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A Christmas reflection by Father Andy Hamilton SJ
Christmas Day is a day of celebration. Of family, of children, of leisure, of freedom from work, of good food and drink. And yet in recent times, Christmas has also been a time of anxiety, of fear, of separation, of hardship. On one recent Christmas we lived with COVID and the isolation that...
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International Day of Persons with Disabilities
The theme of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities puts disabilities into a broader context of how society affects them and must change to meet them. Pope Francis has always commended the day, focusing on people’s personal needs. Both approaches are necessary. ...
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World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2023
Avoiding death and danger isn’t enough to live a life that’s truly free, writes Andy Hamilton SJ to mark this year’s World Day of Migrants and Refugees.
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Reflection: Australia must enact a Human Rights Act
Jesuit Social Services’ rights-based approach to advocacy and service provision is grounded in our belief that every person’s rights and freedoms must be protected. Here, Andy Hamilton SJ reflects on our recommendation that the Federal Government enact a Human Rights Act – building on our...
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Deepening our conversation on The Voice to Parliament
Jesuit Social Services supports a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament and throughout 2023, we are advocating for a YES vote in the upcoming referendum. We were honoured to welcome Amanda Watkinson, who is an Aboriginal woman and former Jesuit Social Services staff member, to speak to staff at our recent All Staff Day in June about what a YES vote would mean for Indigenous peoples and for Australia as a whole.
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Reflecting on the role of neighbourhood houses under a changing climate
Jesuit Social Services’ Centre for Just Places worked with a network of neighbourhood houses in Darebin to create a climate action and resilience plan in 2022. Inspired by this process, the Centre co-designed a framework with the Darebin network which can be used to guide strategic action planning and advocacy for networks of neighbourhood houses across the country. No similar framework currently exists for neighbourhood house networks. Below are some of our reflections from this work.
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Jesuit Social Services’ commitment to Restorative Practice
Jesuit Social Services takes pride in delivering supports and services that recognise a person’s individual needs, experiences and story. We develop strong relationships and connections with the people and communities we work alongside to help facilitate positive change and create better outcomes....
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‘Open door’ place-based approach facilitates culturally safe space for First Nations people
Recently, Jesuit Social Services’ Centre for Just Places, our hub for place-based action, research and advocacy, was commissioned by the Victorian government to investigate what makes some place-based approaches so effective. Our team, alongside partners RMIT University, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and the University of Queensland, explored existing literature and practice, publishing a research report and case studies across the state, including the Latrobe Valley Authority.
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Reflection: Designing and implementing justice reinvestment in Australia
Read Andy Hamilton SJ's reflection on community led justice reinvestment to support our submission to the Justice Reinvestment Design Project.