{"id":10771,"date":"2016-10-03T14:01:21","date_gmt":"2016-10-03T03:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/?p=10771"},"modified":"2016-10-06T12:21:35","modified_gmt":"2016-10-06T01:21:35","slug":"spc-news-october-2016-a-glimmer-of-hope-or-just-a-passing-moment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/?p=10771","title":{"rendered":"SPC News October 2016. A glimmer of hope? Or just a passing moment?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Follow the links to full versions of these articles.
\nDownload a .pdf of this newsletter<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

\"photo-aged-care-book\"<\/a>A glimmer of hope?
\nOr just\u00a0a passing moment?<\/a><\/h1>\n

Peter Whiting<\/h2>\n

The fact that almost one in seven Australians, including more than 600,000 children, live beneath the poverty line is a scandal for a country as well-off as Australia. Budget measures need to be crafted to address the structural causes of poverty, not to penalise those who find themselves disadvantaged.<\/p>\n

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\n

\"not-quite-australian\"<\/a>SPC Forum<\/h2>\n

Peter Mares: Challenges
\nin Australia’s shift to
\ntemporary migration<\/a><\/h1>\n

The ethical and practical challenges in\u00a0Australia\u2019s permanent shift to temporary migration<\/h4>\n

Wednesday 19 October 7:30-9pm<\/h3>\n

Yarra Theological Union Box Hill Victoria<\/strong>
\n Best entry 34 Bedford Street Box Hill<\/strong><\/p>\n

Donations welcome.
\nNibbles and drinks offered\u00a0after the talk.
\nDownload the flyer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Copies of Peter\u2019s recent book,\u00a0Not Quite Australian: how temporary migration is changing Australia<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>published\u00a0<\/em>by Text, will be available for purchase at the talk.<\/p>\n

\n
\"sustainable-development-goals\"<\/a>
Sustainable Development Goals. Alan Parkinson. flickr cc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What has happened to the Sustainable Development Goals?<\/a><\/h1>\n

Gary Harkin<\/h2>\n

The Brown to Green\u00a0<\/em>study by Climate Transparency argues that Australia is a laggard on climate action (the critical Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals SDGs); indeed, we are the only G20 nation judged ‘very poor’ in four of the seven climate categories. This unflattering assessment for Australia from a respected international source comes as the Federal Government and Opposition in budget-fix mode consider a cut of over $1 billion for clean energy technologies (the Australian Renewal Energy Agency).<\/p>\n

\n
\"coexist\"<\/a>
World Peace. Aia Fernandez. flickr cc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

World religious leaders at Assisi: be partisans of peace<\/a><\/h1>\n

Bruce Duncan<\/h2>\n

It was a message sorely needed today. Pope Francis said at Assisi to leaders from world religions, that authentic religions must only advocate peace and reconciliation among peoples, and never be used as an excuse for violence or war. Religious leaders must be ‘artisans of peace’. The Bishop of Rome said the meeting was for “prayer, penitence, and crying, because the world is at war. God, the father of all, Christians and not, wants peace. There’s no god of war”.<\/p>\n

\n
\"taxes-for-welfare\"<\/a>
IMG_7401-our-taxes-for-welfare-not-wealthy. Takver. flickr cc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Kiwi con? New Zealand’s model of welfare reform<\/a><\/h1>\n

Tony French<\/h2>\n

Can anything good come out of New Zealand? Well, our Government thinks so. It’s fallen for what’s called the ‘investment approach’ to social welfare reform, a New Zealand initiative in operation there for nearly five years. Its appeal is that it is designed to curb welfare dependency. Despite the praises being lavished by our politicians on performance of the New Zealand economy, a visit there soon reveals obvious social inequality. The top 10% of the population owns 60% of the wealth, the poorest 40% just 3%. Much of the workforce is casualised, pay rates are far lower than in Australia, and the supermarket checkout operators are collectively the oldest anywhere on earth, packing your small but expensive bag of groceries.<\/p>\n

\n
\"photo-dorothy-day-2\"<\/a>
Dorothy Day (Milwaukee 1968). Jim Forest. flickr cc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A spirituality for
\njust-peacemakers<\/a><\/h1>\n

Brian Johnstone<\/h2>\n

Peace, of course, was required by classic just-war doctrine as the ultimate purpose which justified war.\u00a0 But, in this doctrine, peace was invoked to justify violence. In the pacifist view, truly just peace cannot be attained by violent means; to claim that violence can be a means to true peace would be a contradiction. Thus, genuine pacifists insist that peacemaking must be non-violent. How might we describe a spirituality for this kind of pacifism?<\/p>\n

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\n
\"mountains-forest\"<\/a>
Blue Mountains: landscape vista in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, NSW, Australia. dawolf-. flickr cc.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Putting carbon back in the land is just a smokescreen
\nfor real climate action:
\nClimate Council report<\/a><\/h1>\n

Martin Rice & Will Steffen
\n(from\u00a0The Conversation)<\/em><\/h2>\n

Last December, Australia joined the rest of the world in pledging to do everything possible to limit global warming to no more than 2 degreesC above pre-industrial levels, and furthermore to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5 degreesC. Yet Australia lacks a robust, credible, long-term plan to cut Australia’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion.<\/p>\n

\n
\"A<\/a>
Syria-Crisis\/Goran Tomasevic\/Reuters. a.anis. flickr cc<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Australia’s shambolic policy on Syria – up Shi’ite creek without a paddle<\/a><\/h1>\n

Richard Woolcott<\/h2>\n

In New York, Prime Minister Turnbull said he regretted the involvement of Australian Super Hornets in the bombing of Syrian Government soldiers, which killed some 90 soldiers who were fighting against ISIS. This underlined the fact that Australia should not be involved. In Washington, he confidently said he had received a defence briefing on Syria and on the coming defeat of ISIS. Has he forgotten how inaccurate Washington’s defence briefings were on Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan, which have led us into three losing wars? There can be no military solution to what is happening in Syria, and Australia cannot act to assist in breaking the ongoing deadlocks.<\/p>\n

\n

\"imagining-the-ecumenical\"<\/a><\/h1>\n

Book launch<\/h2>\n

Imagining the Ecumenical
\nA Personal Journey<\/a><\/h1>\n

By John D’Arcy May<\/h2>\n

Launched by Fr Michael Elligate
\nParish Priest of St Carthage’s University Parish<\/h3>\n

Thursday 13 October 6pm (5:30 for drinks)<\/h2>\n

Yarra Theological Union<\/strong>
\nA Constituent College of the University of Divinity
\n98 Albion Road Box Hill Victoria
\nBest entry 34 Bedford Street Box Hill<\/p>\n

Download the flyer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

\"anti-poverty-2016\"<\/a>Dr John Falzon
\nThe meaning of poverty<\/a><\/h1>\n

19 October 10:30am-12:30pm<\/h2>\n

St Vincent de Paul offices
\n43 Prospect St Box Hill<\/h3>\n

Dr Falzon,<\/strong>\u00a0National CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society, will engage with panelists Denis Fitzgerald<\/strong>\u00a0Executive Director of Catholic Social Services Victoria,
\nLucy Adams<\/strong>\u00a0Manager of Homeless Law at Justice Connect, and
\nSue Cattermole<\/strong>\u00a0CEO of St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria.<\/p>\n

RSVP\u00a0<\/strong>By Wednesday 5 October\u00a0rsvp@svdp-vic.org.au<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0|\u00a003 9895 5935. Enquiries\u00a0michael.walter@svdp-vic.org.au<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Dr John Falzon
\nCEO St Vincent de Paul Society
\non ABC Lateline with Emma Alberici<\/a><\/span><\/h1>\n

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