Please click HERE for a .pdf version of this newsletter. 

Why the widespread protests?

Editorial by Bruce Duncan

occupy sydney should we be protesting
Occupy Sydney by 'Newtown Graffit', Flickr cc

 Many Australians have been surprised by the demonstrations in key cities, mobilising under the badge of ‘the 99 percent movement’. Whatever one might think about the conduct of these protests, the underlying message is urgent and serious, and should particularly engage people concerned about social justice and equity.

The street protests around the world are like the canary in the coalmine, a warning that things must change to produce fair outcomes for ordinary people. Fortunately, Australia has the resources to do this, as well as a culture favouring social equity. But we need to do much better than we are doing at the moment.

Click HERE for the complete article.

We invite you to join us at the

SPC 6th Annual General Meeting

7pm Thursday 24 November 2011

In the Study Centre of the Yarra Theological Union
34 Bedford Street Box Hill

with a Forum at 7:30 on
Morality & Climate Change: A Response to Cardinal Pell
by Geoff Lacey, author of
Sufficient for the Day: Towards a Sustainable Culture
Geoff will be available to sign copies afterwards,
and refreshments will be served
 

Tax us if you can!

6pm Thursday 24 November

Lecture Theatre, Cardinal Knox Centre, 383 Albert Street East Melbourne

RSVP before Friday 18 November to jim@victas.uca.org.au | 9251 5271
John Christensen, founder of the UK-based Tax Justice Network, discusses how tax havens cheat developing countries, and mean the rest of us have to pay more tax or miss out on services – and how to combat this corruption.

Yarra Institute on harm to asylum seekers from prolonged detention

ward launch
Rev Alistair Macrae with Caz Coleman & Dr Tony Ward

Significant media interest followed the launch of a report by the Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy on the effects of prolonged detention on the mental health of asylum seekers. The report, Long-term health costs of extended mandatory detention of asylum seekers, was launched on 12 October at St Brigid’s church, North Fitzroy, by Rev Alistair Macrae, President of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church of Australia. Dr Tony Ward of Milbur Consulting highlighted that prolonged detention results in significant mental health costs after people are released.

Click HERE for the complete article.

Action needed to reduce poverty

anti-poverty-week
Fr Bruce Duncan, Brian Dalton CEO St Vincent de Paul, Lucy Adams, Cassandra Goldie, Michaela Guthridge, & Tony Tome State President St Vincent de Paul

 

Urgent action is needed to help redress the deepening disadvantage of unemployed and homeless people, according to Ms Cassandra Goldie, CEO of ACOSS, speaking to 55 people at an Anti-Poverty Week forum on 21 October at the St Vincent de Paul offices in Box Hill.

Click HERE for the complete article.

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