Category Archives: Events

Season of Creation 2022

The Season of Creation runs from the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation – September 1 – to the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi – October 4. It is a time set aside each year to focus on God’s gift of creation and our responsibility to care for it, our common home.

The theme for the Season of Creation in 2022 is Listen to the Voice of Creation.

There are many resources available to support you in your efforts to celebrate the Season of Creation. A key resource is the Season of Creation web site. Here you will find:
⦁ A celebration guide which provides a prayer service template from which you can choose material to use in your context
⦁ Social media and newsletter graphics and wording
⦁ A message from Pope Francis and more.
The site also has a wealth of other resources which you may find useful for preparing a special Mass, a prayer service or other activities during the Season.

A Catholic Season of Creation

The Columbans in Australia have compiled resources to help you to incorporate Season of Creation themes into each Sunday Mass during the Season. You can access their resources and find out more here.

Pope Francis’ Message for the World Day of Prayer
for Care of Creation 2022 One way you can help your community engage in the Pope’s message is to share a quote on each of the five Sundays during the Season of Creation. Here are five examples you can use:

Sunday 4 September
The sweet song of creation invites us to practise an “ecological spirituality” (Laudato Si’, 216), attentive to God’s presence in the natural world. It is a summons to base our spirituality on the “loving awareness that we are not disconnected from the rest of creatures, but joined in a splendid universal communion” (ibid., 220).
Sunday 11 September
For the followers of Christ in particular, this luminous experience reinforces our awareness that “all things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being” (Jn 1:3). In this Season of Creation, we pray once more in the great cathedral of creation, and revel in the “grandiose cosmic choir” made up of countless creatures, all singing the praises of God. Let us join Saint Francis of Assisi in singing: “Praise be to you, my Lord, for all your creatures” (cf. Canticle of Brother Sun). Let us join the psalmist in singing, “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!” (Ps 150:6).
Sunday 18 September
Tragically, that sweet song {of creation} is accompanied by a cry of anguish. Or even better: a chorus of cries of anguish. In the first place, it is our sister, mother earth, who cries out. Prey to our consumerist excesses, she weeps and implores us to put an end to our abuses and to her destruction. Then too, there are all those different creatures who cry out. At the mercy of a “tyrannical anthropocentrism” (Laudato Si’, 68), completely at odds with Christ’s centrality in the work of creation, countless species are dying out and their hymns of praise silenced.
Sunday 25 September
…There are also the poorest among us who are crying out. Exposed to the climate crisis, the poor feel even more gravely the impact of the drought, flooding, hurricanes and heat waves that are becoming ever more intense and frequent. Likewise, our brothers and sisters of the native peoples are crying out. As a result of predatory economic interests, their ancestral lands are being invaded and devastated on all sides, “provoking a cry that rises up to heaven” (Querida Amazonia, 9).

Sunday 2 October

…Finally, there is the plea of our children. Feeling menaced by shortsighted and selfish actions, today’s young people are crying out, anxiously asking us adults to do everything possible to prevent, or at least limit, the collapse of our planet’s ecosystems.

Intercessory Prayers

Here are a selection of prayers of intercession from which you may choose a prayer to include in the Intercessory Prayers of each Sunday in the Season of Creation or which you may use at a special Mass or prayer service for the Season of Creation:

For all that You have created, that we may always be aware that we are not disconnected from other creatures, but joined in a splendid universal communion. Lord, hear us.
For Your wondrous gift of creation, that we may join St. Francis of Assisi and all of creation in ceaselessly praising You, our creator. Lord, hear us.
For our sister, mother earth, who cries out because of the impact of our consumerist excesses, that we may put an end to our abuses and take action to end her destruction. Lord, hear us.
For the countless animal and plant species that are dying out and whose praise of You is being silenced, that urgent and effective action is taken to ensure their survival. Lord, hear us.
For our poorest sisters and brothers who feel much more acutely the impact of extreme weather events associated with climate change. That world leaders will hear their cry for dignity and justice and take timely action. Lord, hear us.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples whose traditional lands and places of cultural significance are being devastated by economic interests. That their cries for justice are heeded and result in appropriate action by Government and business leaders. Lord, hear us.
For world leaders who will gather for the COP 27 on climate and the COP 15 on biodiversity later this year. That they will remain resolute in their commitment to do what is needed to prevent the devastating impacts of climate change and halt the alarming loss of biological diversity. Lord, hear us.
For the children of the world who are worried about the impact on the earth of short-sighted and selfish actions. That all adults will share in the responsibility to offer them a future without immense ecosystem collapse. Lord, hear us.

Other Resources

You may wish to use some of the resources below as part of your Season of Creation Masses, services and events or to share them in your newsletters over the Season of Creation.

⦁ Australia’s State of the Environment Report A comprehensive assessment of the state of Australia’s environment was released in July this year:

An Ecological Examen s a tool to help you to deepen your commitment to care for creation and the most vulnerable people on the planet:

News from the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane June 2022

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Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Sunday is on July 3

The National Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) has just released its resource booklet for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Sunday on 3 July. It has resources for you to use including liturgy notes, homily notes, youth resources and lots more.

Congratulate New Queensland Greats

The Commission congratulates those First Nations people announced recently as Queensland Greats for 2022, Prof. Gracelyn Smallwood and Uncle Albert Holt.

Refugee Week

Refugee Week is 19 – 25 June. The theme of Refugee Week this year is Healing. The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office and the Office for Justice Ecology and Peace have collaborated to provide you with resources to help you celebrate Refugee Week. They have also organised a Refugee Week prayer service on Monday 20 June at 6:00 PM. You can register for the on-line service and find the resources at:

The Archdiocese of Brisbane’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan Is Officially Launched

https://brisbanecatholic.org.au/life/laudato-si/

A Laudato Si’ Action Plan for the Archdiocese of Brisbane was launched on Pentecost Sunday which was also World Environment Day. The plan has been accepted by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and is on its Laudato Si’ Action Platform. It contains a range of actions linked to the Platform’s seven goals. Further actions will be added in the coming seven years. Agencies within the Archdiocese will implement the actions. Resources and opportunities for parishes and individual Catholics will become available over the course of the next year. If you or your parish would like to know more and want to get involved at your pace and to suit your circumstances, please contact our Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, at arndtp@bne.catholic.net.au.

Signs of Our Times

Signs of Our Times was officially launched on 31st May by Archbishop Coleridge. Signs of Our Times is a collaboration between the Commission and the ACBC Office for Justice Ecology and Peace. It seeks to promote a culture of encounter in Catholic social action. It encourages action which is grounded in prayer, scripture and the Church’s tradition.

A recording of the launch is available at:

At the launch, the Commission announced that it would undertake a number of initiatives including organising visits to Cherbourg Aboriginal community and offering help to parishes wanting to use the Signs of Our Times resources in their own context. If you want to find out more, plese contact our Executive Officer, Peter Arndt at arndtp@bne.catholic.net.au.

News from the Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane May 2022

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National Sorry Day

National Sorry Day is this Thursday 26 May. It is a day on which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remember the many years of forcible removal of children from their families and its immense cost individually and communally. Sorry Day ceremonies will be held this week at Stolen Generations plaque sites around Brisbane:

· Sherwood Arboretum, Joseph Street, Sherwood, Thursday 26 May, 7:00 – 8:00 AM,

· Teralba Park, cnr. Osborne Rd. & Pullen Rd., Everton Park (entry via Pullen Rd), Thursday 26 May, 6:50 Am for 7:00 AM start, bring flowers to put on the plaque, free breakfast follows.

· Breakwater Park, Wynnum Foreshore, Thursday 26 May, 7:00 AM, free breakfast follows

· Kalinga Park, via Park Rd. entrance, Thursday 26 May, 9:00 Am elders’ morning tea, ceremony 10:00 AM, BBQ from 11:00 AM.

· Orleigh Park, West End, Friday 27 May, 8 – 10 AM, ceremony and free breakfast hosted by Link-Up Qld.

National Reconciliation Week

National Sorry Day promo featuring cartoon sof many people in different poses.

National Reconciliation Week is from 27 May to June 3. It’s a time to renew our commitment to build stronger relationships of respect and trust between First Nations Australians and non-Indigenous Australians. The theme for this year is Be Brave. Make Change. We are encouraged to make a commitment to deal with unfinished business so that change is possible.

An ecumenical reconciliation service will take place at St. Joseph’s and St. Anthony’s Parish, 30 Eldorado Street, Bracken Ridge, 7:00 – 8:00 PM, this Friday 27 May. All are welcome.

Don’t Forget to Register for the Signs of Our times Launch!

If you haven’t already registered for the on-line launch of Signs of Our Times by Archbishop Mark Coleridge on Tuesday 31 May, 6:00 – 7:00 PM, make sure you do so this week. Signs of Our Times is a collaboration between the Commission and the ACBC Office for Justice Ecology and Peace. It provides resources and support for Catholics to embrace a culture of encounter in their social action. It also encourages social action which is firmly grounded in scripture, tradition and prayer. During the launch, we will announce some opportunities for you to get a practical experience of what Signs of Our Times is all about. Register here.

Join Us for the Luminous Lantern Parade Welcoming Migrants and Refugees

Once again, the Commission is a community sponsor of the wonderful Luminous Lantern Parade. The parade will take place on Friday 10 June at Southbank Parklands (starting at Little Stanley Street). It kicks off at 6:00 PM, but contingents begin forming from 5:00 PM. For 15 years, we have been part of the parade which is a public expression of welcome to migrants and refugees. We encourage Catholics to join our contingent and help to carry our banner and lantern. Please register your interest in participating in the parade by e-mailing us at cjpc@bne.catholic.net.au.

Refugee Week 2022

Refugee Week 2022 is June 19 – 25. This year’s theme is Healing. You can find information and resources for Refugee Week at:

Canva Resources 2022

You can also find lots of information about refugee policy in Australia and much more at the web site of the Refugee Council of Australia

Urgent Help Wanted for Refugee Family

The Asylum Seeker and Refugee Assistance Program is urgently seeking donations to help a number of refugee families who have or will soon be evicted. Some do not have work rights. So, their situation is dire.

Donations can be paid to Communify: Direct deposit to the Communify Qld Gift Account: Reference: Asylum Seeker/rent BSB: 064123 Account: 10123138

Please email Communify’s Finance Team to request a tax-deductible receipt if you choose this method: janetp@communify.org.au

Laudato Si’

Laudato Si’ Week is currently being celebrated in Australia – 16 – 24 May. The Office for Justice Ecology and Peace has produced some resources for you to use each day for prayer, reflection and action. You can use these at any time during the year:

In other parts of the world, Laudato Si’ Week is just getting started. You can find information about resources and events in which you can get involved, including a series of webinars, at:

Season of Creation 2022

The Season of Creation begins on the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation, 1 September, and concludes on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, 4 October. This year’s theme is Listen to the Voice of Creation. You can find out more and start planning what you will do on the website

Listening to the Voices of the Pacific

There are two opportunities this week for you to listen to the voices of the peoples of the Pacific. In both cases, the General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Rev. James Bhagwan, will feature:

*A Pacific Islands Council of Queensland look at relations between Pacific countries and Australia. Register here.

*Talanoa 2022, an NCCA Assembly with the Pacific Ecumenical Community with Rev. James Bhagwan in Sydney or on-line. Register here.

Brisbane Laudato Si’ Action Plan

We’ve kept some of the best news till last! The Archdiocese of Brisbane’s Laudato Si’ Action Plan will be launched on World Environment Day, 5 June. The plan aligns with the Laudato Si’ Action Platform and will be the first of seven years of action to respond to Pope Francis for ecological conversion. Stay tuned for more soon!

This newsletter is authorised by the Commission Chair, Ms. Maree Rose.

News from the Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane April 2022

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This newsletter caters for a wide range of interests. Don’t feel obliged to read every item. If you don’t have much time, just choose those items which interest you.

The Church in the Modern World

Ash Wednesday already seems a long time ago, but the Pope’s homily for that day is worth a read. He focusses on the temptation to seek recognition and admiration from others instead of the reward God offers us:

…The Lord, however, speaks of two kinds of reward to which our lives can tend: a reward from the Father and, on the other hand, a reward from others. The first is eternal, the true and ultimate reward, the purpose of our lives. The second is ephemeral, a spotlight we seek whenever the admiration of others and worldly success become the most important thing for us, our greatest gratification. Yet the latter is merely an illusion. It is like a mirage that, once we get there, proves illusory; it leaves us unfulfilled. Restlessness and discontent are always around the corner for those who look to a worldliness that attracts but then disappoints. Those who seek worldly rewards never find peace or contribute to peace. They lose sight of the Father and their brothers and sisters. This is a risk we all face, and so Jesus tells us to “beware”. As if to say: “You have a chance to enjoy an infinite reward, an incomparable reward. Beware, then, and do not let yourself be dazzled by appearances, pursuing cheap rewards that disappoint as soon as you touch them”. (Full text)

50 Years of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy

50 years ago, four young Aboriginal men erected the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra. It is still going strong today. A recent podcast discusses the role the Tent Embassy has played in the struggle for land rights and the connection between that struggle and the struggle to overcome the many problems facing First Nations people in Australia. It’s well worth a listen here.

Learning about the History of Dispossession

So That We Remember is a web site which seeks to provide resources for a deepening awareness of the violent dispossession of Australia’s First Nations people:

Join an On-Line Forum – Fair Go for Refugees: Australia Can Do Better!

Join this forum on Wednesday 6 April, 7pm – 8.15pm. Register here:

This online forum, hosted by the Australian Refugee Action Network and supported by Amnesty International, will explore our treatment of refugees and those who seek protection, and how this could be entirely different, with some reflection on Australia’s more enlightened response to the Vietnamese refugee crisis in the late 70s. Don’t miss a great line-up of speakers.

Palm Sunday Rally for Peace and Refugees

This year’s Palm Sunday Rally for Peace and Refugees will take place in King George Square, Adelaide Street, Brisbane, on Sunday 10 April from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The focus of the rally will be freedom and justice for refugees and an end to the militarism which creates refugees. All are welcome.

Refugees Need Your Support

Many of you helped to convince the Queensland Government to renew the contract for the Asylum Seeker and Refugee Assistance (ASRA) Program last year. Although the $8 million over 4 years to provide wrap-around support for refugees and people seeking asylum was much more than we expected, the demand for support exceeds ASRA’s capacity. ASRA supports individuals and families who have had income and accommodation support removed and also those who have been released from detention without support. Paying rent is one of the biggest struggles. In the current rental market, when leases are renewed, weekly rents are being increased by between $30 and $50. If you can make a tax deductible donation to the ASRA Program, you will help to relieve the stress faced by many refugees in SE Queensland. Some have also lost much because of the recent floods.

Donations can be made to:

Communify Gift Fund

BSB: 064 123 Account: 10123138 Reference: ASRA Rent

Please email anneh@communify.org.au with your name, date of deposit and referencing ASRA Rent and you will be provided with a receipt for your tax deduction. For any further information or questions please email Anne Hilton anneh@communify.org.au

Principles for Australia’s Refugee Policy

Image Source

The Kaldor Centre at the University of NSW recently released an updated set of principles to guide Australia’s refugee policy. These will be a valuable resource if you want to raise issues about refugee policy with your local candidates in the upcoming Federal election. The principles are available in summary and in full here.

Caring for Our Common Home

Easter is coming soon. It’s a good time to think about taking some small actions to care for our common home.

Information about buying Easter eggs and chocolates which are not produced using slave labour and which don’t contribute to more deforestation is at:

https://www.choice.com.au/food-and-drink/sweets/chocolate/articles/ethical-easter-eggs#are-things-improving-in-the-cocoa-industry

There are many guides available to help you to celebrate Easter in a way that cares for the earth and all who live on it. Take a look at Clean Up Australia’s tips here.

Try to keep your Easter feast simple, minimise food waste and avoid wasteful packaging. Try offering an experience or a service as a gift instead of chocolate and other objects. With a bit of thought and care, we can minimise waste. The money you save could be added to your Project Compassion donation or to the Queensland flood relief appeal or to an environmental organisation working to protect endangered species like the koala.

Laudato Si’ Week is 16 – 24 May.

The Office for Justice Ecology and Peace has produced some resources for you to use each day for prayer, reflection and action:

Don’t forget enrolments for families, schools, parishes and other organisations for the Laudato Si’ Action Platform close on Earth Day, 22 April. But, don’t worry if you can’t enrol by then. A new round of enrolments will open later in 2022. For more information

Death Penalty Prayer Vigil

Please join us for our annual death penalty prayer vigil to pray for those on death row, their families and for the victims of crime. It will be held on Good Friday, 15 April, at 12 noon at Christ the King Church, Churchill Street, Graceville.

Solidarity with the People of Ukraine

The suffering of the people of Ukraine worsens as the Russian invasion continues. Many thanks to you all for your solidarity with the people of Ukraine in this time of great hardship. Your prayers and practical support are a sign of your commitment to peace and justice. Fr. Stefan and the Ukrainian Catholic Community continue to welcome you to join them in prayers for peace at daily divine service at the Ukrainian Catholic Church, 36 Broadway Street, Woolloongabba. Divine service commences at 9:00 Am each weekday and at 9:30 AM on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday’s service is in English.

There are a variety of appeals providing practical support to Ukrainians affected by the invasion, including the many who have fled to other countries. You might like to support this appeal.

You can keep in touch with further action and appeals by the Ukrainian Community of Queensland here.

We invite you to also include those in other parts of the world who continue to live with violence and oppression including Myanmar, Yemen and West Papua.

This newsletter is authorised by Commission Chair, Maree Rose.

The Cries of the Earth and the Cries of the Poor January 2022

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News from the Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Brisbane

Hear the Call to Pray from First Nations Christian Elders on 25 January

Change the Heart image featuring a gray map of Australia against a bright cloud background.

Common Grace invites Christians to join with First Nations elders for prayer on-line on Tuesday 25 January at 6:30 PM Brisbane time. The elders invite you to join with them to acknowledge the true history of our nation, to lament the present day disadvantage and injustice faced by our First Nations sisters and brothers, and to pray for a nation built on the foundations of truth, justice, love and hope.

Join First Nations People to Mark Invasion Day on 26 January

The Yuggera people will host the Invasion Day rally next Wednesday 26 January between 8:00 and 9:00 AM in Queens Park, cnr. Elizabeth & George Streets, Brisbane City. A march will then move to Musgrave Park, South Brisbane where there will be food, drink and music.

Please bring your mask, hand sanitiser, hat, suncream and water. Water will also be available along the march route. If you are unwell, please stay away.

This is an important way you can offer solidarity to First Nations people’s struggle for truth and justice.

These events are organised by local First Nations people to call the nation to commit to truth and justice.

Join Reconciliation Queensland’s Conversation on Racism

Yarning about Racism: What Racism Feels Like and What We Can Do about It is a Reconciliation Queensland on-line event on Wednesday 26 January, 2:00 – 3:00 PM.

Speaking about this topic will be Rona Sherer and Melinda Miller. The event will include an opportunity to talk about what action we can take to address racism in our community. This may be just what you need to plan action in your local community.

The link to join this Zoom webinar is:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2764425144

Dial-in: 07 3185 3730

Meeting ID: 276 442 5144

Reconciliation Queensland would appreciate an RSVP beforehand here.

Dr Eban Kirksey on West Papua

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Dr Eben Kirksey is a US academic and long-time advocate for human rights and justice in West Papua.

He will speak in Brisbane in October about West Papua and his new book on the situation in this troubled region of Indonesia. His major Brisbane talk will be held on Wednesday 17 October, 5.30 p.m. for 6 p.m. at the College Hall, St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace, Spring Hill. Entry is free, but donations to support human rights work in West Papua will be gratefully accepted. Copies of Dr Kirksey’s book, Freedom in Entangled Worlds, will also be on sale. Coffee and tea will be available on arrival.

Other talks will be held at Cafe IRA, Tugun, on Thursday 18 October, 4 – 6 pm and at the University of Southern Queensland Toowoomba on Friday 19 October at 12.30 pm.

Download Eban Kirksey Brisbane Flyer (pdf) here

Download Edan KirkseyTugan Flyer I(pdf) here

Download Eban Kirksey UQ Event Flyer (pdf) here

Download Eban Kirksey Toowoomba Event Flyer (doc) here

Eben Kirksey first went to West Papua, the Indonesian-controlled half of New Guinea, as an exchange student in 1998. His later study of West Papua’s resistance to the Indonesian occupiers and the forces of globalization morphed as he discovered that collaboration, rather than resistance, was the primary strategy of this dynamic social movement. Accompanying indigenous activists to Washington, London, and the offices of the oil giant BP, Kirksey saw the revolutionaries’ knack for getting inside institutions of power and building coalitions with unlikely allies, including many Indonesians. He discovered that the West Papuans’ pragmatic activism was based on visions of dramatic transformations on coming horizons, of a future in which they would give away their natural resources in grand humanitarian gestures, rather than watch their homeland be drained of timber, gold, copper, and natural gas. During a lengthy, brutal occupation, West Papuans have harbored a messianic spirit and channeled it in surprising directions. Kirksey studied West Papua’s movement for freedom while a broad-based popular uprising gained traction from 1998 until 2008. Blending ethnographic research with indigenous parables, historical accounts, and narratives of his own experiences, he argues that seeking freedom in entangled worlds requires negotiating complex interdependencies.

Freedom in Entangled Worlds from Eben Kirksey on Vimeo.

Respect and Understanding Needed on Tent Embassy

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Thursday 28 June 2012

Aboriginal Tent Embassy Brisbane

The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane, along with its Aboriginal partners and advisors, welcomes the recent dropping of police charges against a number of people who came to support local Aboriginal people and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in May.

It is our hope that charges against others arrested by police will also be dropped.

We do not want to see the ugly confrontation between police, the Brisbane City Council, Aboriginal people and their supporters, which occurred on 16 May at Musgrave Park, repeated.

The sight of over 200 police officers surrounding Aboriginal people at the Tent Embassy at Musgrave Park was a sorry reminder to Aboriginal people of the troubled and difficult relations they have experienced with the police in this State over many years.

The indignity of being evicted by force by police at the request of Council authorities from land with which they have a long and deep connection was also a sorry reminder of their dispossession and all its negative consequences.

We welcome the conciliatory and respectful approaches and dialogue which have taken place between the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Brisbane City Council officers and elders and representatives of the local Aboriginal communities since the confrontation. It is hoped that this constructive approach will achieve positive outcomes for both the first peoples of this land and for the municipal authorities.

We implore both the State Government and the Queensland Police to follow the Council’s lead so that respectful and productive relationships can be established and cooperative partnerships can be formed to address the problems that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples face across Queensland.

As we approachAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday on 1 July and NAIDOC Week (July 1 – 8), we acknowledge efforts by Church agencies, parishes and schools to develop relationships with local Aboriginal people. We encourage them to maintain and increase such efforts.

In particular, we encourage Catholics and people in the wider community to learn more about the history of Aboriginal peoples’ connection with Musgrave Park in South Brisbane and with other significant sites around south-east Queensland.

We also urge Catholics to learn more about the significance of the first Aboriginal Tent Embassy which was established in Canberra forty years ago and to walk with them on their on-going struggle for justice.

Finally, we wish to acknowledge the significant contribution of Aboriginal church workers and Aboriginal Christians who have worked tirelessly to support their sisters and brothers in the Tent Embassy in Musgrave Park since its establishment and for their long standing efforts to ensure that their people are afforded dignity in many difficult situations over many years. These humble and faithful people are extraordinary witnesses to God’s abundant mercy and love. May God continue to bless their work and inspire others to join them in their efforts to build a civilisation of love in Jesus’ name.

For further information and comment, please contact Peter Arndt (Catholic Justice & Peace Commission) on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476 or Ravina Waldren (Murri Ministry) on (07) 3891 5911 or 0408 707 101.

This statement is issued by the Commission under the provisions of its mandate which enable it to speak in its own right and has been authorised by the Commission’s Executive and its Aboriginal advisors before release.

Commission to Screen Queensland Documentary on World Environment Day

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Friday 1 June 2012

Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission will host a World Environment Day screening of a documentary film depicting the struggle of Central Queensland communities against coal and gas extraction in their region.

Directed by US-based filmmaker Michael O’Connell, the film, Bimblebox, follows the story of Paola Cassoni, a resident of Alpha, Queensland, and co-owner of the Bimblebox Nature Refuge.

Bimblebox Nature Refuge is an 8000 ha property north of Alpha and directly in the path of the proposed ‘China First’ coal mine, an operation that, if given the go ahead, will be the world’s largest coal mine.

The documentary features interviews with leading academics, scientists, and former miners, as well as members of the communities impacted by mining. , It builds a picture of the broader implications of Australia’s mining boom, while focussing on one woman’s fight to protect the land she loves.

“This documentary was born out of the necessity” Ms Cassoni said, “to let the broader public know that our bush, our communities, our farms and our waters are going through a radical transformation.”

“It shows the daily battles and frustrations of ordinary people in dealing with both mining corporations and indifferent Governments,” she said.

It’s more than a hint that we need a new direction in energy consumption both at home and globally,” she added.

Mr O’Connell is an experienced environmental documentary film maker, having previously made Mountain Top Removal, a documentary which focussed on the issue of coal mining in the US region of Appalachia and received numerous awards including the ‘Reel Current’ award, presented by Al Gore, at the Nashville Film Festival.

“After making my film Mountain Top Removal I wanted to look at the global issue of mining and also explore the alternatives to fossil fuels. Australia was a perfect place to do that,” Mr O’Connell said.

The Justice and Peace Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that the Commission was keen to promote the broadest possible discussion of the issues surrounding coal mining and gas extraction in Queensland.

“This film gives us the chance to hear the views and feelings of people living in the central west of Queensland whose lives and lands will be directly affected by very large mining developments,” Mr Arndt said.

“Christians have a responsibility to care for the earth and to defend the human dignity of all people now and in the future,” he said.

“It is not only the very powerful voices of Government Ministers and mining company executives which must be heard, but also those of graziers, workers and families living in areas affected by the decisions and actions of government and business,” he said.

Bimblebox will screen at the Aspinall Centre, St Bernard’s Parish, Klumpp Road, Upper Mt Gravatt, at 7 p.m. on World Environment Day, Tuesday 5 June.

A panel of speakers will discuss the film after its screening and light refreshments will be served.

Donations to help cover costs will be gratefully accepted. Bookings to help with catering may be made by e-mailing em.fl@bne.catholic.net.au or by phoning Sandi on 3336 9174.

Australian Government Must Continue to Pressure Sri Lanka on War Crimes Accountability and Reconciliation

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Friday 2 March 2012

Following the release of its response to the Sri Lankan Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission report, the Australian Government must continue to put strong pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to ensure that there is justice for all those whose lives were affected by the war. We urge the Australian Government to do three things in particular:

Pressure Sri Lanka to agree to and cooperate fully with an independent, international investigation of allegations of serious war crimes and human rights violations committed by both the Sri Lankan Government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) during the country’s bloody conflict which ended in May 2009;
Support this demand at the United Nations Human Rights Council when it meets to consider the matter in March; and
Ensure that the Sri Lankan Government publishes a timetable for implementation of the LLRC’s recommendations concerning restitution and political reconciliation and fully implements each of these recommendations.

This call is made by the Sri Lanka Justice Forum Brisbane, a coalition of organisations and individuals committed to promoting justice and peace in Sri Lanka.

In making this call, the Sri Lanka Justice Forum notes the following:

Three leading international human rights organisations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Crisis Group, all refused to participate in the LLRC hearings as they considered the establishment of the Commission as a whitewash by the Sri Lankan Government;

Amnesty International, in particular, produced a detailed report in September 2011, When Will They Get Justice?’, which demonstrated the serious flaws in the structure, terms of reference and operation of the LLRC;
The LLRC’s finding that the Government forces did not deliberately target and kill Tamil civilians is at odds with the findings of the United Nations Secretary-General’s expert panel report on war crimes and human rights violations committed in the last stages of the Sri Lankan civil war;
The USA and other major Western powers insist that a credible independent investigation of war crimes and human rights violations must take place;
The Tamil National Authority (TNA) tabled a detailed report in the Sri Lankan Parliament in October 2011 showing the continuing, systematic militarisation of the north and east of the country and the further marginalisation of Tamil people in their homelands;
It is doubtful that the LLRC report recommendations will be implemented as the Sri Lankan Government has a track record of establishing flawed commissions and never implementing their recommendations;

Sri Lankan Government representatives have been meeting with TNA parliamentarians for a prolonged period to address Tamil grievances, but commitments made have not been honoured and no progress towards a political solution has been made.

The Sri Lanka Justice Forum Brisbane expects the Australian Government to join with other nations in demanding a credible and independent investigation of war crimes and human rights violations at the UN Human Rights Council. There can be no durable peace in Sri Lanka without action to ensure that those responsible for terrible war crimes and human rights violations are held fully accountable.

Given the repeated failure of the Sri Lankan Government to keep its promises and to respect internationally accepted human rights standards and the clear evidence of the increasing political, economic and social marginalisation of Tamils following the war, the Australian Government cannot simply make a statement that it expects the Sri Lankan Government to set down a timetable for implementing the LLRC’s recommendations and implement them. Australia must actively monitor progress closely and hold the Sri Lankan Government to account for its actions.

The Sri Lankan Government must not be allowed to resolve its conflict with the Tamil people by depriving them of their cultural identity, their attachment to land and their social, economic and political rights.

The many thousands of Tamils who have suffered so much at the hands of both the Government and LTTE forces have a right to dignity. Their immense pain and suffering cannot be ignored and dismissed as irrelevant to the future of Sri Lanka. Those who have inflicted such grievous physical and psychological harm and distress on them must be held to account for their actions if the dignity of Tamil people is to be respected and Sri Lanka is to move forward to a peaceful and prosperous future.

Australia must play its part to ensure that justice is done so that a genuine and lasting peace is possible in Sri Lanka.

For further information or comment, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.

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Kathy Kelly Brisbane Events

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The 2011 Pace e Bene Australia
NATIONAL INSPIRITOR TOUR
Kathy Kelly and Friends
13 October – 27 November

Pace e Bene Australia are pleased to announce that Kathy Kelly will be traveling across the country for 6 weeks visiting schools, universities, churches, public meetings, facilitating retreats and other various groups. Every 2 years Pace e Bene Australia invites a world renowned nonviolence practitioner and educator to inspire us in the journey from violence to wholeness. Kathy will be drawing on her experiences from witnessing wars, leading teams on peace campaigns in conflict zones and standing against war in her own country the US in order to help inspire us us as we attempt to create a peaceful and less violent society here in Australia.

Please follow us here or on Facebook or Twitter for information about events in your state as they unfold. Or contact us for more information.

BRISBANE

The Cost of War the Price of Peace.
Thursday 27^th Oct.
7.15 pm for 7.30pm start
Parliamentary Annexe, Alice St., Brisbane.
Cost $15 waged $10 unwaged
Co sponsored by Believing Women for a Culture of Peace.

Just Peace 10^th Anniversary Dinner (Guest Speaker)
Friday 28^th Oct.
2^nd Floor TLC Building 16 Peel St. Sth. Brisbane
contact Annette on 0431597256

Nonviolence Workshop for Young adults
Saturday 29th Oct. 10am-4pm Nonviolence
West End Uniting Church, Cnr. Sussex and Vulture St. West End
Cost waged $10 Unwaged $8
Lunch provided by Food not Bombs
RSVP by Oct. 24^th to Elizabeth on 0408 742 694 or elizabeth.florence@uqconnect.edu.au

Co sponsored by Project Hope, Waiters Union.

Afternoon Tea : Cost of War on Woman and children in Afghanistan
Sunday 30^th Oct.
2pm-4pm Afternoon Tea,
West End Uniting Church, Sussex St, West End.
Cost $15 or $10 concession.
Co sponsored by Womens International League for Peace and Freedom (Brisbane)

Click Here To Download The Brisbane Flyer

For more information about events in QLD please contact :
Carole Powell
(07) 5498 5247
peacedove@bigpond.com

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This statement is issued by the Commission under the provisions of its mandate which enable it to speak in its own right and has been authorised by the Commission’s Executive and its Aboriginal advisors before release.

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