Social Justice

An address at the Otago University Centre for Theology and Public Issues election forum, St John's in the City, Wellington, 3 November 2011 Tēnā koutou katoa. Greetings to you all. Thanks very much for the opportunity to speak to you today. Thanks also to the Otago University Centre for Theology and Public Issues for organising this meeting. Because I'm Catholic, and therefore have some expertise in guilt, I'd like to start with a confession: I was under the impression that I was asked to speak tonight on poverty and inequality. Andrew Bradstock persuaded me that these issues fitted with the paper on alcohol and advertising, which I read while drinking a glass of wine. Which just goes to prove that important decisions shouldn't be made under the influence of alcohol. I've been at the odd meeting over the past few years where different Church representatives for whom alcohol law reform has been a burning issue have thought it would be just great for the Catholics to front the issue, since everyone knows that we drink more than other Christians. I've heard that we are regarded as being somewhat over-enthusiastic about Jesus' first public miracle turning water into wine, and of having a suspiciously good understanding of AA's 12 step programme and the Serenity Prayer. But I'm afraid that I haven't a great knowledge of the current policy debates on alcohol reform, as the closest I've got to discussing alcohol with a Select Committee was arguing that Catholic prison chaplains...

Church leaders are calling on all political parties to acknowledge their shared responsibility to provide a  just share of society’s wealth and resources for all its citizens, especially the most vulnerable. This includes adequate income for everyone, fair taxation policies, access to good health care,  affordable housing, and provision for sustainable living. The church leaders state that: “These are not privileges but part of the common heritage of humanity.  Social welfare is part of a greater picture of social, economic and environmental priorities and decisions  about spending. Caring for others makes us better people and strengthens our community.” “It’s not every day that church leaders join together with a collective voice on an issue, which proves how  strongly we feel about the importance of the State’s role in providing for all members of society,” says  Rodney Macann, group spokesperson and National Leader of Baptist Churches of New Zealand.    
Bringing ethical questions to the proposals of political parties, the church leaders ask, “How are the most  vulnerable faring in this society? How will particular policies affect them? What decisions will be made  about land? How efficient is our economy in producing wealth and income and ensuring its benefits are  shared with all citizens?” Basic principles that support these questions include: fair treatment for all members of society with  particular care for the most vulnerable;...

Nick Mayne, a member of the National Distribution Union, wrote to several evangelical Christians to ask for a position paper on the National-led government’s labour reforms. Martien Kelderman agreed to write a paper to get the ball rolling. His paper and Nick Mayne’s initial response are posted below. Feel free to read and add your own response. Please give your name and current occupation or reason for interest.
Nationals Employment Reform 2010 – towards a theological critique By Martien Kelderman The proposed reforms Prime Minister John Key announced a number of changes to the Employment Relations Act 2000 (ERA) and Holidays Act 2003 as part of a new employment law package. Some of the planned changes follow recent Government reviews of both the Holidays Act and the personal grievance provisions contained in Part 9 of the ERA. The Government is promoting the package to reduce compliance costs, increase business confidence in recruiting new staff, expedite resolution of workplace disputes and provide greater choice for employers and employees. The changes announced to the ERA include: · 90 day trial period Extending the 90 day statutory trial period to all employers. Currently, the trial period is only available to employers with less than 20 staff. Trial periods, which have been available to small employers for employees engaged after March 2009, protect employers from unjustified dismissal claims. As under existing law, a trial period...

New Zealand Christian Network is urging all Christians to get on board with the Micah Challenge as the world approaches the two-thirds mark on 10 October towards the Millennium Development Goals. Action toolkits and other resources are now available for people to mark the occasion. Inviting churches and individuals to become involved, Mark Pierson of World Vision and Micah Challenge National Manager Andrew Urquhart write: Micah Challenge is a global coalition of Christians holding governments to account for their promise to halve extreme poverty by 2015. We are part of a global movement to encourage deeper Christian commitment to the poor, and to speak out to leaders to act with justice. We want to engage the Church and all Christians in New Zealand to be aware of global issues, and to answer the call of Christ towards defending the poor, the fatherless, and the widow; and we want you to join us. History is filled with significant prophetic movements that have brought about a seismic shift in society as the Christian faith stimulated a commitment to justice. In recent times, Christians have led the US civil rights movement, campaigned against communism, spoken out against apartheid, and called for the cancellation of international debt. They have worked towards monumental shifts, affecting moral, social, historical, economic, spiritual and legal dynamics. 10.10.10
In 2000, 189 countries signed the Millennium Declaration to end extreme poverty by 2015. New Zealand was...

Distant and Disposable (published by the Salvation Army's Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit in March 2010) explores how we can (re)invest in reciprocal and redemptive relationships that reconcile divisive distances and revalue our shared humanity.
NZ Christian Network commends it as an article to stimulate discussion.

The document (a pdf file) can be downloaded by clicking here.

  What is a Christian view of Te Tiriti o Waitangi?/ The Treaty of Waitangi? He aha nga whakaaro a nga karaitiana mo Te Tiriti o Waitangi/ Treaty of Waitangi?   The Treaty is a sacred covenant between the Maori peoples/iwi and the British peoples (Pakeha). He kawenata tapu Te Tiriti mo nga iwi e rua, te Maori me te Pakeha. For many hundreds of years Maori had been the spiritual guardians and stewards of Aotearoa. As Christians we believe this was no accident. We believe that God, who is Creator and Sovereign, orders the times and seasons of the nations – He ordained that Maori found Aotearoa New Zealand and became its stewards. He maha nga mano rau tau e tiaki ana nga Mäori I te tinana o te wairua o Aotearoa. A he Karaitiana hoki tatou e marama kau ana he taonga tuku iho tenei ehara i te aitua. A, kai te u te whakapono ki waenganui I a taotu ko te Atua te kaihanga me te upoko o te kahui Ariki Tapairu, a nona ano hoki mana whakaara i te wa, i te maramataka ma nga iwi katoa – a koia ano hoki te kai waahi i te huarahi o te iwi Mäori i u mai nei hei kaitiaki mo tenei whenua mo Aotearoa. The Treaty acknowledges and honours this stewardship. Through the Treaty the Maori peoples invited the British peoples into the land. It gave the British peoples their turangawaewae in New Zealand – their ‘place to stand’. Kai te tautoko a Te Tiriti me atawhai te taonga...

New Zealand Christian Network, visionnetwork, congratulates Sam Chapman on winning the Local Hero Award in the New Zealander of the Year 2010 awards. Sam, based in Otara, has 40 years' experience in transforming communities, particularly engaging with people who have lost hope and been rejected by mainstream society. New Zealand Christian Network, visionnetwork, works closely with Sam in his role as Chairman of the Maori Christian Alliance, and NZ Christian Network National Director Glyn Carpenter says it's a just reward for the tremendous contribution Sam has made. Click here to read the Local Hero Award citation.

visionnetwork NZ Christian Network was invited to a national forum in Wellington on November 11 hosted by the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Tariana Turia, to look at ways to strengthen ties between the Government and the community and voluntary sector (CVS). Church and Christian organisations make up a significant part of the CVS in New Zealand. Minister Turia said earlier that the government is committed to strengthening its community relationships and would like to do this through an agreement with the sector by the end of next year. "This is an opportunity to define the relationship that the sector and government wish to have, based on mutual respect and trust. It will focus government agencies' attention on areas where further effort is needed to strengthen relationships to achieve common goals," Mrs Turia said. The government is also considering the development of:
• a set of principles to guide effective community engagement,
• a code of practice to guide government agencies when funding community organisations,
• regionally delivered seminars on good practice in community engagement. The forum was also attended by a number of other ministers, including Prime Minster John Key, Social Development Minister Paula Bennett, and Housing Minister Phil Heatley. More on the forum will be posted in the next few days.

Community groups that benefit from Lotto profits should think before they jump for joy, as it's a poisoned chalice, says visionnetwork National Director Glyn Carpenter. The Lotteries Commission recently announced a record profit of $189 million - $32.4 million more than last year. That profit equates to between $200 and $250 spent per New Zealand family, said Mr Carpenter, or roughly $60 for every person in New Zealand. "If you take the profit as representing maybe 20 per cent of turnover, then average total spending per household is in the region of $1000. "This money often comes from the people in the community who can least afford it. So community groups are benefiting from the poor."
The Lotteries Commission attributed the increased profit to two major prize draws which prompted optimistic punters to buy tickets in record numbers. Graham Aitken, national operations manager of the Problem Gambling Foundation, said the PGF is concerned about behavioural change when Lotto jackpots rise. "When it gets into the tens of millions, people start buying a whole lot more. That's when they probably put the power-bill money on it. "Gambling addiction is not high among Lotto buyers compared with poker machines. The problem with Lotto is when it starts becoming plan A for people's budgeting problems." Mr Aitken said that in Auckland, Lotto outlets are more frequent in the lower socio-economic areas. And surveys on gambling undertaken by the Department of Internal Affairs and...

Local churches are the answer to community needs, according to a report published by a Micah Challenge UK partner, Tearfund. visionnetwork National Director Glyn Carpenter is a core member of the Micah Challenge team in New Zealand, as well as a number of key visionnetwork member organisations. In the Thick of It is a position paper making the case for Tearfund's view that local churches are vital to in international development. Pulling together a substantial body of evidence confirming the value of faith-based organisations in addressing development needs, Tearfund speaks from over 40 years' experience of working through local churches in the poorest parts of the world. "We passionately believe that local churches have something extremely valuable to offer around the world," said Tearfund's Chief Executive Matthew Frost. Outside of government, the churches, or Christian faith-based organisations, are the largest provider of development services targeted at poor communities. Tearfund recommends that governments and donors serious about achieving the Millennium Development Goals should actively engage in partnership with the church. They need to "harness the unique position of church-based organisations" to ensure that sustainable goals are reached. "The church in the West should recognise its role and potential to help bring root-and-branch transformation to poor communities, both at home and overseas," Mr Frost said. "Christians in the developed nations have a responsibility...