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Jesuit Social Services was pleased to contribute a submission to the National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children Consultation. We highlighted some of our key concerns and made recommendations for a strong and effective National Plan. Context The federal government is in the process of developing the next National Plan to Reduce…
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Ahead of the Feast Day of Ignatius Loyola (July 21), ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that the Ignatian tradition of travelling lightly with firm and respectful commitments to people is designed for living in times of crisis and uncertainty. The Feast Day of Ignatius Loyola this year has been affected by the coronavirus and its restrictions.…
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NAIDOC Week (July 4 – 11) is a time for recognising and celebrating the many ways in which pride has been built in Indigenous communities, and for pressing that in their relationships to people and to the environment governments and other institutions show the respect which opens out to healing, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. This…
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In public debates, Governments will win more votes than they lose through the brutal treatment of refugees. If we care for refugees, then, we must be in for the long haul. When the national mood changes from suspicious of outsiders to a more hospitable outlook, we must be ready to encourage it, writes ANDY HAMILTON…
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Help us to give young people a second chance
Our #WorthASecondChance campaign was launched in July 2018 as a way to engage the public in joining with us to call for the youth justice system our community deserves. At the time, youth justice in Victoria was at a crossroad. Victoria had once been a leader in its approach to youth justice but after years…
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Better approaches to supporting young people in the Northern Territory
In May, the Northern Territory Government introduced a number of legislative changes to the youth justice system that will see more children separated from family and community, and funnelled into detention. These deeply concerning measures include increasing grounds to refuse or revoke bail; reducing access to diversion; and more powers to place electronic monitoring devices…
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National Reconciliation Week - Reconciliation must be first made with reality
Ahead of Sorry Day (May 26) and National Reconciliation Week (May 27 – June 3), ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that reconciliation begins by recognising the human reality of the relationships between Indigenous people and non-indigenous Australians and the history of those relationships. National Reconciliation Week this year marks the 20th anniversary of Reconciliation Australia and…
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It all began with a ricocheting cannon ball
From May 2021 until July 2022, the Jesuits and the Ignatian family, including Jesuit Social Services, celebrate an Ignatian Year. The Ignatian Year marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of St. Ignatius’ transformation from Ignatius the soldier into Ignatius the pilgrim. ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects on the events that led Ignatius to find the space…
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Good health for the young, the old and the vulnerable must be built on respect for their humanity and on good relationships, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Most Australians are fortunate enough to be able to take their health for granted for much of their lives. We have sufficient food to keep us strong; we have…
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Palm Sunday invites us to consider the price we put on humanity and compassion, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Participants in the 2019 Walk for Justice for Refugees rally. This year we again celebrate Palm Sunday in the shadow of Coronavirus. As in previous years Palm Sunday is a day for remembering refugees. Marches take place…