Advocacy - determining what to advocate (128.5 kb)
Advocacy is about supporting or speaking in favour of a cause or policy. The advocacy role of community service and social justice agencies is about speaking in favour of the cause of others. It is about acting with or on behalf of others. Sometimes it is about acting on behalf of an individual or small group within to ensure that already established policy or law is honoured. My focus will be on advocacy for change in policy.

 Some Theological Perspectives on the Church's Role in Social Justice. Reflections on Matthew 2: 12-23 (26.8 kb)

 community.pdf (105.2 kb)

 The theological foundations for an ecumenical methodology: what do the member churches say? (137.0 kb)

 Using the Right Language (114.9 kb)
Earlier this month the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Rev. Peter Jensen, had an article published in "The Sydney Morning Herald" which was an edited extract of the Halifax-Portal lecture that he had given earlier in the week. The article was headed "Fear of criticism has made Christians silent instead of significant". My first reaction to that headline was to question the accuracy of Christians being silent...

 Researching Social Justice Issues (35.6 kb)
The Board for Social Responsibility has four basic criteria that other agencies and individuals might find useful, in assessing the outcomes of our work: Are our conclusions consistent with what are the people who experience injustice saying? Is our suggested action consistent with their aims and aspirations? (Injustice is primarily about violation of human rights)...