National Child Protection Week 2016

This awareness week enables all of us to build on the national child protection framework “Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business: Play Your Part” by focussing on the theme ‘Stronger Communities, Safer Children’. This theme emphasises the importance and value of connected communities in keeping children and young people safe and well. 

Saving lives in India

Shanti* and her son Hari* were born in Sri Lanka but for the last 25 years she and her family I have lived in a refugee camp assisted by Act for Peace’s partner, the Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OfERR), in the state of Tamil Nadu in south-east India.

Your ongoing support to Act for Peace has helped to save Hari’s life. 

NCCA is pleased to announce that Janet Cousens has been appointed as Interim Executive Director of Act for Peace for a period of twelve months from 1 July 2016. Janet joined Act for Peace in 2008, and has been serving as the Programs and Policy Director since December 2010. Janet has excellent credentials to serve in her new position and we are very appreciative of the skills and talents that she will bring to this role during this interim period. 

Catholic religious orders from across Australia call for Amnesty for the people in detention camps: saying #BringThemHere!

Sisters from Catholic religious orders across Australia today signed a statement calling on the Prime Minister to issue an amnesty for those suffering cruelty in Australia’s offshore detention camps, and backed a call for a Summit on Solutions to take the politics out of refugee policy.

As we move into Spring we frequently experience the delight of new life. Blossoms abound, shoots break through the soil, fresh leaves appear on branches. Many years ago, some friends and I drove into the Flinders Ranges about this time of the year.

Two memories stay with me: As we drover further into the ranges, I turned and looked through the rear window of the car. The hills were covered in purple! It was as though Salvation Jane (known in other states as Patterson’s Curse) garmented the land! When we stopped the car and walked on the dry red soil, in amongst the grey-greens of the salt bush, once or twice we were delighted by the sight of the blood-red Sturt Desert Pea, with its shiny red-black petals. These were special moments. 

Following their 2nd meeting on Wednesday 24 August, the President and the Board of National Council of Churches in Australia have released a statement to the media urging the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition and the Governor General to “…sort out a solution to the issue of Nauru and Manus Island Detention Centres”, and asking them to consider convening a Consultation on Peace-making in Australia. 

Visit of the World Council of Churches General Secretary

Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit will visit Australia, 11-17 October. It is expected that he will visit Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide. His itinerary will include public lectures, worship, meeting with church leaders and civil leaders. He hopes to meet with people of other faiths and cultures. Details of the visit will be made known in the next newsletter. 

Youth PoWR (Youth Parliament of the World’s Religions) 2016 Towards a More Compassionate and Just Society

Do you want to help build compassion and justice in Australia today, and have a voice and a vote in shaping our multi-religious, multicultural society?

3 September 2016, 6pm -10pm
Monte Sant’ Angelo College 128 Miller St, North Sydney

Serbian Orthodox Church

In May 2015 the Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church, meeting at the Patriarchate Palace in Belgrade elected Archimandrite Siluan (Mrakić) as Bishop of the Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand.

On 7 August he will be consecrated bishop at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Holy Archangel Michael in Belgrade. On 22 October he will be enthroned in St George Historic Cathedral in Cabramatta by His Grace Bishop Longin of New Gracanica—Midwestern America.