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An alternative to Australian Christian Lobby?Thursday, March 11th, 2010Help shape the agenda! You are warmly invited to join this consultation on SPC policies and priorities Gao Zhisheng nominated for Nobel Peace PrizeMonday, February 22nd, 2010In April 2009 the End Christian Persecution Network of the Uniting Church in Victoria and Tasmania requested supporters write to the Chinese authorities and the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs about Chinese Christian human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng. Mr Gao remains ‘disappeared’ after being arrested by Chinese security forces in January 2009. AFP reported on 6 February 2010 that Gao Zhisheng had been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by the US Congress. His wife, Geng He, told the US Congress that “These past few weeks, I can’t sleep until 3 am every night. My heart aches because I recall every single detail. Really, sometimes I feel that it might be better if he were dead than alive. But I am hoping and I am ready to trade my own life for his so that the family can go on.” She voiced hope that appeals from the US and other foreign nations would help. “Unless there is international pressure, I fear that in the future there may be no more lawyers in China who will take up these cases.” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu refused to answer questions from foreign reporters on Mr Gao’s whereabouts. Mr Ma said “I guess that he should be where he should be.” The End Christian Persecution Network of the Uniting Church in Victoria thanks everyone who wrote letters calling for the release of Mr Gao. Volunteer opportunityMonday, August 3rd, 2009The Welfare Rights Unit (WRU) is a community legal centre located in Collingwood that provides free telephone advice service for people in Victoria with questions about their rights under the social security system and social security law. The advice service operates Monday to Friday, between the hours of 9.30 am and 12.30 pm. The phones are staffed by paid and unpaid workers trained in social security law. The WRU is currently seeking volunteers to assist in providing telephone advice. Volunteers would be asked to participate in a training program and then commit to one morning a week to assist on our advice line. 7-Eleven Campaign (international students and young workers)Friday, July 31st, 2009UNITE has recently won over $100,000 in payouts for 7-Eleven workers in Melbourne and Sydney. For more details see links below. Contact the UNITE office on 03 9328 1555. More information here (and here). Koorong open the door to dialogueFriday, July 31st, 2009Good news: This follows the National Council of Churches in Australia (as well as Victorian Heads of Churches) endorsing a fair trade in Christian goods. There is still no word from Word bookstores. Background info and more Forced child labour in Uzbek cotton fields and moreWednesday, July 22nd, 2009The newsletter from Maquila Solidarity Network is available (newsletter 14.2) In this edition find out about the international pressure builds to end forced child labour in Uzbek cotton fields and on the other side of the world – opportunities for worker organizing in the Philippines (and more)! Child labour: YouTube videoWednesday, July 22nd, 2009The International Trade Union Confederation has produced a very short online video on the subject of child labour. Sounds boring, right? Wrong. Warning – you that you may not want to watch this (you could see this on a show like the Gruen Transfer). We think some of you are going to love it and others will hate it. Have a look here What is happening with Youth Allowance etc.?Wednesday, July 15th, 2009Student income support update JustAct has campaigned about this issue. Here is an update. Students’ resource gets tick of approvalTuesday, July 7th, 2009Source (go here for more of the article) Fair Trade and Mothers Day: good news storyMonday, July 6th, 2009Western Heights Uniting Church, Geelong found a very creative way to use their Mother’s Day cards with one group of people in their congregation! |
