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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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. 

Jess comes to Act for Peace from a professional background in digital media and video production. In her role as Media and Communications Officer she helps to inspire and engage Act for Peace supporters by creating content for their social media channels, website and print publications, as well as organise story gathering trips for their overseas programs, and implementation of Act for Peace’s media strategy. 

NCCA ASSEMBLY

Following the NCCA Forum’s approval of the adoption of a new Constitution for NCCA, NCCA has a slightly changed structure. In the past two representatives of each church met three times a year. This group, the Executive addressed matters of concern, received reports from the various NCCA commissions and networks and made decisions that enabled the work of ecumenism to progress.

“God has broken down the dividing walls”

This is the theme for 2016’s World Week of Peace in Palestine Israel, a week of advocacy and action in support of an end to the illegal occupation of Palestine and a just peace for all in Palestine and Israel.

Join together with Congregations and individuals around the globe who share the hope of justice shall unite during the week to take peaceful actions, together, to create a common international public witness. 

Pope Francis will retun to Assisi to celebrate “the spirit of Assisi”, on the thirtieth anniversary of the “interreligious assembly for peace among the peoples.”

More than 400 religious and political leaders and cultural figures will be present; amongst them will be Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople and Sergio Mattarella, President of the Italian Republic.

ANDCMJ

The Australian National Dialogue of Christians Muslims and Jews recently held its 46th meeting. Two of the people present commented to each other on the amount of laughter that was taking place! Who would have thought when this dialogue commenced that we could come together and enjoy each other’s company so much!

Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit , General Secretary of the World Council of Churches will visit Australia, 11-17 October.

The official itinerary for his visit has yet to be released but we are happy to share with you the details as we know them at this time.

The 2016 Harmony Walk in Fairfield. Sydney

Join in! Bring your friends and family and help celebrate harmony. Share the spirit of inclusion and diversity.

Harmony Walk seeks to bring together Australians from diverse national, ethnic and religious backgrounds to help build an inclusive society, and to acknowledge and celebrate the enduring principles of fairness, harmony and respect. 

Anti-Poverty Week is now only a month away.

Poverty and severe hardship affect more than a million Australians.
Around the world, more than a billion people are desperately poor

Bible and Ecology: Reading scripture through ecological eyes

Join this national webinar to engage ecology and biblical theology with scholars from around Australia and the world

Monday 19th September 10:30am to 5:30pm (Australian Eastern Time) 

In recent years, in the context of growing ecological awareness, biblical scholars have been working to move beyond human-focused perspectives and read the Bible with a deliberate sympathy for the wider Earth community. In this full-day webinar, we will hear from scholars around the country about reading the Bible through “ecological eyes”, and will practise applying such lenses to scripture.