Markets & Justice

Markets & Justice
Freely operating markets yield a just outcome?

White Australia Has A Black History

White Australia Has A Black History

Tuesday 30 December 2014

The message of the minerals map

Do modern nations give consideration to the birthright, the part of creation, for which they are responsibile.  Looking at the message of this map, the selling of one's birthright for a mess of pottage (Genesis 25: verses 29-34) comes to mind. 

Modern nations need to be aware.  What sort of pottage are the nations of Africa receiving in return for their birthright of natural resources? Or will they find, in the end, they have inherited a mess!

Sunday 28 December 2014

Sabbath Thinking Piece #4

Thursday 25 December 2014

The suffering of ancient Christian communities; those who have Ebola; economic poverty; floods of refugees & displaced people; failure of many nations to see the common good ...



'Then Herod sent the wise men to Bethlehem saying, 
Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, 
bring me word so I may also go and pay him homage.’ (Matthew 2.8) 
 
The deceit and cruelty of governments and rulers has not changed in the 2000 years since King Herod. 2014 has been a year of desperate suffering for many Christians, unparalleled for centuries. Christian communities have been uprooted from the places that they have dwelt since within living memory of the time of Jesus. Along with them, others have been harried and hunted, blown up, tortured, beheaded, raped and have seen their families, their livelihoods, their futures destroyed. Indeed, the cry of the martyrs rises across the earth, ‘How long, oh Lord, how long?’

At the same time we have seen the scourge of Ebola sweep across three countries of West Africa, striking people down above all when they exhibit their deep compassion for the human dignity of others through touching and holding them, or through washing their bodies after death. The acts of love have become the means of infection and death.

In other places, immense economic poverty continues to spoil the lives and diminish the dignity of human beings. In Europe, migration across the Mediterranean has reached extraordinary levels, and the countries of Europe have ceased to see the common good as obliging them to support each other in loving and receiving those who have fled through such horrors, such dangers, and such privations. Rightly, Pope Francis has said that the Mediterranean must not become a vast cemetery. Individualism and selfishness is causing countries to withdraw into themselves and look only after their own interests.

Wednesday 24 December 2014

.... and what do the women of Australia really want?

#Ice interferes with everyone's life: users, families, communities. It breeds crime of all sorts. #Ballarat and its region are suffering.

An ice taskforce unveiled by Premier Daniel Andrews will have 100 days to develop an action plan to halt the carnage caused by the drug.

A magistrate, a deputy commissioner of police and a mental health expert will be part of the taskforce chaired by Mr Andrews, along with other community representatives.

Ice was linked to 32 murders in Victoria between 2012 and 2013, and the Coroners Court found that deaths where methamphetamine was present increased from 66 in 2006 to 166 last year. 

The ice action taskforce, a Labor Government election commitment, will examine ways to reduce the demand, supply and harm of the drug. The Coalition had criticised the commitment as a "talk fest", and promised instead to frame its response to the crisis by referring to the parliamentary committee report into ice use.

The government must respond to the findings of the parliamentary committee - which made 54 recommendations - by March. The committee was particularly taken by the work of authorities in New Zealand, which developed an action plan more than five years ago.  The article continues here.

ICE IN #BALLARAT & ITS REGION

The PowerFM site above has links on where to go for help




Tuesday 23 December 2014

Silencing community voices ...#ACOSS comments as does Kon from #ASRC

The Australian Council of Social Service today expressed deep concern at extensive funding cuts to community sector organisations  including policy and advocacy work. ACOSS believes this will severely weaken the Federal Government’s ability to engage with the community on important reforms that lie ahead.

“Cutting support for vital community expertise and voices is a major mistake. Community voices play a crucial role in providing on-the-ground advice and an important link connecting communities with government decision-making processes,” said ACOSS CEO Dr Cassandra Goldie.

Christmas Reflection #2: hospitality alive in Australian hearts

Clearly, some people do Christmas better than others -
like those demonstrating Christmas kindness and good cheer

Monday 22 December 2014

Australia cuts its aid budget

Picture at left from here

As World Vision's Tim Costello puts it: "Julie was in there fighting. She was rolled. Her new aid paradigm is in tatters."

The indefatigable Bishop was in Papua New Guinea, the second-largest recipient of Australian aid, on Monday when Treasurer Joe Hockey revealed $3.7 billion in cuts to the foreign aid budget as an aside while releasing his mid-year budget update.

Hockey's press conference, with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, was surreal on a number of counts, but mostly because the nation's attention was singularly focused on the siege at Sydney's Martin Place that ended so tragically in the early hours of Tuesday.

Hockey began with a monologue utterly at odds with reality. He reported that the government had made "a good start" to the budget repair task, that the economy had continued to "strengthen" during the year despite "significant offshore headwinds", and that the budget was "on track for a credible surplus".

Much of the commentary that followed commended the Treasurer for not taking the "austerity option" of slashing domestic programs or increasing taxes and charges to offset collapsing revenues. The foreign aid cut received almost as scant attention as the slashing of the Australian Human Rights Commission's budget (an act that smacked of retribution).

Christmas Reflection #1: The King's College Singers - The Angel Gabriel

Saturday 20 December 2014

Creation, honeybees, and worship

As members of the new Adam, Christians are in a position to perceive the deeper theological significance of the plight of honeybees. Rehabilitating honeybee populations is the theological equivalent of recruiting new timpani for the orchestra; it is a partial effort toward enabling our fellow-creatures to worship. Urban beekeeping is a grace given us to better worship God in creaturely interdependence against the obscuring of these relationships in our modern technological society. Participating in and facilitating scientific research into safer pesticides is akin to Adam’s tilling and irrigating Eden, investigating how best to encourage the mutual flourishing of creatures who share in a common Creator. In view of the freedom God has given to his creation, and looking forward to the final reconciliation of all things to the Creator that has begun in the resurrected Christ, the church should do what she can to facilitate and encourage attempts to rehabilitate honeybees. This would be rightly considered an act of proper praise and worship to our Creator.
 
The extract above comes from the article "The Worship of Honeybees: Colony Collapse Disorder and the Purpose of Creation by Richard R. Glover (BA, M Political Economy) whose interests lie in reflecting theologically on social, political, economic, and cultural issues. He blogs sporadically at richardrglover.wordpress.com.  It was published in Ethos.

Friday 19 December 2014

The babies and their families are to stay in Australia!

Dozens of asylum seeker babies allowed to stay in Australia for refugee processing

Updated 
Thirty-one babies born to asylum seekers will be allowed to stay in Australia with their immediate families while their refugee claims are assessed.
Immigration Minister Scott Morrison announced details of a new agreement struck with crossbench senator Ricky Muir in exchange for his support for the reintroduction of temporary protection visas (TPVs).
"Following representations made by Senator Ricky Muir, the Government agreed as a special one-off arrangement that the babies would not be transferred back to Nauru," Mr Morrison said in a statement.
Read more at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-12-18/dozens-of-asylum-seeker-babies-allowed-australia-processing/5977310
First posted 

Tuesday 16 December 2014

#illridewithyou



Feelings beyond words but expressed with flowers

ADVOCACY
 MOURNS WITH
SYDNEY 
TO-DAY

#illridewithyou : Sydney in solidarity with Muslim women


Read this below and then go to the original article:
With hostages still in danger and central Sydney in lockdown, residents have turned to social media to spread a message of tolerance.
Locals have became concerned about the potential for rising intolerance or aggression towards people wearing religious dress.
One woman started what soon blossomed into a social media campaign to stand in solidarity with the city’s Muslims.
Tessa Kum, a TV content editor and writer living in Sydney, told Guardian Australia she acted after seeing a tweet from Michael James.  She then posted offering her company to anyone in religious attire on her route.


Fellow Twitter users swiftly joined in, offering their support.


Others picked a broader context to reinforce the statement.  And, much like the #putoutyourbats tribute to Phillip Hughes, the idea has caught on.

Monday 15 December 2014

The need to understand the message - the difference between Shahadah written on a flag and the ISIS flag

What Is the Shahada?

The Shahada (also spelled “Shahadah”) is the Islamic Creed,
one of the Five Pillars of Islam.
The word “Shahada” comes from the verb shahida,
meaning “he testifies” or “he bears witness.”
In reciting the Shahada, a Muslim bears witness
 that Allah is the only true god,
and that Muhammad is Allah’s prophet.
The shortest form of the Shahada would be translated:
“There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
Longer versions are common, especially those beginning with
 “I bear witness” or “I testify,” e.g.:
“I bear witness that there is no god but Allah,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”
The question then is:
Are sympathisers with Islamic State appropriating the Testimony
for purposes which endanger human lives?

Sunday 14 December 2014

Three Australians are to be deported ... if they are not safe in Australia, are we?

A Sabbath Thinking Piece #3 - Sowing and reaping ... now and then

Picture from here


A brief scroll down this blog
will show that this week
we have had quite an interest in
the 25 babies born on Australian soil 
who are threatened with deportation.
We have written about the Christians
who have been involved in prayer sit-ins
in politicians offices, have been arrested,
have been fined.

We have a significant number of members
of Australia's Parliament, Australia's Government
who profess to be Christians.
These include the Prime Minister, Tony Abbott
and
the Minister for Immigration and Border Security,
Scott Morrison.

For so many Christians, the actions of the Federal Govt
in relation to refugees and asylum seekers do not
match the teachings of the Tanakh, The Old Testament.
Neither do they align with the teachings of Jesus.

On this Sabbath morn when we remember
that Jesus rose from the dead to conquer death,
this Sabbath Thinking Piece
emphasises that we reap what we sow.

Those who have protested the deportation of innocents
born on Australian soil will reap - and will answer to the Lord of all.
Those have promoted the deportation of innocents
born on Australian soil will reap - and will answer to the Lord of all.

Who will be lauded for their actions?
The protesters or the promoters?
And do they have to wait for the Great Day of Judgment
before seeing justice takes its course in their own lives?

Friday 12 December 2014

Don't believe the propaganda or the lack of information: some people have been counting ... and the boats have NOT stopped

SCOTT MORRISON MAY GLOAT BUT ASYLUM SEEKERS' BOATS HAVEN'T REALLY STOPPED by Sunili Govinnage
Two facts emerge as the UNHCR meets in Geneva to look at protection for refugees at sea: more people than ever are fleeing their country by boat, and deterrence doesn’t stop them.
For all the slogans and military operations, over 54,000 people have boarded boats across the Indian Ocean this year, with around 20,000 in just the two months of October and November. As much as Scott Morrison may gloat, the boats haven’t really stopped.
The point you won’t see on any media release or hear at a doorstop press conference is this: even if people haven’t drowned on the way to Australia, they’ve still drowned. Because people fleeing countries in the region are still getting on boats.
There are many inconvenient facts for those who won’t stop talking about stopping the boats. But perhaps the facts are not so bothersome if they aren’t on the nightly news. After all, if an asylum seeker drowns well enough away from Australian territorial waters, will there be a leadership challenge today? And have you seen Julie Bishop’s broach?
For the rest of us, here are some details.
According to the UNHCR report on Irregular Maritime Movements in South-East Asia, over 50,000 people set sail just from the Bay of Bengal area in January-November 2014. The smugglers operating in the region move people who are trafficked as well as those paying for passage outside of legal migration channels. The latter includes people such as ethnic Rohingya who do not have any nationality (and therefore no official travel documentation) and have a long history of persecution and discrimination by the Burmese government.
The UNHCR estimates that around 21,000 people have departed from the Bangladesh-Burmese maritime border in the two months of October and November 2014. About 10% were women, and around one-third of arrivals interviewed by UNHCR in Thailand and Malaysia were minors. The numbers for October 2014 are a marked increase (37%) from the year before.
And not all the deaths at sea are merely from drowning, according to the report:
“One in every three interviewees said at least one other passenger on their boat died en route; one in every 10 said 10 or more people died on board. Deaths were attributed to severe beatings by the crew, lack of food and water, illness, and heat.”
Globally, around 350,000 people have risked it all by taking a boat this year. On 10-11 December 2014, UNHCR is hosting a meeting looking specifically at protection at sea. The non-governmental organisations taking part have recommended, among other things, that to implement effective protection and ensure safety at sea, it is vital to “address ‘route causes’ and ‘root causes’ of forced and dangerous migration”.
UNHCR notes that these reasons for irregular movement include: conflict and war, protracted refugee situations, statelessness, the absence or inadequacy of protection systems, family separation, poverty and economic inequality.
What is notably absent from all the recommendations to “stop the boats” from these experts is deterrence, which in Morrison’s parlance is also known as “taking the sugar off the table”. This was of course the honourable minister’s reasoning last month for reducing the number of refugees Australia would resettle from Indonesia and banning those who registered with UNHCR in Indonesia after 1 July 2014 from ever getting to Australia.
Sweet though that poison may be (and poisonous is certainly how one can characterise the way Australia treats those who come across the sea), no refugee is paying a people smuggler for any sort of benefit other than getting the hell out of the hell they were in.
At the opening of the UNHCR meeting yesterday, the High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said, “You can’t stop a person who is fleeing for their life by deterrence, without escalating the dangers even more”.
So what would work to actually stop people getting on boats? Again, according to the NGO recommendations, practical solutions for preventing irregular migration by sea include:
- More opportunities for legal migration
- Cooperative international agreements by states to provide more safe-havens for asylum seekers, e.g., through expanded UNHCR resettlement programmes; and
- Migration and asylum policies that recognise the benefits of migration and the contributions of migrants and refugees to the development of countries of destination and origin.
It’s ultimately pretty simple and obvious: the key to reducing irregular movement of people by dangerous ways is to increase pathways for properly managed, safe and regulated movement. It involves as Guterres said, “looking at why people are fleeing, what prevents them from seeking asylum by safer means”.
In practice, nobody is going to be able to neatly pack their passport and customs declarations cards in order to flee discrimination or state persecution in a “regular” way. Which is why, in the case of those people, the Refugees Convention set up a system for countries around the world to join forces to help them, and why the UNHCR’s resettlement process allows for countries to accept refugees who cannot return to where they fled. Both of which the Australian government is slowly but surely repudiating.
Opening and expanding legal channels for migration and the movement of asylum seekers and refugees will reduce the use of smugglers and black-market operations. But for various reasons it’s doubtful Australia would be checking off anything on that list of solutions any time soon.
And so the boats will sail on, but just a little further off Morrison’s horizon.
Like ·  · 

Seven Christian activists explained their protest in Richard Marles' office ... and got fined

Further to a previous post about Christian activists going to court in Geelong, there is a report of the outcome in court:

Picture above from here
Read more about it here

The Roll of Honour at Geelong:
Simon Moyle
Isabel Greenall
Jan Morgan
Craig Farrell
Brent Lyons-Lee
Erika Brunner
Tara Watts

Is it still Miners -v- Troopers in #Ballarat #Eureka ?

 A friend has forwarded the letter below:

 Reclaim the Radical Spirit of the Eureka Rebellion 
Dawn Service at the Eureka Memorial - #Ballarat


Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 05:06:39 +0000
From: anarchistage@yahoo.com
Subject: Lack of respect

We were saddened by the lack of respect shown to the miners and soldiers who were killed during the Eureka uprising on the 3rd December 1854, in Ballarat during the celebrations that were held on Wednesday to mark the 160th Anniversary of the uprising.  It's a pity the City of Ballarat continues to refuse to fly the Eureka flag on the main flagpole of the Town Hall on the anniversary of the Eureka massacre to acknowledge their sacrifice.  We were surprised when we walked from the Eureka Stockade site to the Old Ballarat Cemetery on Wednesday as part of the yearly Reclaim the Radical Spirit of the Eureka Rebellion Celebrations that the Eureka flag was not flying over the miners' mass grave and the British flag was not flying over the soldiers' graves.  We were saddened to see neither gravesite had any flowers placed on them (fortunately we had a spare Eureka flag that was attached to the flagpole and some flowers for the miners).  I'm confident if the same disrespect was shown to the graves of those who have died fighting in the name of this country on Anzac Day, there would have been an outcry.  The miners buried in the Old Ballarat Cemetery paid the ultimate sacrifice so we can enjoy many of the rights and liberties we take for granted today.  It's not much to ask the City of Ballarat, a city whose name is synonymous with the Eureka Rebellion, to ensure the Eureka flag is flown over the miners' mass grave and the British flag is flown over the soldiers' graves on the anniversary of the day they died.  Lest We Forget. 

Dr. Joseph TOSCANO / Convenor Reclaim the Radical Spirit of the Eureka Rebellion Celebrations
Level 1/21 Smith Street, Fitzroy VIC 3065
Tel: 0439 395 489

Editorial note:  There are remnants of the Miners -v- Troopers alive and well and, if you speak to some locals, still influential. For instance, there is the Ballaarat Club (please note the old spelling and the name of their restaurant) and the Old Colonists Club.

Thursday 11 December 2014

Christian civil disobedience continues to-day across Australia.

For more information about Dave Andrews who has posted this on Facebook,
please go here and here .

Post by Labor for Refugees.

Christian civil disobedience in Geelong comes to court to-day


Picture taken from The Age - originally from Facebook


TELL JOE HOCKEY & TONY ABBOT TO GIVE AID A FAIR GO - IT CHANGES LIVES