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Caritas Australia's free e-magazine, OzSpirit, this fortnight focuses on Brazil and life in the “favelas”, the slum areas of Brazil. To learn more about this and other social justice issues in Australia and around the world, take a look at OzSpirit.
It is available at www.ozspirit.com or through the Caritas Australia web site, www.caritas.org.au, where you can subscribe on-line for free.
Around Australia
Palm Sunday Peace rallies
Melbourne: State Library at 1.45pm, organised by: Melbourne Palm Sunday organising committee. Details: melbournepalmsunday2008 @gmail.com
Sydney: 1pm at Belmore Park. Organised by: Sydney Peace & Justice Coalition & Stop The War Coalition Details: admin@search.org.au
Brisbane: 1.30pm, Queens Park, Organised by: Rally for Peace and Disarmament. Details: jshears@powerup.com.au
Darwin: Details: ecnturanium@iinet.net.au
Adelaide: Organised by: Palm Sunday organising collective. Details admin@ecosouth.com.au
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Harmony Day) 21 March, 2008
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is observed annually on 21 March. On that day, in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid "pass laws". Proclaiming the Day in 1966, the General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. In Australia Harmony Day is seen as a day to celebrate Australia's success as a diverse society united by a common set of values. More
National Close the Gap Day - 22 April, 2008
National Close the Gap Day will give Australians across the nation the opportunity to come together and show their support for closing the 17-year life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and other Australians. More
Abolish the Death Penalty
The Brisbane Catholic Justice and Peace commission are urging all Australian’s to e-mail the Government’s Senate Leader Senator Chris Evans, asking his Government to take strong and urgent action to convince our Asia/Pacific neighbours to abolish the death penalty where it exists.
Senator Evans is Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, but he is a member of Cabinet. Remember this when you phrase your letter (as he does not have ministerial responsibility for the issue you raise).
Make sure that you make mention of the six members of the Bali Nine and the three Bali Bombers who are currently on death row in Indonesia. Senator Evans’ e-mail address is: Senator.Evans@aph.gov.au
QLD: Make Indigenous Poverty History, 3 -5 April 2008
Graeme Mundine, Executive Secretary of the National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC) will be speaking at a number of ecumenical gatherings in April, about the Make Indigenous Poverty History Campaign and practical things you can do to work for an end to Indigenous poverty in Australia. Gatherings will be at the Bayside Uniting Church at 7.00 p.m. on Thursday 3 April, Indooroopilly Anglican Church at 7.00 p.m. on Friday 4 April, Robina Anglican Church at 9.00 a.m. on Saturday 5 April and at the St Andrew’s Anglican Church, South Brisbane at 6.00 p.m. on Saturday 5 April. The last gathering will have a youth focus.
Why not take a look at the Make Indigenous Poverty History resources at www.ncca.org.au/miph/
For more events in Queensland subscribe to the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission's newsletter by contacting Peter Arndt at:
arndtp@bne.catholic.net.au
VIC: Seminar: “The future of International Human Rights Protection”, 18 March 2008
Speaker: Professor Martin Scheinin, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights while Countering Terrorism. From 1997-2004, Prof Scheinin served as an independent expert on the UN Human Rights Committee. Prof Scheinin has recently attended and observed military commission hearings in Guantanamo Bay. 5:45 pm – 8:00 pm, Clayton Utz, Level 18, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne Enquiries: Human Rights Law Resource Centre, (03) 8344 6589
For more events around Australia subscribe to the Briefing papers from the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, which can be viewed online at:
www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au
