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ACSJC Briefing No. 8 - November 2000

ACSJC BRIEFING
No. 8 - November 2000

From the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, the social justice and human rights agency of the Catholic Church in Australia - www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au
To download a printer-friendly PDF version of this newsletter, go to www.acsjc.org.au/pdf/briefing.pdf

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IN THIS ISSUE
• From the Secretariat
• October News Monitor
• November Social Justice Calendar

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FROM THE SECRETARIAT

Dear Friends,

ACSJC MEETING
We have been busy in the Secretariat lately preparing for the final meeting of the ACSJC for 2000, which will take place 10-12 November. Among other things, this meeting will consider which issues the ACSJC should make priorities for action in 2001. The Council believes that it is likely to be more effective if it focuses its energy and resources on addressing a small number of issues at a time, rather than trying to respond to every social justice issue that arises.
  If you would like to let the ACSJC know where you think it should focus its activity in 2001, please contact the Secretariat as soon as possible. Your views will be passed on to the ACSJC for their consideration as part of their decision-making.
  Once the ACSJC has decided on its priorities for 2001, an action plan for the year will be drawn up.

NATIONAL DIOCESAN CONTACTS GATHERING
The Secretariat is also working away preparing for the annual national gathering of our Diocesan Contacts which will take place on the weekend 17-19 November.
  The ACSJC works in each Diocese with and through people nominated by the local Bishop for this purpose. A list of our Diocesan Contacts is on the Contacts page of our website. Once a year we bring our Contacts together to share their experiences, concerns and ideas.
  One of the items on the agenda this year is education for justice. Participants will receive some input, pool their information about what is already happening, and offer their suggestions on what gaps still exist. The group will also look at justice issues in the labour market and how the Church is responding to them. John Ryan, Executive Officer of the Australian Catholic Commission for Employment Relations will provide input on this issue and facilitate discussion.

PAKISTAN
We have been trying to gain some publicity for our colleagues in Pakistan who have been taking action for the restoration of a joint electorate system (as opposed to the current system of religiously segregated electorates) in their country. In October we issued two media releases presenting information provided to us by the Pakistan Bishops' Conference National Commission for Justice and Peace.
  A major ecumenical conference was held to address the situation of minorities in Pakistan, and following on from that an Action Committee involving religious and civil society groups was formed. A series of 'token hunger strikes' or fasts with public sit-ins have been planned. The first 'token hunger strike' took place on 19 November in the centre of Lahore. Thirty people fasted from 10 am to 5 pm and hundreds of people paid solidarity visits to the hunger strikers' camp.
  For more information, visit our website or call the Secretariat. Please do anything you can to provide further publicity regarding the situation in Pakistan, as even the Christian media do not seem very interested in the human rights abuses suffered by religious minorities in Pakistan.

DEATH PENALTY
Respect for human dignity is at the foundation of all Catholic social teaching, and this is reflected in John Paul II's strong and clear opposition to the death penalty anywhere in the world today. During October the ACSJC issued a Position Paper setting out the reasons for its opposition to the death penalty. The paper can be printed or downloaded from our website, or printed copies can be sent to you at $2 a copy on request.
  We are also about to issue a paper in the Catholic Social Justice Series, which sets out the development of the Church's teaching on this issue. It has been written by Dr Michael Costigan, and is titled The Death Penalty: Why Catholics Should Oppose It. Orders can be placed with the Secretariat for $4.40 (including GST) plus postage. We offer substantial discounts for bulk orders, which is handy for people wanting to organise discussion groups on this important issue.
  The ACSJC Position Paper: Why the ACSJC Opposes the Death Penalty includes suggestions for actions that groups and individuals can take against the death penalty. One action is to take up advocacy on behalf of those condemned to death.
  We recently learned of the case on John Paul Penry, an intellectually disabled man scheduled to be executed by the State of Texas this month. Our Chairman has written to Governor Bush pleading for Johnny's life, and to the US Ambassador in Australia expressing the ACSJC's concern. A media release on this action can be found on our website. If you'd like address details for Governor Bush and the US Ambassador to Australia, call the Secretariat and we'll be happy to help.

DILI MASSACRE ANNIVERSARY
As the ACSJC concludes its meeting on 12 November, people all around the country will be commemorating the anniversary of the Dili Massacre. Your Diocesan Contact people will be able to let you know the details of local commemorations. If there isn't anything happening near you, please consider organising a simple commemoration ceremony. Those who are organising the commemorations in the Cathedrals would surely be pleased to share their liturgical materials with you for your adaptation.
  As the struggle to build a free and independent East Timor continues, remembrance remains an important source of inspiration and healing.

EL SALVADOR
Another anniversary of the killing of people who worked for freedom and the fullness of life also takes place in November. On 16 November we remember the Jesuit academics and two women workers who were killed in El Salvador in 1989. This is an appropriate anniversary on which to reflect on the place of education and intellectual activity in the struggle for justice.

HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
Human Rights Day is celebrated on 10 December each year because this is the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is also the day from which most United Nations' designated years commence.
  2001-2010 has been designated the International Decade for the Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World.
  This would be a good occasion to ask that your parish bulletin carry a small article or notice on the importance of work for human rights as part of the mission of the Church.

SOCIAL JUSTICE CALENDAR
As we approach the end of 2000, it is time to commence planning for 2001, and, of course, to order copies of the Social Justice Calendar for 2001! We are taking orders for the calendar now and they will be available before the end of the month. This popular resource makes a great Christmas present. Copies are on sale for $8 including GST and postage. Get in quick because last year they sold out rapidly!

- Sandie Cornish (Chief Executive Officer)

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OCTOBER NEWS MONITOR

ACSJC CHAIRMAN APPEALS FOR LIFE OF INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED MAN: Bishop William Brennan appealed to US Presidential candidate Governor George W. Bush to spare the life of John Paul Penry.

INDONESIAN CHURCH OFFICIAL CONFIRMS BRAINWASHING OF TIMORESE REFUGEE CHILDREN: At least 130 East Timorese children have been taken from their families in refugee camps to be trained as anti-independence militia.

CARDINAL SAYS NORTH KOREA MOVES TOWARDS PEACE BUT IGNORES HUMAN RIGHTS: The emeritus Archbishop of Seoul is not optimistic following the visit of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

VETERAN MIGRATION PRIEST TURNS 100: Monsignor George Crennan, who spent 46 years as National Director of Australia's Catholic Immigration Office, celebrated his 100th birthday.

INDIAN CATHOLICS MAKE HOLY YEAR PLEA FOR END TO RELIGIOUS PERSECUTON: Facing continued aggression and intimidation from Hindu militants, Indian Catholics have prepared an open letter.

SVdP SAYS WEALTH GAP HITS ELDERLY THE HARDEST: The St Vincent de Paul Society's national council has written to all Federal parliamentarians drawing attention to the growing economic divide in Australia.

BURDEN OF GOVT WELFARE POLICY FAILURE STRAINING SVDP: The St Vincent de Paul Society has said the Government's welfare policies are not working because of the Government's over-reliance on welfare agencies.

VATICAN'S UN REPRESENTATIVE ATTACKS ARMS TRADE: The Holy See’s permanent observer at the United Nations has called on governments to control the trade in small arms.

DALAI LAMA SAYS PEOPLE MUST WANT IRISH PEACE: The Tibetan Buddhist leader has said that the power to achieve peace in Northern Ireland is in the hands of the people, given self-confidence and patience.

HOLY SEE TELLS UN THAT EMBARGOES HURT THE POOR MOST: The Vatican has again denounced embargoes and other international economic sanctions because of their disproportionate effect on the poor.

BISHOP DEAKIN WANTS MORE ACTION FROM GOVT ON WEST PAPUA: Caritas Australia Chairman, Bishop Hilton Deakin, has compared events in the troubled province of Papua, formerly known as Irian Jaya, to East Timor.

BISHOP BRENNAN SPEAKS UP FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN PAKISTAN: On behalf of the ACSJC, Chairman Bishop William Brennan has spoken out in support of a hunger strike by Christians in Pakistan intended to bring about reforms to the country's discriminatory electoral system.

VATICAN STRESSES RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN MIDDLE EAST: The Vatican pleaded for respect for human rights in the Middle East as the only way to peace.

CATHOLIC COMMISSION REGRETS PASSING OF DR PERKINS: The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council’s (NATSICC) chairperson, Ms Vicki Walker expressed her sadness at the death of Aboriginal leader Dr Perkins.

ARCHBISHOP LOOKS TOWARDS PEACEFUL SOLOMONS: Archbishop Adrian Smith of Honiara is 'looking forward to happier days' in the Solomon Islands with the signing of a peace agreement in Townsville.

CATHOLIC FAITH MOTIVATED KOREAN NOBEL PRIZE WINNER: South Korea's Nobel Peace Prize-winner is a devout Catholic whose faith has motivated his overtures of reconciliation to North Korea.

SALESIANS DENOUNCE WESTERN CHILD SEX TOURISM IN THIRD WORLD: Commenting on the growth of child sex advertising on the Internet, Salesian head Fr Juan Edmundo Vecchi called on developed nations to act.

POPE CALLS FOR RENEWED SUPPORT OF YOUTH IN THE WORK PLACE: Pope John Paul II has urged support for young workers, in the context of the rapid and complex transformation of the work place.

CARITAS AUSTRALIA CALLS FOR MEKONG FLOOD RELIEF DONATIONS: Caritas Australia called for urgent donations to help more than one million people affected by the worst floods along the Mekong Delta in nearly 40 years.

JOSEPHITE SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ON WHITLAM AND TIMOR: The Director of Sydney's Mary MacKillop Institute of East Timorese Studies has criticised a "sanitised" account of history that absolves former Prime Minister Gough Whitlam from playing a significant role in Australia's betrayal of the East Timorese people before the United Nations.

CATHOLICS PROTEST CHINA'S RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION: Hong Kong diocese's Justice and Peace Commission marked China's National Day by protesting against the suppression of the "underground" Catholic Church in mainland China and the mainland's one-child policy.

- courtesy Catholic Telecommunications, stories in detail at www.cathtelecom.com/news/010/index.asp

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NOVEMBER SOCIAL JUSTICE CALENDAR

Wed 1 All Saints  Day
Thu 2 All Souls Day
Sat 4 Yitzhak Rabin, Prime Minister of Israel assassinated, 1995
Sun 5 Jubilee Celebration for those involved in Public Life
Sat 11 Remembrance Day, commemorating the end of WWI, 1918; Death of Catherine McAuley, founder of Sisters of Mercy, 1841

SAT 11 CATHERINE MCAULEY
Catherine was born in Dublin in 1778. She was left a large legacy which she used to further the work she had already begun - helping the poor. She established a "House of Mercy", where poor young women could be educated and prepared for work. A number of other women came to help her. She formed a congregation in 1831. The "Sisters of Mercy" soon spread around Ireland and then to other countries, eventually becoming the largest religious congregation in the English-speaking world.

Sun 12 Day of Thanks for the gifts of Creation; Jubilee Celebration for the Agricultural World

SUN 12 DILI MASSACRE
In 1991, Indonesian troops opened fire on a crowd of people attending a funeral in Santa Cruz cemetery in Dili, the capital of East Timor. At least 270 people died.
ACTION: Organise or attend a local commemorative service to mark the anniversary of the massacre.

Thu 16 International Day of ToleranceAssassination of 6 Jesuits and 2 female workers in El Salvador, 1989
Sun 19 Jubilee Celebration for the Military and Police
Mon 20 Universal Childrens' Day; Anniversary of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959 and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989.
Tue 21 World Television Day
Wed 22 John F. Kennedy, US President, assassinated 1963
Fri 24 World Congress for the Apostolate of the Laity commences in Rome
Sun 26 Christ the King
Mon 27 Inaugural Sydney Peace Prize to Professor Mohammed Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank, 1999

MON 27 INAUGURAL SYDNEY PEACE PRIZE TO MOHAMMED YUNUS
Mohammed Yunus founded the Grameen Bank. The Grameen Bank was set up in Bangladesh to provide small scale loans to landless villagers. Its first loans were made on January 3 1977. Today, the bank has more than 2 million clients, 94% of them women. It has lent in excess of $1.5 billion and has more than 1,000 branch offices. Loans are given without collateral or guarantee, but each borrower must join a five-members group and attend a meeting each week. Each member assumes responsibility for the loans of the group's members. Loans are given for such purposes as buying medicine, building houses, or paying for education. The proportion of loans that are repaid - 97% - is comparable to many conventional banks.
 The myth that credit is the privilege of the fortunate few people needs to be exploded. You look at the tiniest village and the tiniest person in that village: a very capable person, a very intelligent person. You have only to create the proper environment to support these people so that they can change their own lives.
- Mohammed Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank
ACTION: A Grameen Bank Support Group is located in Sydney. Its purpose is to support the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and throughout the world and to make the bank known to the Australian public. Membership of the Group is free and open to all who endorse the Bank's vision and its approach. Contact: Mr Shan Ali, 7 Burke Place, Mt Colah NSW 2079. Ph: 02 9294 3338; Fax 02 9457 8805 Email: grameen.oz@mypostbox.com Web site: http://www.rdc.com.au/grameen

WED 29 DEATH OF DOROTHY DAY, 1980
Dorothy Day was born in 1897 and founded the Catholic Worker Movement in the US. She established the Catholic Worker newspaper, stating it was intended to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable".  She was a life-long worker for peace and justice, and established a string of Houses of Hospitality, offering food clothing and shelter to poor people. She died on this day in 1980.
Action View the Video Entertaining Angels which centres on the life of Dorothy Day and her commitment to people in need.

WED 29 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
On this day in 1947, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on the partition of Palestine between Jew and Palestinian. As a result many Palestinians have been forcibly displaced from their homes and lands, lands they and their families had occupied for centuries. Almost inevitably armed conflict resulted and has continued to the present. Especially in more recent years, there has been increasing efforts to bring a peaceful settlement for both Jews and Palestinians who each claim the land as their heritage. This day each year has been proclaimed, in an attempt to encourage international groups to support the efforts for a peaceful settlement to the existing differences in this troubled part of the world.

Thu 30 Partition of Palestine, 1947

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Australian Catholic Social Justice Council Leo XIII House, 19 MacKenzie Street, North Sydney NSW 2060. Tel: (02) 9956 5811, Fax: (02) 9954 0056, Email: admin@acsjc.org.au Website: www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au ** ACSJC Briefing is sent by email at the beginning of each month. To sub-scribe, send an empty email to ACSJCbriefing-subscribe@acsjc.org.au (or to ACSJCbriefing-remove@acsjc.org.au to remove your ad-dress from the mailing list). If you encounter difficulties, or you want to subscribe another person, send an email to briefing@acsjc.org.au. Comments and contributions are also welcome at this address.