JourneyOnline
What’s coming up
Our Journey – World Refugee Day
Multicultural Development Australia (MDA) in partnership with Brisbane City Council presents this celebration of the spirit and courage of refugees – in spoken word, world music and dance at Queen Street Mall, Brisbane.
World Refugee Day is an annual opportunity for us all to remember that the plight of refugees has affected most nations at some point in history.
This event which promises to be special, will be held on Wednesday, 20 June between 1.15 and 3.30pm.
System Failure!
Justice in Focus Series – The over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women in Prison will take place on Thursday 19 July at 5.30 pm at Wesley House, 140 Ann Street, Brisbane City. This is a free event, but you must book a ticket please.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women make up 34 per cent of women behind bars, but only 2 per cent of the adult female Australian population. Most of these women are mothers, with profound implications for families and generations of women and girls.
In this event, the expert panellists will discuss how we arrived at this point, and what we can do to advance change.
Abundant Justice & prophetic imagination
If you are passionate about justice, join Sue Hutchinson at the Abundant Justice conference held in Queensland this July. It is being organised by the Anglican Church, with speakers form the Anglican, Catholic, Uniting and other Christian traditions. 16-18 July, with several masterclasses available on 19 July.
Some of the sessions: Understanding our world as it is; Discerning God in the here and now; Seeking a prophetic vision for how it might be; Reimagining and enlivening our communities.
Full or part attendance is welcomed.
Week in review
AMA endorses Uluru Statement on Indigenous constitutional change
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is vowing to push for Indigenous constitutional change after endorsing the Uluru Statement. The powerful doctors lobby declared it would get on the “front foot” during any referendum campaign, raising the prospect of “yes” materials appearing in GPs’ surgeries across the nation.
Combatting elder financial abuse
The federal government has committed to creating a national register of power of attorney orders, as well as standardising such orders. This is a significant step in tackling the issue of financial abuse of elders. The banking industry wants more action to “better equip local bank staff to detect and report elder financial abuse.”
Stigma impacts LGB health
Research in Australia and internationally has documented poor health and wellbeing among LGBTQI people compared to heterosexual people. What’s less understood are the reasons why.
Call to action
Have your say about the Coal Seam Gas industry
The University of Queensland is conducting an independent survey on trust in the QLD CSG industry. This is an anonymous survey, looking for the views of all stakeholders in the research – landholders, community members, regional leaders, government regulators and CSG employees. The survey is online and takes 15 minutes.
Tell your MP “We Can Do Better”
During Refugee Week, Uniting Church in Australia President Stuart McMillan writes to Uniting Church members to “love our neighbour and welcome the stranger.” He points out how hard it is for refugees and people seeking asylum to find a safe place to live and to rebuild their lives. He calls on us all to visit our local MP to share our desire for a more compassionate and humane response to refugees and people seeking asylum. Resources for your visit are here.
