Australian Vinnies and Advocacy
The SVDP of Australia has been living into the statement of Brazilian Archbishop Helder Camara who once said: “When I give bread to the poor I am called a saint. But when I ask why they have no bread, I am called a communist.”… The sources for the following articles…
VINNIES: ONLY ONE OPTION TO END POVERTY
June 16, 2005
SYDNEY, June 19, 2005 (catholicweekly.com.au): Owen Rogers, chief executive officer of the St Vincent de Paul Society State Council/ACT, writes for The Catholic Weekly next Sunday – It was so pleasing to see the latest Social Policy Issues paper released by the St Vincent de Paul Society’s National Council a few weeks ago. The Reality of Income Inequality in Australia highlights a rather significant fact that the volunteers of the Society are well aware of, in their daily work – that Australia’s top earners are becoming wealthier while the situation of people on low incomes is worsening. The paper demonstrates that the most vulnerable people in our communities are continuing to suffer while the gap between the rich and the poor in Australia continues to widen. … The report highlights that the recent Federal Budget will not correct this imbalance as tax cuts and welfare reforms ensure that the gap continues to widen. READ FURTHER
VINNIES: CHARITY STARTS AT POVERTY’S SOURCE
June 16, 2005
AUSTRALIA, June 15, 2005 (theaustralian.news.com.au): John Falzon, national operations manager for the St Vincent de Paul Society, continues his point of view on poverty in Australia – NOTHING will convince the battlers – including more than 1million people assisted by the St Vincent de Paul Society every year – that they’ve never had it so good. Latest figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development place Australia seventh from the bottom of 29 countries, ahead of Canada, the Slovak Republic, Japan, the US, Ireland and Mexico. Investment in affordable housing, health, education, transport and child care is uppermost in our consideration of how Australia can move forward with a strategy involving all governments. The Centre for Independent Studies, however, seems to be fixated on welfare. It would prefer Vinnies and other charities to stick to dishing out the soup instead of asking questions about the causes of deprivation. Brazilian archbishop Helder Camara once said: “When I give bread to the poor I am called a saint. But when I ask why they have no bread, I am called a communist.” READ FURTHER
WELLBEING MANIFESTO LAUNCHED
June 15, 2005
MELBOURNE, June 15, 2005 (tai.org.au): Carmen Lawrence and Tim Costello have participated in the launch in Melbourne of a new political program known as the Wellbeing Manifesto. The Manifesto is founded on the belief that governments in Australia should be devoted to improving our individual and social wellbeing rather than focussing relentlessly on the economy and increasing incomes. READ FURTHER
WORK, BUY, CONSUME, DIE – THERE’S GOT TO BE MORE …….
June 15, 2005
AUSTRALIA, June 15, 2005 (growthfetish.com.au): Clive Hamilton and Richard Denniss of The Australia Institute have authored the work Affluenza – Our houses are bigger than ever, but our families are smaller. Our kids go to the best schools we can afford, but we hardly see them. We’ve got more money to spend, yet we’re further in debt than ever before. What is going on? Affluenza examines the acquisitive and materialistic nature of the current Australian ethos and proposes solutions for reform. READ FURTHER
VINNIES: LETTERS ON POVERTY AND INEQUALITY
June 15, 2005
AUSTRALIA, June 14, 2005 (vinnies.org.au): The discussion on poverty and inequality in Australia brought on by the recent statistics published by Vinnies, continues in the following letters:
Anthony Dalton (Chairman National Social Justice Committee, St Vincent de Paul Society)
John Falzon (National Council, St Vincent de Paul Society)
Tags: Advocacy