Over the last few days our news has been full of stories of violent acts that have resulted in the deaths of many hundreds and suffering for innumerable people. Such acts of violence, while reported in graphic detail, can seem so far away, so enormous in impact, so overwhelming in their destruction and evil that ...
On Saturday evening while all about me were losing their heads about the 2016 Australian federal election, I was happily enjoying the afterglow of voting for the first time in seven years.
That was the second Lisbon referendum, held in Ireland in October 2009 and a do-over essentially, as the Irish public apparently made the wrong choice in June 2008.
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The only certain outcome from Saturday’s federal election is that the result is still uncertain – and it could be a month before we know who will govern.
Most pundits suggest a minority Coalition government that relies on independents and minor parties is the most likely end result, although Labor would consider itself a chance to stitch together a ...
Democracy is often touted as the ‘holy grail’ of international politics. It is the system those who live under fascist, communist or dictatorial regimes aspire to. People have died fighting for the right to have their say about who will make decisions affecting their nation’s future.
This year, a series ...
The UnitingCare Australia Aged Care Network has released independent modelling that reveals the full impact of the federal government’s proposed aged care cuts.
In the 2016-17 federal budget, the Turnbull government announced changes to the Aged Care Funding Instrument, which will result in $1.2 billion cut from aged care funding.
UnitingCare Australia engaged the services of Ansell Strategic to ...
Many Uniting Church members have gained some understanding of what it is like to survive on a refugee’s diet by spending a week on a ration pack the same as that received by an adult Syrian living in a refugee camp in Jordan.
Conducted by Act for Peace during Refugee Week (19-25 June), sponsored participants pledged to eat only what ...
NAIDOC Week is a time for First Peoples and non-Indigenous Australians to celebrate the culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC) has prepared worship resources for congregations to use during NAIDOC Week, which takes place from 3-10 July this year. It contains an Acknowledgement of Country, recommended readings, ...
Britain’s exit from the European Union has created shockwaves throughout the world. As a new week begins, one of the challenges facing political and religious leaders in the United Kingdom is how to heal a nation bitterly divided by the EU referendum.
There are already reports of a spike in racist altercations and hate crime against immigrants and ...
The annual Vinnies CEO sleepout took place in Melbourne on Thursday night. More than 200 CEOs braved cold and windy conditions as they camped outside the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and raised funds for St Vincent de Paul Society’s homelessness services.
The sleepout has so far raised $627,708 in ...
There have been extraordinary scenes in the US Capitol building in Washington. Democrat representatives and civil rights activists sung the religious civil rights anthem We Shall Overcome while staging a sit-in demanding new gun control laws in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
The sit-in began in the morning session of Congress and was led by civil rights veteran ...
I have been asked to do an Op Ed about the Brexit campaign in the UK.
Perhaps you have heard of it?
One thing that struck me was how there have been too many opinions expressed, but little concrete information, about what is a very complex question. Should Britain continue to remain as a member of a ...
Many refugees experience unimaginable horrors when they flee their war-torn homes and seek safety in a new country.
It can be difficult to translate their deeply personal and traumatic memories into words. One way refugees are sharing their stories with the Australian public is through art.
An exhibition that took place on 18-19 June showcased the artworks of former and ...
