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Go to JustEndPersecution and take action to defend Pastor Berlin Guerrero from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP)

Go to Go to the Anti-Poverty Week 2008 website to organise an event or find out what is coming in the Week.

The Issue

The JustAct team reckoned it was about time that the JustAct site got a bit of a makeover.

JustAct reloaded

New sections now to feature:

  • JustEndPersecution (covering international human rights abuses against Christians)
  • JustHolyHardware (investigating ethical production of Christian items e.g. Bible covers, crosses made under exploitative conditions)
  • JustEmployment (focussing on employment stress, young workers 15-17, underemployment and homeworkers)
  • JustEducation (looking at access, support - and beyond in tertiary education)

This month we are asking you take action with our new petition function in JustEndPersecution. Take action to defend Pastor Berlin Guerrero from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), who was abducted and tortured by members of the Filipino security forces in May 2007.

JustAct to be launched at education event

Next month we will highlight a JustEducation event as part of Anti-Poverty Week 2008 (12-18 October) … This event is being hosted by Uniting Church University of Melbourne Chaplain the Rev Wes Campbell and the master of ceremonies will be the witty and wise Fr Bob Maguire (of JJJ and SBS fame). For more information go to VISTA and go to Education at the Edges (in upcoming events) to register your free place at the forum.

In the meantime

Christian groups, including people from Victorian Council of Churches (VCC), Uniting Church in Australia (Victoria and Tasmania), Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, the Churches of Christ, the Society of Friends (Quakers), Anglican Diocese of Melbourne and others are working towards greater involvement of the Christian community in Anti-Poverty Week this year.

This is week for the whole community to get involved in. So check it out.

Go to the Anti-Poverty Week 2008 website. Check out the events. You can also consider running an event at your school or college or faith community. Any kind of event (great or small) can be a part of Anti-Poverty Week 2008. Make sure you register your event on the website.

Come to the Climate Change Youth Forum - BMW Edge, Melbourne
9.30am - 12.00pm - Wednesday 20th August 2008
BMW Edge, Federation Square, Melbourne

Speakers:
David Toovey - CEO of the Oaktree Foundation and recent Al Gore trained Climate Project participant
Ellen Sandell - is the Victorian Schools Conference Coordinator for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. In 2007 she was part of the first Australian Youth Delegation to the UNFCCC climate change negotiations in Bali, Indonesia,
Georgina McRae- is a community development worker who has studied at the University of the South Pacific, Fiji, and worked in Vanuatu and is also founder member of Pacific Black Box.

Registration is open to youth environment ambassadors or classes (year 9 and 10). Entry is free.
To register or for further details, please contact Sonia Fernandes on 8486 2157 or by email at sfernandes@acfid.asn.au

Tell your friends! Organise an event with your friends or at your school or church. Get a copy of the Make Poverty History climate change kit which will give you all of the information you need to do something about climate change. The kit contains a DVD, quiz, petition, postcards, posters, stickers and a letter writing guide. For a copy, email: mph@acfid.asn.au or visit the make poverty history website.

The Issue

Climate change threatens all of us, but unfairly impacts on those people who are not responsible

“Taking us as environmental refugees is not what Tuvalu is after in the long run. We want the islands of Tuvalu and our nation to remain permanently and not be submerged as a result of greed and uncontrolled consumption of industrialised countries. We want our children to grow up the way we grew up in our own islands and in our own culture.”
Tuvaluan Governor-General Sir Tomasi Papuas

Climate change seriously threatens the lives and livelihoods of poor people around the world. People are no longer able to grow enough food, and have reduced access to fresh water.. Some are unable to live in their homes and have to find alternative places to live because of rising sea levels, conflict or the increasing severity of natural disasters.

People in rich countries like Australia are the major contributors to the problem. How we choose to respond will influence whether those that are less fortunate than us live or die.

Garnaut Review on Climate Change
On 4 July, Professor Ross Garnaut released his draft report to provide guidance to the Australian Government in their decision making process about how to respond to climate change. The full report can be downloaded from http://www.garnautreview.org.au. The final report is due out by the end of September after which the Australian Government will respond.

Make Poverty History has issued a response to the Garnaut draft report, which the Justice and International Mission Unit contributed to, titled See the Bigger Picture, Act on Climate Change. The report urges Professor Garnaut to advise the Australian Government to do more to assist developing countries to cope with the impacts of climate change and assist them in reducing their emissions.

There are a number of things the Australian Government can do to assist people in Pacific countries:.

  • Play a leading role in reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions
  • Provide money for poorer countries to adapt to the effects of climate change (in addition to the overseas aid budget)
  • Help ensure that developing countries gain access to technologies that they need, both to reduce emissions and to cope with the impacts of climate change
  • Assist in the development of regional and national responses to assist ‘climate change refugees’.

See the Bigger Picture, Act on Climate Change can be downloaded from http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/ and copies can be obtained from the JIM Unit by calling (03) 9251 5271 or e-mailing jim@victas.uca.org.au

JustEndPersecution issues an action once a month, suggesting letters that can be written (and prayer points). Some examples of action taken by the End Christian Persecution Network include:

  • arrest warrants were issued in late 2007 against the four members of the Filipino security forces responsible for the abduction and torture of Pastor Berlin Guerrero on 27 May 2007;
  • Fr Thadeus Nguyen Van Ly, a Vietnamese Catholic priest, was imprisoned on October 2001 with a sentence of 15 years (his ‘crime’ was writing a submission to the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and the Congressional Human Rights Caucus) but Fr Thadeus was subsequently released in 2004 after an international campaign for his release;
  • in late 2006, three Muslim men were tried and convicted in Indonesia for the 29 October 2005 murders of three Christian teenage school girls who were beheaded with machetes as they were walking home from school in Poso, Central Sulawesi (a fourth girl escaped with wounds);
  • Joel Flores, accused of having murdered United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) member Jose Doton (gunned down by two men on a motorcycle on 16 May 2006), was brought to trial for the murder on 3 October 2007 (it was the first case of the murder of a UCCP member since 2004 in which someone has been arrested for murder and brought to trial); and,
  • Pastor Rinaldy Damanik, who was released from imprisonment in Indonesia on false weapons charges in November 2004 (he received 76,000 letters of support internationally while he was in prison).

Pastor Berlin Guerrero

Act NOW! – At the moment we are asking for you to help Pastor Berlin Guerrero

Help the UCCP to seek justice for Pastor Berlin Guerrero

Pastor Berlin Guerrero from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) was abducted and tortured by members of the Filipino security forces in May 2007 and remains in prison awaiting trial on what the UCCP and the Justice & International Mission Unit of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania (JIM Unit) believe are trumped up charges.

The UCCP has partnership agreements with the Uniting Church in Australia.

When Pastor Guerrero was abducted he was travelling with his family, wife (Mylene) and three children, after leaving a local church in which he serves. The motor tricycle they were travelling in was cut off by a white van in front of the Seven Star petrol station at Bgy Casile, Binan, Laguna and armed men abducted Pastor Guerrero. The van had its number plates covered. The attackers stole Mylene’s bag, mobile phone, laptop and the money collected in the church service they had come from. Pastor Guerrero had a cloth placed over his head and he was beaten, punched and kicked repeatedly on the journey. He was taken to an unknown location and tortured by being beaten with fists and blunt objects and having a plastic bag placed over his head until he fell unconscious twice.

Those torturing him were able to force him to give them the names and addresses of his family, members of his church, the name of the administrator at the Union Theological Seminary and leaders of local labour rights and peasant organisations.

They tortured him to extract the password for his computer and wiped off all his church, school and personal files, replacing them with incriminating files.

Pastor Guerrero was threatened with death and being burnt.

He was taken to Camp platoon Garcia, Cavite Provincial Police Office, Imus, Cavite when they finished torturing him.  He has been placed under arrest with charges of murder and sedition.

Some progress has been made. Arrest warrants have been issued in late 2007 against the four members of the Filipino security forces responsible for the abduction and torture of Pastor Berlin Guerrero on 27 May 2007.

However, Pastor Guerrero is still in prison. He has organised a regular lay formation program for fellow prisoners which is held every Thursday and Sunday he helps to lead an ecumenical worship service in the prison. He also organised the Cavite Provincial Jail Choir which conducted a Christmas concert. The Chief Warden at the prison has publicly expressed his deep gratitude for the ministry being undertaken.

The appeal of Pastor Guerrero to have the charges against him dismissed was heard in February 2008 and a decision is pending.

STOP PRESS*

On August 20 2008 members of the UCCP Council of Bishops marched to the Court of Appeals to appeal the immediate release of Pastor Berlin Guerrero.

If the Court of Appeals will decide to dismiss the Information for murder against Pastor Berlin Guerrero, he can be immediately released. This is the hope and prayer of the Council of Bishops of the UCCP. However, if the Court of Appeals does not decide in favour of Pastor Berlin he will stand trial on the trumped-up murder charge, Suarez explained.

“It will be very disturbing seeing a pastor, who has committed his life to God in the service of God’s people, standing trial for murder. But, it’s really not so different than the story of Jesus and His disciples in the Bible. We hope and pray the case of murder will be quashed and that justice will prevail,” Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua, UCCP’s secretary-general said.

*Source: Noel Sales Barcelona www.cbcpnews.com

Please type in your name and email address - then click on ‘Send Message’ on the bottom of this page.
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  5. Please type in your message to The Hon. Raul M. Gonzalez, Secretary, Department of Justice, Padre Faura St., Manila, Philippines (basing your points on the information here). It is best that your respectful letter is drafted in your own words.
  6. To: The Hon. Raul M. Gonzalez, Secretary, Department of Justice, Padre Faura St., Manila, Philippines
    Re: Asking for justice – dismiss the charges against Pastor Guerrero
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[ Home ]

Christians face persecution for living out their faith in theocracies (religious rather than democratic rule), military and communist dictatorships and democracies around the world. Here are some examples:

  • Catholic priests, nuns and brothers imprisoned in the USA for peacefully protesting against the US Administration providing training to members of the armed forces in the use of torture;
  • Christians facing the death penalty on charges of blasphemy brought by Islamic extremists in Pakistan;
  • Christians imprisoned in Vietnam for speaking out against human rights abuses by the communist regime;
  • Christians in China imprisoned and tortured for worshipping together without the approval of the communist regime;
  • Christians murdered by members of the army in Sri Lanka for standing up for human rights in the civil war in that country;
  • Evangelical Christians imprisoned for their faith in the African country of Eritrea; and,
  • members and ministers of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines murdered and made to ‘disappear’ or arbitrarily imprisoned by the police and army for speaking out on behalf of those in poverty or for opposing corruption.

The persecution of Christians often takes place in a context of wider religious persecution. For example, both Christians and Muslims face persecution under blasphemy laws in Pakistan. Christians, Fulan Gong members and Muslims are persecuted in China. While parts of the Indonesian military have been responsible for the murders of Christians in East Timor, West Papua and the Maluku Islands, they have also been responsible for the murder and torture of Muslims in Aceh.

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« Back to Action

The Victorian TAFE Association has provided numerous case studies to highlight the practical implications of these suggested changes:

Doris, a Koori elder, has been preparing to enter the workforce initially completing a Certificate I in General Education for Adults, Certificate II in Learning Pathways for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and Certificate II in General Education for Adults. Doris feels confident to tackle more mainstream training and has approached a local TAFE provider to enrol in the Certificate II in Business. Doris is ineligible to receive subsidised training because she already holds Certificate II level qualifications.

Kristy is 26 living in Horsham. She completed her VCE in 2006 and then undertook a Certificate IV Fitness at a local Registered Training Organisation (RTO – a provider of Vocational Education & Training). Employment opportunities in the fitness industry are limited in Horsham but Kristy does not wish to leave this regional community. She notices frequent advertisements for vacancies in nursing and also spots an advertisement for Cert IV Nursing at the local TAFE provider. Kristy wishes to make a career change. Kristy would not be eligible for subsidised funding for this course despite the fact that there are skills shortages locally.

TAFE providers deliver VET to people incarcerated in Victorian prisons. Typically prison inmates undertake VET specifically related to employability skills and linked to prison industries. Adopting eligibility criteria that only allows subsidised training to be allocated for the delivery of higher qualifications could see some members of Victoria’s prisoner ineligible for government funded training.

More case studies

Introducing higher fees could dissuade disadvantaged people like Indigenous Victorians and those from remote country areas, even when payment of fees is deferred. The Victorian Government ultimately needs to prove that a deferred payment system will benefit poorer Victorians. Even though we are concerned about a possible negative impact of ‘HECS in TAFE’, if a deferred payment system is introduced we suggest that materials fees and compulsory non academic fees for student services be included (material fees are covered in course fees in South Australia).

Irrespective of the outcome of the government’s review, existing concessions for disadvantaged groups that reduce the cost of education must remain. TAFE Directors should continue to be able to use their discretion to waive fees. It appears likely that some concessions will be maintained and potentially expanded upon. However, community concern needs to be expressed so this happens.

« Back to Action

It is of concern that the Victorian Government is looking to increase TAFE fees

(”TAFE fees rise in bid to tackle skills crisis”, The Age, 2/6).

TAFE is often the option open to disadvantaged people. There is no doubt that Victorian TAFEs are under-funded, and teachers in the sector suffer insecure and low-paid employment. The solution presented by the Victorian Government is for students to pay more and to further open up the vocational, education and training sector to the market.

I hope that the Government has strong evidence that charging students more will provide more opportunities for poor and disadvantaged students and will not act as a disincentive. Also, the Government will need an even stronger rationale for further privatising the sector. Public TAFEs and not-for-profit community sector providers are committed to providing opportunities to disadvantaged students, often providing extra much-needed student support.

« Back to Action

« Back to Action

  • Josh, a 22 year old Australian citizen, left school in year 10 and has been engaged in part time unskilled work for the past five years. He realises that the jobs open to him are limited and he needs to build his skills. Josh wants to return to full time study doing intermediate VCAL including a Certificate II in Hospitality (Kitchen Operations). Josh would not be entitled to subsidised funding for his TAFE course because VCAL is not a post-school qualification.
  • Mario (32) completed a Diploma in Engineering and has been working for 12 years in engineering related occupations. Mario has recently been retrenched and wishes to retrain. He is looking at either pursuing a paraprofessional career in polymer technology or biotechnology. Mario will not be able to enrol in the Advanced Diploma of Laboratory Operations because he does not have the Diploma and relevant work experience. Mario is ineligible for subsidised training to enrol in the Diploma of Laboratory Operations because he already holds a Diploma of Engineering. He decides not to pursue this option. Mario is interested in the Advanced Diploma of Polymer Technology. This qualification is available as an approved training scheme for an apprenticeship. He finds that with his existing work experience, access to this qualification would be through the Diploma of Polymer Technology. But Mario cannot enrol in the Diploma of Polymer Technology because he does not hold a Certificate IV in Polymer Technology nor can he demonstrate equivalent skills. Mario is not eligible for subsidised training because he already holds a Diploma of Engineering. In frustration Mario takes a job driving a truck in WA.
  • Tran holds a bachelor degree in nursing, and a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing. He is still paying off substantial HECS debts. His career path now finds him working with a community mental health service. Tran needs employment skills to assess co-morbidity and develop care plans. Tran approaches a local TAFE provider to enrol in the Diploma of Alcohol and Other Drugs only to find he is ineligible for subsidised training because he holds a post graduate degree qualification. Tran is not willing to incur further fee debts and his employer is not in a position to pay $10,000 for the qualification.

« Back to Action

« Back to Action

  • Eligibility – students with a higher level qualification who want to undertake a qualification at a lower or equal level may be unable to qualify for support (i.e. a Government subsidised training place). This may limit the number of students able to undertake a dual qualification (e.g. a double Diploma in Business and Hospitality). These restrictions will also hinder those wanting to change careers as well as people returning to study in a different discipline.
  • Entitlement - ‘student vouchers’ may be introduced whereby students have a learning entitlement which they can use to ‘shop around’ the training system (according to the Australian Education Union (AEU) the previous Commonwealth Government’s ‘literacy voucher program’ was similar to this idea and it failed).
  • Higher Fees - introducing a higher fee structure will suppress demand in the short term and deter students from undertaking vocational and further education (particularly at the Diploma and Advanced Diploma level). The notion that people ‘pay for what they value’ is deeply flawed. After all, many students undertake TAFE course because they simply cannot afford the debts incurred by university fees.
  • Student loans - this will only create another financial barrier for students wanting to enter vocational and further education. They will be left with a debt upon entering the workforce (the AEU is particularly concerned about students from disadvantaged backgrounds and those in drought-affected regions being able to manage debt upon completion of tertiary education).
  • Contestability - training providers will be less likely to collaborate to improve educational standards. Instead, more education providers will be motivated by profit. Training providers will generate business by offering more cheaply run courses to students and thus may have an incentive to deliver less training hours. This will probably not combat the skills shortages in Victoria or meet community needs.

« Back to Action

« Back to Action

Changing a career path is a normal part of life. The Victorian Council of Social Services (VCOSS) refers to research undertaken by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Deloitte’s study highlighted that Generation Y people are expected to change careers five times during their lifetime.

Introducing a new fee structure should not inhibit people from contemplating other career options. Because someone has completed a Certificate IV in fitness should not mean they have to incur higher fees to undertake a Certificate IV in nursing.

Competition between institutions

Since the period in office of the former Coalition Government in Victoria, the training system has introduced greater competition between institutions. This competition has failed to combat the skills shortage in Victoria.

Uniting Church members have alerted the Justice & International Mission Unit to instances in which for-profit training providers do not provide a full range of services to students.

The Miners Council of Australia (MCA) observed in their own submission to the Victorian Government:

The MCA does not support the introduction of a voucher or ‘training entitlement’     system managed by individuals in light of past experience of such systems which     have been seen to encourage unscrupulous providers to ‘cherry pick’ low cost     courses and take advantage of     unsuspecting individuals. … It is important to ensure     that competition in the VET [Vocational Education & Training] sector is not at the     expense of quality of program provision resulting in a ‘race to the bottom’, which is a     likely outcome of an individual voucher system.

Hearing from students

For too long, Victorian TAFE students appear to have been largely absent from discussions about the TAFE sector. This is a shame because these students can provide the most accurate account of what it is like to experience the TAFE sector currently.

« Back to Action

This month talk to your school, community group or congregation about the potential changes to TAFE education in Victoria.

Write a respectful letter or email to:

The Hon. Jacinta Allan MP, Minister for Regional and Rural Development and Skills and Workforce Participation. Level 36, 121 Exhibition Street, Melbourne, Vic, 3000
Email: Jacinta Allan

In your own words express your concern (or the concern of the community that you represent) at the potential for students to pay more for TAFE education. Use the letter to also highlight your concern at the threat of further privatisation of the vocational, education and training sector.

  • Convey the need for the Victorian Government to prove that charging students (or implementing a deferred payment plan) will provide more, not less, opportunities for disadvantaged students.
  • Express your support for more public funding for TAFEs and not-for-profit community sector providers.
  • Suggest that community and TAFE students should have a greater opportunity to provide input into shaping the training system in Victoria
  • Convey that the government should make it a priority to provide opportunities for disadvantaged students as well as funding student support services.

We think that the Victorian Government is open to ideas, so don’t be shy!

The Issue

The Victorian Government is contemplating a radical overhaul of the Vocational Education & Training (VET) system (of which TAFEs and other Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) are a part of) in Victoria. The changes are highlighted in the government’s consultation document, ‘Securing our future economic prosperity’.
Changes to this sector should be made to ensure VET study becomes more accessible to disadvantaged students.

Director of the Justice & International Mission Unit at the Uniting Church, Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, Dr Mark Zirnsak recently submitted a letter to the Editor at The Age regarding this issue.

Letter to the Editor

Tertiary students in Victoria already grapple with the lack of income support provided to them. Our What’s Fair in Education Forum last year highlighted the problem that TAFE students have to pay for expensive materials as a requirement of their course and that this can be a particular burden for disadvantaged students. Introducing even more fees may dissuade disadvantaged students from contemplating a tertiary education.

Education for disadvantaged Victorians

A 2008 Submission by the Victorian Council of Social Service to the Victorian Government made the following key points:

  • 25% of students enrolled in TAFE are from poorer backgrounds as opposed to 14% in Higher Education
  • The highest increase to Vocational Education & Training has consisted of young people (15-19)
  • Many young people in training have disengaged from school – and Vocational Education & Training is the only thing keeping them in education (young people completely disengaged from the training system become part of the most disadvantaged in society)
  • Indigenous students participate in TAFE institutions at a much higher rate than non-Indigenous students (Indigenous students suffer substantial educational disadvantage with high drop out rates)
  • Remote and regional country students face many barriers to accessing tertiary education – many having substantial transport and other costs to contend with.

What the Victorian Government might do

The Australian Education Union (AEU) has highlighted potentially alarming changes to the VET system in Victoria:

  • Eligibility - any student holding a higher level qualification may become ineligible for Government support for lower fees if wanting to undertake another qualification at a lower or equal level (unless they meet an exemption criteria)
  • Higher fees – courses may double in cost at the Diploma level
  • Student loans – a deferred payment system may be introduced in the VET sector
  • Entitlement - ‘student vouchers’ may be introduced whereby students have a learning entitlement which they can use to ‘shop around’ the training system
  • Contestability - all training providers will compete for student’s vouchers or money.

It is however important to note that these changes are not certain and that there has been ongoing consultation between the government and community groups. The Justice & International Mission Unit has been asked to respond to the government’s consultation document and we are confident that our feedback will be considered. Nevertheless, this is still a good time to JustAct.

More Potential problems

For more background information

Case Studies

Potential alternatives - better support for learning communities

The Victorian Government is running a budget surplus of more than $800 million. Despite this, the Productivity Commission of the Commonwealth Government has found that Victorian TAFEs remain the lowest funded in the country (based on real recurrent expenditure per annual hour). The government should endeavour to provide further support to not-for-profit providers of TAFE.

Put pressure on the Government to overturn their unjust policies.

Write to the Minister for Immigration, The Honorable Chris Evans, asking him to allow asylum seekers on Bridging Visas, predominantly Bridging Visa E, the right to work, claim social security and access healthcare.
Read more about this issue and follow the letter writing guide found here.

Get your family and friends to sign the petition asking the Government to review the policy of mandatory detention and abolish the billing of asylum seekers found to be refugees for their cost of detention. You can download and print the petition from here.

Please return the petitions to Jill Cooper, Social Justice Officer Uniting Church Synod of Victoria and Tasmania, 130 Little Collins St, Melbourne 3000 by Friday 29th August, 2008.

Get involved in Refugee Week 2008

Refugee Week runs from the 15th to the 21st of June and the theme this year is A Place to Call Home.

Raise awareness about the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers living in Australia and get involved in the events happening in your area.

Go to the Refugee Council of Australia website for Refugee Week Kits, information about the week and a list of events being held.

The Issue

Cho arrived in Australia in 1997. She was fleeing a life of fear and persecution in Burma and was searching for a safe place to call home.

Cho was incorrectly advised to wait a few months before applying for asylum and since she had applied after the mandatory time of 45 days was consequently put on a Bridging Visa E without work rights or access to healthcare.
Her case took 8 long years to be determined. She was not allowed to work in this time and struggled to look after her family relying on financial support from charities.

Australia did not seem to be the safe home Cho had been searching for…

Each year thousands of people come to Australia seeking asylum and fleeing situations of unrest, persecution and danger. They come with the hope that they will find a place to call home…

The Refugee Council’s Refugee Week 2008 is coming up from Sunday the 15th of June to Saturday the 21st of June. The theme this year is A Place to Call Home.

So has Australia’s new Government made Australia a better place for asylum seekers to call home?

What has happened since the change in Government:

Earlier this year the Government abolished the Pacific Solution; closing down the detention centres on Nauru and Manus Island and processing all remaining asylum seekers detained there.

In May the Temporary Protection Visa (TPV) category was scrapped and all currentTPV holders were given Permanent Visas.

The annual budget announced an extra 500 places in the Humanitarian Intake for 2008-2009 to be allocated to refugees and humanitarian migrants from Iraq and 600 additional permanent protection visa places for Iraqis who have been involved in working with the Australian Government and forces in Iraq.

The budget also introduced an extra 750 places in the Special Humanitarian Program for 2009-2010.

What has stayed the same since the change in Government:

Building of the multi-million dollar Christmas Island detention centre has continued and is now ready to be used.

Asylum Seekers on Bridging Visas, predominantly Bridging Visa E, are still denied work rights, access to Medicare and social security income.

The law remains of billing all asylum seekers for their time in detention, even those who have been through the process and been recognised officially as refugees by the Government.

The policy of Mandatory Detention still remains in place with over 400 people held in detention centres over Australia.

The Minister for Immigration still holds the power for the final decision on asylum seeking cases at their last appeal stage.

Take action now on these issues and help create a fairer place for asylum seekers to call home.

Enjoy FAIRTRADE Tea & Coffee, and other stuff!

Drink only Fairtrade Tea and Coffee for the month, for more information go to Oxfam and People for Fair Trade to find out where you can go for FAIRTRADE tea and coffee.

You might become addicted to the feeling of guilt-free indulgence!

And / or go one step further and organise a Fairtrade Coffee Break (3-18 May)

Ask your community if they want to become Fairtrade!

Fair Trade Communities is an initiative developed by the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand (FTAANZ) in order to provide a set of goals for institutions and communities across Australia and New Zealand to adopt as a focus to promoting fair trade within their area of influence.

Participating organisations work towards achieving a set of goals to promote fair trade within their procurement practices, workplaces and membership or community (where relevant). The program can be applied to a wide range of institutions including councils, government offices, universities, schools, faith groups and workplaces.

Go to the FTAANZ website to find out more

If you decide to become a FAIRTRADE community remember to tell us by emailing Antony, antony.mcmullen@victas.uca.org.au at JustAct … we want to know how many of you have made the decision to Act in this way …

The Issue

Provide a higher standard of living for disadvantaged producers in developing countries

‘Before you’ve finished your breakfast this morning you’ll have relied on half the world’, Rev Dr Martin Luther King

Non-Fairtrade farming story - Mohammed Ali Indris, Ethiopia

Mohammed Ali Indris, an Ethiopian coffee farmer from Kafa province, Ethiopia, is 36 years old and his household of 12 includes the children of his deceased brother. Around five years ago he could make about US$320 a year from the sale of coffee and corn. This year he expects around US$60 for the coffee. The corn he would have sold has already been eaten by his family.

‘Five to seven years ago, I was producing seven sacks of red cherry [unprocessed coffee] and this was enough to buy clothes, medicines, services and to solve so many problems. But now even if I sell four times as much, it is impossible to cover all my expenses. I had to sell my oxen to repay the loan I previously took out to buy fertilisers and improved seed for my corn, or face prison.

‘Medical expenses are very high as this is a malaria-affected area. At least one member of my household has to go to hospital each year for treatment. It costs US$6 per treatment. We also need to buy teff [staple starch], salt, sugar, soap, kerosene for lighting. We have to pay for schooling. Earlier we could cover expenses, now we can’t… Three of the children can’t go to school because I can’t afford the uniform. We have stopped buying teff and edible oil. We are eating mainly corn. The children’s skin is getting dry and they are showing signs of malnutrition.’

The FAIRTRADE label on products guarantees that producers in developing countries get a better deal. These producers get a minimum price that covers the cost of sustainable production and an extra premium that is invested in social and economic development projects. For a product to display the FAIRTRADE label it must meet international fair-trade standards and be subject to regular inspections. The Fairtrade system benefits approximately one million workers and farmers in 58 developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The Fairtrade labelling system began in The Netherlands in 1989, and currently operates in 20 countries. It was introduced in Australia and New Zealand in 2003.

Globally in 2005 Fairtrade products amounted to approximately $1.8 billion worldwide and in Australia $5.4 million Fairtrade products were sold in the 2005-2006 financial year, an increase of 157% over the previous financial year.

Fairtrade farming story - Edgar, Costa Rica

Edgar is married with seven children and is 57 years old.

“I wanted my children to have an education so that they could choose what they want to do.”
Edgar’s enduring passion is educating his children. “All my life, all I have ever done is work, work, work - only work. I had no choice. I wanted my children to have an education so that they could choose what they want to do.”

Coffee and hard work have enabled him to send all his children through primary and secondary school.

One of his sons is just finishing seven years of study at medical school, helped by financial contributions from the whole family and a scholarship from the coffee co-operative.

Two of Edgar’s children have received financial support for their education from his cooperative, Coopeldos, through a scheme partly funded by the Fairtrade premium.

The farmers of Coopeldos are able to sell between 30-40% of their coffee to the Fairtrade market. For this portion they receive a price guaranteed to cover the costs of production and living expenses. For the rest they receive the world market price which in recent years has been below the cost of production.

Edgar says that although the price of coffee has dropped in recent years, his expenses have remained the same. “You do the same with less money.” Edgar fears that without Fairtrade things would go downhill and he wouldn’t be able to repay debts. His hope for the future and his message to consumers is blunt. “I’d say - drink lots more coffee!”

More Info

General Links:

Other Products to check out:

RESOURCES (many Christian-related):

References:

Hold a Close the Gap Day Event

There are still many people who don’t know about this injustice happening in their own country.

The 22nd of April is National Close the Gap Day. Help let other people know about the Close the Gap campaign by creating your own Close the Gap Day event. Have a family dinner, organise a morning tea at work, hold a meeting at school lunch time or simply talk to a friend about the issues surrounding Indigenous health.

Give Tess a call on 03 9251 5277 or 0419 530 903, or email action@www.justact.org.au to get sent some Close the Gap free stickers, posters and pamphlets for your event or personal use.

Act online

Contribute to the Close the Gap campaign online…

Download “Funky Tonight” from iTunes. The John Butler Trio joined Keith Urban to perform “Funky Tonight” at the 21st Aria awards. Download the song now from iTunes and all proceeds will go to the Close the Gap campaign.

Join the Close the Gap Facebook group. For all of you out there addicted to Facebook use your addiction for good! Join the Close the Gap group and learn about upcoming events and campaigns.

Send an ecard to a friend. Go to the Oxfam website, choose a picture, pick a fact, write your message and voila!

The Issue

It has been a year now since so many of you took up the call to Make Poverty History Everywhere in our action last April. We received back a number of petitions and requests for armbands, and with your help some real change has been made in the area of Indigenous health…

In December last year…
The Council of Australian Governments (COAG), which includes the Prime Minister, State Premiers and Territory Chief Ministers, met together and committed to close the gap between Aboriginal & Strait Islanders and other Australians by:

  • closing the life expectancy gap within a generation;
  • halving the mortality gap for children under five within a decade; and,
  • specifically addressing the importance of tackling the debilitating effect of substance and alcohol abuse on Indigenous Australians

The federal government also agreed to increase funding for substance and alcohol rehabilitation to $49.3 million, double the amount supplied by COAG the previous year.

In February this year…
The Prime Minister talked of his commitment to Closing the Gap in his apology to the Stolen Generations where he stated:
‘…the core of this partnership for the future is to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians on life expectancy, educational achievement and employment opportunities.’

In March this year…
The government took part in the National Indigenous Health Equality Summit along with the Congress of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nurses, the Indigenous Dentists Association of Australia, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner,
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (Tom Calma).
The Summit resulted in a Statement of Intent, with goals that included

  • developing a plan of action to achieve equality in health status and life expectancy of Indigenous and non Indigenous Australians by 2030;
  • ensuring that Indigenous health care services were capable of closing the gap in health services by 2018;
  • ensuring that Indigenous organisations and individuals participate fully in addressing the health care needs; and,
  • addressing the social factors that impact on Indigenous health.

The full Statement of Intent can be found here.

These are all great steps in the journey towards creating a better quality of life for Indigenous Australians.

But more action is needed.

While Indigenous children are still becoming sick from preventable diseases usually found in developing countries more action is needed.

While Indigenous adults are still dying 17 years younger than their non-Indigenous counterparts more action is needed.

While Indigenous babies are still born with a third of the chance of survival of that of non-Indigenous babies more action is needed.

Help keep the Close the Gap issues and campaign in the minds of all Australians, and ensure that the government takes action to reach the goals set in the Indigenous Health Equality Summit Statement of Intent, and increases spending on Indigenous health to provide for this.

‘None of this will be easy. Most of it will be hard—very hard. But none of it is impossible, and all of it is achievable with clear goals, clear thinking, and by placing an absolute premium on respect, cooperation and mutual responsibility as the guiding principles of this new partnership on closing the gap.’ - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Apology to the Stolen Generations

Help us begin the investigation. We are gathering information about where Christian novelty items, including Bible covers, crucifixes, bracelets and gadgets, are being made. Visit your local Christian specialty shop and respectfully record for us what the item is, how much it costs, and where it was made. We are particularly interested in items made in China.

Email your findings to JustAct at
antony.mcmullen@victas.uca.org.au

For more information, or if you have any questions contact Antony on (03) 9251 5286 (or email him - see above).

Interested in more? We are looking volunteers to work with us to help undertake further research. Contact Antony on the above if you are interested and want to become more involved.

This is going to become a permanent campaign fixture on the JustAct site in the coming months, so keep a look out for it.

The Issue

“The products had to be finished by the 25th [of April] and all of the workers in our department had been working until three o’clock in the morning. We had been working non-stop for just about 16.5 hours. We were making crucifixes…. At 8 am, the morning of the 26th, it seemed as if our heads had just hit the pillows before out coworkers began to call for us to get up and get back to work again. The manager arranged for me to load the boxes for shipment. I, along with everybody else, was busy moving things into the truck. In total, we had close to 300 boxes of crucifixes and other things as well. Everything was so heavy; each box was about 20kg! We were so tired. My shoulders, legs and waist went weak. While we were moving the boxes of crucifixes, one of my coworkers suddenly cried out: “Jesus, take pity on me! I’m going to die of exhaustion.””

Crucifix Factory in China

In late November the US National Labor Committee (NLC) released a report, Today Workers Bear the Cross, exposing the Association for Christian Retail (ACR) for selling crosses manufactured in a Chinese sweatshop.

The ACR supplies nearly all of the US’s Christian specialty stores with a wide range of items including Bibles, Christian books, curriculum, apparel, music, videos, gifts and greeting cards. The ACR did US$4.63 billion in business in 2006, which is more than Levi Strauss had with US$4.1 billion in sales.

The NLC report found that crucifixes are being made at the Junxingye Factory in Dongguan, China, and the conditions were as follows;

  • Factory employed 300 – 400 women as young as 15
  • Employees forced to work regular 14 to 15.5 hour shifts a day, seven days a week
  • When an order is due a shift can be extended up to 25 hours
  • All overtime in the factory is mandatory and anyone who does not carry out the required overtime loses a full day’s wages
  • It is common for workers in the factory to work over 100 hours a week, which includes 51 hours of overtime
  • Workers in the factory are paid as little as 30 cents an hour, just over half the legal minimum wage in China. After fees deducted for room and board, the workers pay can drop to just 11 cents an hour
  • Workers in the factory are housed in primitive dorm rooms sleeping on narrow double-level metal bunk beds that line the walls. There is no other furniture
  • The workers get no paid sick leave, no paid maternity leave, no paid holidays and no health insurance, all of which are required under Chinese labour laws.
  • Anyone who gets sick and misses work in the factory loses two-and-a-half days pay for each day they miss
  • Workers fear they may be handling toxic chemicals, paints and solvents, whose fumes sting their eyes and skin contact causes rashes, but the factory management refuses to provide even the names of the chemicals, let alone their potential health hazards.

The report states that the ACR has no code of conduct and no factory monitoring program.

Factory Bed in China

The Justice and International Mission Unit, Uniting Church in Australia has been working for a number of years on the issue of gross exploitation and suffering inflicted on workers in Chinese factories making shoes and clothes, so it would come as no surprise that this could also apply to Christian speciality items.

The Justice and International Mission Unit, with now the help of JustAct members, are beginning an investigation, working with Christian speciality stores in Australia, to try and ensure that the items being sold from China are not made under exploitative conditions.

Experience with the clothing industry in China has demonstrated that assurances from the factory owners and suppliers cannot be trusted, as the factory owners often feel compelled to lie to get the business. The reality is that often the companies purchasing goods from China refuse to pay a price that allows the factory to act legally with regard to the requirements of Chinese labour law, but at the same time demand the factories treat their workers ethically. The only way the factory owners feel they can satisfy the buyer is to lie, and buyers are often only too happy to accept the lies and not look further, as to do so would mean having to pay a higher price for the goods coming out of China.

Send a postcard today asking the Australian Government to support a ban that will work to prevent any future harm to civilians from cluster munitions.

Email JustAct with the number of postcards you would like with your postal address and we will send them out to you to collect signatures from family and friends, and even people on the street!. (Feel free to ask for as many or as few as you think you can get people to sign.)

Our email is action@www.justact.org.au

You can also download the postcard here.

Collect signatures on the petition calling for a ban on cluster munitions. Download here.

The Issue


Adbullah

Six year old Abdullah was injured during a strike on Basra, Iraq in 2003. Submunitions were scattered over a residential area – smashing though the windows of his house as he slept, the shrapnel cut off his arm and tore open his abdomen. In 2003 the US and the UK dropped hundreds of thousands of submunitions on residential areas of Iraq.

Two kids in Lao CM victims

On the 22 May 2002 at 11am these two children were looking after cattle grazing close to their village.They found a metal ball and began to throw rocks at it. They were both injured by shrapnel but luckily survived. Injuries were to the head, face, elbow, arms, body, foot and abdomen of the children. They were the fortunate ones as they survived. Many are not this lucky and are killed.

BLU97

This is a BLU-97 cluster bomblet. Here on the plains between Bagram and Kabul lie many unexploded BLU-97 cluster bomblets. Their failure rates are greatly higher than quoted by manufacturers and the military. Failure rates as high as 40% are not uncommon. A controversial point during the bombing of Afghanistan was when the US military decided to drop food aid as well as bombs. The food aid was packaged in bright yellow packaging the same colour as the BLU-97 cluster bomblets. It was only a guess at what was safe and what was dangerous. Did yellow mean food or death?

A cluster munition is a large bomb, artillery or rocket that when fired or dropped opens to release submunitions over a wide area. The submunitions, often in their hundreds are designed to explode before, on or just after impact with the ground. However, many fail to act as designed and lie unexploded on the ground, in trees and on roof tops waiting until they are disturbed by an unsuspecting civilian, sometimes decades after they were first deployed.

In every conflict cluster munitions have been used they have caused a consistent and predictable pattern of humanitarian devastation both during and long after the conflict. Over the past 12 months governments have been meeting to write a treaty to ban these weapons. We need to ensure they create the strongest treaty possible to prevent future harm to civilians.

Lao PDR is a small landlocked country nestled in Southeast Asia between Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It can unfortunately claim the title of being the most bombed country in the world. During the Vietnam War US forces dropped hundreds of thousands of cluster munitions on it. A large number of these submunitions failed to explode and remain today scattered across the country. Since the end of the Vietnam War over 11,000 civilians have been injured or killed by these ‘dud’ bombs and in addition to every one person injured hundreds more are adversely affected through being denied farming land for example.

Photos courtesy of John Rodsted.

Send Pastor Berlin Christmas blessings. Make or buy a Christmas card and write your own message of solidarity to him and his family, and then post the card to;
JustAct
130 Little Collins St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Or email your message to action@www.justact.org.au and it will be included in the cards we send.

Please send all messages and cards by Friday 14th December 2007.

You might like to include a bible verse or saying that inspires or comforts you, or just a simple message letting Pastor Guerrero that he and his family are in your thoughts & prayers this Christmas.

Look at last December’s Action #10 Give with Justice in Mind helping you find fair trade and ethically made gifts to give this Christmas.

Ensure that the gifts you give this Christmas are a blessing to all.

The Issue

Christmas is a time of celebration with family and friends and an opportunity to appreciate all that we are blessed with. However for the family of Pastor Berlin Guerrero this Christmas they will not have this opportunity to celebrate with loved ones.

Pastor Berlin Guerrero, a minister of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines, was abducted on the 27th May 2007, tortured and remains in detention on trumped up charges of murder and sedition.

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

What we are asking for
We are seeking his unconditional release and for those who perpetrated the crimes to be brought to justice. Arrest warrants have been issued for the 4 men that abducted and tortured Pastor Berlin, however no arrests have been made.

As you celebrate Christmas this year, remember Pastor Berlin in your prayers, along with the countless other families of loved ones around the world who have disappeared in 2007 or families of loved ones that remain detained for standing up for truth, human rights and justice.

Further Background
In the last two years 15 members and ministers of the United Church of Christ of the Philippines have been murdered in circumstances suggesting the involvement of the security forces of the Philippines. This does not include the cases of detention or disappearances.

The Uniting Church in Australia is in working partnership with the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.

More Info

Uniting Church report: Getting Away with Murder - Impunity for Those Targeting Church Workers in the Philippines (785KB)

Also see your previous action on this issue: Action #6 Getting Away with Murder

Visit local pokie venues and report if they have ATMs, how many and where they are located in the venue (foyer, bar, bistro etc). Also identify where the next nearest ATM to the pokie venue is outside of the venue itself. Send the details to Mark at mark.zirnsak@victas.uca.org.au

A form for checking on ATMs in pokie venues can be downloaded from here as a Word Document or pdf file.

PLEASE NOTE: It is illegal for a person who is under 18 years of age to be in licensed premises unless he or she is with a responsible adult (there are only minor exceptions to this). It is also illegal for a young person under 18 to be in the gaming area itself. Therefore you must avoid going into the gaming area and if you are in a licensed area you should be with a responsible adult who is over 18 years.

Write to:

The Hon. John Brumby MP
Premier
PO Box 4912VV
Melbourne, Victoria, 3002
E-mail: john.brumby@parliament.vic.gov.au
Salutation: Dear Premier

 

The Hon. Tony Robinson MP
Minister for Gaming
Level 5, 1 Macarthur St
Melbourne, Victoria, 3002
E-mail: tony.robinson@parliament.vic.gov.au
Salutation: Dear Minister

Welcome the fact that the Victorian Government has introduced a law to require ATMs at pokie venues to not dispense more than $400 per person per day by 2010, but argue that this is long time to wait for people with gambling problems now. Ask that the Victorian Government introduce a law to force pokie venues to remove their ATMs altogether. Point out that patrons at pokie venues can use EFTPOS.

 

The Issue


Research has shown that automatic teller machines (ATMs) in pokie venues help feed problem gambling behaviour and are not heavily used by other patrons in the venue. This action asks you to help get ATMs out of pokie venues to reduce problem gambling in Victoria.

Problem gambling causes people to lose their homes, their savings, can cause family breakdown, is a factor in domestic violence and can contribute to people committing suicide.

“From a person who never gambled before, it turned my life into a nightmare. It turned me into a cheat, a thief and emotionally unstable. Previously, I was a sane person who managed and enjoyed life very much.

Once my life changed dramatically, I became unemployed, I lost all hope, my self esteem was gone and I had to cope with a family suffering.

From mental illness and being unable to cope and support my family, I found hope and support in the hotels with poker machines. I found my interest with the machines became more and more addictive. My emotional problems became greater as I depended on the machines.

I felt I was not capable of doing any job and I depended on the machines to survive. It was only the fact that I became seriously ill that probably saved my life. I lost my friends, relatives, superannuation and I went bankrupt.

Poker machines seduce a person suffering from emotional issues and they exploited me.”
Person in counseling with Gambler’s Help Central

Cartoon

More Info

Why should ATMs should be removed from pokie venues?
The Australian Productivity Commission found that people with gambling problems were far more likely to access ATMs to withdraw money to gamble when playing pokies.

 

Research commissioned by the gambling industry from the University of Sydney Gambling Research Unit found that people with gambling problems in hotels were more likely to use ATMs, while those in clubs in NSW did not. The study also found that visits to ATMs in venues were linked to heavy losses. Further, people with gambling problems would continue to gamble until they had used up all the money available to them through ATMs located in venues.

A 2001 gambling industry-sponsored survey found that 83% of venue patrons in Ballarat did not use ATMs in the venue. This suggests that removing ATMs from pokie venues is unlikely to inconvenience the majority of patrons, while being likely to assist a significant proportion of people with gambling problems.

 

A 2004 survey of clients of problem gambling services in Victoria reports that the vast majority of respondents believe that it would be very effective to remove and ban ATMs from gaming venues.

A December 2005 report commissioned by the Victorian Gambling Research Panel, Evaluation of Electronic Gaming Machine Harm Minimisation Measures in Victoria, found most pokie gamblers access an ATM at least once during a gambling session. Gaming venue managers agree that venue-based ATM-users are most likely to spend their withdrawals on gambling on pokies. Pokie gamblers who use an ATM at gaming venues rarely access it for the purpose of purchasing food and beverages. Those that access an ATM more than twice do so exclusively to gamble. The frequency of ATM use by a pokies gambler is connected with increased levels of spending, extended amounts of time in the gaming venue, the frequency of their gambling and their score on the problem gambling index. Pokie gamblers, particularly those with problematic gambling behaviour, were found to make multiple withdrawals of less than $200, rendering the Victorian Government’s current restriction of $200 per withdrawal a useless measure in reducing problem gambling. Pokie gamblers, both in country and metropolitan venues across hotels/pubs and clubs across Victoria, specifically stated that ATMs should be removed from gaming venues, and in doing so rank this as possibly the most effective measure that would be introduced in the future.

 

Won’t removing ATMs from pokie venues inconvenience other patrons?
As stated above, non-gamblers in pokie venues rarely use ATMs. Venues can provide EFTPOS instead. The advice from people with gambling problems is that they would likely to lose less money if they had to withdraw it from EFTPOS, as they would have to interact with venue staff if they use EFTPOS. The anonymity of using ATMs helps feed gambling problems.

Venues also make money on ATMs through the charges imposed on the people who withdraw money from the ATM. This can be up to 70 cents a transaction and can earn the venue tens of thousands of dollars a year. Meanwhile, EFTPOS usually does not involve any transaction cost on the person accessing their account.

 

What’s Fair in Anti-Poverty Week events (Melbourne) 14-20 October 2007

What’s Fair morning tea – a Christian Perspective
Monday 15th of October 07 - 10-12am

An Ecumenical Service of Thanksgiving
Wed. 17th October 07 - 12.45-2.15pm

Father Bob Maguire (Triple J & SBS) asks: What’s fair in education?
Wed. 17th October 07 - between 4.30-6.30pm

What’s fair in the ragtrade?
Thurs 18th October 07 - 6:15 – 8:30pm

DOWNLOAD flier for all the information:

Events for What’s Fair in Anti-Poverty Week

For Anti-Poverty Week events around Australia visit here and search by your state.

Consider one (or more!) of the following:

Support community action for fair trade and no sweatshops:

Buy Fairtrade tea and coffee:

Buy ethically made clothing:

  • When purchasing clothing in the week, look for brands that have been accredited to the No Sweat Shop label. See past JustAct action

Support access to tertiary education for all:

  • Contact relevant State and Federal politicians asking for a fairer go in relation to access to tertiary education after attending “What’s fair in education?”
  • Guides and fact sheets to come - www.whatsfair.org.au

Make Australia fairer:

The Issue

Everyone talks about the Australian ‘fair go’. Here are some of the areas that are asking this questions; “What’s Fair in Anti-Poverty Week 2007?” (14-20 October 2007)

Fairtrade

What exactly is Fairtrade and how can respond in ways of fairness and justice through what we purchase? Have you tried Fairtrade tea, coffee, herbal tea and chocolates? Find out what your school, university, TAFE, church, or community group do to support the growing and important fair trade movement by attending the “What’s Fair morning tea”.

If you are not in Melbourne and/or can’t make the morning tea, here is a great web site by the Fair Trade Association of Australia and New Zealand. Also check People for Fair Trade.

As the Fair Trade Association states, “Fair Trade is about giving disadvantaged people power: by paying producers and workers fair prices for their work, by helping them gain the skills and knowledge they need to develop their businesses and to operate in the global economy, and by challenging unfair trading practices. It is about providing fair go, not charity. Together we can create more awareness of international consumer power and offer Australians and New Zealanders an opportunity to make real change through supporting fair trade activities and buying fairly traded products.”

What’s fair in education? – getting there, staying there and beyond

Leaving school soon? Currently in tertiary education and finding it hard to make ends meet?

For those in Melbourne, come along to “What’s fair in education?” to discuss these issues. It’s free and features the renowned wit of Fr. Bob (TripleJ & SBS).

For those not in Melbourne (or if you want to read some background information), check out the following fact sheets:

Special thanks to RMIT Chaplaincy!

 

What’s fair in the ragtrade?

What we can do about sweatshop labour and workers rights in Australia and Asia? More than 50% of clothes sold in Australia being made in China, and a large proportion of Australian-made clothing produced using under-paid and highly exploited outworkers.

If you are in Melbourne come along to a film screening of “China Blue”. Discussion will explore workers rights in the global garment industry and what you can do to join the fight against exploitation of the labour behind the label. “China Blue offers an illuminating window onto the normally hidden worlds of global production. It provides unparalleled access to the everyday lives of garment workers in China, giving them voice, and giving a face to the reality underlying China’s emergence as the factory floor to the world. For those interested in globalization, economic development, or current controversies around sweatshops, China Blue is an excellent introduction to the experiences of workers from developing countries - even those supposedly ‘winning’ through globalization” (Dara O’Rourke, University of California at Berkley).

If you cannot make it to the forum your school, university or TAFE or community group (etc.) can host a film screening of China Blue by contacting Liz at fairwear@fairwear.org.au

For more information about sweatshops here and overseas go to a report recently released by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence, “Ethical Threads”.

More Info

What’s Fair?

Anti-Poverty Week 2007: 14-20 October 2007

Partners for Peace

What is Fair Trade? (PowerPoint; 2M)
Kristen Hobby, National Council of Churches in Australia, CWS.

What’s Fair in Education Fact Sheet - Getting There

What’s Fair in Education Fact Sheet - Staying There

What’s Fair in Education Fact Sheet - Beyond

What’s Fair in Education PowerPoint presentation from Dr. Helen Kimberly,Executive Director of the Equity Research Centre

What’s Fair in Education PowerPoint presentation from Professor Richard James, Director the University of Melbourne’s Centre for the Study of Higher Education

What’s Fair in Education PowerPoint presentation from Ms. Maree Bovell, Manager for Employment and Training Services at the Brotherhood of St Laurence

What are the real costs of spending?

Step 1
Discover what the average environmental costs are for the amount of consumption in your suburb in Australia through the Consumption Atlas.

Step 2
Now calculate how your own consumption impacts on the environment with the Eco-calculator.

Step 3
If we are serious about global equality we need to cut down on our own consumption. There is a direct link between how we use the Earth’s resources and the poverty that millions live in. Start changing this today!

Develop your own Action Plan and calculate the amount of resources you will be saving when you start living that Plan.

Good luck. By taking action we are changing our world!

For more ideas on what you can do check out Make Affluence History.

The Issue

Did you know that the amount humanity currently consumes is more than the earth can sustain? How is this possible? Think about the world as being a bank account. If we simply live off the interest then (theory has it) we can sustain the capital indefinitely. However, if we start eating into the capital then we can do it for a little while, but eventually we will be left with no money. If we curb our spending, we can allow the interest to build again in order to make it more sustainable.

The Living Planet index monitors the health of our ecosystems – the things which sustain our world and make it inhabitable. Between 1970 and 2003, the index fell by about 30%. This global trend suggests we are degrading natural ecosystems at a rate unprecedented in human history. It also means that the world can’t keep pace with human consumption and waste generation. (See link below for more information)

All of the things that we buy add up, and in general households with higher incomes are buying and consuming more things than less affluent households. Whether rich or poor, we tend to spend most of what we earn, so as income increases so does our level of expenditure and our impact on the environment. This month’s action is to assess the impact of our individual consumption through the Consumption Atlas.

If we look at how much we consume in terms of Food, Electricity, Gas, Transport and Goods and Services, we find that the average Australian consumes 3.5 times that of the average world citizen, 24 times the average person in India and 7 times what would constitute a rate of global equity and sustainability.

It is our responsibility to keep our Government accountable. If you are concerned about the Federal Government’s intervention into indigenous communities then you need to let them know.

Please write respectful emails to:
The Hon Mal Brough MP
Minister for Indigenous Affairs
mal.brough.mp@aph.gov.au
Salutation: Dear Minister

Here’s an example of what you might write;

Dear Minister,
I am writing about the recent measures announced by the Federal Government in relation to Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory.

I would firstly like to congratulate you on being willing to commit unlimited resources to break the cycle of poverty and abuse in Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory. However, I am deeply concerned about the way in which the Federal Government is planning on spending these resources.

I believe that the Federal Government has ignored many of the recommendations of the “Little Children are Sacred” report and I am concerned that the intervention will further dis-empower Indigenous people in Australia.

I respectfully ask you to revise the intervention strategy to include respect for land rights and indigenous controlled communities. I ask you to listen closely to Indigenous communities and organisations, both locally and nationally about how to approach alcohol and sexual violence in their community.

I further ask you to commit to a long term investment of services and skills to address addiction and rehabilitation, housing, health and education issues.

Yours sincerely,

PLEASE include your full name and postal address for a response. Also contact us if you receive a response.

The gap between indigenous and non-indigenous continues to grow - Make Indigenous Poverty History. Follow the link to the MIPH site to find out how you can get involved.

The Issue

The Federal Government has sent police and the Australian Defence force into Indigenous Australian communities in the Northern Territory as a part of their response to the Little Children are Sacred report. Although community, government, indigenous and non-indigenous groups have welcomed action to deal with the problem of alcohol and child abuse in Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, there is concern over the way such an intervention has been designed and is being implemented.

Of the 91 recommendations of the Little Children are Sacred report, the majority have been ignored in the Government’s response. There is concern from Indigenous people and a wide range of organisations that this intervention by the Government fails to uphold the cultural and legal rights to Indigenous land and does not include Indigenous people in the decision making about their own future.

So what is the story so far?

Chapter 1
“The Little Children are Sacred” report was commissioned by the Northern Territory Government in 2006. The report outlines a range of factors that contribute to the devastating impacts of alcohol related violence and sexual abuse of children in the Northern Territory.

The report includes 91 recommendations, mostly focusing on the Government’s role in addressing the abuse.

28% of people in the Northern Territory identify as Indigenous.

Chapter 2
After the release of the report, the Prime Minister, The Hon. John Howard, responded by saying there was “Nothing less than a national emergency” in the Northern Territory and that the Government will spend ‘whatever it takes’ to protect the children.

Mr. John Howard and the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, The Hon. Mal Brough announced a range of measures for communities in the Northern Territory to address the abuse that is often referred to as the ‘Northern Territory Intervention”.

These measures include

  • alcohol restrictions
  • control over how welfare payments are spent
  • compulsory health checks
  • removal of permit system (that is the issuing of permits by indigenous people to non-indigenous to enter and remain on their land in NT) and compulsory acquisition of land, etc.
  • 60 or so communities will be controlled by the Commonwealth Government.

Mr Howard wants the NT Government to cooperate, but if it doesn’t, legislation will be passed to override the NT Self-Government Act, and the Northern Territory Land Rights Act.

During 1999-2003 the suicide rate for Indigenous females aged 0-24 years was five times the corresponding rate for non-Indigenous females.

Chapter 3
A range of organizations and people began to respond to the ‘intervention’ or ‘emergency’ measures. Among them was the Combined Aboriginal Organisations of the Northern Territory (CAO).

The CAO, like many other organisations (including the Uniting Church in Australia), agreed that the serious nature of Aboriginal child abuse and family violence in the Northern Territory demands an emergency response.

However, any measures introduced in the Northern Territory must start with the “Little Children are Sacred” report. The CAO outlined a range of measures they believed would have a long term positive impact on the Indigenous community.

Many organisations including the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UCA) have expressed a concern about the intervention measures. The Congress called the intervention a “fierce approach” which would have the potential marginalize and create further resentment.

Chapter 4
The Northern Territory Government is refusing to comply with Commonwealth suggestions that it legislate for identification to be shown when a certain amount of alcohol is bought and in relation to the removal of the permit system to enter traditional lands.

The Prime Minister is hoping the necessary legislative changes will be ready when Parliament resumes this month (August 2007).

Take inspiration from a past Australian Prime Minister on how we build Reconciliation in our country:

You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

 

More Info

Join us at the movies!
Thursday 26 July ‘07
Westgarth Cinema, Northcote (89 High St)
Tix: $10
Book via text 0419 530 903 or email action@www.justact.org.au
By Tuesday 24 July
All welcome!

Download the fancy flier here.

JustAct members not in Melbourne
Take friends to the movie and take action with Stop the Traffik. Amazing Grace is opening in cinemas across Australia Thursday 26 July 2007.

Join the global declaration to see this trade stopped here.

The Issue

2007 marks the 200th year since the long campaign to end slavery in the British Empire resulted in their government passing the Abolition of the Slave Trade bill.

Disturbingly a similar slave trade across the world is operating today. HUMAN BEINGS right now are being bought and sold throughout the world. This trade in people is the fastest growing way people are caught in slavery.
Human trafficking is the taking of people by abduction, being sold by family or orphanage, or by deception for forced labour.

2.4 million people are enslaved as a result of human trafficking.
1.2 million children are trafficked each year.
People are trafficked into prostitution, begging, forced labour, military service, domestic service, forced illegal adoption, forced marriage and so on.

This trade turns people into goods that are sold for as little as $30!
It is the fastest growing form of international crime. There are even reports that some trafficking groups are switching their cargo from drugs to HUMAN BEINGS, in a search of greater profits at lower risk.

This trade in humans makes an estimate $7billion (US) per year.

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People are not commodities.
They should not be bought and sold.
This trade in human beings must STOP.

William Wilberforce’s life is an inspiration to all of us who want to see injustices transformed. He was a British Member of Parliament who campaigned tirelessly for the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. He was a part of the first modern political campaign using petitions, boycotts, mass meetings and even badges and posters with slogans on them. Amazing Grace is a new film about his life and how his work