17 October 2010 @ 2:30pm
West End Uniting Church
Cnr Sussex and Vulture St, West End
followed by Afternoon Tea

Come and watch the DVD of the lecture Australia: Whose Land?
Listen to Indigenous theologian Grant Paulson respond
Engage in thoughtful discussion around the issues

Dr Peter Adam Principal of Ridley College, Melbourne.

Peter has delivered his lecture Australia: Whose Land? across the country.

Grant Paulson Theologian

Grant works for Reconciliation Australia, assisting organisations develop Reconciliation Action Plans.

Click Here to download a flyer for the event you can distribute amongst your networks: Full | Printer Friendly

Due to a technical fault we are not able to provide the podcast of the Northside Candidates Forum.

Your Faith, Your Vote, Your Voice – Churches Justice Forum was held on Wednesday 4 August.

Senator Claire Moore (ALP), Senator Brett Mason (LNP), Libby Connors (The Greens) and Wendy Francis (Family First) joined 60 people at Broadwater Road Uniting Church for a forum on human rights issues. The candidates were asked questions by a panel on mental health, climate change, refugees and Indigenous policy. Written questions from the floor were also asked.

Below are the podcast audio of the forum including the full forum and each topic separately.

Candidates Forum Full 2hrs 3mins (59 mb)


Introduction 20 mins

Mental Health 19 mins (9 mb)

Climate Change 13 mins (6.2 mb)

Refugees 18 mins (8.6 mb)

Indigenous 22 mins (10.2 mb)

Questions 33 mins (16 mb)

Please click below to see the flyer for the election forums being held by churches in Brisbane:

Churches Election Forum Flyer

Check out the resources HERE.

When: 4 August 2010, 6:30pm for 7:00pm

Where: Broadwater Road Uniting Church, 481 Broadwater Road, Mansfield

When: 9 August 2010, 6:30pm for 7:00pm

Where: St Paul’s Uniting Church, Cnr Mimimine Street and Webster Road, Stafford

The Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, the Anglican Social Responsibilities Committee and the Moreton Rivers Presbytery are hosting two election forums in the lead up to the 2010 Election. This forum on the Southside will focus on Human Rights and Climate Change and the Northside will focus on Economic Justice. Both will include Senate Candidates from across the parties. If you want to hear what the parties have to say on these important issues please join us at 6:30pm for 7:00pm for what should be an interesting and informative evening.

Candidates have confirmed from the Australian Labor Party, Liberal National Party, Family First and The Greens.

For more information on the Uniting Church election resources Click HERE.

The Uniting Church President, Rev Alistair Macrae has responded to the announcement of Government and Opposition Asylum Seeker policy today. Click HERE to read the media release.

In May Pastor Ray Minnecon was interviewed by Tiga Bayles on 98.9FM. To listen to the interview Click HERE.

Andrew Johnson, Community Justice Minister, is featured on Triple J’s Hack program commenting on Julia Gillard’s statement that she does not believe in God. To read the report of listen to the story click on the link below:

No God for Gillard | Hack | triple j.

The Progressive Spirituality Network invites you to a lecture and discussion

“An overview of the Oodgeroo Treaty Circle process and Cultural Heritage Education Program (CHEP).” Presented by John Tracey

When: Sunday July 11 6.30 pm

Where: West End Uniting Church

Corner of Vulture and Sussex St. West End

The “Oodgeroo of the tribe Noonuccal, Custodian of the land Minjerribah, Peace, Prosperity and healing, Sacred Treaty Circles” is a process of peace and reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people within the frameworks of Aboriginal sovereignty and customary law.  It is not a reconciliation process of “meeting in the middle” but of non-Aboriginal people locating themselves within Aboriginal reality and participating in and learning from Aboriginal ways of being.

The Cultural Heritage Education Program (CHEP) was devised by Oodgeroo and her son Bejam through “Alcheringa Incarcerated People’s Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation (IPCHAC)”, an Aboriginal prisoners’ organisation that formed in Boggo Rd. prison in 1988, growing out of the prison riots of the 80s, the consequent Kennedy inquiry into prisons and during Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in custody.

The IPCHAC CHEP was designed primarily to reconnect Aboriginal prisoners with their culture, land and family however many non-Aboriginal prisoners participated in the process proving the Aboriginal methodology for healing was also appropriate for non-Aboriginal people.

As a result of the CHEP, the “Queensland Indeterminate Sentenced Prisoners Association (QUISPA)”, the Boggo Road lifer’s organisation, became a sub-committee of IPCHAC, thus institutionalizing peace between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal prisoners where there had previously been racial tension.

IPCHAC went on to present the CHEP outside of prison, with lecturers on day release, to West End Aboriginal organisations as well as to staff and students at Griffith University.

Oodgeroo’s son Bejam, the coordinator and principle lecturer of the IPCHAC CHEP, has continued presenting the CHEP program to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community groups and individuals based on Oodgeroo’s country and law.