JourneyOnline
What’s coming up
Fairtrade Fortnight: August 3–16
Get involved by:
· Signing up to receive newsletters
· Displaying Fairtrade Fortnight posters at school, work or in your local community
· Sharing the graphics on your social media channels to educate others about why they should #BUYFAIR
· Looking for the Fairtrade Mark at your local supermarket and removing the shadow of doubt about where your groceries are sourced.
Regions of Welcome August 13–14
Interested in supporting refugees in your regional area? Multicultural Development Australia (MDA) is organising this regional settlement conference in Toowoomba. Refugees have made lives for themselves right across Australia, not just in capital cities. This two-day conference will showcase the success of refugee resettlement in regional areas. It will highlight the roles of local community champions and community leaders in supporting successful outcomes. It will also focus on the contributions that humanitarian arrivals make to regions and the innovative ways that challenges can be overcome. Read the flyer here.
Week in review
The parable of the Good Samaritan hijacked
What do Margaret Thatcher and Martin Luther King Jnr have in common? Perhaps many things, but one interesting aspect of their public life is that they both turned to the parable of the Good Samaritan to endorse their political stance on caring for those in need in secular society.
This fascinating article makes us question our own motives and morals. What might our world look like if it was compassion that was at the heart of how we helped others?
Queensland commits
The State Government has officially joined the global below50 campaign to support the production and use of sustainable biofuels, after signing a Statement of Collaboration with the United Nations-backed group. Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said, “This government is firmly on board with below50’s push for the uptake of fuels that are at least 50 per cent less carbon intensive over their lifecycle when compared to conventional fossil fuels—the key criterion for biofuel producers, users and policy-makers within the below50 movement … The partnership also aligns with the Queensland Biofuel Mandate and the Queensland Climate Transition Strategy.”
Life through their eyes
More than 40 people who are homeless were given a camera and taken through a photography workshop so that they could show the rest of us what life is really like on the streets. Some of their work is now featured in an exhibition. Watch their story.
Wealth gap has grown
Australia may be known to some as the lucky country, but a new report from the Australian Council of Social Service and the University of NSW has shone light on just how unequally prosperity is distributed in the nation.
Australia fails the world
Australia will not sign a major United Nations agreement on migration in its current form, even though Australia was involved in negotiating the deal. The Global Compact for Migration (GCM) aims to address all aspects of international migration and increase cooperation internationally.
Global Citizen is asking people to take action and call on Australia to step up and support migrants and refugees.
Call to action
Reminder of a continuing crisis
The Romero Centre is a well-known provider of support to people seeking asylum in Brisbane. Their resources are incredibly stretched in trying to re-house people seeking asylum who have been evicted from government supplied housing and had their income support ceased, due to a change in government policy. The biggest problem Romero is facing is paying rent, finding properties that are affordable or home stay type accommodation. If you can help with a donation, or can host someone or rent out a property at a reduced rate for a while, please contact the Romero Centre. This is an ongoing emergency, set to get much worse by the end of the year.
Donate life week
Organ and tissue donation has the ability to transform the lives of many people. This is DonateLife Week until Sunday 5 August. All Australians are encouraged to register their donation decision and discuss their donation decision with their loved ones.
Sue Hutchinson realised that, while her family has long known her wishes, she had never signed up until today. Please join her and sign up today!
