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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…
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Homelessness Week 2020 – The way forward must be built on respect. And respect begins with a home.
Homelessness Week 2020 (August 2-8) is taking place in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic and ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that the week is a crucial reminder of the naivety and recklessness of the policies that have produced homelessness. The way forward must be built on respect, and respect begins with a home. Homelessness Week…
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Sharing meals during the COVID-19 pandemic
A shared meal can inspire discussions, creativity and connection. SHAUNA CARLON reflects on her time working with Jesuit Social Services’ Ecological Justice Hub, a space for all stages of the food system including growing, harvesting, cooking, sharing and redistributing. Shauna (right) and team members from the Ecological Justice Hub. My involvement with Jesuit Social…
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Australia Day offers an opportunity to reflect on the relationship between European settlers and our first peoples, and appreciate the lessons we can learn from honouring indigenous connection to land, culture and country, writes ANDY HAMILTON SJ. Australia Day recalls the arrival of the First Fleet under Governor Phillip in 1788. It marked the beginning…
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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…
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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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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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ANDY HAMILTON SJ reflects on a Christmas of simplicity and purpose. This year, many people are approaching Christmas Day both with longing and a little hesitation. For two years, the things that we take for granted at Christmas have been under threat. Family gatherings and reunions have been limited by restrictions. So have the buying…
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A world where prisons are a last resort
Jesuit Social Services recently released the ‘Prisons, climate and a just transition’ discussion paper, which argues that in a world of worsening climate change, Australia’s reliance on imprisonment is increasingly untenable. John Ryks, Policy and Research Manager who works with Jesuit Social Services’ Centre for Just Places, spoke to us about the thinking behind the…
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International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
To mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women (November 25), ANDY HAMILTON SJ writes that understanding the connection between rigid traditional masculine norms and the use of violence is vital in implementing the Federal Government’s National Plan to end Violence against Women and Children. The International Day for the Elimination of Violence…