Service of Lament and Hope for people seeking asylum. We need you!
Following the call by Uniting Church in Australia President, Stuart McMillan for our Government to hold a National Summit on policy alternatives for people seeking asylum, a Service of Lament and Hope has been organised as part of the Give Hope Campaign.
All members of Uniting Church congregations and their communities are invited to attend this special service at 3pm on 27 November at Pitt Street Uniting Church. This service will express both lament, at our country’s treatment of people seeking asylum, and hope that together we will find a better way.
The service will feature an address by Uniting Church Synod of NSW/ACT Moderator, Rev Myung Hwa Park, and a reflection on the current situation from National Director of Uniting Justice, Rev Elenie Poulos. We will also hear a firsthand account of what it is like to seek asylum and start a new life in Australia.
If you’re unable to attend the service, you can still participate – you’re encouraged to take part in your own symbolic action and advocacy on or around 27 November. The Give Hope Team are hoping that, using the resources provided, you can help us spread the message to our government that “We Can Do Better”.
Getting involved is easy! Simply print out enough copies of the “We Can Do Better” sign and take a photo of members of your congregation and community holding up the signs. On the flip-side of the sign, have everyone take a moment to write a message to their local Federal MP as to why they want a better way for people seeking asylum – expressing their own thoughts and feelings about the issue. You can then gather up the signs with the messages and the group photo and deliver or send these to your local Member of Parliament. Don’t forget to also share the photo on social media using the #WeCanDoBetter hashtag, as this will help us amplify our message!
Click here to download a flyer with more information on the special service on 27 November
Click here to download guidelines and instructions on participating in your own symbolic action
Click here to download a copy of the We Can Do Better sign
We encourage you to share this information and these resources with friends, family, colleagues, congregations and members of your local communities. It’s our hope that, in having the Uniting church community in NSW/ACT come together for the service and through their own individual actions, we can show we’re unified in our call that We Can Do Better!
If you have any questions or need more information please email us at socialjustice@uniting.org or call Jon O’Brien on 9407 3225 or Alex Hogan on 9407 2320.
