Tag: Social Justice

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News & Announcements

A crucial inquiry into the abuse of young people in prison

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia Mr Stuart McMillan has welcomed today’s announcement of a Royal Commission into a youth detention centre in the Northern Territory.

The Royal Commission was announced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull following the broadcast of shocking footage obtained by the ABC’s Four Corners program of the abuse and torture of detainees in Darwin’s Don Dale Youth Detention Centre.

“The treatment of these young people in detention is unspeakably appalling and a national disgrace. Such abuse is inexcusable. It must end now,” said Stuart.

“I thank the Prime Minister for his swift response. I also urge him to set terms of reference that will allow a comprehensive examination of juvenile detention, not just limited to the Northern Territory, and including the policies and practices that lead to so many young indigenous people ending up behind bars.”

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Questioning homelessness stigma

UnitingCare West has revealed a shop window in Forrest Chase, across from the Perth train station overpass, which draws attention to the growing number of homeless women in Perth.

Four well-dressed female mannequins hold up cardboard signs, stating to the shopping public “One of us is homeless”. Over three months a story will unfold, revealing which woman has become homeless due to life’s circumstances.

The public is invited to view the display and follow the story of the women via the UnitingCare West Facebook page www.facebook.com/unitingcarewest/. Each story will highlight just how quickly anyone in our society can find themselves living on the streets.

The shop window is part of UnitingCare West’s 2016 Winter Appeal which aims to raise over $100,000 to further assist people experiencing homelessness.

Currently around 10,000 people in Perth are experiencing homelessness, with around 61% being women.

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Social Impact

UnitingCare Australia calls on re-elected government to prioritise investment in vulnerable people

UnitingCare Australia has congratulated the Turnbull Government on its election victory and calls on the Prime Minister to lead renewed efforts to address key issues affecting the lives of vulnerable and disadvantaged Australians.

“We believe that the close election result has demonstrated that a focus on jobs, growth and business, while vital, is too one-dimensional for our community,” UnitingCare Australia National Committee Chair, Peter Bicknell said.

“This term is an opportunity for the Government to increase investment in people and the services needed to grow productivity and build a decent future for all.

“We particularly encourage the Government to commit to new directions in aged care funding, housing affordability and homelessness, unemployment, and early childhood education,” Peter said.

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Social Impact

Church leaders urge candidates to support stronger action on global poverty

Church leaders from various denominations across Swan met with candidates for the upcoming federal election to voice their support for a more generous and effective aid program that helps fight poverty in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

Over a ‘meet and greet’ Afternoon Tea at Victoria Park and Districts Star Street Uniting Church, Christian leaders discussed Australia’s response to global poverty with the attending candidates Labor Tammy Solonec, Greens Sarah Nielson-Harvey, Labor Senator Sue Lines and Senator candidate Jacque Kruger and prayed for all candidates running in the upcoming federal election.

The event, supported by Micah Australia, a coalition of Christian churches and aid organisations, aimed to show candidates the strong support for aid in Swan.

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UCA president speaks out on Orlando hate attacks

Stuart McMillan, president of the Uniting Church in Australia, has issued the following statement, in the wake of the recent shooting in a gay club in Orlando, USA.

The Uniting Church in Australia expresses its deep sorrow at the deaths of 49 people in a despicable act of violence at a gay nightclub in the city of Orlando in the US state of Florida over the weekend.

No words of comfort we say are enough to console the families and loved ones, or to heal the damage done by this hateful act of homophobia.

Murder for whatever reason – religious, racial, or on grounds of sexuality or gender – is an outrage against humanity and God’s creation.

The horrific attack in Orlando has raised strong and legitimate feelings among the LGBTIQ community and others about the failure of the world’s religious to love all human beings equally regardless of sexuality.

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Yokai: a war cry for hope and healing

Yokai, a new hub for healing programs and centres for survivors of the Stolen Generations, three years in the making, was launched on Friday 13 May. The project is an initiative of the Bringing Them Home Committee WA, in which the Uniting Church WA’s Social Justice Board and the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (WA) are active participants. It was launched on the 20th anniversary of the death of Rob Riley, a well-respected WA Indigenous activist.

Yokai, a Nyungar war cry, aims to support and address the needs of people who have been affected by the policies and practices of removing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families – the Stolen Generations.

Jim Morrison, co-convener of the Bringing Them Home Committee, said that Yokai will empower members of the Stolen Generations and their families to heal themselves by encouraging partnerships, allowing for grieving, reconnecting with language and spirituality and building leadership.

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Social Impact

Homeless charities call for targets to halve homelessness by 2015

The largest providers of homelessness services across Australia joined forces to call on all political parties to make reducing homelessness a national priority.

In a joint letter to the four party leaders, the major charities Anglicare, Mission Australia, Salvation Army, St Vincent de Paul, UnitingCare Australia and Wesley Mission demanded a commitment to halving homelessness by 2025.

The organisations have also launched a petition to generate public support for the campaign during the Federal Election and invited the party leaders to a forum with their clients in June.

On any given night over 100,000 Australians are homeless – including over 44, 000 children or young people. And each year more than 200,000 people seek help from homelessness services.

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A budget of missed opportunities

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Stuart McMillan, has described the 2016-17 Federal Budget, as a “missed opportunity” to alleviate poverty and disadvantage at home and around the world.

”There is not nearly enough in this Budget to assist the most vulnerable,” said Stuart.

“It is deeply disappointing that planned cuts to foreign aid are going ahead, leaving some of the world’s poorest people without the life-changing – often life-saving – assistance that comes with Australian aid.

“The Budget also contains no new social programs aimed at Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who are the most persistently disadvantaged Australians.

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Budget 2016: tax cuts at the expense of health, aged care and disability

UnitingCare Australia Associate National Director Martin Cowling has said that the 2016 Budget paints a selective picture of living within our means, with cuts to health, aged care and disability payments outweighing new spending in these areas by at least $1 billion over four years.

Martin said it was pleasing that the Budget contains three positive measures for which UnitingCare has been advocating for some time.

“We particularly welcome the Youth Jobs PaTH program and will work with the Government through its Try, Test and Learn Fund.

“It is also pleasing that the Government is committing to programs designed to help those most at risk of long term welfare dependency and that the PaTH program contains a strong focus on equipping young people with essential work skills.

“UnitingCare strongly welcomes the reforms to superannuation tax concessions which will deliver a critical $6 billion revenue stream. We have been calling for these for almost a decade” said Martin.

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Gather your voices for justice

Micah Australia’s Voices for Justice National Gathering is an opportunity to raise your voice and influence our nation’s leaders on behalf of the world’s poorest people in the lead up to the 2016 election.

Join together with like-minded Christians from around the country to pray and worship, be equipped and trained for advocacy, and speak out for a world of justice and compassion as you meet with federal politicians in Parliament House.

The program includes a day spent at Parliament House; as well as a dedicated prayer room, a market place and workshops. There’ll also be programs for primary and high school age people.

Cherry Johnson, from NSW, attended Voices for Justice in 2014.

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