Brisbane Group Calls for Zimbabwe Support
Brisbane Group Calls for Zimbabwe Support
Brisbane’s Catholic Justice and Peace Commission has helped to form a group which aims to rally support for the human rights of the people of Zimbabwe.
Australians Supporting Zimbabwe will hold a public Walk for Peace in Zimbabwe this weekend to draw attention to the plight of Zimbabweans in the period leading up to the Presidential run-off election on 28 June.
Images of the Walk may be viewed here.
The Commission’s Executive Officer, Peter Arndt, said that many Australians are not aware of how much violence and intimidation is being used by forces loyal to President Robert Mugabe to stop people from voting for his opponent, Movement for Democratic Change Leader, Morgan Tsvangirai.
“Zimbabwe is in a state of almost total economic and social collapse and the people are suffering immensely,” Mr Arndt said.
“Many people are without jobs, homes or sufficient food and their lives are very desperate,” he said.
“We know that groups of war veterans and young men have been sent out to various parts of the country to unleash horrible violence and destruction on those who might support Mr Tsvangirai,” he said.
“Not even Members of Parliament are safe from this violence and intimidation,” he said.
The father of one of our local Brisbane group’s members, Ian Kay, has been arrested and is in leg irons and other influential MPs are being hunted down too,” he said.
“It is a truly horrifying and appalling situation in which there is no respect for human rights, democracy or justice,” he said.
The Walk for Peace in Zimbabwe will be held this Sunday 8 June from 10.00 a.m. It will commence at the Nepalese Peace Pagoda in the Cultural Forecourt of Southbank and will proceed to Davies Park, West End, where there will be speakers, African food and music.
Those who want to enjoy the African food and music are being asked to donate money towards an appeal which will provide emergency assistance to those caught up in the current violence and to public campaigns promoting democracy and justice in Zimbabwe.
For further information, please contact Peter Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.
Walk for Peace Rally pdf Flyer
NB This release is issued with the approval of the Commission or its Executive under the provision of its Charter which enables it to speak in its own right. The views expressed in it do not necessarily represent the views of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.
Zimbabwean Dissidents Unite in Prayer for Peace
New Flickr group — Zimbabwe: Peace, Justice, Freedom and Democracy
National Close the Gap Day Event
Monday 21 April 2008
Staff of the Cathedral of St Stephen precinct will join with others from around the Archdiocese of Brisbane in a National Close the Gap Day event in the grounds of the Cathedral at noon tomorrow, Tuesday 22 April
National Close the Gap Day 2008 is promoted by over forty Indigenous and non-Indigenous community organisations as an opportunity for citizens to express their public support for long term, meaningful Government action to close the 17 year life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.
This event will be one of over five hundred which will take place around the country on 22 April.
One of the organizers of the event, Peter Arndt, who is a Mission Development Officer in the Faith and Life Vicariate and Executive Officer of the Catholic Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane, said that the Federal, State and Territory Governments need to be reminded of public support for effective action to address the poor health standards of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
“While the Council of Australian Governments has agreed to close the life expectancy gap within a generation, we need to make sure that they actually back up their words with adequate funds to make their commitment a reality,” Mr Arndt said.
“Even though they have pledged to halve Indigenous infant mortality rates within ten years, we need to ensure that they are working closely with Indigenous communities and organisations so that programmes have a real chance of working,” he said.
“Although Mr Rudd and Dr Nelson have made a bipartisan commitment to close the gap, we need to make sure that they develop partnerships with Indigenous people and build on the success stories of many Indigenous-controlled health projects,” he said.
“Holding such events keeps the focus on the issue of poor Indigenous health,” he said.
“We do not want a flourish of words and activity now which disappears in a month or two and leaves the life expectancy gap unchanged,” he said.
“This gap is an immense scandal and closing the gap should be a matter of the highest priority,” he said.
“It is a disgrace that Indigenous health in Australia is getting no better while other countries like the USA, Canada and New Zealand have made tremendous improvements in Indigenous health and significantly reduced the life expectancy gap,” he added.
Abolition of the Death penalty:Petition and Prayer Vigil
Death Penalty Abolition Petition to the Australian Senate asking it to take action to promote the abolition of the death penalty in all cases everywhere and to save the lives of Australians and people of other nationalities facing execution in countries such as Indonesia.
Please print as many copies as you need and ask people in your parish, school, workplace, organisation and community to sign the petition. Please return all signed petitions to the address at the bottom of the petition by April 30.
Prayer Vigil
The Catholic Justice & Peace Commission of Brisbane will hold a prayer vigil in support of all those on death row in Indonesia and in other parts of the world on Good Friday, 21 March, at 12 noon at Christ the King Catholic Church, Randolph Street, Graceville.
During the vigil, Lee and Chris Rush, parents of Scott Rush, who is still on death row in Indonesia, and Tanya Richards, Christian World Service Worker for Queensland Churches Together, who visited members of the Bali Nine on death row in Indonesia, will share their reflections on the plight of those who face the executioner.
All are welcome.
Comments(0)
Professor Lowitja O’Donoghue Speech 
