AUSTRALIANS have been urged to act in the interests of their global neighbours and not just their own, in the 2007 Social Justice Sunday Statement.
The statement, Who Is My Neighbour? Australia’s role as a global citizen, launched Monday, September 17 in Sydney, called for Australians to act more in the interests of their neighbours who did not share their prosperity and security.
Globalisation has meant that the riches and security that some enjoy depend on social and political conditions that impose poverty and lack of security on others, the statement said
“Globalisation is good news, but it is not all good news,” the statement said.
Australian Catholic Social Justice Council president Bishop Chris Saunders invited readers to contemplate the mix of faces on the statement cover.
“Their experiences and the particular circumstances of their joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties are likely to be just as diverse,” Bishop Saunders said.
“Our multiculturalism is an aspect of national life that makes Australia great, reflecting our solidarity with all peoples of the world and a generosity of heart in responding to those in need.
“And what of the circumstances of many of our Indigenous sisters and brothers who continue to endure third-world conditions in this land of plenty?
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Philip Wilson said the statement focused on particular challenges that confronted the world and provided suggestions for increasing awareness about global issues of social justice.
The statement focuses on five challenges that confront Australians as global citizens.
To read the statement in full go to www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au
