed.
The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev. Alistair Macrae has added his name to the list of prominent Australians calling for reform to our asylum seeker policies. UnitingJustice has continually advocated for a more compassionate approach to these vulnerable members of our society.
UnitingJustice and the Uniting Church in Australia Assembly has joined the chorus of voices calling for Constitutional recognition of the unique contribution that First Peoples have made to this country. Amendments to the Australian Constitution should also include removal of racist and discriminatory language and clauses. The open letter was accompanied by a submission to the Expert Panel on Constitutional Recognition made by UnitingJustice.
UJA Reference Committee member, Professor John Langmore, discusses the political momentum behind and the public benefits of introducing a financial transactions tax.
Rethink Refugees - watch UJA National Director, Rev. Elenie Poulos, reflecting on her work in refugee advocacy as part of Amnesty's information campaign
Preamble posters and Covenanting resources
Download or print your own here.
Position Vacant: Senior Media Officer
The Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia seeks to appoint an experienced media professional to the role of Senior Media Officer. Read more...
Churches solid on poker machine reform
The major Christian churches in Australia have reaffirmed their commitment to the Government’s proposed poker machine reform this morning in the face of Catholic priest Father Chris Riley’s apparent support for the inaccurate, well-funded industry campaign. Read more...