There are still 645 children detained in prisons of Australia and Christmas Island, according to Dr John Falzon, CEO of the National Council of St Vincent de Paul Society. Speaking in Sydney, he called for the Federal Government to fulfill a commitment it made in 2008 and end child detention.
Dr Falzon said there are as many as 645 children currently being kept in detention centres across Australia and on Christmas Island: 448 children in detention on the mainland and 197 on Christmas Island.
This appeal is the theme of the annual Congress: “Our Society: Renewed in faith, serving with love, building for the future,” which concluded on Suday evening at St Scholastica College, Glebe, and was attended by over 200 members of the Sydney branch of St Vincent de Paul Society.
The Congress offers members and staff of Vinnies in Sydney a chance to participate in workshops on a range of important issues, from assisting those with mental illness to the protection of children. Chantelle Ogilvie, Justice and Peace Research and Project Officer for the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, was delivering the keynote address on Sunday, September 26, which was also Social Justice Sunday.
Tags: Advocacy, prison, SVDP
