In This years Social Justice Statement, Australia’s Bishops invite us to renew our engagement with the First Peoples of Australia. They have come to this view through much listening to the First Peoples and they encourage us all to listen to them in a spirit of love and humility.
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.
Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse points out that the roots of domestic and family violence “lie in the abuse of power to control and dominate others” and that “this stands in contrast to the relationships to which God calls us”. Our relationships should be “marked by equality and reciprocity rather than domination and violence, respect and freedom rather than coercion and control”. We reject the manipulation of religious teachings to justify violence and abuse. We support women in calling for respect in relationships; their lives and those of their children are sacred.