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Australian Society of Presentation Sisters

Spring 2014

Volume 7, Issue 3

Inside this issue: G20 and the Cries of the Vulnerable 1 Sydney Peace Prize 1 Justice Contacts’ Meeting 1 The Cry of the Poor and the Cry of the Earth 2-3 Reconciliation: More Bridges to Cross 4 Fraser Island - Native Title Rights 4

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we

live. We acknowledge their deep spiritual connections to this land and

we thank them for the care they have shown to Earth over thousands

of years.

The Moses in my heart trembles, not quite willing to accept the prophet hidden in my being, wondering how much it will cost to allow the prophet to emerge.

In these lines, Macrina Wiederkehr captures the reluctance experienced by prophets across the centuries.

At the recent meeting of the Australian Justice Contacts in Hobart, we reflected on current issues and developed a plan of action that includes: 1. preparation of data for IPA re the over-representation of Indigenous Australians in the Justice system, and the inhumane treatment of asylum seekers.

2. action plans re children in detention and renewable energy. 3. allocation of task areas in preparation for 2015 meeting.

Justice Contacts’ Meeting

Julian Burnside AO QC

awarded 2014

Sydney Peace Prize

On Wednesday 5 November, Australian

barrister, human rights advocate and author,

Julian Burnside AO QC received the 2014

Sydney Peace Prize at Sydney Town Hall .

Julian Burnside gave the 2014 City of

Sydney Peace Prize Lecture that evening.

The Sydney Peace Prize Jury’s citation reads:

Julian Burnside AO QC: “For his brave and

principled advocacy for human rights and for those

wronged by government, for insisting that we respect

our international legal obligations toward those

seeking asylum, and for his unflinching defence of

the rule of law as a means to achieve a more peaceful

and just society.”

ABC Radio National

The G20 leaders and their staffs

have left, the barricades have been

removed. Political analysts have

commented on the outcomes of this

forum and rejoiced in the peaceful-

ness of the street rallies. Many civil

society groups tried to influence the

Brisbane G20 agenda - advocating

for environmental protection,

eradication of global poverty and

a fairer global trade system.

We farewelled Joan Power (Victoria) who

has generously given many years to Society

Justice Ministry. We welcomed Mary

McFadden (Lismore) who brings many gifts

and much experience to this ministry

Joan Power Mary McFadden

She hears God’s challenge: The ground of your being is holy.

Take off your shoes! Awaken your sleeping prophet. Believe in your Moses and go.

This edition shows some of today’s prophets acting on their beliefs with compassion and courage. Anne Shay, Peta Anne Molloy

Much less media attention focused

on Christian groups who, during

several months before the Summit,

met and planned ways to alert the

wider community to the vulnerable

people who will be most affected by

the G20 outcomes.

They did this through prayer

vigils, held each week from

17 October till 14 November.

The Lord hears the cries

of the vulnerable

Page 2 Just ice Jott ings Volume 7, I ssue 3

Voices for Asylum Seekers and Displaced Peoples

The Cry of the Poor ...

Phil Glendenning in Afghanistan

More Lives at Risk

Another seven young Afghan men have received letters from the Department of Immigration And Border Protection advising them that they will be forcibly removed from Australia in the next few days. The ERC is urgently calling on the government to halt the deportation to Afghanistan of these young men who belong to that country's persecuted Hazara ethnic minority.

Our Government repeatedly claims that its motivation in stopping asylum seeker boats is to save lives. It would be grossly hypocritical of the Government to return Afghan citizens knowing that their return could well mean a death sentence.

What you can do:

Please ring and/or write to the Office of your Federal Member of Parliament urgently and demand an immediate end to these forced removals. ERC 29/10/14

After a recent trip to Afghanistan, ERC’s director Phil

Glendenning said that, contrary to reports from the U.S.

Government and Australia’s own Immigration

Department, Afghanistan is “the worst I’ve seen it in 10

years.”

The purpose of Glendenning’s recent journey was to

monitor the safety of several asylum seekers who were

deported to Afghanistan from Australia after their

application for asylum was rejected. These men

represent just a small fraction of the asylum seekers

who have been denied protection in Australia and have

voluntarily or involuntarily been deported to their home

countries over the last decade.

Devastatingly, it appears that six of the eight men have

already been killed. One of the remaining men needs to

Just like the original TPV only nastier

The three year Temporary Protection Visa allows the refugees to work. No family sponsorship, no travel to see family, and no certainty about staying in Australia beyond three years. They face the fear of return, difficulties in building a life in Australia, as mental health issues compound in this state of fear and uncertainty. How this helps a refugee to ‘get on with their life’ is a mystery to me!

Kerry Murphy Eureka Street 30/9/14

Action: Contact your local MP re this issue.

Just Imagine

Just imagine that any one of the men

on Manus Island could be

your sensitive son, your frail father,

a male friend, your brother.

Imagine men who are separated from families,

men crying at night for their children.

Young men away from mothers for the first time.

Men who are scared.

Men grappling with recent memories of

torture in conflict zones.

Men crippled by the uncertainty.

Men struggling with their sexuality.

Teenage boys trying to become men.

Men who are, before anything else, human.

Just stop and imagine.

Innocent men thrown indefinitely

inside a filthy prison, with other men,

each reacting differently

to the pressures of the situation.

If we care about the men who have drowned

in the ocean on their way to Australia,

if we care about the men in our own lives,

Australians should be standing up to call for

an end to the suffering we inflict on these men.

cf S. Metcalfe The Age 9/9/14

be removed urgently, and the other has already

fled Afghanistan and is seeking asylum in

neighbouring countries. The decision of the

Australian government to deport refugees to

Afghanistan is extremely troubling! ERC newsletter 10/10/14

Pope Francis speaks

'We need to see that migrants and refugees do not only represent a problem to be solved, but are sisters and brothers to be welcomed, respected and loved. They are the occasion that Providence gives us to help build a more just society, a more perfect democracy, a more fraternal world and a more open and Christian community'. Towards a Better World - Migrant and Refugee Week 2014

Page 3 Just ice Jott ings Volume 7, I ssue 3

… and the Cry of the Earth

The Summit opened with a sensational poem delivered by Marshall Islands writer Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner. She challenged the world leaders over their collective climate inaction, affirming that all climate impacted communities deserve to thrive, not just survive.

Kathy used the image of a 'lagoon that will devour you' to depict sea levels that are threatening to swallow her Marshall Island home. The performance drew a standing ovation and left few dry eyes among those in the audience. What remains to be seen, however, is whether these tears will be converted to action. cf Lisa Visentin SMH 25/9/14

Poet Challenges Leaders at UN Climate Change Summit

In September Tim Flannery and Fiona Stanley released a joint statement outlining the harmful effects of coal mining and burning coal for electricity. They examined the mounting evidence that has accumulated against coal.

Research has shown that coal emissions have severe, and often unaccounted for, human health impacts on miners, workers and local communities. Here are some of their findings:

The Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering

estimates that the ill-effects of coal cost the country $2.6 billion

annually. The hidden costs of coal are already considerable, but

when coal mine fires occur, these costs are clear for all to see.

Coal mine fires release heavy metal and organic compounds,

posing health risks for surrounding populations, such as

respiratory and heart disease, cancers and other health

conditions. The communities around the Hazelwood mine in

Eastern Victoria experienced a significant and prolonged coal

fire earlier this year. Many people reported respiratory concerns

and the government eventually recommended that residents of

Morwell and other communities leave their homes.

In May 2010 a New South Wales government report on child

health showed that nearly 40 per cent of children aged 9-15

years in the Hunter Valley and the New England region had

suffered at some stage from asthma. That is significantly

above the national average of 10 per cent.

Health Impacts in Australia Global Reaction

and in Australia?

Global powers are tackling the human health

woes caused by dirty coal. In the US, the

Environment Protection Authority recently

issued "Flexible Carbon Pollution Standards

for Power Plants" to help curb pollution from

coal. China has released plans to ban coal

fired-power use in Beijing and other major

cities by 2020. China's use of coal could peak

by as early as next year.

Despite global momentum shifting away from

highly polluting coal, Australia remains heavily

reliant on ageing and inefficient coal-fired

power. And, alarmingly, there is no consistent

air, water, soil quality monitoring at and

around every coal mine and power station in

Australia.

T. Flannery, F. Stanley SMH 3/9/14

Human Trafficking Event As part of a new justice dreaming network set up in conjunction with a number of Catholic groups in WA, a reflective session on Human Trafficking and Slavery was held in October led by Nick Jarvis, a student on placement from Notre Dame University and Lucy van Kessel pbvm coordinator of ACRATH in WA.

During the session our joint slavery footprint was examined.

See http://slaveryfootprint.org/survey/#where_do_you_live

Lucy van Kessel pbvm WA

I am very proud of our Pacific leaders and of this young woman from the Marshall Islands, for the challenges that they put to the emitting countries. I am also proud of their spirit of resilience and determination their strong commitment to renewable energy. I am sad and disappointed that Australia is not taking this issue seriously enough. Australia’s proposed 5% emissions reduction by 2020 is not ambitious. 5% reduction is not in line with what the science demonstrates that Australia needs to do.

Ms Tiimon-Chi-Fang, Kiribati

Kathy’s speech can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4fdxXo4tnY

We must kill dirty coal before it kills us

4F/9 Redmyre Road

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Phone: (02) 9737 5600

Fax: (02) 9739 5656

Email: society@pbvm.org.au

Web: at http://presentationsociety.org.au/

Reconciliation - There are More Bridges to Cross

Australian Society of

Presentation Sisters

Aboriginal people are a steady beating heart

at the centre of our Australian spiritual identity. Caroline Jones

Archbishop Tutu Prays for the Rights of Aboriginal Peoples

On World Peace Day 2014 Archbishop

Desmond Tutu prayed for the rights of

the Aboriginal peoples of Australia to

determine their own destiny:

It is a severe indictment on Australia that many of its

Indigenous people still feel that their culture and dignity

are being eroded, and that they continue to be treated as

second class citizens - 42 years after the country signed

the International Covenant on Economic, Social and

Cultural Rights.

Aboriginal elders say that although the Aboriginal Land

Rights Act of 1976 transferred control of much of the

Northern Territory to Aboriginal peoples, the people

never had the opportunity to draw true advantage from

the land. They were ill prepared to deal with complex

Western bureaucracies, and their efforts have been

undermined by under‐development and neglect.

Community councils have been closed down and

management of many aspects of the peoples’ lives

has been transferred to non‐indigenous institutions.

The exclusion of local Aboriginal perspectives from

decision‐making is directly eroding customs, laws,

languages and land‐use aspirations. Nearly 50% of the

youth in detention in Australia are Aboriginal, although

the Aboriginal population constitutes just 3% of the

Australian population.

There are no first‐class and second‐class citizens on

earth, just citizens; sisters and brothers of one family,

the human family, God’s family. Our diversity is a Gift

from God. It strengthens and enriches us.

All people, regardless of their looks, cultures and beliefs

- including the Aboriginal Peoples of Australia - are

equally entitled to dignity, to justice, and to the right to

participate in decisions affecting their lives.

I support those who have called for a Truth and Justice

Commission for Aboriginal Peoples to lay bare the

horrors of the past and, finally, start a national healing

process for all Australians.

www.tutu.org.za

Fraser Island: Paradise to the Butchulla

Late October Federal Court Justice Berna

Collier held an on-country sitting of the

court on Fraser Island. The court recognised

the native title rights of the Butchulla people

to Fraser Island, where they have lived for

more than 5000 years.

This island is known to the Butchulla People

as K’Gari, which means Paradise.

The world's largest sand island has not always

been an idyllic home, with its people fighting

forced removal, environmental damage and

sand mining to maintain their connection to

the island.

The formal court recognition and the related

Indigenous Land Use Agreement strengthen the

Butchulla people's ability to enjoy and protect

their rights and interests over their traditional

lands and waters.

There could also be economic opportunities

for current and future generations of Butchulla

people through eco-tourism and related

business development. ABC News

It's really important that it's publicly recognised, that

the Government is recognising it and the community

understand, and for our people it is just important to

understand that this is the country we belong .

Susan Graham Butchulla elder

Photo: Wikipedia

Photo: Ross Kay