By Mark Zirnsak
On Saturday (July 12), 60 people from Uniting Church congregations and other denominations gathered at the Centre for Theology and Ministry for the Synod Justice and International Mission Convention, to consider the theme of the ‘Christian Community and the pursuit of Common Good’.
Associate Professor Myra Hamilton opened the Convention with a presentation from her book, ‘The Privileged Few’.
Myra presented the case that there are a small number of highly privileged people in our society who live largely separated from the general community.
They live in suburbs where only people with excessive wealth can afford to buy homes, their children go to exclusive schools, they are able to get around laws and regulations that apply to the rest of the community, and waiting in queues is often optional.
Myra’s argument was unless such privilege is addressed social cohesion will continue to degrade, and financial and political inequality will continue to grow.
A panel discussion during the event considered what reforms would be needed to provide improvements in the say that First Peoples and people on low incomes could have in our democracy.
It also heard from the president of a small political party, that does not have billionaire and millionaire backers, on what reforms would be needed to level the political playing field.
In the afternoon, participants discussed how congregations can better consider how to live out the covenant with the First Peoples of Australia.
Participants also considered the direction of the work of the JIM Cluster and largely affirmed its current direction.
There were suggestions for new areas of work, such as a universal basic income for all Australians, water reforms and pressuring foreign governments not to use fossil fuels.
The Convention will shape the work of the JIM Cluster.
Mark Zirnsak is the Synod’s Senior Social Justice Advocate