More than 200 participants from various social, health, education, parish, and Church ministries are registered to attend this week’s national Catholic social services conference, with the theme “Commons, Commonality, Common Good”. Source: CSSA and CSSV.
The conference, in Melbourne on February 21-23, will examine critical issues facing society and explore solutions to contribute to the common good.
Emphasising the need for collaboration across faith denominations, a panel on day one will explore the idea of “Unlocking our shared DNA: Reflections from major church providers”. The panel will include Anglicare Australia executive director Kasy Chambers, Baptist Care executive officer Robyn Sampson and UnitingCare Australia national director Claerwen Little.
Ms Little said the faith-based organisations have collaborated on a variety of social policy issues for many years.
“It is a very productive collaboration, and we see that we have more in common than not, given that we all derive our services from a deep commitment to social justice and God’s mission in the world,” Ms Little said.
“Collectively, we run a significant portion of community services nationally, and we speak with the weight of this experience. What we have in common is our deep commitment to humanity, equality, and the right of every person to fully participate and flourish. We may use different language, but we share this commitment.”
Catholic Social Services Australia executive director Monique Earsman said the conference is “more than just a dialogue”.
“It calls for meaningful change through collaboration, such as addressing persistent disadvantage,” Ms Earsman said.
“In the face of soaring living costs, many in our communities seek support more than ever. This gathering provides a unique opportunity to innovate and forge sustainable long-term solutions for change.”
Elaborating on the conference theme, executive director of Catholic Social Services Victoria, Josh Lourensz said: “This conference aims to contribute to creating true communities out of a common effort, for the common good. The common good isn’t the utilitarian idea of ‘the best for the most people’. It’s about looking at what each person needs to live a flourishing life. And we all have a role to play in this.”
Details: Commons, Commonality, Common Good.
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Collaborative Strengths Among Major Church Providers (CSSA and CSSV)
