Volume 6 No 1. Winter 2010 012 | Good Policy How religious inspiration has helped shape Australian social reform: the Student Christian NEWS Movement and the Newman Society Good Shepherd Youth & Family » continued Service has made the following policy Good NEWSLETTER OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD YOUTH & FAMILYPolicy SERVICE SOCIAL POLICY RESEARCH UNIT submissions: And they embraced individual freedom and conscience, but within the community of discourse and relationships. Rowan is Federal ABN 61 354 551 576 ISSN: 1833-1130 disappointed with the new clericalism in the Catholic Church, and attacks on ‘refl exive’ theology, especially liberation theology. But » Human Rights Consultation, June 2009 he sees hope in another generation emerging, as indicated in » ‘Income Management’ legislation, January 2010 The Spirit of Generation Y by Michael Mason, Ruth Webber and » School Funding Review Terms of Reference, Social policy and ethics Andrew Singleton (pp.205–11). May 2010 Rosemary Crowley provides a fi tting comment on which to » National Consumer Credit Reform, August 2010 This edition of Good Policy explores the Review of Life and Action both personal and summarise this collection. She writes that people are hungering for relationship between ethics and social policy, collective, based on the gospel message, was a IN THIS ISSUE values, but “it is more likely to be brought into the public domain State in particular the signifi cant contribution that methodology that assisted many activists to put through the words and issues raised by men and women of Christian intellectuals have played in this debate into practice their religious beliefs. A key principle » Homelessness 2020 Strategy, December 2009 Social policy and ethics 1 commitment to equity and social justice.” (p.229). Quite so. commencing with the Christian Realism of North in this activism is that the poor and those who are » Inquiry into the Adequacy and Future Directions American theologian Reinhold Niebhur (1892 – disadvantaged have a voice. They are the ones to The Global Financial Each generation must wrestle with how to bring its best values of Public Housing, January 2010 1971). Brian Howe explores the infl uence and speak about their own reality. Crisis: a question and beliefs into efforts to improve and expand social wellbeing. meaning of Christian Realism in the Australian of money or ethics Christian social formation has a long and The context today is much more international, and presents » Improving Public Housing Responses Segmented Government of the 1990s. Bruce Duncan reviews – David Hayward 2 signifi cant tradition in Australia. The Student very serious challenges. Readers of these books by Howe and Waiting List, January 2010 two books, which detail the ethical formation Christian Movement and the Newman Society Noone can take some comfort from the fact that Australia has » Flexible Learning Options, May 2010 and activism of university students who were National energy are the most recent examples of a spirituality laws may leave a long tradition of social reform efforts inspired by the Gospel. members of the Student Christian Movement and » Skills for Victoria Implementation, May 2010 that addressed the social reality that we live in. Victoria cold the Newman Society (at Melbourne University). And examples from the past can help inform renewed efforts at (joint submission with Melbourne City Mission These men and women were serious in their – Sarah Toohey 4 David Haywood puts the question of ethics in creating a more peaceful and equitable world. and Brotherhood of St Laurence) intent to fi nd a way of living out their Christian the context of the recent Global Financial Crisis beliefs in their professions as engineers, nurses, The churches and * * * and asks whether we are going to continue on social policy: past doctors and lawyers as well as numerous other with the belief that self regulation and limited and future occupations. They were realists and they grappled government intervention will protect us in a world – Brian Howe 6 with the complexities of their own lives and the that faces very signifi cant new global questions New Social Policy Research Unit publication common good. Many of them are and have been such as climate change and sustainability. How religious inspiration active in current policy debates about economic has helped shape Consumer protection in essential services such Researching the Gaps: the needs of women who have experienced long term domestic violence and employment policies, tax reform, and Australian social reform: as home energy provision is a case in point and by Lucy Healey, Borderlands Cooperative. Available on Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service website. refugee and indigenous health policies. Historical the Student Christian Sarah Toohey provides an update on the move perspective and lasting values are needed to Movement and the towards a National Energy Market. grapple with questions such as those posed by Newman Society Good Shepherd activism today has grown from David Hayward in this edition. – Bruce Duncan 9 a response to an historical reality of poverty The way forward is not a Christian News 12 and injustice in 19th Century Europe. St Mary fundamentalism, but a methodology that Who’s Who in the Social Policy Research Unit: Euphrasia was born in 1796 at a time of social continues to explore the fundamental human upheaval following the French Revolution. At values of the unique dignity and spirituality of each the age of 21 she began her religious life caring Marilyn Webster Manager Students on placement: person and a questioning of the social reality. for young women who were orphans or at ‘WE ARE GOOD SHEPHERD. Barry Pullen Policy Consultant Clare Gillett and Matt Tang (Monash University, Medicine) Radical voices must still be allowed to speak; new risk of exploitation. In Belgium in the 1880s a Our mission is shaped by Kathy Landvogt Social Policy Researcher are doing a community placement scoping food insecurity ways will not be found without openness to new Catholic priest Joseph Cardijn saw the plight of our inheritance of the vision, Tanya Corrie Senior Project Worker at the Lynall Hall breakfast club. understandings. In the past Christian intellectuals his former school friends who were working in courage and audacity of Saint and visionaries such as Niebhur, Cardijn and St Mary Euphrasia Pelletier and We welcome new team members: Roisin Wade (Latrobe University, Health Sciences) is scoping the factories in the new industrial era. Cardijn the health status of traffi cked women. Mary Euphrasia have pointed the way. the Good Shepherd tradition Tanya Corrie comes to us from banking and held various saw that the social reality, in particular the work she began. Ours is a vision roles in branches, compliance and project management, and Gemma Carey (PhD, University of Melbourne, Population reality, was shaping the moral standards of the by Denis Sheehan for promoting a world of justice has studied policy, politics and economics. A commitment Health) is researching the Social Inclusion Agenda. time. He commenced a youth movement, the and peaceful co-existence. Denis was chaplain to the Young Christian to social justice and an interest in policy brought about a Young Christian Workers (YCW) that encouraged Ours is the courage to embrace We have three students from RMIT University: young workers to take back their dignity and Workers from 1982 to 1994. He is currently wholeheartedly innovative change of career and sees her with us in the not for profi t working on a pilot project with Good Shepherd sector. Patrick O’Keeffe (Social Work) is undertaking an internal have a say in the world around them. It was his and creative ways of enabling service summary. inspiration and that of many others such as St Youth & Family Service and St Luke’s Bendigo, people of all cultural, religious Will Farrier has joined us as a volunteer, assisting with Vincent de Paul and St Mary Euphrasia that have to develop an agency response to unemployment. and social backgrounds to editing and research support to the unit. Irene Morgan (Social Science) is investigating education enjoy the fullness of life, which rebates. laid the foundation for a Christian activism that is personal, based on the unique dignity of each is the right of every human Jacinta Cleary (Social Work/Psychology) is planning an person and at the same time questioning of the being. Ours is the inheritance to boldly challenge those evaluation for the St Kilda ‘Outlandish’ program. social reality. structures and beliefs that diminish human dignity. We work to ensure the A recent ABC television program, Message Stick (19/06/2010) documents the success of a Queensland value of every human being, Contact us: Government public servant who lived in a remote indigenous community (Lockhart River) for six the communities that enable months to listen to ways in which government money could be most effectively used. One method Good Policy is a publication of Social Policy Research Unit, Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service us all to thrive and the integrity 21 Budd Street, Collingwood Vic 3066 Tel (03) 9418 3000 Fax (03) 9418 3001 Email [email protected] Web www.goodshepvic.org.au used was a listening circle where everyone was able to sit and listen, and determine a common decision. At the beginning of one such listening circle, one of the women prayed, ‘Holy Spirit be of the environment that Publisher Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service Design Deztop Design. Material contained in Good Policy does not necessarily refl ect the policy with us and guide our discussions, so that we may decide what is good for all and not what is best guarantees both.’ of Good Shepherd Youth & Family Service or the views of any of its staff members. Articles may be reproduced if full acknowledgement is given. only for ourselves’. GoodPolicy Winter0810.indd Spread 1 of 6 - Pages(12, 1) 24/08/10 7:15 PM 02 | Good Policy Good Policy | 011 the Student Christian Movement and the Newman Society The Global Financial Crisis: a by David Hayward social action needs to be based on fi rm what being a Catholic means” (p.261).