Office For Justice, Ecology and Peace

1907: Harvester minimum wage judgement by Justice Higgins
2022-11-08 00:00 - 23:59 (Australia/Sydney)
“In 1907 Justice Henry Bourne Higgins, President of the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Court, set the first federally arbitrated wages standard in Australia. Higgins’s ruling became the basis for setting Australia’s minimum wage standard for the next 70 years. Using the Sunshine Harvester Factory as a test case, Justice Higgins took the pioneering approach of hearing evidence from not only male workers but also their wives to determine what was a fair and reasonable wage for a working man to support a family of five. The decision was a landmark case because, for the first time, employers were challenged to formulate wages on the basic needs of their employees rather than being solely concerned with the company’s profits.” National Museum Australia

Did you know?

Justice Higgins’ determination of a just wage was influenced by Pope Leo XIII’s definition of a just wage in Rerum Novarum in 1891. Leo XII says that “remuneration must be enough to support the wage earner in reasonable and frugal comfort” (n 34) and goes on to specify that wages must be sufficient to enable a worker to “maintain himself, his wife, and his children in reasonable comfort” and “by economy” be able to save and purchase property (n 35).

For reflection

Neither Justice Higgins nor Pope Leo XIII considered the role of women in the workforce or question of wage justice for women workers. How might the ideal of wages sufficient to support a family be enacted today in a way that recognises the right of women to participate in the paid workforce and the responsibility of men to share in unpaid family and community responsibilities?

1989: Opening of the Berlin Wall
2022-11-09 00:00 - 23:59
“On November 9, 1989, as the Cold War began to thaw across Eastern Europe, the spokesman for East Berlin’s Communist Party announced a change in his city’s relations with the West. Starting at midnight that day, he said, citizens of the GDR were free to cross the country’s borders. East and West Berliners flocked to the wall, drinking beer and champagne and chanting “Tor auf!” (“Open the gate!”). At midnight, they flooded through the checkpoints. More than 2 million people from East Berlin visited West Berlin that weekend. The reunification of East and West Germany was made official on October 3, 1990, almost one year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.” The Berlin Wall: The Fall of the Wall

Saint Leo the Great
2022-11-10 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

World Science Day for Peace and Development
2022-11-10 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.

1995: Execution of nine Nigerian environmentalists and human rights activists
2022-11-10 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

Remembrance (Armistice) Day, commemorating the end of World War I in 1918
2022-11-11 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

1975: Dismissal of the Whitlam Government
2022-11-11 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’?

Saint Josaphat
2022-11-12 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

1991: Dili Massacre, Timor-Leste: more than 271 people killed
2022-11-12 00:00 - 23:59
On November 12, 1991, Indonesian troops fired upon a peaceful memorial procession to a cemetery in Dili, East Timor that had turned into a pro-independence demonstration. More than 271 East Timorese were killed that day at the Santa Cruz cemetery or in hospitals soon after. An equal number were disappeared and are believed dead.

East Timor Action Network (ETAN)

World Diabetes Day
2022-11-14 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.

International Day of Tolerance
2022-11-16 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?

1989: Murder of six Jesuit priests and two co-workers in El Salvador
2022-11-16 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

World Toilet Day
2022-11-19 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.

World Youth Day
2022-11-20 00:00 - 23:59
World Youth Day is celebrated every year in local churches and every two or three years at the international level. It is now practiced on Christ the King Sunday at Diocesan level. Lisbon, Portugal will host the next international gathering for World Youth Day in 2022.

Universal Children's Day
2022-11-20 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.

1959: Adoption by UN of the Declaration of Rights of the Child
2022-11-20 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.

Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
2022-11-21 00:00 - 23:59

World Television Day
2022-11-21 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

1964: Passage of National Service Act by Australian Parliament
2022-11-24 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?

Saint Andrew Dung-Lac and companions
2022-11-24 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

1981: UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief
2022-11-25 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.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
2022-11-25 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

1998: Award of the first Sydney Peace Prize to Muhammad Yunus
2022-11-27 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.

1986 Meeting of St John Paul II with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Alice Springs
2022-11-29 00:00 - 23:59
‘You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.’ St John Paul II, Alice Springs, 1986.

Thirty years later, John Lochowiak, Chairperson of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council, reflected on the importance of St John Paul II’s visit.

‘As Saint John Paul II spoke, a wind storm picked up the red soil from the Earth and swirled it amongst our people. The dust seemed to intertwine with the words of love, hope and empathy. The message touched our souls and it touched our skin. Never before had we felt so welcome in the house of Jesus. The impact of this day on our lives cannot be measured. It provided the encouragement for the establishment of Aboriginal and Islander Catholic Ministries all over Australia and it lit the fire our hearts which still provides the warmth, energy and strength for us to continue. We now have over 120,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics in Australia and the support of our Australian Catholic Bishops on our journey of faith.’ John Lochowiak, NATSICC Chairperson, 2016

International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
2022-11-29 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.

1986: Meeting of Saint John Paul II with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Alice Springs
2022-11-29 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.

1980: Death of Dorothy Day, Founder of the Catholic Worker Movement
2022-11-29 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.

1971: Synod of Bishops' Statement "Justice in the World"
2022-11-30 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.

Day of Remembrance for All Victims of Chemical Warfare
2022-11-30 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.

Saint Andrew
2022-11-30 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
