Climate Change Issues

Draft Garnaut Report Released

The draft report of the Garnaut Climate Change Review can be downloaded by clicking here. It backs the inclusion of transport in carbon emissions trading scheme.

The Draft Report generally does not make recommendations, although the tendency of policy analysis is clear. It is closest to recommendations on the design features of the emissions trading scheme, which require business and community discussion of the issues before the completion of the Final Report.
Garnaut Review Website, http://wwww.garnautreview.org.au/CA25734E0016A131/pages/draft-report

Food Security & Climate Change

Over 270 faith based organizations signed a statement to the High-Level Conference On World Food Security And The Challenges Of Climate Change And Bioenergy held in Rome 3-5 June 2008. Click here for the statement.

Every faith tradition invites us both to feed the hungry and care for our environment and its myriad life forms. As people of faith, we recognize the moral imperative without exception to change our lifestyle in keeping with the carrying capacity of the earth and the protection of its climate. We also recognize the need to ensure that policies enacted by elected representatives and relevant international organizations contribute to an improved quality of life for every human person, each made in the image and likeness of God, and to the sustainability of ecosystems on which every living creature depends.
http://www.jpicpassionist.org/English/DeclarationEng.htm

Refugee and Migrant Sunday – 31 August 2008

The focus of this year’s commemoration will be the refugees from Iraq.
Resources will be available at the National Council of Churches website after 8 August. This will include prayers for Iraq, information about the situation for people both inside and outside Iraq, the Christian Church in Iraq, and the need for resettlement for refugees.
The Council of Churches of WA will be making up a hard copy of some resources for churches and schools which need information about Refugee and Migrant Sunday, prior to 8 August. To order a copy: email please to Eira

CHRISTMAS BOWL CONCERT

WHEN: Sunday, 31 August
WHERE: St Thomas’s Catholic Church, 2 College Rd Claremont
TIME: 2.30pm

This concert will be an opportunity to promote the ongoing crisis in Sudan and to have an opportunity to share some stories of the hardships suffered by our own local Sudanese refugees. The Council of Churches supports five aid programs within the Darfur region.
Four million people in the Darfur region or two-thirds of the population are now totally dependent on international relief aid, and over 1 million are now beyond the reach of aid agencies as attacks on aid workers and their convoys accelerate. In North Darfur alone, 355,000 people were stranded without food aid for three consecutive months late last year.
In January this year, 14 Sudan-based UN agencies issued a joint statement warning that attacks were crippling the relief effort, putting hundreds of thousands of people at risk of starvation and disease.
In the past six months, some 250,000 people had been forced to flee violence, many for the second or third time.
The Darfur humanitarian operation is the largest in the world, employing over 14,000 aid workers at a cost of A$1.2 billion, but has saved hundreds of thousands of lives since the conflict began in mid-2004.
Australia has around 8,000 Sudanese refugees.

Featuring at this year’s concert: Eneksis Vocal Ensemble (WAAPA), The Cottage Children’s Choir both directed by Micheál McCarthy and a St Hilda’s Choir.
Music at St Thomas’s has commissioned local talent Laurissa Wylie to write a composition on peace for the concert.

All tickets will be pre-sold and are now on sale. Adults $10 and children $5. For these tickets please contact the office at Council of Churches of WA on 9274 3888 or email: the Council.

Vacancies

JOB VACANCY at Council of Churches of Western Australia

This position has been filled.

Executive Officer of the Ethnic Communities Council of WA.

The ad has been placed on www.seek.com.au. Note that the closing date for applications is 28 July 2008.
Please refer any queries to Ramdas Samarakand Ethnic Communities Council of WA 9227 5322
ECCWA is the peak not for profit organisation for ethnic communities in Western Australia.

Jesus. All About Life

There have been some exciting developments in planning for Jesus All About Life. We have been meeting with representatives of Operation Mobilisation which operates the Doulos and planning is underway to launch Jesus All About Life on board the Doulos, the oldest ocean-going passenger ship in the world, in Fremantle Harbour on October 11. A number of other activities are being planned to link in with the visit of the Doulos to Fremantle and we been meeting with church leaders in Fremantle to discuss how we can use this event in the most productive way. This week we were encouraged with a $15,000 donation and our 50th church registration was received. We are now just three months from the beginning of Jesus All About Life and are at a critical stage in the planning. Please pray for the following aspects of the campaign and consider how you can participate in each of these areas.

Pray. We are inviting participating churches to host a prayer meeting in their region. Please reply by return mail if you are able to do this and tell us what date you would prefer. Prayer is crucial as we are seeking to bring the name of Jesus to Western Australia and this is not something that can be done in our own strength. The more churches that are involved in this way the better. At the minimum we want to have a prayer meeting happening somewhere in WA every week between now and the end of November.
Give. In a couple of weeks time we will have to start booking the television air time and need to know soon how much money we have as this will determine how much time we can book. We are planning a business breakfast in Bunbury and a business lunch in Perth at the end of the month, so please pray that God will raise up the people who will be prepared to contribute financially to the campaign. Donations to the Areopagus Trust are tax-deductible.
Register. This week we had our 50th church register. It has been fantastic to see churches from 12 different denominations have registered, including churches from Kalgoorlie and Newdegate to Albany and Geraldton. We would encourage you to register soon, so that you can receive the registration pack and begin planning for your involvement.
Plan. Begin to plan how you can be involved with Jesus All About Life. We know of one church that is already getting a banner designed for the front of their church which faces on to a major road, another church that is planning to be involved in a local community festival, a church that is linking Jesus All About Life with its carols event early in December, and a group of churches that are considering putting on their own community festival. Of all the ways you can be involved one of the most valuable is to make use of the training DVD in your registration pack so that people in your church can begin to understand how they can be representatives of Jesus where they live and work.
Talk. Talk about Jesus All About Life to your friends. Forward this email to others in your network. Regularly check back on the website - www.jesusallaboutlife.com.au as it is being regularly updated.

CONTACT: PROJECT OFFICER, Rick Birch PO Box 318, Belmont 6984 Phone 9479 6711
Email: jaalwa@biblesocietywa

World Council of Churches News

WCC Internships

We are happy to inform you about the ways young adults can be involved with the World Council of Churches’ Internships in Geneva, Switzerland. The WCC will select five (5) young people between the ages of 18-30 years, to work in different program areas of the WCC from February 2009 to January 2010. The Internships provide an opportunity for ecumenical learning and work experience in an international, ecumenical setting. This opportunity is ideal for young people who are actively involved in the church and are interested in learning more about WCC and ecumenism. The WCC internships are a chance for young people to develop their professional skills and capacities in order to better serve the churches locally. We request WCC intern applicants to develop an ecumenical project idea that they can implement when they return from Geneva to their home community and church. This is a way to ensure that the ecumenical movement is strengthened at a local level with the churches’ support.

The five (5) WCC internships available in 2009 are:

Accompanying Churches in Situations of Conflict
Youth and Ecumenical Relationships
Visitors Program/Media Relations
Faith, Science, Technology and Ethics
Faith and Order

Application forms are available on the youth page of the WCC website: www.ecumenicalyouth.org.

Seminars and Theological faculties around the world received invitations to write declarations on just peace and send them to the WCC. This call is also open to churches, congregations and networks interested in participating in the consultative process towards the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC). Submitted declarations and statements will be made available on the DOV website.

Events for the Heart and Mind

Events

Thursday, July 24 7pm – 9pm UWA EXTENSION WINTER SCHOOL EVENT - TOWARDS RECONCILIATION: PANEL DISCUSSION

What is the future of reconciliation? How are stronger Indigenous communities being created? Will ideas emerging from the 2020 Summit contribute to better employment, education, health and housing? Panel members include: The Hon Fred Chaney AO, Chair of Desert Knowledge Australia and Board Member, Reconciliation Australia and Dennis Eggington, Director Aboriginal Legal Services Western Australia. The Panel will be chaired by The Hon David Malcolm. This event is presented partnership with Coalition of the Peoples.
UWA Claremont, Cnr Princess & Goldsworthy Rds. Standard Tickets $29. TO BOOK: Visit http://www.extension.uwa.edu.au or phone 6488 2433.

August 10 INTERNATIONAL PRISONERS’ DAY – On this International Prisoners’ Justice Day

, let us pray that the Christ call to restorative justice may be heard in our society as a more appropriate way of treating offenders and victims alike. May we voice our support for Parliamentary and Ministry of Justice efforts that seek to implement alternative sentencing options, adequate rehabilitation programs and a humane prison environment.

26 August, 2, 9 and 16 September Mainstreaming Nonviolence - the Daily Practice of Peace.

St. Hilda’s Anglican Church Parish Hall, Corner View and Glebe Streets, North Perth. 7.00 – 9.30pm
Cost: $99 (workshop fees include GST) Early Bird registration: $88 if fully paid by 15 August, 2008
The program will be facilitated by Brendan McKeague, George Trippe and Stacie Chappell.Pace E Bene Nonviolence Service Australian Associate Ph/fax +61 8 9244 8090 Mob 042 944 8090 Web www.paceebene.org.au

September 21st is the International Day of Prayer for Peace.

Find out more at the overcoming violence website

CELEBRATE SUSTAINABLE SEPTEMBER by walking, riding, running, or carpooling to church

Sustainable September is a communication campaign that celebrates activities that create a just, sustainable and prosperous Western Australia. Sustainable September is an opportunity to experience sustainability and to put it into action.
This year’s theme, ‘The Climate is Right for sustainability’ makes the link between the sustainable practices we employ and the positive impacts they can have on climate change and our quality of life. So show off your sustainability in September by leaving your car at home and experiencing God’s creation on the way to church.
For your interest and information go to website: http://www.sustainableseptember.net.au

DISCOVERING BALANCE: Prison Reform, Restorative Justice and Human Rights

The Institute of Restorative Justice & Penal Reform together with the Centre for Social Community Research at Murdoch University, is organizing and hosting ‘Discovering Balance…” an international conference to explore issues relating to penal reform, restorative justice and human rights. The conference will include presentations, discussions and workshops covering a wide range of topics and issues including the impact of imprisonment on individuals and communities, restorative justice processes as an alternative to adversarial approaches, and the concept of restorative prisons.
WHEN: 2 – 4 October
WHERE: Murdoch University, South St, Murdoch
Key themes and plenary sessions for the conference include:

Prisoner rehabilitation
Victims’ rights and restorative processes
Human rights in custodial settings
Indigenous Australians and the criminal justice system
Restorative prisons
Restorative justice processes and juveniles
Promoting restorative processes and human rights in a punitive society
Prison reform, the media and the public

Confirmed speakers:

Professor Andrew Coyle: International Centre for Prison Studies, Kings College, London
Steven Heath: Chief Magistrate, Western Australia
Ian Johnson: Commissioner, Department of Corrective Services, WA
Professor John Pratt: Institute of Criminology, Victoria University of Wellington NZ
Hon Margaret Quirk: Minister for Corrective Services
Baroness Vivien Stern: International Centre for Prison Studies, Kings College, London

For more information on this Conference, e-mail: Theo Mackaay

Resources

MAKE POVERTY HISTORY REPORT ON CLIMATE CHANGE

For your interest and information, please see link below on what Australia should do to assist developing countries face the impacts of climate change.
This report is being launched on Sunday. Our thanks to Cath James, who did the sections on deforestation and Mark Zirnsak, who reported on sections on technology transfer – both from Uniting Church – Synod of Victoria and Tasmania.
http://www.makepovertyhistory.com.au/pdfs/Report_ClimateChange.pdf

MICAH CHALLENGE – Offering of Letters

Micah Challenge is a global Christian campaign calling for people of faith to speak up for justice and mercy for the world’s poor and protection for the vulnerable. In September 2000, all 189 member states of the United Nations signed onto the Millennium Development Goals. A call is being made on national leaders to do their part to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, eight internationally-agreed goals to halve extreme poverty buy 2015.
These goals, which all have a target date of 2015 are:

Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Achieve universal primary education
Promote gender equality and empower women
Reduce child mortality
Improve maternal health
Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Ensure environmental sustainability
Develop a global partnership for development.

This is our opportunity to ‘do justice and love kindness’ by prayerfully writing letters to our Prime Minister.
For more information, see the Offering of Letters section of Micah Challenge website: www.micahchallenge.org.au
For other good resources on these issues see: Make Poverty History – website: www.makepovertyhistory.com.au and The Millennium Campaign www.endpoverty2015.org

WOMEN INVITED TO BECOME INVOLVED IN RECLAIM THE NIGHT 2008

The Perth Reclaim the Night organising collective is looking for women who are interested in helping to organise Reclaim the Night this year.
Reclaim the Night marches first began in the 1970s and are held around the world on the last Friday of October.
The main focus of Reclaim the Night is:

For women to gather at night to protest sexual violence and abuse towards women.
To encourage a wider community response to violence against women.
To promote women’s strength and survival.
To work towards a society which can be a safer environment for women and children.

The philosophy of Reclaim the Night encourages participation in the organising of events by as many women as possible, drawing together women from diverse backgrounds and experiences to work together in addressing sexual violence against women and children
(From: http://www.isis.aust.com/rtn/).
To get involved in organising this year’s event or for more information please contact Kat on 0408 958 485 or email.

Delegates from churches in Zimbabwe, South Africa and other southern African countries meeting in Johannesburg have expressed “overwhelming support” for targeted economic sanctions against Zimbabwe.

Johannesburg (ENI). A statement from the South African Council of Churches, which was co-hosting the 13-17 July meeting, described targeted economic sanctions “as a practical strategy to loosen former President Robert Mugabe’s ‘illegitimate’ grip on power and to promote a negotiated political settlement”. [449 words, ENI-08-0570]

Hiroshima Day 6th August

Join the People for Nuclear Disarmament and Church Social Justice groups.
Meet at the Wesley Church in the city from 12 noon to 2pm to mark this special commemoration.
Please wear yellow or bring a yellow umbrella.
A choir will lead us in our commemoration of this occasion.
Every year the City of Hiroshima holds the Peace Memorial Ceremony to console the souls of those who were lost due to the atomic bombing as well as pray for the realization of everlasting world peace. This ceremony, which is attended by many citizens, including those who lost family members in the bombing, is held in front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims (Monument for Hiroshima, City of Peace). The Peace Declaration, which is delivered by the Mayor of Hiroshima during the ceremony, is sent to every country in the world thus conveying Hiroshima’s wish for the abolition of nuclear weapons and the realization of eternal world peace. At exactly 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic bomb was dropped, the Peace Bell is rung, sirens sound all over the city and for one minute people at the ceremony grounds, in households and in workplaces pay silent tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing and pray for the realization of everlasting world peace.

Download: Hiroshima Day 2008 flyer

Retreat Day: A Day with the Desert Mothers and Fathers

The Christian Meditation Community is holding a Retreat Day (9.00am-4.00pm). Incorporating: sessions of input, time for personal reflection, Prayer of the Hours and periods of meditation. Presented by Stephanie Woods

Venue: St Thomas More Church and Parish Centre – 100 Dean Road Bateman
Date: Saturday 16 August
Time: 9.00am-4.00pm
Cost: $5.00 donation Tea / Coffee provided. BYO Lunch.

Enquiries: Christian Meditation Community of WA Ph: 9444.5810 email:christianmeditation@iinet.net.au

Together Online 9th July 2008

The Latest edition of Together Online is now available. If you would like to subscribe to receive the newsletter via e-mail, send an e-mail to administrator@churcheswa.com.au.

“Together online” is the electronic newsletter of the Council of Churches and is sent to confirmed subscribers every second and fourth Wednesday of the month, for 11 months of the year. It costs nothing to subscribe to Together Online. Together Online is a cost-effective way for the Council to communicate with our member churches and supporters.