-
article
Provocative rhetoric undermines the capacity for communities to thrive
Participants of a Jesuit Social Services Vietnamese Settlement Group. Jesuit Social Services’ long-standing work supporting the settlement of newly arrived communities is based on our belief that all new arrivals to Australia deserve a chance to flourish. For over 40 years Jesuit Social Services has been engaging effectively with successive waves of new migrant groups…
-
article
Victorian election is a time to commit to solutions to fix our broken youth justice system
The next Victorian Government must commit to solutions to fix our broken youth justice system – including a rollback of regressive sentencing practices, raising the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years and investing in diversion programs, writes Jesuit Social Services’ Policy and Advocacy volunteer AARON BATCHELOR. Youth justice is at a crossroads…
-
article
Adequate funding for postvention programs can reduce the risk of further suicide
Programs like Support After Suicide, which work with people bereaved by the loss of a loved one, also work to reduce the risk of further suicide. With suicide numbers on the rise, it is important programs like this receive adequate funding, writes Jesuit Social Services’ Policy and Advocacy volunteer TONY SANTOSPIRITO. Many Australians have been…
-
article
In this guest blog post, Loyola College student JULIA TRAN shares a powerful reflection on how her Christian Service placement with Jesuit Social Services changed her views about social, criminal and gender justice. Photos by Julia Tran, showcasing highlights of her week with our staff. Before spending a week at Jesuit Social Services, I had…
-
article
Advocacy on the agenda at Annual Dinner
On Saturday 16th March around 400 guests joined Jesuit Social Services for our Annual Dinner, held in the Members Dining Room at the MCG. Liana Buchanan delivering the annual Frank Costigan QC address at the Jesuit Social Services Annual Dinner Victoria’s Principal Commissioner for Children and Young People Liana Buchanan delivered the annual Frank Costigan…
-
article
Reflection on Universal Apostolic Preferences
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the Apostolic Preferences announced by Jesuit Superior General Arturo Sosa, and the opportunity to strengthen our commitments in their light. The four Apostolic Preferences are: To show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and Discernment. To walk with the poor, outcasts and victims of violence in mission of justice…
-
article
COVID-19 holds a mirror up to us
Once we get a chance to catch our collective breath we need to lift our gaze and ask ourselves: what kind of world do we want to live in, writes Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards, who shares her thoughts on what that world might look like. In this global pandemic, everything feels strange. The…
-
article
In brief: Feedback on the Draft National Plan to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children
Jesuit Social Services recently gave feedback to the Federal Government’s Draft National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Children 2022-2032 (the National Plan). We made a series of recommendations to ensure the National Plan meets its objective of a future free from gender-based violence in Australia. Context The current National Plan ends in mid-2022…
-
article
Time for a just transition plan to reach net zero
To keep warming at around 1.5 degrees and avoid catastrophic and irreversible effects on people and planet, Australia should do its fair share: immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reach a reduction of 75% of 2005 levels by the end of this decade, and hit net zero by 2035, according to the Australian Climate Council.