The first Commonwealth Closing the Gap report has been released after the National Agreement on Closing the Gap in 2020. The National Agreement focuses on prioritising partnerships between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Community-Controlled Organisations with four priority areas. There are also 17 socio-economic outcomes, four of which were on target.
The Federal government released their 2022-2023 budget after the election. Although there is new funding available to speed up visa processing which is years behind, and there is a review on Australia’s multicultural policies and more support for people learning English, there was no commitment to permanency for those on temporary visas and no increased refugee intake.
Pope Francis released a message on the International Day for People with Disability. In it he spoke of people with disability’s role in teaching the rest of the church about their own experience, on building a welcoming, warm and inclusionary church as well as gift of their strength and faith to the church. He said, “with regard to the disabled – there can be no us and them, but a single us, with Jesus Christ at the centre, where each person brings his or her own gifts and limitations.”
On 25 November, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace worked with ACRATH, Jesuit Refugee Service and Small Steps 4 Hannah to provide an online workshop to advocate for the elimination of violence against women and girls, and against domestic and… Read More »WATCH: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Event
Join us on November 25 at 3pm AEDT for an online event for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, highlighting the Bishops 2022-2023 Social Justice Statement, Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse. Speakers include Bishop Vincent Long, Miichael Jeh, an Ambassador for Small Steps 4 Hannah organisation, Sr Christian Carlan from ACRATH and Shatha Jago from JRS. Registrations now open.
Amnesty International has released an anti-racism ally guide that is available for all to read and reflect on free of charge. The guide is for people who want to stop racism and support the anti-racism efforts they see around them. It says allies are people who make a lifelong commitment to learning, listening and taking action, led by people of colour. It presents six steps as key and urges the amplification of marginalised voices.
Clean Up Australia is the largest environmental community event in Australia. You can run or join a Clean Up Australia event any day of the year, however the next Clean Up Australia Day is Sunday 5 March 2023. Registrations for Clean Up Australia events are… Read More »Clean Up Australia Day
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council ran their national assembly in September of this year in Townsville. It was an incredible event especially given this was the first time the community has been able to get together since COVID-19 began. The website now has a video available with photos of the assembly as well as a twenty minute wrap up video which summarises the event.
The 16 days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence begins on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and end on Human Rights day. This year, the OJEP will hold an online event on 25 November, 3-5pm, highlighting the voices of women with lived experience and promoting the Bishops Social Justice Statement calling out the use of religion to justify such violence. Many organisations are joining the 16-day campaign.
Anti-Poverty week (16-22 October) is being observed this week, and we are being called on to raise awareness and taken action against poverty and organisations such as Vinnies Australia are calling on all parliamentarians to halving child poverty by 2030. Recent reports show 761,000 children live below the poverty line. Pope Francis’ message for World Day of the Poor (Nov 13) states, “This is the moment for us not to lose heart but to renew.”