Forum in support of UNITED NATIONS MILLENNIUM Monday 18th September 2006 |
Five volunteers represent the six billion members of the human family
Mary Anne Collins, CARITAS Australia talks to the middle 20%
of the world's population
Mary Anne Collins distributes the world's wealth
Parishioners and public listen as Mary Anne explains the REAL
distribution of the world's wealth
Jesus said " I have come that all might have life and life to its
fullest"
Bruce Duncan, CSsR, explains the opportunity that we have TODAY, to consign
the worst excesses of poverty to history
"We can achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals - if we just
have
the resolve to carry out our promises" Bruce Duncan CSsR explains
SUMMARY OF EVENING
(Prepared by Susan Kempen from notes taken on the evening and selections
of talks supplied by Bill Pemberton and Craig Ondarchie).
Welcome from Mark Clarke to the fifty five people attending, including
a group of young people invited by the Social justice group members at
Catholic Ladies College.
| Summary of presentation
from Mary Anne Collins |
o We need to bring sight to the powerless, to the poor but also to the
powerful as without us change will not happen
o Practical illustration of the sharing of the world’s resources.
In brief, 20% use 87% of the world’s resources and another 20% use
only 1%.
o If we want peace work for a fairer world.
o With riches and resources come power and responsibility and the ability
to make things change.
o 1/5 of the world’s population have no clean drinking water and
28,000 children die each day. These are not just statistics but real people.
| UN Millennium
DEVELOPMENT Goals |
o What is the world doing?
- In 2000, 189 world leaders promised to halve world poverty by 2015.
- Why haven’t we heard? Because it’s not on our political
agenda. In contrast with the UK where there considerable interest
- Not a political campaign but international humanitarian campaign.
- Won’t happen unless we do something about it?
| Summary of presentation
from Bruce Duncan CSsR |
o His book Ending Poverty: How Far Can We Go? Published by ACSJC contains
a wealth of information and references.
o Good to see politicians here
o A good news story - we can abolish poverty and hunger in our lifetime
o God’s not interested in people’s religious beliefs - What
are we doing about it?
o By 2015, we can save the lives of 30 million children. How?
- Doubling our aid
- Honouring commitment to the UN millennium Goals
o How can we be silent?
o Pope Benedict has spoken out in Deis Caritas Est and will have more
to say in new encyclical on globalisation
o Shifting 5% of military spending would supply the funds needed immediately.
o Excellent book “The End of Poverty”, Jeffery Sachs, Penguin
Paperback
o Reference to Paul Streeton (1996) the problem is a political one not
nutritional
o Amartyn Sen “Famines are so easy to prevent it’s amazing
that they are still happening.”
o Australia is ranked 19 out of 22 countries contributing 0.25% of GDP
·
| Selections extracted from presentation
of Craig Ondarchie (Liberal Party Candidate, State Seat of Eltham) |
o Refered to The White Paper “Australian Aid: Promoting Growth and
Stability” initiated by the Minister for Foreign Affairs last year.
o The Australian aid program has numerous activities underway in the fight
against poverty and hunger. These include:
- Providing an estimated $32 million to the UN World Food Programme in
2005/06
- The provision of access to primary and secondary education for 1.1 million
children in the Asia Pacific in 2003/04
- Supporting building water transmission pipelines to 36,000 people in
Vietnam to provide safe drinking water
- Vaccinating over 5 million children in Indonesia in 2005
- Providing microfinance services to around 52,000 clients in Vietnam
- Reducing morbidity and mortality from dengue and other diseases to around
50,000 people in Vietnam, and
- Improving the feed security of about 212,000 farming households in Cambodia.
(through the Agriculture Qualify Improvement Project).
o Commitment to encourage good governance, encourage reduction in corruption,
encourage the establishment of law and order and respect for the individual,
thus building a self reliance and a capacity in these countries to eventually
stand on their own.
o Our policies and programs need to ensure that the poor are able to participate
in growth.
At the UN World Summit last year, the Prime Minister announced
Australia’s goal to increase its overseas aid allocation to approximately
$4 billion per year by 2010 – while encompassing the principle of
good governance and anti-corruption.
o In 2006/07 Australia will provide an estimated $2.95 billion in Overseas
Development Aid, an increase of $455 million over the 2005/06 budget.
A 15.5% real increase budget to budget.
o Australia targets its aid to the Asia Pacific Region, our immediate
neighbours.
o Craig welcomes the opportunity to take any issues to the government
on your behalf.
| Summary of presentation from Chris
Willis (Family First, Victorian Upper House Candidate) |
o As we live in the “lucky country” we have
a responsibility to help others
o Targeting of disease (AIDS, TB and malaria) is important
o Family First Party supports the UN Millennium Goals
o Australia should sign the Kyoto agreement
o Care for indigenous Australians - Health Care, Housing and employment
o Significant individuals (eg The Pope and Bono) have spoken out
o How can government, non-government and faith-based groups work together?
| Summary of presentation from Bill Pemberton (Australian Greens, Victorian Upper House Candidate) |
- Global Greens Charter, based on the four pillars of the Greens, all
equally important and interconnected:
· Peace and non-violence
· Ecological sustainability
· Social Justice
· Democracy
- The Greens Charter also includes the principles of global responsibility
and a long term focus.
- Genuine security does not rest on military strength but on cooperation,
just economic and social development, environmental sustainability and
respect for human rights.
- The Greens Global economics policy states that :
· global economics should emphasise the needs of the disadvantaged
· addressing the problems of poverty and the imbalance in resource
distribution
· fairness should be the basis of international trade
· foreign debt repayments should not take precedence over the right
of the people or countries in debt to have their basic needs satisfied
(food, water, clothing, shelter, health services, education and access
to energy), and should not contribute any further to the degradation of
their environment
· debt reduction is fundamental to global social, cultural and
environmental just ice
- MILLENIUM GOALS:
· Goal 1: eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
Australian overseas aid programs should be targeted towards eliminating
poverty as the primary objective, and not subordinated to economic, strategic
or other interests in Australia and elsewhere
· Goal 7: ensure environmental sustainability
- Australian aid should be directed towards projects that are environmentally
sustainable and culturally sensitive
- renewable energy projects and programs should be supported;
- affordable and renewable energy supply is of significance for sustainable
development and gender equity in our Pacific region.
- International Environmental Sustainability
o urgent assistance to countries in our region to develop viable, self-determined
alternatives to forest and sea exploitation
o the transfer of environmentally sustainable technologies to low income
countries
o recognition of the link between gender and environmental conservation
in Australian aid policies and practices.
o a policy realignment of Australia’s development assistance program,
to give greater protection to the environment by:
o supporting community organisations to protect and promote sustainable
environmental practices
- Care for the Earth
- Water and Inland aquatic environments:
- strengthen overseas aid programs aiming to provide equitable access
to adequate supplies of clean water for human consumption.
| Question Time o Question to both speakers - “What Strategies do you have to bring about political change?” - Catholic Church calls us to political action - be informed, watch the NEWS - Spread the word - Take action - Letter writing - Visit local member or at least ask for an appointment o Follow up question to political party representatives “Does letter writing achieve anything?” - Each letter is considered to represent the views of others (say about10 )who did not write - Handwritten letters are rare and people take notice of the time etc taken to write o Statement that the tax cuts in the last budget could have been directed to the elimination of poverty o Now is a good time to raise issues with a Federal election as soon as October 2007 o Contact media and ask that issues be included in the NEWS o Ask Federal member to visit Social Justice group o Fabulous leadership and public awareness in the UK o Support in Australia but not being promoted widely. o Perceived lack of leadership from the church. However, Mark Clarke referred to Archbishop Hart statements on MPH. o Politicians are not leaders but followers o G20 Conference in Melbourne Nov 18/19. Protesters will get coverage. o Stand up for poverty Day Sun 15 October o See http://www.melbourne.catholic.org.au/ccjdp for many more details about Social Justice issues |
Before the image of the crucifed Christ, Craig Ondarchie from the Liberal
Party
explains his party's commitment to the UN Millnnium Development goals
Chris Willis from the Family First Party explains his party's concerns
for,
and commitment to, our global family.
Bill Pemberton, the Australian Greens explains how and when his party
will
achieve our commitment to the UN Millennium Development Goals
L-R Peter Whiting (Chair CCJDP), Sue Kepton (Diamond Valley Deanery Resource
Co-ordinator), Chris Willis (Family First Party), Mary Anne Collins(CARITAS)
, Charles Balnaves (Yarra DeaneryRescource Co-ordinator), Mark Clarke
(CCJDP), Bruce Duncn CSsR (Author adn Lecturer in Social Justice) and
Bill Pemberton (Australian Greens)
Chris Willis (Family First ), Peter Whiting (Chair CCJDP) Bill Pemberton
(The Greens Party)
Chris Lynch (Teacher Loyola College) together with students from Marcellin
College,
Catholic Ladies College and Loyola College
A very special thank you to Maria George, Pastoral Associate, and the parishioners of Our Lady Help Of Christians Parish Eltham, for hosting this forum and for their hospitailty.....
"By their deeds, you shall know them"
It remains an obligation in justice and the service of human dignity to attain and even surpass the Millennium Development Goals, thereby establishing an essential pre-condition for peace and collective security...the poor cannot wait" Cardinal Sodano, Vatican Secreatary of State September 2005 |
If you would like to attend or know more about Social Justice activities in the Diamond Valley Deanery please contact the Deanery Resource Co-ordinator, Susan Kempen on 9435 1543, drc@dvd9.org.au or the Melbourne Catholic Commission for Justice, Development and Peace on 9926 5710.
If you would like to attend or know more about Social Justice activities in the Yarra Deanery please contact the Deanery Resource Co-ordinator, Charles Balnaves balnaves5@optusnet.com.au or the Melbourne Catholic Commission for Justice, Development and Peace on 9926 5710 or justice@melbourne.catholic.org.au