Tag: Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Categories
News & Announcements

Nonviolence on the streets

On Wednesday 16 April a group of 11 Christian leaders from a range of denominations were arrested in Subiaco, Perth. Their crime? Speaking up for over  1,000 children who are held in indefinite detention in Australia. Otherwise known as trespassing.

The group, including Paul Montague, First Third specialist for the Metro South Region of the Uniting Church in WA, were arrested in the office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, as they prayed and asked for a response to the question: why are kids in detention?

A similar event was also held in Immigration Minister Scott Morrison’s office a few weeks prior, and just days before going to print, two nonviolent sit-ins were held resulting in  arrest, one in Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s office, the other in the office of the leader of the Opposition, Bill Shorten. Included in these arrests was the moderator of the New South  Wales/Australian Capital Territory Synod, Rev Dr Brian Brown, past president of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev Alistair Macrae, and three more Uniting Church ministers.

Continue reading “Nonviolence on the streets”
Categories
Stories & Feature Articles

Could you eat like a refugee?

Burmese people have lived through decades of conflict. Hundreds of thousands have fled their homeland for neighbouring Thailand and now live in refugee camps along the Thailand– Burma border. Some have been living in the camps for decades.

Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia, works in the Thai/Burma border refugee camps and is challenging Australians to make a difference to the lives of these refugees. In a new initiative called the ‘Act for Peace Ration Challenge’ they are asking  members of the Uniting Church and communities around Australia to eat the same rations as a refugee from Burma during Refugee Week, 15-21 June, and get sponsored for doing it.

Continue reading “Could you eat like a refugee?”
Categories
Stories & Feature Articles

A message of peace on Perth’s streets

Churches, organisations and individuals will be calling for humane policies for asylum seekers and refugees in Australia this Palm Sunday 13 April. Palm Sunday has been known as a  day when churches march for peace as it is the day Jesus is recognised as the King of Peace. A Walk for Justice for Refugees will take place on the streets of Perth, organised by the  Justice4Refugees WA network. They are calling for compassion, not punishment; an end to offshore processing and an end to mandatory detention.

Continue reading “A message of peace on Perth’s streets”
Categories
Stories & Feature Articles

Moderator’s column: God’s desire for peace, freedom and equality

The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
The Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.

It is good to be home after our long overseas trip followed by a brief visit to a very successful Yurora NCYC 2014 in Parramatta. Viv and I hope you had a happy Christmas and wish  you every blessing for 2014.

Our time in the Holy Land was a particular blessing to us both. We spent ten wonderful days as pilgrims travelling with twelve other pilgrims in what must be the place of pilgrimage for Christians. Even the worst snowfall in Jerusalem for 100 years, freezing temperatures at night and the heating breaking down in the college didn’t prevent us from soaking in the  pure wonder of just being there.

Continue reading “Moderator’s column: God’s desire for peace, freedom and equality”
Categories
Stories & Feature Articles

More than we dreamed of

The cricket match in progress to raise funds for the Roshani Project.

Khush AmadEn! Welcome! Welcome!

With these words, members of Perth’s Afghan community were warmly embraced as they arrived to support the final event of the Roshani Project for 2013, our Taste of Afghanistan dinner at South Perth Uniting Church in November.

In just 10 weeks from the launch of this project on 24 August to the dinner on 2 November, some 300 people participated in the project across 4 events – the launch and speaker night, the cricket afternoon, an onlin

e component which allowed those not in Perth to show their support, and of course the dinner. In addition to all the community involvement and outreach this project generated, almost $12,000 has been raised for TEAR’s work in Afghanistan with more coming in as Revive goes to print.

This has been a wonderful experience for us as a congregation, providing an opportunity to meet and share with so many people across our local community as well as other churches and of course our Afghan community friends. We feel greatly blessed by all the support we received. We  especially thank Andrew Broadbent and TEAR, Phil and Julie Sparrow, John Broadbent and the Nedlands Uniting Church Refugee Group, the  Afghan families who joined with us to make the dinner so special, and everyone who supported, assisted, encouraged and attended the various events during this intense but rewarding time.

Together we have made a difference. Thank you so much.

Judy Siddins