Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation - 2017
On this page: Latest 'Act Justly'  |  Just in time  |  Why me here, and them there?  |  Are some lives worth more than others?  |   'Act Justly' Aug-Sep  |  Unwelcome visitors  |  JPICC's international guests  |  Owning our History  |  MMC's on Facebook  |  NAIDOC Week  |  Refugee Week 2017  |  Recommended web pages  |  Latest 'Act Justly'  |  Referendum anniversary  |  'Sad Irony'  |  'A Matter of Spirit'  |  'Act Justly', Apr-May  |  Climate change no joke  |  State of the Nation  |  Latest 'Act Justly'  |  BIMP - Bridge Program in Myanmar  |  'Dark moment in U.S. history'  |  'Put peace first'
 

Latest 'Act Justly'

From the Justice & Peace Office of Sydney Archdiocese. Click here.

[Dec 04]

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Just in time

Latest newsletter of CLRI (NSW) focuses on asylum seekers. Matt Golding's Christmas cartoon says it all. Click here

[Nov 24]

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Why me here, and them there?

After a 700 km 'camino' raising funds for stateless children, and now from the peaceful retreat of La Neylière, France, Fr Jim Carty SM reflects on the horror of the Rohingya situation in Myanmar....

Click here for his recent blog.

[Oct 23]

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Are some lives worth more than others?

As Australia marks Social Justice Sunday (Sep 24), we present Fr Kevin Bates' recent reflection. Click here

[Sep 24]

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'Act Justly' for Aug-Sep

'Homelessness, near and far' -- from the Justice & Peace Office of Sydney Archdiocese. Click here

[Aug 08]

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Unwelcome visitors

The Refugee Council of Australia has released a powerful report on the experience of those attempting to visit immigration detention centres in Australia. Click here

[Aug 03]

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JPICC's international guests

Two overseas visitors were guests at the meeting on Jul 25 of the Marist Family Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Committee at the Marist Fathers' province centre, Hunters Hill.

Br Alvaro Sepulveda is from the Marist Brothers' Solidarity group in Rome, while Muriel Valles, a Bridge Program and ACU graduate, is presently on exchange studies at Wollongong University.

After hearing from their guests, the committee reviewed the year's Marist Family branch activities,and considered 2018 project options, including an international blog on Marist J&P activities.

[Jul 27]

Above: Br Alvaro Sepulveda FMS and Sr Margaret Tisch SMSM  /  Muriel Valles and Fr Jim Carty SM   Below: Combined Marist Family JPICC in session  /  Sr Noelene Simmons SM, Sr Margaret Tisch SMSM, Frs Paul Mahony SM and Jim Carty SM
   
   
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Prof Henry Reynolds' endorsement of the 'Owning our History' initiative: I am delighted to see the 'Owning our History' team have completed their work on their new and exciting curriculum. I was most impressed when they first discussed the project with me. Impressed by the dedication and seriousness of their approach. Since then they have put in many hours of work to create what is truly a pioneering endeavour which will in the long run reshape the way Australian history is taught."

Owning our History

The 2015 seminar initiative of the combined Marist Family JPICC ('Both Ends of the Gun') promises to bear much fruit in Australia's growing awareness of its history.

Inspired by the writing of Professor Henry Reynolds, the conference set up the 'First Contact' committee, engaging researcher, Louise Smyth, to prepare teaching resources for Aboriginal studies in Australian schools.

Her expert work has begun and is accessed through the 'Owning our History' web site: click here

[Jul 11]

   

Images from 'First Footprints' and 'First Australians', among many resources from 'Owning our History' research | 'Both Ends of the Gun' flyer from 2015 (click here)

Two SMH articles, recommended reading: David Stephens  |  Frances Letters

   
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MMC's Executive Officer, Fr Paul Sullivan SM, encourages MMC friends to 'like' the new page.

MMC's on Facebook

Click here

[Jul 04]

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NAIDOC Week

This year’s theme for NAIDOC Week (Jul 02-09) is the importance, resilience and richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Its origins can be traced to the emergence of Aboriginal groups in the1920's which sought to increase awareness in the wider community of the status and treatment of Indigenous Australians.

For more, go to the NAIDOC web site: click here

[Jul 02]

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Refugee Week 2017

This year's Refugee Week will feature the 'Refugee Film Festival' and a 'Festival of Welcome' on Jun 24.

More from the Refugee Council of Australia: click here

[Jun 18]

   
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Click here for 'Recommended JPICC links'

Recommended web pages

The Marist Committee for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) recommends the following web sites and pages, now accessible from our 'Links' page...

[Jun 09]

 
     
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Latest 'Act Justly'

From the Justice & Peace Office of Sydney Archdiocese. Click here.

[Jun 01]

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Referendum anniversary

May 27, 2017, marks the fiftieth anniversary of the historic referendum in 1967 changing articles in the Australian Constitution discriminating against Indigenous people and, 25 years later on Jun 03, the Mabo decision on land rights.

A special, limited-issue of Australia's 50 cent coin marks the anniversaries.

See also our 'Social Justice diary for 2017'

[May 27]

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'Sad Irony'

Refugee Council of Australia CEO, Paul Power, comments on proposed changes to the citizenship process. Click here.

[May 10]

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'A Matter of Spirit'

Something new: from the 'Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center', Seattle, USA,

Click here

[Apr 24]

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'Act Justly' for Apr-May

From the Justice & Peace Office of Sydney Archdiocese, click here

[Apr 13]

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Fr Jim Carty  /  Port Moresby's Archbishop John Ribat MSC

Maria Tiimon Nauoko  /  Abp Mark Coleridge, Brisbane

Climate change no joke

Fr Jim Carty SM has joined the ranks of those calling for serious action on climate change.

As part of 'Pacific Climate Watch's' social media campaign towards a congregational voice on climate change and the Pacific Islands, Fr Jim braved Sydney's recent Big Wet to record his statement... soggy, but sincere.

He says: 'Climate change is on my mind, so I stood in yesterday's thunderstorm- the rain blurred the sign and soaked the holder. It reads: 'CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT A HOAX. ITS REAL. WE NEED ACTION NOW'.

[Mar 22]

   
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From the Refugee Council of Australia, CEO, Paul Power, announces their comprehensive report on the current refugee situation, 'State of the Nation'. Click here

State of the Nation

RCOA report

[Feb 23]

   
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Latest 'Act Justly'

From the Justice & Peace Office of Sydney Archdiocese, click here

[Feb 03]

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BIMP director, Chit Min  / ... in his Bilin (Myanmar) BIMP office

'BIMP' - Bridge Program in Myanmar

2011-12 Bridge Program graduate and ethnic Karen, Saw Chit Min, is setting up a BP enterprise in his native Myanmar (Burma).

The 'Bridge Program in Myanmar Project' (BIMP) is being funded by Australia's Marist Mission Centre and will offer skills to Burmese young adults hoping to access tertiary education.

As BIMP director, Chit Min draws not only on his original BP training, but on subsequent studies at Australian Catholic University's online program (Maesot, Thailand) and experience in presenting teacher training throughout Myanmar.

BIMP will soon have its own pages on the Bridge Program web site: click here

[Feb 02]

   
Above:  Chit Min (third from right) at his ACU graduation in 2013  /  with fellow BP-ers and ACU's then online program director, Prof Duncan MacLaren  |  Chit Min interviewing a BIMP applicant  /  ... conducting teaching training in rural Myanmar  Below: BIMP applicants from Thaton, Myanmar, need to go to a mountain top to access Internet signals
     
       
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'A dark moment in U.S. history'

The Archbishop of Chigago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, has made a powerful statement on the executive order on migfants and refugees.

In his Jan 29 statement Cardinal Cupich echoes the sentiments of Pope Francis, warning "The yardstick we use for others will be the yardstick which time will use for us."

Full text: click here

[Jan 30]

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'Put peace first' - UN's new leader

On his first day as the new secretary-general of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres has urged people around the world to make their New Year's resolution "to put peace first".

Portuguese-born Mr Guterres made the appeal after taking over the reins of the UN from South Korean diplomat, Ban Ki-moon, whose second five-year term ended at midnight on December 31.

Click here for Mr Guterres' speech at the UN.

[Jan 04] ...

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