Mental Health in Australia Today
This year’s Social Justice Statement To Live Life to the Full: Mental health in Australia today, encourages faith communities, governments and each one of us, to make mental health a priority. It is a timely message in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has also influenced the way in which the Statement and associated materials are being distributed this year.
New Date for Social Justice Sunday
From this year, the date for Social Justice Sunday has shifted to the last Sunday in August. So we will celebrate Social Justice Sunday on 30 August. Watch this page of our website for materials to help you to plan your local celebrations.
Distribution in 2020
We know that the materials are often used for reflection, discussion and action at face to face gatherings and events. We are also mindful that, valuing the lives of those most at risk from the virus, members of our faith communities may continue to be cautious about gatherings even as restrictions relax. Demand for physical copies of the Statement is difficult to predict, creating a dilemma for good stewardship of resources.
This year, hard copies of the Statement and associated resources will not be sold and distributed as has been the usual practice.
Instead, theStatement and prayer card will be available as a free downloads from the ACBC Online Shop and the Office for Social Justice can provide files suitable for a commercial printer on request (email publications.socialjustice@catholic.org.au). This can be a good way of eliminating the impact of postage on the cost of printed copies of the Statement and prayer card and reducing the carbon miles involved.
A video introducing the Statement and liturgy notes for Social Justice Sunday will be available on the website of the Office for Social Justice https://socialjustice.catholic.org.au
Social media graphics highlighting the action implications of the Statement and banners for social media profiles will be made available.
A new initiative is a podcast series presenting the content of the Statement together with conversations with a range of people who have specific knowledge and experience concerning the issues that it raises. It will be available via https://anchor.fm/office-for-social-justice and a range of podcast platforms. Just search for The Revolution of Tenderness podcast.
Looking to the Future
Aside from the pandemic, the cost of postage has risen significantly for a second year running. It now eclipses the cost of producing and printing the Statement by a large margin. To cover the cost of printing and posting the Statement in the future, prices would need to more than double.
We are conscious both of the digital divide, and of the need to care for our common home by reducing our carbon footprint. We would welcome your suggestions of ways forward (email publications.socialjustice@catholic.org.au ).
John Ferguson Director Office for Social Justice