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"The Apology engendered great hope. It remains unrealised".
Picture credit: butupa A decade on from Prime Minister Rudd’s landmark Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples, ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects that the great hope engendered by it remains unrealised. Ten years have passed since the Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on behalf of Parliament and the nation. It seems…
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Vulnerable young people need support, not stigma
Focusing on punitive measures as a means of tackling crime deprives us of the opportunity to constructively discuss effective solutions that address the causes of alienation and disengagement young people often experience, writes Jesuit Social Services Communications Coordinator ANDREW GILLETT. Jesuit Social Services has been working with young people who have been involved with the…
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Federal Government’s MYEFO seeks to create second class citizens
The Federal Government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook seeks to create second class citizens who are excluded from full participation in society, writes Jesuit Social Services Media Relations Manager KATHRYN KERNOHAN. This week, the Federal Government handed down its Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook (MYEFO), an update on this year’s Federal Budget. The Federal Government…
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Raise the age of criminal responsibility
Jesuit Social Services has joined more than 50 Victorian organisations in signing an open letter to Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, calling on the Government to raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years of age. The letter outlines evidence that shows most children under the age of 14 do not have…
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ANDY HAMILTON SJ explores how justice can hold people to account while also offering hope and a pathway forward. In recent years in Australia justice has increasingly been seen through the lens of punishment. It is retributive. You do the crime, you do the time. In public controversies about justice critics usually complain that the…
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Reflections on Caux Dialogue on Land and Security
Earlier this year Jesuit Social Services’ Ecological Justice Policy Officer BRONWYN LAY joined experts in Switzerland to deepen her understanding of the links between land degradation and human security. She reflects on her experiences and Jesuit Social Services’ journey of reconciliation with creation. In July this year I helped organise the Caux Dialogue on Land…
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Anti-Poverty Week: small things matter in our quest to eradicate poverty
Anti-Poverty Week (October 15-21) is a chance to reflect on issues of poverty and hardship, both locally and globally. ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that small things matter in our quest to eradicate poverty. We usually think of poverty as something that afflicts third world nations. But it is also present in Australia – shamefully so,…
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Advocacy and changemaking: reflections from the Women's Policy Forum
Jesuit Social Services’ Policy and Advocacy volunteer JEMIMA HOFFMAN recaps the presentation by Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards and GetUp!’s Shen Narayanasamy at the recent Women’s Policy Forum. How can advocates work together to achieve social change? What makes an advocacy campaign successful? These were the questions that Julie Edwards, CEO of Jesuit Social…
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World Mental Health Day - reflection by Andy Hamilton SJ
On World Mental Health Day (October 10), ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that one of the most challenging features of mental illness is the lack of understanding and empathy we receive from others. Physical and mental health are great gifts. We realise this when we fall chronically ill or suffer prolonged depression. Our ailments affect all…
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#JusticeSolutions: Expanding the conversation
Jesuit Social Services’ Policy and Advocacy volunteer JEMIMA HOFFMAN writes about the recent launch of our #JusticeSolutions report, and why Victoria’s youth justice system must focus on prevention, diversion and rehabilitation. Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards speaks at the launch of #JusticeSolutions: Expanding the conversation. Jesuit Social Services recently launched the report #JusticeSolutions: Expanding…