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Day of People with Disability (Dec 3)
Carparks bring out the best and worst in people. Most carparks thoughtfully leave special parking spaces for people who are disabled. Most people respect them. But others without a disability often squat in the reserved places. And people who can walk only short distances, but have no outward signs of disability, are sometimes abused when…
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We took part in the Block Party held on December 10th in the Atherton Garden Reserve on Napier Street, Fitzroy. Hundreds of people attended this free event, hosted by Yarra Youth Services and the Yarra Council. The event provided entertainment aimed for the residents living in the housing commission apartments nearby, along with people living…
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Postvention support crucial in addressing rising suicide numbers
An increase in the number of people who took their own lives in 2014, as revealed in new data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, is evidence that further funding and support is needed to tackle the crisis. The ABS’ annual Causes of Death report reveals that 2,861 people died by intentional self-harm in…
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For children’s sake: Raise the age of criminal responsibility
Imagine going back to your 10-year-old self. You’re standing outside a cinema, watching people stream in to see a new film that you’re dying to watch. You wish you had a few dollars to buy a ticket but you spent the little pocket money you receive on a few lollies at school this week. Perhaps it…
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Jesuit Social Services’ Annual Dinner
On Saturday March 19, we hosted our annual fundraising dinner at the MCG Members’ Dining Room. The largest event on our annual fundraising calendar was a big success. The night featured an engaging Frank Costigan QC Address delivered by Michael Coutts-Trotter, Secretary of the New South Wales Department of Family and Community Services, who spoke…
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Community legal centre cuts will hurt the most vulnerable
This National Law Week, Jesuit Social Services has joined a coalition of organisations from the legal and social services sectors to support the Law Institute of Australia’s Legal Aid Matters campaign. The campaign calls for urgent improvements to legal assistance funding at state and federal levels, including an increase of the Commonwealth’s share of legal…
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Suicide risk cannot be dealt with in isolation
New research showing the suicide toll exceeded the road toll in 28 electorates across the country is crucial in urging our country’s leaders to commit to a national suicide prevention program. But in many areas of Australia, the suicide risk cannot be dealt with in isolation from a complex web of persistent disadvantage, according to…
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Royal Commission into the child protection and youth detention systems of the Northern Territory
Jesuit Social Services welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement of the Royal Commission into the child protection and youth detention systems of the Northern Territory, following the ABC’s Four Corners investigation into the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre and its treatment of vulnerable young people. “We have long advocated for better treatment for young people in…
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The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) has today called on the Federal government to establish a Royal Commission following allegations of countless cases of abuse, sexual assault and self-harm of people seeking asylum on Nauru. The leaked ‘Nauru Files’ by the Guardian Australia, details more than 2,000 incidents involving people placed on Nauru…
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Jesuit Social Services joins calls to #BringThemHere
Jesuit Social Services has joined the calls to immediately bring people seeking on Nauru to Australia in light of the leaked ‘Nauru files’ which allege countless cases of abuse, sexual assault and self-harm of people in Australia’s care. “Jesuit Social Services believes that the mandatory and indefinite detention of people seeking asylum in Australia, and…