Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace

2000: 350,000 people walk for reconciliation in Melbourne and Perth
2021-12-02 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)
The Melbourne walk, starting at Flinders Street Station and finishing at King’s Domain gardens, drew as many as 300,000 people.

The bridge walk and similar events across Australia were enormously important in showing that public sentiment was moving towards support for more concrete steps in the reconciliation process. Though the event was organised by Aboriginal people those taking part were from all sections of the Australian community.

Importantly, the walks were not a protest but a peaceful demonstration that reflected a shift in the public mood and a growing awareness of the importance of reconciliation and a need for a national apology.

Walk for reconciliation, National Museum Australia

For reflection

Did you, or someone you know, participate in a walk for reconciliation? How did you / they feel that day? And how do you / they feel about action for reconciliation now?

Tewnty years later, how might we take up and support the Uluru Statement from the Heart?

International Day for Abolition of Slavery
2021-12-02 00:00 - 23:59
Slavery is not something from the past. According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) more than 40 million people worldwide are victims of modern slavery. ‘Modern slavery’ is an umbrella term referring to practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking. These practices place people in situations of exploitation that they cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.

The Australian Government has enacted laws aimed at stamping out modern slavery, including by eliminating it from the supply chains of Australian businesses and organisations.

Action

Is your organisation required to submit a Modern Slavery Statement? Check out the guidance for entities that are required to submit such statements here.

Did you know that the Archdiocese of Sydney has an Anti-Slavery Taskforce? It provides education, guidance and advice to help Church entities to ensure that they are not unwittingly involved in modern slavery and to meet their legal reporting obligations.

Find out more about the United Nations’ celebration of the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery.

1976: Appointment of Sir Douglas Nicholls as Governor of South Australia, first Aboriginal person to hold vice-regal office
2021-12-01 00:00 - 23:59
“A trailblazer who won hearts around the nation, the achievements of Sir Douglas Nicholls KCVO OBE JP are many and varied, taking in the fields of sport, politics and social justice. He broke new ground — as the first Indigenous Australian to receive a knighthood in 1972, and the first to be appointed to vice-regal office, when he became Governor of South Australia in 1976.” Aboriginal Victoria, Sir Douglas Nicholls KCVO OBE JP: A Trailblazer Who Won Hearts Around the Nation

1961: First raising of the Morning Star flag, West Papua
2021-12-01 00:00 - 23:59
On this day in 1961 the West Papuan national flag, the Morning Star was first raised.

The flag was raised by West Papuan legislators who had been promised independence by then-colonial ruler, the Netherlands.

Although the Netherlands’ commitment did not come to fruition, the flag prepared for an independent West Papua continues to be a symbol of the desire for self-determination and independence for the West Papuan people.

2021 marks the 60th anniversary of the first flag raising.

In 1962 Indonesia invaded West Papua, an act later recognised by the United Nations General Assembly in 1969. Since then, the raising of the Morning Star flag has been treated as a criminal offense. It is a symbol of the ongoing struggle for West Papuan independence.

On this day each year marches, prayer services and flag raising ceremonies are held to commemorate the first raising of the West Papuan national flag, the Bintang Kejora or Morning Star.

This year there are concerns over violence in the area.

Peter Anrdt, Executive Officer of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane spoke to ABC Radio National News in early November.

Listen to his interview

Action

Find out more about the history of West Papua here.

Visit the website of the Pacific Conference of Churches to find out about their latest actions in solidarity with the people of West Papua.

And visit the International Coalition for Papua (ICP) which has a wealth of resources on human rights in West Papua: https://www.humanrightspapua.org/

Find out more at West Papua Flag Day

Saint Andrew
2021-11-30 00:00 - 23:59
“St. Andrew was a fisherman who lived in Galilee during the time of Jesus. He often followed John the Baptist and listened to his teachings. Like the other apostles, Andrew became a missionary. He preached about Jesus in the area around the Black Sea. Tradition tells us he preached in northern Greece, Turkey, and Scythia (now the southern part of Russia). Andrew died as a martyr. Tradition says that in Patras in Greece he was tied to a cross shaped like the letter X. Ever since then, a cross in the shape of an X has been called St. Andrew’s cross.” Loyola Press

Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare
2021-11-30 00:00 - 23:59
This commemoration provides an opportunity to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare, as well as to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to the elimination of the threat of chemical weapons, thereby promoting the goals of peace, security, and multilateralism. United Nations, Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare

This day was originally celebrated on 29 April, because it was on that day in 1997 that the Chemical Weapons Convention came into force. The Conference of States Parties to the Convention (those countries that have ratified the Convention and are therefore bound by it) later decided to observe the day on 30 November or the first day of the regular session of the Conference. So the Day can move about from time to time. Find out more here.

1971: Synod of Bishops' Statement "Justice in the World"
2021-11-30 00:00 - 23:59
The Post Synodal Statement of the 1971 Synod of Bishops contains some of the most quoted words in the body of modern Catholic Social Teaching:

“Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the Gospel, or, in other words, of the Church’s mission for the redemption of the human race and its liberation from every oppressive situation.” Synod of Bishops, Justice in the World, Introduction,1971.

Action

Remember or research what the world was like in 1971. What were the most important messages of Justice in the World at that time, and what does it say to us today?

Read this introduction to Justice in the World. Identify and reflect on what struck you or surprised you.

1980: Death of Dorothy Day, Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement
2021-11-29 00:00 - 23:59
Dorothy Day was a journalist and social activist who cofounded the Catholic Worker Movement with Peter Maurin. Her approach to social issues combined direct service of the poor, prayer, advocacy and civil disobedience.

People began hailing Dorothy a saint shortly after her death in 1980. The cause for her canonisation is underway and in 2012 she was recognised as a Servant of God.

You can read more about Dorothy’s life and spirituality here.

1986: Meeting of Saint John Paul II with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs
2021-11-29 00:00 - 23:59
“Dear Aboriginal people: the hour has come for you to take on new courage and new hope. You are called to remember the past, to be faithful to your worthy traditions, and to adapt your living culture whenever this is required by your own needs and those of your fellowman. Above all you are called to open your hearts ever more to the consoling, purifying and uplifting message of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died so that we might all have life, and have it to the full.“ Pope John Paul II, Address to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Blatherskite Park, Alice Springs, 29 November 1986.

Action

Visit the website of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council to learn more about St John Paul II’s visit to Alice Springs.

Read St John Paul II’s address and consider its call to you today.

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
2021-11-29 00:00 - 23:59
“On this International Day of Solidarity, let us reaffirm our commitment to upholding the rights of the Palestinian people.” – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres

In 1977, the General Assembly called for the annual observance of 29 November as the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (resolution 32/40 B). The resolution on the observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People also encourages Member States to continue to give the widest support and publicity to the observance of the Day of Solidarity.

1998: Award of the first Sydney Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus
2021-11-27 00:00 - 23:59
The Inaugural Sydney Peace Prize was presented to Professor Muhammad Yunus for his innovative work enabling the world’s poor to become independent through access to microfinance, and for his inspiring advocacy of view that poverty is the denial of all human rights and that peace is freedom from poverty. In 2006, Professor Yunus went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
2021-11-25 00:00 - 23:59
The Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women issued by the UN General Assembly in 1993, defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life.”

Although men and children – both girls and boys – may be victims of domestic violence, overwhelmingly the victims of domestic violence are women. Responsibility for prevention and for responding to the victims cannot be left to our social service organisations – a Church response must include action by parish communities.

“Domestic violence is at epidemic levels across Australia, creating vulnerability for women of all walks of life. For the past three years, one woman a week is murdered by her partner. This is a tragic epidemic that the Australian Catholic Church hasn’t addressed in a systematic manner...” – Liz MacKinlay, “Domestic Violence: Moving from Silence to Inclusion and Dialogue in the Australian Church”, in Still Listening to the Spirit: Woman and Man Twenty Years Later

As Bishop Peter A Comensoli (previously Bishop of Broken Bay now Archbishop of Melbourne) says in his introduction to the Broken Bay Diocese resource kit A Catholic Response to Domestic Violence:

“As Church, the living body of Christ, we cannot remain silent. We must collectively and personally denounce a violence which erodes the human person in every way. We must work to build communities of peace, safety, true reconciliation, and relationships that seek alternatives to violence. Pope Francis tells us ‘If violence has its source in the human heart, then it its fundamental that non-violence be practised before all else within families…’ I encourage you to do whatever you can to act on this issue. Do not be a bystander. Find out now what you can do to help those suffering in silence within your community. Broken Bay Diocese, A Catholic Response to Domestic Violence

Action:

The United Nations is running a 16 day campaign which ACRATH (Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking Humans) is supporting through the creation of resources and focused advocacy. The 16 day campaign will focus on eliminating gender-based violence.

The campaign begins on 25 November which is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and finishes on Human Rights day, 10 December.

You can join in by utilising the resources found here.

There are:

prayerssocial media tilesreflection questionsactions collaborative spaces

To access this go to https://acrath.org.au/take-action/16-days/

1981: UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief
2021-11-25 00:00 - 23:59
The Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief was proclaimed by General Assembly resolution 36/55 of 25 November 1981.

Today is a great day to consider how we can play a part in rejecting intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief in our communities. This is not only about our own freedom and rights. As Christians we are called to stand with and to stand up for people of other faiths who experience intolerance and discrimination in Australia.

Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and companions
2021-11-24 00:00 - 23:59
Andrew Dung-Lac, a Catholic convert ordained to the priesthood, was one of 117 people martyred in Vietnam between 1820 and 1862. Members of the companions group gave their lives for Christ in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and received beatification during four different occasions between 1900 and 1951. All were canonized during the papacy of Saint John Paul II.

Franciscan Media

1964: Passage of National Service Act by Australian Parliament
2021-11-24 00:00 - 23:59
An Act to amend the National Service Act 1951-1957. The National Service Act 1964, was an Australian federal law, passed on 24 November 1964, which required 20-year-old males to serve in the Army for a period of twenty-four months of continuous service (reduced to eighteen months in 1971) followed by three years in the Reserve. Date of Assent: 24 November 1964. Date of Repeal: 30 June 1992. Repealed by: Defence Legislation Amendment Act 1992.

Australian Parliament Legislation

For reflection

What do you know about the history of national service, conscription and conscientious objection in Australia?

How does national service relate to Church teaching about war and nonviolence?

World Television Day
2021-11-21 00:00 - 23:59
Television continues to be the single largest source of video consumption. Though screen sizes have changed, and people create, post, stream and consume content on different platforms, the number of households with television sets around the world continues to rise. The interaction between emerging and traditional forms of broadcast creates a great opportunity to raise awareness about the important issues facing our communities and our planet.

United Nations

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
2021-11-21 00:00 - 23:59

1959: Adoption by UN of the Declaration of Rights of the Child
2021-11-20 00:00 - 23:59
In 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, which defines children’s rights to protection, education, health care, shelter, and good nutrition. It was followed on the same day in 1989 by a Convention on the Rights of the Child. Unlike a Declaration, a Convention is legally binding on those states that have ratified the instrument. The Convention views children as human beings with a distinct set of rights instead of as passive objects of care and charity.

A simple version of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Simple Version) is available

Did you know?

The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the most rapidly and widely ratified international human rights treaty in history.

Universal Children's Day
2021-11-20 00:00 - 23:59
“Around the world, children are showing us their strength and leadership advocating for a more sustainable world for all. Let’s build on advances and re-commit to putting children first. For every child, every right.” – UN Secretary-General António Guterres

World Children’s Day was first established in 1954 as Universal Children’s Day and is celebrated on 20 November each year to promote international togetherness, awareness among children worldwide, and improving children’s welfare.

November 20th is the date in 1959 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child. It is also the date in 1989 when the UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

World Toilet Day
2021-11-19 00:00 - 23:59
Toilets save lives, because human waste spreads killer diseases. World Toilet Day is about inspiring action to tackle the global sanitation crisis and help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which promises sanitation for all by 2030.

1989: Murder of six Jesuit priests and two co-workers in El Salvador
2021-11-16 00:00 - 23:59
In the early hours on 16 November 1989, six Jesuit priests, a cook and her 16-year-old daughter were shot and killed at the Pastoral Centre of José Simeón Cañas Central American University (UCA) in San Salvador. The victims were Fathers Ignacio Ellacuría, Rector of the University; Ignacio Martín-Baró, Vice-Rector; Segundo Montes, Director of the Human Rights Institute; Amando López, Joaquín López y López and Juan Ramón Moreno, all teachers at UCA; and Julia Elba Ramos and her daughter, Celina Mariceth Ramos. The priests publicly opposed U.S. support of the Salvadoran armed forces, and pleaded for peaceful dialogue between the right and the left. They polled poor citizens and kept detailed records of refugees fleeing the country.

Report of the UN Truth Commission on El Salvador pages 45-47

International Day of Tolerance
2021-11-16 00:00 - 23:59
“At a time when extremism and fanaticism are unleashed too often, at a time when the venom of hatred continues to poison a part of humanity, tolerance has never been more vital a virtue.” — Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance.

The United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. This imperative lies at the core of the United Nations Charter, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is more important than ever in this era of rising and violent extremism and widening conflicts that are characterized by a fundamental disregard for human life.

For reflection

In Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship) Pope Francis goes beyond tolerance to encourage dialogue, friendship and encounter. How might tolerance be related to these aspirations? Might it be a stepping stone?

World Diabetes Day
2021-11-14 00:00 - 23:59
Diabetes is a major cause of blindness, kidney failure, heart attack, stroke and lower limb amputation. Healthy diet, physical activity and avoiding tobacco use can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes. In addition diabetes can be treated and its consequences avoided or delayed with medication, regular screening and treatment for complications.

Communities experiencing poverty and disadvantage often have higher than average rates of diabetes due to factors such as lack of access to reasonably priced fruits and vegetables, recreational facilities, and health care services, and greater exposures to environmental toxins

Find out more about World Diabetes Day here.

1991: Dili Massacre, Timor-Leste: more than 271 people killed
2021-11-12 00:00 - 23:59
On November 12, 1991, 271 unarmed and peaceful protesters were massacred by Indonesian troops at Santa Cruz Cemetery in Dili, the capital of Timor Leste. 250 people are still listed as missing. Timorese protesters attended Mass at Motael Church on the morning of the massacre to honour and remember Sebastião Gomes, a fellow protester, who had been killed by the Indonesian military on October 28. The protesters then walked two kilometres in procession to Santa Cruz Cemetery where they were met by an unprovoked assault by automatic weapons. Those who were not killed in the initial attack were bayonetted. People who fled to nearby houses for shelter were hunted down and murdered. In the following days, Indonesian security forces arrested suspected protesters, and many were tried and imprisoned. Others were tortured and killed.

This horrific episode in the history of Timor Leste was minimised at first by some governments around the world, including the Australian government. Indonesian government officials alleged that the deaths in Dili were the result of isolated actions from rogue elements within the Indonesian military, capping the death toll at 19. However, a video record of the massacre taken by British journalist Max Stahl was smuggled out to the BBC. The truth of the ongoing and sanctioned violence against the Timorese people by the Indonesian government and military could no longer be denied.

The Timorese people had suffered violent oppression since the Indonesian invasion in 1975, and thousands of Timorese has been killed. Xanana Gusmão proved to be an effective and galvanizing resistance leader against the Indonesian occupying force, and the Santa Cruz Massacre turned the eyes of the world on Timor Leste. The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture was in Dili on November 11, 1991. Evidence of the massacre, and the brave witness of survivors of torture over many years, led to Timor Leste becoming an independent nation in 2002. Gusmão became the first President of the Democratic Republic of East Timor (Timor Leste).

Prayer on the 30th Anniversary of the Santa Cruz Massacre

by Sr Susan Connelly RSJ

Ever-living God, refuge of the oppressed and comforter of the sorrowing, we trust in your infinite mercy and care.

Today we remember the young Timorese who died for freedom in the Santa Cruz cemetery thirty years ago.

We pray for them, their families, and for all the Timorese people.

We ask you, O God, for the wisdom and courage to follow the way of Jesus your Son, to work for the peace that comes from your justice, and to see you in all whom we meet.

We ask this in the name of Jesus, who died and rose again, and who lives with you for ever and ever,

Amen

Music:

Plaint over Dili by Christopher Willcock SJ

Listen to the music here

This instrumental music was written as a lament response to the violence suffered by the people of Timor Leste at the Santa Cruz Massacre in 1991, and from 1975. It is a meditation of 9 minutes that acknowledges the cry of the oppressed, and the hope for freedom and redemption even amidst grief and loss.

Image:

Santa Cruz Tragedy Monument, Santa Cruz Cemetery, Dili, Timor Leste.

This monument is usually covered in flowers, especially on November 12 each year.

For more information:

Remembering Santa Cruz:

Remembering-Santa-Cruz-Download

A History of the Conflict:

History-of-the-ConflictDownload

Saint Josaphat
2021-11-12 00:00 - 23:59
In 1595, the Orthodox bishop of Brest-Litovsk in present-day Belarus and five other bishops representing millions of Ruthenians, sought reunion with Rome. John Kunsevich — who took the name Josaphat in religious life — was to dedicate his life, and die for the same cause. Josaphat was the first saint of the Eastern Church to be canonized by Rome.

Franciscan Media

1975: Dismissal of the Whitlam Government
2021-11-11 00:00 - 23:59
“On 11 November 1975, after a series of dramatic events including a 1974 double dissolution and a budgetary supply crisis, the Gough Whitlam-led federal Labor government became the first (and only) government in Australian history to be dismissed by the Governor-General. While this constitutional crisis has overshadowed the Whitlam years, the administration left a lasting legacy of social and political reform.” National Museum Australia

For reflection

Which social and political reforms of the Whitlam era are you most grateful for?

What social and Political reforms do you think are needed today?

How might we answer Pope Francis’ call in Fratelli Tutti (On Fraternity and Social Friendship) for a ‘better kind of politics’?

Remembrance (Armistice) Day, commemorating the end of World War I in 1918
2021-11-11 00:00 - 23:59
“At 11 am on 11 November 1918 the guns on the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of continuous warfare… The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month attained a special significance in the post-war years. The moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front became universally associated with the remembrance of those who had died in the war. This first modern world conflict had brought about the mobilisation of over 70 million people and left between 9 and 13 million dead, perhaps as many as one-third of them with no known grave. The allied nations chose this day and time for the commemoration of their war dead.” Australian War Memorial

1995: Execution of nine Nigerian environmentalists and human rights activists
2021-11-10 00:00 - 23:59
On this day in 1995, writer and human rights activist, Ken Saro-Wiwa was executed in Nigeria despite worldwide pleas for clemency. The country’s military rulers ordered the execution of Mr Saro-Wiwa and eight other dissidents.

BBC On This Day

World Science Day for Peace and Development
2021-11-10 00:00 - 23:59
By linking science more closely with society, World Science Day for Peace and Development aims to ensure that citizens are kept informed of developments in science. It also underscores the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of the remarkable, fragile planet we call home and in making our societies more sustainable. This year’s theme focuses on how science can help society to deal with the pandemic.

Saint Leo the Great
2021-11-10 00:00 - 23:59
“At a time when there is widespread criticism of Church structures, we also hear criticism that bishops and priests—indeed, all of us—are too preoccupied with administration of temporal matters. Pope Leo is an example of a great administrator who used his talents in areas where spirit and structure are inseparably combined: doctrine, peace, and pastoral care. He avoided an “angelism” that tries to live without the body, as well as the “practicality” that deals only in externals.” Franciscan Media
