Peter Whiting Editorial.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The decision (communicated in our May SPC News<\/em>) to put SPC into a \u2018care and maintenance\u2019 mode is about making space to explore how SPC or a successor might best continue as a much needed Christian voice on social policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It would be deeply regrettable to think of SPC falling silent. The need for such a voice is even more urgent than ever at a time of such challenge and opportunity. SPC is the outcome of the work of many volunteers who shared the aspiration of creating a vibrant independent Christian voice on social policy. These volunteers and the many supporters who have travelled with us are too numerous to name here, and even to include a few would inevitably mean others as worthy are overlooked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It falls to me then, as president of Social Policy Connections, on behalf of the Committee of Management, to thank those who in so many ways have assisted us on the journey. It is our fervent hope that SPC will rise again like the phoenix (maybe I should have used a more Christian analogy than this). What remains clear is the acute need for such independent, ecumenical Christian voices in the area of public policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The experience of SPC confirms my belief that stronger ecumenical collaboration and engagement in debates on public policy are needed, and would be broadly welcomed in the community. Indeed, in view of the increasing religious diversity in Australia, we should also grow inter-faith collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To be successful, such a network of religious organisations and social agencies needs two things : firstly, the ability to make judgments and statements on its own independent authority, even if partly reliant on funding from some of the same organisations, and secondly, to secure enough funding and resources to maintain professional staffing and activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SPC did not claim to speak for the churches, but rather in its own name as an independent organisation inviting serious collaboration among people inspired by Gospel values. SPC drew from the traditions of social activism in the churches, including the writings and experience in Catholic social traditions, along with the advocacy and commitment of Anglican, Methodist and non-conformist traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After advice from Sir Gus Nossal<\/strong> that we would need a strong institutional foundation, SPC also initiated conversations in early 2006 with Sr Kathleen Williams RSM<\/strong>, Dean of the Yarra Theological Union, Dr Gregg Brett<\/strong>, president of YTU, along with Dr Paul Beirne<\/strong> and Dr Charles Sherlock <\/strong>from the Melbourne College of Divinity, about the need for an institute for research and teaching, initially under the name, The Institute for Religion & Social Policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Why Pope Leo XIII\u2019s landmark encyclical \u2018On the Condition of the Working Classes\u2019 remains so relevant 130 years later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Fr Bruce Duncan CSsR, a lecturer on Catholic Social Thought, and Megan Cavanagh, principal in a prominent law firm and chair of the Australian Catholic Commission for Employment Relations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The dream of SPC is one for every generation. Peter Whiting Editorial. The decision (communicated in our May SPC News) to put SPC into…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"sfsi_plus_gutenberg_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_show_text_before_share":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_type":"","sfsi_plus_gutenberg_icon_alignemt":"","sfsi_plus_gutenburg_max_per_row":""},"categories":[36,37,55],"tags":[163,1061,305,1060],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18440"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18440"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18440\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18514,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18440\/revisions\/18514"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15940"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18440"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18440"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18440"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-my-future-matters.jpg\")
Learnings for the future<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bruce Duncan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-earth-demo.jpg\")
John Cameron. Unsplash.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nSocial Policy Connections & Yarra Institute: an historical sketch<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Compiled by Bruce Duncan June 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nRerum Novarum Webinar videos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Webinar 15 May 2021<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sponsored by the Cardijn Institute Australia, Social Policy Connections, and Yarra Theological Union.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-youtube-rerum-novarum1-1.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n130 Years of Church Teaching with speaker Megan Kavanaugh<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.socialpolicyconnections.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/photo-youtube-rerum-novarum2.png\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nBruce Duncan on Rerum Novarum: 130 Years of Church Teaching<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nSPC book sale<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Special 30% reduction on quoted prices.
Free postage. Stock limited.<\/h4>\n\n\n\nContact Social Policy Connections
PO Box 505 Box Hill VIC 3128
admin@socialpolicyconnections.com.au | 0409 897 971<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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