Our thinking Archives - Jesuit Social Services

Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations
- 11 February 2026
[The National Apology to the Stolen Generations] emphasised that all Australians are equally entitled to respect, and that the Government is responsible for ensuring that all Australians are treated equally regardless of their race and history, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
Extreme Heat Awareness Day 2026
- 3 February 2026
"Extreme heat is a social as well as a medical problem," writes Andy Hamilton SJ in his recent piece for Extreme Heat Awareness Day, "for this reason, when we think of social justice, we need to include extreme heat and the other effects of climate change."
Australia Day 2026
- 21 January 2026
We must ask ourselves "what we personally, our communities, our politicians, media and institutions must do to address the things that divide us and strengthen those that bind us together," writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ in his Australia Day 2026 reflection.
Christmas Day 2025
- 23 December 2025
The nativity story proclaims the sacred worth of every human life, even amid violence and fear. The tragedy at Bondi calls us to resist using innocent lives for power or ideology, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ.
International Day of People with Disability
- 3 December 2025
If we group people together in groups, we risk focusing on their difference from ourselves, define them by that difference and not by what we share, and then avoid them out of embarrassment or fear, reflects Andy Hamilton SJ.
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty 2025
- 17 October 2025
"We should not need a special day to encourage us to eradicate poverty in Australia. Poverty is more than a problem to be studied. It wears the face of people whom we meet in the street, through the Vinnies, and see sleeping on the streets. Poverty could wear the face of ourselves, of our children,"…
Jesuit Social Services’ statement on Treaty
- 9 October 2025
As an organisation, we support Treaty because – while we can’t change the immeasurable harm inflicted on Aboriginal people since colonisation – we can create a better future together.
World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2025
- 26 September 2025
In his latest piece, ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that World Day for Migrants and Refugees “reminds us that refugees and migrants are not our rivals nor a threat but are our brothers and sisters whom we invite to share our good fortune.” The World Day for Migrants and Refugees draws our attention to the contribution…
National Child Protection Week 2025
- 15 September 2025
Recognising how widespread abuse of children has been—and how vital it is to respond with both honesty and vigilance—is a responsibility that rests with all of us, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. This National Child Protection Week (7–13 September), together with Catholic Child Protection Sunday (14 September), calls us to safeguard children from harm, confront cultures…
World Suicide Prevention Day 2025
- 10 September 2025
World Suicide Prevention Day reminds us that suicide is about more than statistics, reflects ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Suicide is not just about numbers. Even so, we should be concerned that, after some years of decline, the number of people who took their lives have risen this year. It remains the main killer of young people,…

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Jesuit Social Services 2026 Annual Dinner