Dignity not Destitution
CHANGES TO SUPPORT SERVICES FOR PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM |
Program Partners Refugee Council of Australia Red Cross Australia
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The foundational principle of the campaign Dignity NOT Destitution is the belief that no person lawfully residing in Australia should be forced into destitution through the removal of access to financial and housing supports.
Up to 12,000 people seeking asylum in Australia may be at risk of losing core services and financial support due to Government changes in the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS). Charities are already struggling to support destitute asylum seekers, but this level of destitution will be unprecedented. Read about why this is a deep concern for people seeking asylum as well as Churches and Charities. You CAN take action to support. BackgroundUp to 12,000 people seeking asylum in Australia may be at risk of losing core services and financial support due to Government changes in the Status Resolution Support Services (SRSS). The SRSS is a regular payment to help with basic living costs for those who live in Australia and are waiting for a decision about their immigration status. The current SRSS program has different levels of support (‘bands’), depending on the circumstances of the person on the program. In the past 6 months this program has been drastically reduced leaving many people with no form of financial or service assistance. Charities and food banks around the country have reported a significant increase in the presentation of people seeking asylum who are destitute as a result of the reduction of services. The Red Cross who has been a provider of services for asylum seekers for 25 years and is the largest provider in the country of SRSS has not had its contract renewed. There are fears that the number of people who will become destitute is only going to rise placing extraordinary pressure on charities and welfare agencies around Australia. ACRT will join the Refugee Council of Australia, the ASRC and others to campaign for the restoration of key support services for asylum seekers in the belief that; No person lawfully residing in Australia should be forced into destitution through the removal of access to financial and housing supports. Currently, there is no agency in Australia funded by Government to work with this specific group of people. They are surviving on emergency handouts from a range of charities, and living with friends or community members, often in vulnerable or unstable conditions. |
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Why are people being removed from basic financial supports?There are two main categories of people who have been removed from financial assistance after seeking Australia’s Protection. The first situation is people who have had their financial, casework and/or counselling support cancelled due to a range of reasons which may include:
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Why is this a challenge?People who seek asylum in Australia often have family left behind who they are desperately worried about. Although the allocation of 89% of a standard Centrelink payment is not much, there are times when people support each other to save as much as they can for their families who may be in desperate circumstances. For the Australian Government to tell them what to do with their own money and then punish them if they do support family overseas, is undignified and potentially a breach of privacy. Being able to work is often a great desire for asylum seekers and refugees. Working not only brings financial benefits but has significant social capital and can improve the self-confidence of a person living in a new culture. However, there are many challenges for newly arrived individuals in gaining employment that go beyond a simple assessment of being ‘job ready’ by a generalist employment service. Some of these challenges include a lack of recognition by many employers of work experience overseas. Without Australian based work experience many people find it difficult to secure employment. A lack of proficient language skills, bias or discrimination on racial or religious grounds or a lack of understanding of the Bridging Visa system can all contribute to an inability to secure employment. Whilst a person may be considered to be ‘job ready’ by a generalist employment service, securing employment is a whole other challenge. Removing people from financial support merely because they are considered ‘job ready’ can mean a person will be destitute for an extended time before securing employment to support themselves and their family. Furthermore, the compounding stressors of being destitute can further prevent a person from securing employment due to impacts on their mental health. The second group are people whose claim for protection has been considered ‘finally determined’ by Home Affairs. This means they have not been recognised as a refugee. The policy of removing the financial means to live from this group of people has a long history, having been in place for many years. Home Affairs considers a person finally determined when:
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Why are we concerned about people being removed from SRSS?The situations that lead to people being removed from SRSS and therefore all financial supports mean people can be destitute in the community for months at a time, or even years before their situation is resolved. It is predicted that overall in the so called ‘legacy caseload’ there could be up to 12,000 people who will be removed from financial assistance over the coming 3 years. This level of destitution for asylum seekers is unprecedented and will bring considerable challenges for support and advocacy. Much of the burden will fall on faith based agencies, churches and charities to try to support. The Australian Christian Churches Taskforce disagrees with this policy and believes that Government should not be removing essential supports whilst people still have legal status in Australia. Furthermore, the Government should not be dictating the personal and lawful affairs of asylum seekers people seeking asylum who are already in a distressful situation including punishing them for their personal decisions. However, we are also aware that creating change may take some time. In the meantime we are concerned that these people do find a safe place to live and basic supports. The ACRT campaign #dignitynotdestitution will focus on advocacy to change the policy but also encouraging individuals and churches to host asylum seekers who may find themselves destitute until their situation changes. Whilst we do not consider that the churches and charities should have to fill the gap of this cruel policy, we also recognise that we cannot stand aside and allow people to become destitute in our own community. |
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Evidence base #dignitynotdestitutionLack of income raises immediate concerns for any person in the community. The result of destitution can include including homelessness, poor physical and mental health and nutrition, as well as social isolation. At a crucial time where a person who has sought protection is trying to deal with the trauma of their flight from their home country and the uncertainty of a safe future, the compounding impact of destitution can be devastating. The impact of destitution on asylum seekers health, welfare and capacity to participate in their immigration process was acknowledged by the then Department of Immigration, when the forerunner of the SRSS program (the Community Care Pilot) was first created in 2009. When health and welfare issues are stabilised, clients are better able to think clearly, exercise choice and participate in resolution of their immigration status. A UK study on the nature of coping with destitution notes that even when people seeking asylum can find ways to support themselves outside of formal employment, many of the relationships formed or transactions negotiated are ultimately unequal in power and therefore dis-empowering and potentially harmful. “Some relationships are overtly transactional, with destitute asylum seekers providing childcare, cooking and/or housework, and sometimes sex, in exchange for meals, cash, shelter, or other daily necessities”. In Australia a number of agencies who work with those facing destitution also note that the context is precarious and can involve exploitation, violence and abuse on a range of levels. A Hotham Mission study on asylum homelessness noted: “Their [asylum seekers'] unfamiliarity with the service system and Australian culture makes them especially vulnerable to exploitation by unregulated crisis accommodation facilities and unscrupulous tenants residing there. Associated issues such as violence, racial intimidation and abuse or theft can further traumatise asylum seekers with vulnerabilities.” If the Government really is interested in asylum seekers resolving their immigration status as quickly as possible, forcing people into destitution is analogous to this aim. As the Community Care pilot found in 2009, stable health and subsistence for asylum seekers is the best way to achieve an expedient resolution of immigrations status whilst providing the dignity that all people deserve. |
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Connect with us FOLLOW THE TASKFORCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK and TWITTER |
CONTACT US Telephone: (02) 9299 2215 Address: Locked Bag Q199, QVB NSW 1230 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
June calendar
June
3 | Mabo Day |
5 | World Environment Day |
8 | World Ocean Day |
18 | Act for Peace Ration Challenge begins |
20 | World Refugee Day |
Child Safe Standards webinar
Child safe practices for faith based organisations
The NSW Office of the Children's Guardian is hosting a panel discussion and a series of webinars specifically targeted to faith based organisations. People in leadership, safeguarding and any child related roles within a faith setting are encouraged to attend.
Panel discussion: 24 June 10 am.
Remembering Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Critical Prophet of the Ecumenical Movement
"...on 9 April 1945, the German Lutheran theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, ... was hanged at Flossenbürg execution camp in Germany. He was 39."
Martung Upah Appeal
Dear Martung Upah Partners,
Martung Upah is NCCA's major fundraising appeal. Income received from this appeal allows us to fund our work, including the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Development Fund. Your gift makes an enormous difference to help us support our First Nations people. Without it, we would not be able to provide educational resources to the wider community; engage the Churches in Indigenous issues or fund important community development projects.
The Martung Upah appeal is one way that you can support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples directly.
Our aim is to build a better tomorrow for all First Nations children so that injustice and discrimination will not be part of Australia’s future.
We look forward to our continued partnership and thank you for your support.
Martung Upah is from Western Australia and means ‘partnership'.
Student at Maparu during WCC Living Letters visit. Photo credit: Hanna Grace |
Martung Upah AppealTo make a secure on line donation click here. To find out other ways to donate please see below. |
How to donate?
- To donate by phone, please call our freecall number 1800 025 101
- To donate by cheque or credit card, please download the appeal brochure and send the donation form with your cheque (payable to NATSIEC) to Martung Upah Appeal, Locked Bag Q199, Queen Victoria Building, NSW, 1230.
- To make a secure on line donation click here.
Please note that donations can be made to Martung Upah throughout the year.
Easter Messages from Leaders of Christian Churches in Australia 2020
This Easter may the love of Jesus be evermore vivid in all we think, say and do!
There is a saying of Blaise Pascal: “After the resurrection. Jesus no longer wanted to be touched, except through his wounds”.
This was the experience of relieved and delighted Mary in the Garden. (John 20:17)....
Easter Messages from Leaders of Christian Churches in Australia 2020
This Easter may the love of Jesus be evermore vivid in all we think, say and do!
There is a saying of Blaise Pascal: “After the resurrection. Jesus no longer wanted to be touched, except through his wounds”.
This was the experience of relieved and delighted Mary in the Garden. (John 20:17)....
ACRT
A CHRISTIAN VISION OF COMPASSION AND HOSPITALITYFOR ASYLUM SEEKERS AND REFUGEES
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Submission opposing the Migration Amendment (Removals and Other Measures) Bill 2024 The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) has made a submission to the Senate inquiry, which closes Friday 12 April 2024. ACRT have also prepared a briefing resource, providing a guide for churches in Australia that wish to make submissions opposing the Bill. Read more |
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Submission to the AHRC on Women in Immigration Detention The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) made a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on 21 February 2024, looking into the experiences of women in immigration detention facilities, and the subsequent issues women faced when they were in community detention. Read more |
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Hidden homelessness in Australia Homelessness in Australia is often hidden for those in our community, like people seeking asylum with no work rights and no income support, while they wait for resolution of their visa status. Read more |
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Lives in limbo - 10 years of Offshore Processing The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce (ACRT) is one of many groups that are marking the ‘bitter’ 10th anniversary of the Regional Resettlement Arrangement between the Australian and Papua New Guinea (PNG) governments with an appeal to end the misery and cruelty of offshore processing. Read more |
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ACRT MEETING At the recent Taskforce meeting a presentation was given by Blaise Itabelo, CRSA's Community Engagement Manager, on the Community Refugee Integration and Support Pilot (CRISP) and the Group Mentorship Program.
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IN THE MEDIA - immigration detention NCCA General Secretary, Elizabeth Stone, spoke with Sight Magazine saying that the detention and deportation of Serbian tennis star Djokovic has "reminded and informed Australians about the plight of dozens of men in immigration detention in hotels in Darwin, Brisbane and Melbourne." Read the Sight article ‘End indefinite detention of asylum seekers’ Read also: Bishops, rabbis and imams call on Scott Morrison to free asylum seekers (thenewdaily.com.au- 28 January) |
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COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP OF REFUGEES January 2022 New program commencing July 2022 Thank you to the church groups and individual Australians across the country who rallied to help trail-blaze this new approach by signing up to be part of the Group Mentorship Program for newly arrived refugees. Read more |
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Christians United for Afghanistan It is our hope that as we unite as the Church, we speak boldly to our national government leaders to provide urgent action for the well being of Afghan refugees. |
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AFGHAN REFUGEES We pray for a generous response from Australia to the Afghan situation at this time. Read more |
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Campaigns |
DIGNITY NOT DESTITUTION Around 12,000 people seeking asylum in Australia may be at risk of losing core services and financial support due to Government changes in the Status Resolution Support Services. The SRSS is a regular payment to help with basic living costs for those who live in Australia awaiting a decision about their immigration status. |
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COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP TO AUSTRALIA The Community Refugee Sponsorship Initiative has now become an incorporated Australian charity operating under the new name of ‘Community Refugee Sponsorship Australia’ (CRSA). The new organisation launched their website in July 2021. |
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PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION Your donation will be used to support the various campaigns of the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce. To make a donation by credit card, over the phone. Call our freecall number on 1800 025 101. |
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Connect with us FOLLOW THE TASKFORCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK |
CONTACT US Telephone: (02) 9299 2215 Address: Locked Bag Q199, QVB NSW 1230 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Campaigns
THE TASKFORCE IS SUPPORTING THE FOLLOWING CAMPAIGNS
Campaigns |
DIGNITY NOT DESTITUTION |
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COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP TO AUSTRALIA |
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IMMIGRATION DETENTION VISITOR EXPERIENCES The Refugee Council of Australia is collating information on how the new detention visiting procedures are impacting on being able to visit detainees. Your experiences can help advocate for better visiting experiences |
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Connect with us FOLLOW THE TASKFORCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK |
CONTACT US Telephone: (02) 9299 2215 Address: Locked Bag Q199, QVB NSW 1230 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
About Us
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OUR CORE BELIEFS |
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Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce ValuesDrawing on core Christian values and traditions, the Taskforce is committed to offering a strong Christian moral voice into what has become a heated and hostile public debate fuelled by divisive political rhetoric and constantly changing policies. |
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Why Churches care about Asylum SeekersMany Australians support ‘tough’ positions against asylum seekers who arrive by boat and rank asylum seeker issues as one of the top issues facing our country. Some Christians, like many other Australians, are concerned about unsustainable numbers of asylum seekers arriving by boat and a fear of the ‘floodgates’ opening if we were to have more compassionate policies. Others have voiced concern about fears of Islamicisation and the changing demographic of Australia. Many more share a deep concern that people are drowning in small, overcrowded and un-seaworthy boats making dangerous voyages. As Christians seeking to live faithful lives and respond to others with the grace of God, there is probably no more confusing and complex area of public policy and debate than this. We are confronted not only by deaths at sea but also by our concerns for those refugees in camps throughout Africa and Asia. We see vulnerable people suffering because of harsh and punitive policies administered by our Government here in Australia and in offshore detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island, PNG. Children are locked up in immigration detention centres, asylum seekers are living in poverty in the community with no end in sight to their situation and on Manus Island and Nauru the conditions are harsh and damaging to people’s health and well-being. The problems seem too great and the solutions elusive. With such difficult moral questions around Australia’s treatment of asylum seekers, it is important to step back from the prevailing public debate and draw guidance from our identity as ‘disciples’. We know that we do not always respond to human suffering and need with compassion and love. We are often driven by our fears and our confusion to give assent to ‘solutions’ which punish rather than protect. Through the national debates around asylum seekers, we have seen the best of the Australian national character – generosity, hospitality, practical care and deep compassion, and the worst of our nation – political opportunism, mean-spiritedness and fear of outsiders. This paper describes the faith foundations for the Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce. Drawing on core Christian values and traditions, the Taskforce is committed to offering a strong Christian moral voice into what has become a heated and hostile public debate fuelled by divisive political rhetoric and constantly changing policies. |
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Theological StatementAt a time when policies relating to asylum seekers and refugees are increasingly harsh and the public debate lacks compassion, generosity and hospitality, the churches have recognised that a common action and voice are necessary. Read the full statement. |
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What do we believe?1. Why are people coming to Australia?People do not flee their homes, their family, friends and community and undertake perilous, potentially deadly journeys without very good reason. Refugees are people who are forced to flee their homelands to escape persecution, including imprisonment and torture. 2. How should we treat people who arrive in Australia seeking our protection?Asylum seekers who arrive on our shores should be welcomed and offered appropriate care in the community (once initial health, security and identity checks have been done) while their protection claims are assessed 3. How should the Australian system process the claims for asylum? Asylum seekers (consistent with their human rights and Australia’s obligations under international law) should have their claims for protection processed in a fair, transparent and timely manner and that they should have access to review of their case should protection be denied. 4. Isn’t this a really important election issue? The arrival of asylum seekers is of great interest to the general public, but asylum seekers who arrive by boat should not be used for political point scoring. 5. Don’t we need a “deterrent” to stop people smugglers?Government policies should not deliberately expose people to harm. Punishing a vulnerable group of people (asylum seekers) in order to send a message to another group of people (people smugglers and other asylum seekers) is abusive and unconscionable. 6. What should drive our asylum seeker policies?
Asylum seekers in the community should have the right to work: to provide them with a way to support their family, foster self-reliance, to give them a means to contribute to Australian society and for their own human dignity. 8. What is happening with the children?At May 2013 there were 1731 children still being held in Australian immigration detention centres, an extraordinary amount. Under no circumstances should children be locked up. 9. Should “no advantage” be given to those arriving by boat?Asylum seekers and refugees should be able to find hope and restoration from the despair and persecution from which they have fled. Refugees and asylum seekers should be able to be reunited with their families. No-one should be detained indefinitely and without the right to challenge their detention. 10. Can we afford to help all these arrivals?As one of the wealthiest, safest and most secure countries in the world, we should be able to fund a humanitarian response to asylum seekers without taking money away from our overseas aid commitments. |
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MEMBERS OF THE TASKFORCE |
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CO-CHAIR Rev Deacon Sandy Boyce, Executive Officer, Victorian Council of Churches, Uniting Church in Australia Sandy is a Minister in the Uniting Church in Australia, ordained to the Ministry of Deacon in 2007. She is co-convenor of the network of Deacons in the Uniting Church, and is the President of DIAKONIA World Federation. Sandy commenced in the role of Executive Officer of the Victorian Council of Churches on 19th April, 2022. For over 12 years prior to this, in her role with Pilgrim Uniting Church Adelaide, Sandy was actively engaged in a number of church and community networks including – Convenor: Community Connections, Chair: Justice for Refugees, Chair: Refugee Advocacy Group (SA Uniting Church Synod), Chair: Public Theology and Mission (Synod Committee), and Homelessness SA Board. Sandy is also a member of the Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee. |
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CO-CHAIR Major Karen Elkington, Salvation Army Australia Major Karen Elkington has served as a Salvation Army Officer for more than 25 years. Since 2010, Karen has lead The Salvation Army's Asylum Seeker & Refugee Service which supports people seeking asylum who reside in the Northern & Western suburbs of Melbourne. The Service offers a specialised Emergency Relief and Material Aid response as well as supporting people seeking asylum by offering case work and spiritual support with a vibrant Chaplaincy program which has seeded a Salvation Army Farsi speaking congregation. Other support is also offered for women and children seeking asylum through a therapeutic music therapy and support program. Karen has been The Salvation Army's representative on the Network of Asylum Seeker Agencies (NASAVic) since 2010. Since 2017 Karen has enjoyed working with the Jewish community and is a committee member on Temple Beth Israel's Project Dignity which is Tillun Olam (repairing the world) group that focuses on supporting people of refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds. |
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ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF THE EAST Carmen Lazar, Centre Manager, Assyrian Resource Centre Carmen Lazar is a well-known Assyrian community representative. Carmen migrated to Australia in 1971 with her parents and two sisters. She is respected and valued among community services networks. Currently Carmen is the Manager and Community Settlement Officer, Assyrian Resource Centre that includes the Assyrian Australian Association which is in receipt of funding from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection for Settlement Grants Program (SGP) and for Diversity and Social Cohesion Program (DSCP). Carmen is also a Member of the Fairfield Migrant Inter-agency (Fairfield Council) and in the past has been Principal of the Assyrian Diqlat School which is the Saturday Assyrian school that operates in two schools in NSW. Carmen is a member of the Immigrant Women’s Network Group for the prevention of violence against women and a Community Support for Women Volunteer (once a month), Villawood Detention Centre. |
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BAPTIST Reverend Meewon Yang, Multicultural Pastor & Consultant, Baptist Union of Victoria Rev Meewon Yang grew up in Korea where she was raised an active Presbyterian, and came to Australia in 1989. She was ordained as a Baptist Pastor in 1997, and soon after began working with the Baptist Union as a Multicultural Adviser. She is now a Multicultural Pastor, caring for pastors and congregations in Victoria’s 70 migrant ethnic Baptist congregations from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds. Meewon has been a passionate advocate for asylum seekers and refugees. She established the Refugee Airfare and Assistance scheme, pioneered a chaplaincy role at an asylum seeker house set up by Brunswick Baptist Church, and then helped to establish the Sanctuary asylum seeker transitional housing project run by Baptcare. In 2012 Meewon completed her Masters Degree which looked at models of Multicultural ministry. She is a regular adjunct lecturer at Whitley College and within the MCD University. |
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CATHOLIC Peter Arndt, Executive Officer, Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of Brisbane As Executive Officer of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane, Peter Arndt is also Convenor of the Brisbane Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Network. He participates in a number of reference groups associated with the management of Government-funded refugee support programs and the Brisbane Immigration Transit Accommodation. He also works in advocacy on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, climate change, protection of outworkers, the death penalty and human rights in Sri Lanka and West Papua. |
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CATHOLIC Sr Brigid Arthur, Joint Coordinator Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project Brigid Arthur is a Brigidine Sister who trained both as a Primary and Secondary teacher. She taught and was Principal of schools for many years. Brigid has a degree in Arts (Melbourne University) and educational and Mathematics/Science degrees from Australian Catholic University, La Trobe University, Monash University and Melbourne University. Brigid studied at Fordham University in New York where she graduated with a Masters degree in Religious Education. She has studied theology at Yarra Theological College. Brigid is the joint coordinator of the Brigidine Asylum Seekers’ Project. This work has been at both a hands-on level – helping asylum seekers and refugees with accommodation, and other practical support, and in advocacy – trying to change the present policies and procedures used in Australia to deter asylum seekers coming to this country. Brigid is a member of the Board of the Asylum Seekers Project and a member of the Refugee Advocacy Network. |
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UNITING CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA Rev Lindsay Cullen, Associate General Secretary, Rev Lindsay Cullen is the Assembly Associate General Secretary. He leads the Assembly Resourcing Unit - a team responsible for the oversight of the national work of the UCA including doctrine, worship, ministry education standards, social justice and advocacy and ecumenical and interfaith relationships. Within the UCA, Lindsay has served in rural, regional and urban contexts and a major focus of his ministry has been Adult Education and Lay Ministry training. |
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ASSOCIATE MEMBERS Rev. Dr. John D. Jegasothy, JP - Sydney Tamil Community Rev Ian Phillips, Lismore Church of Christ and Sanctuary Northern Rivers.
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Connect with us FOLLOW THE TASKFORCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK |
CONTACT US Telephone: (02) 9299 2215 Address: Locked Bag Q199, QVB NSW 1230 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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