Preamble to proposals
The National Social Responsibility and Justice Reference Committee have noted that for many people the year 2000 is being honoured as the Great Year of Jubilee, honouring both the birth of Christ and embracing the sabbatical tradition of both Judaism and the early Church. We have reflected on the biblical tradition of the Year of Jubilee particularly as recorded in Isaiah 61. In responding to this reflection, our proposals to this Assembly reflect the cry of Isaiah and an attempt to respond to the parameters of this sabbatical tradition. This commitment is acknowledged with the words "In the Spirit of Jubilee" which attempts to reflect the depth, practice and spirit of this theological tradition.

That the Assembly:

46.1 Forgive the Debt
in the spirit of the Year of Jubilee and the call to forgive debt, express its commitment to the Jubilee 2000 campaign and the need for debt relief:

(a) commend the Australian Government for its commitment in April 2000 to cancel the debt of Nicaragua and Ethiopia under the debt relief HIPC initiative;

(b) encourage the Australian Government to actively work towards improving the cumbersome and problematic Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative;

(c) ask the General Secretary to convey this view to the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, and Leaders of other parties in the House of Representatives and the Senate;

Rationale:
The call for the forgiveness of debt is drawn from the sabbatical tradition described in Leviticus which saw the freeing of slaves and cancellation of debts. This Jubilee 2000 campaign seeks to make good use of this theological tradition and use the millennium as an opportunity to rekindle the Jubilee spirit in our world.

Jubilee 2000 is an international movement in over 40 countries advocating a debt-free start to the millennium for a billion people. Jubilee 2000 calls for the cancellation of unpayable debt - it will never be paid economically or will be paid only by exacting unacceptable costs in diverting resources from health, education and sanitation.

The Uniting Church has been participating in Jubilee 2000 to date through the National Council of Churches. The Jubilee 2000 campaign has been supported by many within the Uniting Church, with many congregations, synods and presbyteries participating in petitioning the Australian Government to cancel debt which is owed to Australia by countries who will be unable to repay the debt. This has been a people's movement to bring about practical outcomes in this year of Jubilee.

On Good Friday 2000 the Honourable Peter Costello announced that the Australian Government has chosen to forgive the debt owed to it by Nicaragua and Ethiopia to Australia.

In their official press release, the Treasurer and Minister for Foreign Affairs stated:
"Of the 40 countries that have currently been identified for possible debt relief under the enhanced HIPC Initiative, there are two - Nicaragua and Ethiopia - which have debts to Australia and are expected to qualify for relief. These debts relate to supply by private sector firms of machinery to each of these countries. Australia is owed $5.7 million by Nicaragua and $12.6 million by Ethiopia. When Nicaragua and Ethiopia receive debt relief under HIPC, all of the debt they owe to the Australian Government will be forgiven. The cost of this initiative will be additional to the aid budget."

It is important to recognise the Government's generosity in announcing this decision. It is also important however that this is only one small step towards debt relief and that there is a need for the inadequacies of the HIPC agreement to be more fully addressed. The Australian Government has a responsibility to use its vote in the World Bank to continue the spirit of this decision both in responding to the debts owed to Australia by other poor countries but also to advocate for improvements in the HIPC Initiative.

HIPC initiative (Heavily Indebted Poor Countries)
[source of material - Jubilee 2000 Australian Campaign Details - http://www.jubilee2000.org.au/]
"After much pressure from the church and aid groups that made up Jubilee 2000, in 1996 the World Bank and the IMF developed a new approach. Under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, all creditors agreed to jointly reduce the debt burdens of the worst affected countries to a "sustainable" level where debt repayments are less than 20-25 per cent of export earnings. Though some progress has been made, the steps made by the G8 and the IMF and World Bank are small and take many years to benefit the poorest in heavily indebted countries. The time has come to take bigger strides in releasing the poor from their burden of debt. All eligible countries could at least be started on the process of receiving debt relief under HIPC by the end of the year 2000. That would mean fast-tracking some countries who haven't fulfilled their three years of economic reform. We in the Jubilee 2000 Coalition say the HIPC Initiative isn't enough. It still leaves countries paying too much on debt in a process that takes too long. We want to see unpayable debt wiped out by the end of 2000."

46.2 May the land lie fallow
in the spirit of the Year of Jubilee:

(a) note its 1991 commitment to the Rights of Nature and Rights of Future Generations (Assembly minute 91.14.18) and affirms that this statement remains as relevant today as when it was first written;

(b) acknowledge that we are in a covenant relationship with God, the earth and humanity as described in Genesis 9;

(c) confess that both as individuals and as a Church community we have not adequately cared for the earth and as a result dishonoured this covenant;

(d) invite congregations to reflect on the Rights of Nature and Rights of Future Generations and consider how to enact this commitment within their local context;

(e) request Social Responsibility and Justice to develop a strategy which allows for the exchange of resources, stories and initiatives of environmental action within the Church;

(f) request Social Responsibility and Justice to bring a report to the Tenth Assembly on the Church's fulfilment of its commitment in (a) and in this resolution of the Ninth Assembly;

Rationale:
The Uniting Church over the past two decades has undertaken considerable theological reflection and action in response to our responsibility to God's creation. This is expressed in such resources as Healing the Earth SR&J Committee 1990 and The Rights of Nature and Future Generations (1991). A number of other liturgies and resources have also been developed by the Assembly, Synods, Presbyteries, congregations and individuals. Emerging from some of this work is a growing understanding of our responsibility to God's covenant with creation, as expressed in Genesis 9. The first of four covenants, it encourages that as guardians of the earth, we have a responsibility to care for God's Earth. We are aware that many members and agencies of the Church are involved in the fulfilment of this covenant, but that at times we fail to meet our obligations.

At its National Reference Committee Meetings in 1999 and 2000, the National Social Responsibility and Justice Reference Committee confirmed as one of its priorities the need to resource the Church in fulfilling its environmental policy. NSR&J feel that the Uniting Church has made excellent commitments through policy to the environment, however there were few stories shared of congregations, presbyteries and synods who have taken steps to enact this policy. It also difficult to know if we are fulfilling all its commitments.

With this is mind SR&J seeks the assistance of the wider church in the fulfilment of this priority, and to the ensure that we are fulfilling our commitment to the Rights of Nature and the Rights of Future Generations.

Rights of Nature and Rights of Future Generations Statement
Approved by 1991 Assembly

[Based on a resolution of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches]

91.14.18 The Assembly resolved to adopt the resolution on the rights of nature and the rights of future generations:

"We believe that God, the Creator, upholds human dignity. God has created the human in the divine image. No human authority can take away or contest the dignity thus bestowed upon the human.

We believe that God has blessed humanity and that God's faithfulness endures from generation to generation.

We believe that God loves the divine creation and wills the development of its life. No creature is indifferent in the eyes of God. Each has its dignity and thereby also its right to existence.

The Holy Scriptures attest to God's covenant with the creation. "Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your descendants after you and with every living creature" (Genesis 9:9-10).

In view of the fact that this promise is today being undermined by human lack of moderation,
- we affirm the inalienable dignity of all humans and call for the recognition and guarantee of human rights throughout the world,
- we express the conviction that those who live today share responsibility for the ability of future generations to live in dignity,
- we support the attribution of rights not only to humans but also to nature, God's creation, and we reject the view that animate and inanimate nature are mere objects which stand at the arbitrary disposal of the human.

We call upon the churches to make room for God's covenant with creation within the realm of law by committing themselves at all levels to recognition of the following "Rights of Future Generations" and "Rights of Nature".

A. Rights of Future Generations

1. Future generations have a right to life.

2. Future generations have a right to an unmanipulated human genetic inheritance, that is, a genetic inheritance not artificially altered by humans.

3. Future generations have a right to a rich plant and animal world, and thereby a right to a life within an abundant nature and to the preservation of multifarious genetic resources.

4. Future generations have a right to healthy air, to an intact ozone layer, and to the sufficient thermal exchange between the earth and space.

5. Future generations have a right to clean and sufficient waters, and, in particular, healthy and sufficient drinking water.

6. Future generations have a right to healthy and fertile soil and to healthy woodland.

7. Future generations have right to substantial reserves of non-(or only very slowly) renewable raw materials and energy sources.

8. Future generations have the right not to be confronted with products and wastes of earlier generations that threaten their health or require excessive expense for protection and control.

9. Future generations have a right to "cultural inheritance", that is, to an encounter with the culture created by earlier generations.

10. Future generations have in general a right to physical living conditions that allow them a humanly dignified existence. In particular, they have a right not to be forced to accept physical alterations deliberately produced by their predecessors that inordinately restrict their individual and collective self-determination in cultural, economic, political, or social respects.

B. Rights of Nature

1. Nature --- animate or inanimate --- has a right to existence, that is, to preservation and development.

2. Nature has a right to the protection of its eco-systems, species, and populations in their inter-connectedness.

3. Animate nature has a right to the preservation and development of its genetic inheritance.

4. Organisms have a right to a life fit for their species, including procreation within their appropriate ecosystems.

5. Disturbances of nature require a justification. They are only permissible- when the presuppositions of the disturbance are determined in a democratically legitimate process and with respect of the rights of nature,
- when the interests of the disturbance outweigh the interests of a complete protection of the rights of nature, and
- when the disturbance is not inordinate.
Damaged nature is to be restored whenever and wherever possible.

6. Rare ecosystems, and above all those with an abundance of species, are to be placed under absolute protection. The driving of species to extinction is forbidden.

We appeal to the United Nations to develop a new Declaration which explicitly protects the rights mentioned above. Simultaneously, we appeal to the individual nations to incorporate these rights into their constitutions and legislation."

A full list of UCA environmental policy decisions can be found at http://assembly.uca.org.au/
21EER.html.

46.3 Liberty to the Captives (Mandatory Sentencing)
in the spirit of this year of Jubilee:

(a) record its:
(i) opposition to Mandatory Sentencing in any jurisdiction and under any conditions;
(ii) desire that all Australians have access to fair and discretionary sentencing;
(iii) disappointment that Indigenous Australians are often disadvantaged within the criminal justice system;
(iv) expectation that sentencing of juveniles occur within the parameters set by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child and United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty;
(v) expectation that Australia fulfil its obligations under the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
(vi) expectation that Australia will meet the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of Prisoners 1955;
(vii) support for a restorative and non-punitive justice system within Australia;

(b) call on the Australian Government to use its legislative authority to outlaw the practice of mandatory sentencing within this nation;

(c) convey the beliefs outlined in (a) and (b) to the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, the Leaders of other parties in the Senate and House of Representatives;

(d) convey the beliefs outlined in (a) and (b) to all State Premiers, Territory Chief Ministers and Leaders of other parties within these jurisdictions;

Rationale:
The Levitical tradition called on the release of captives. This tradition emerged from the practice that many who had been unable to pay their debts had been imprisoned. What then does the call to bring liberty to the captives mean for us in the 21st century? As Christians we seek for the world to be a just place, where all people are valued as being created in God's image. Liberty for the captives then is an expression of our desire for all people to be treated equally under the law and the law to reflect the discretion and fairness of the legislative system.

The Uniting Church has been involved in critique and advocacy within the criminal justice system throughout its history. This has included production of documents such as Prisons as a last resort, and submissions on prison privatisation . Most recently the Western Australian Synod, along with the WA Council of Churches hosted a conference on prison reform. (A report of this conference is available for members of the Assembly at the SR&J table.) The Northern Synod has also been actively involved in the fight against Mandatory Sentencing in the Northern Territory.

We believe the UCA has a responsibility to uphold the need for a justice system, which is fair and discerning. We do not believe that Mandatory Sentencing reflects such a system. It is important that within this system there is a trust of those whose role it is to implement legislation. It is critical that judges are able to use their discretion in the sentencing of defendants and those found guilty of crimes. Mandatory Sentencing focuses on punishment not rehabilitation. Mandatory Sentencing does not decrease crime rates nor provide a deterrent. Mandatory Sentencing does not indicate a trust of the judicial system.

The liberty that is sought in the Levitical tradition is expressed in some legislation, and commitment to human rights. These commitments are expressed in:
· United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty adopted by General Assembly resolution 45/113 of 14 December 1990;
· United Nations Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
· United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the treatment of Prisoners 1955.
All these commitments express a desire for a fair and humanitarian justice system. A principle which we as Christians have a responsibility to uphold.

Current Situation of Mandatory Detention
· In 1992 Western Australia introduced mandatory imprisonment for repeat violent offenders.
· In 1996 New South Wales introduced mandatory life sentences for adults convicted of murder.
· In 1995 and 1996 Western Australia and the Northern Territory introduced mandatory sentences for adults convicted of repeat property offences.
· The Western Australian and Northern Territory jurisdictions have extended mandatory detention to juveniles.
· (Source Senate Bill Digest No.62)
· In 2000 the Northern Territory modified its legislation in relation to juveniles and increased discretionary powers to police.

Juveniles
The Western Australian legislation requires detention of at least 12 months for juveniles convicted of home burglaries who have been convicted of like offences on two previous occasions. In respect of juveniles between 16 and 18 years, a court may make further special orders and/or direct that the detention be served in a prison rather than a juvenile detention centre. The Western Australian Parliament intends to review the legislation every four years.

The Northern Territory legislation requires mandatory detention of at least 28 days for juveniles between 15 and 17 years who have previously been convicted of a property offence. Property offences are widely defined and include theft, burglary, unlawful entry, assault with intent to steal, unlawful use of a motor vehicle, receiving stolen property or rewards from stolen property and criminal damage generally. A court may also impose further orders, including a punitive work order.

Adults
The Western Australian regime requires detention of at least 12 months for adults convicted in the circumstances described above.

The Northern Territory legislation requires detention of at least 14 days for a first property offence. For a second property offence the regime requires 90 days and for a third offence 12 months. Juveniles over the age of 17 years are treated as adults for the purposes of sentencing and detention.

There is no flexibility in considering prior offences. Neither system distinguishes between live and spent convictions.

Concerns
The Northern Territory and Western Australian laws have been criticised by the United Nations Committee on the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CROC Committee), the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Australian Law Reform Commission, the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties, and the Law Council of Australia. They have also been criticised in the Senate, and by judges, non-government organisations, and other commentators.

Mandatory Sentencing disadvantages many members of the community, particularly those who are poor and from non Anglo-Saxon backgrounds. There are those in the Northern Territory who believe that these are racist.

46.4 Liberty to the Captives (Criminal Justice Reform)
in the spirit of this year of Jubilee, respond to the invitation to bring liberty to the captives by calling on the Australian government to:

(a) establish a review of criminal justice systems within Australia including:
(i) social factors which cause a high crime rate;
(ii) the possibility of establishing a criminal justice system which is restorative rather than punitive;
(iii) establishing a justice system which does not disadvantage members of the community based on race, social disadvantage or isolation;
(iv) the extent to which current systems fulfil or fail to fulfil the United Nations Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (1955) and United Nations Rules for the Protection of Juveniles Deprived of their Liberty (1990);

(b) encourage the Federal, State and Territory Attorneys General to declare an amnesty for prisoners:
(i) for those who acknowledge wrongdoing a simple reduction of standard percentage of time of the sentence to be granted and added to the parole period;
(ii) by release of those who meet the following criteria:
- those who acknowledge wrong doing;
- first time offenders convicted of offences carrying maximum sentences of not more than 12 months;
- people imprisoned for non payment of fines; people who could not raise the entire bail money;
- people on work release programs;
- women who have young children and who have less than 12 months to serve;
- young offenders who have less than 6 months to serve; and
- aboriginal people who have completed at least 50% of their sentence;

Rationale:
The biblical principles of forgiveness, restitution, restoration and hope for all people reflect the call of liberty to the captives. The treatment of all with dignity and justice is not demonstrated in the legal justice system in Australia. The current approach is punitive and perpetrates and encourages a compounding of the causes of criminal behaviour. The Church seeks to offer an alternative approach which honours each person and recognises that although people should be disciplined for wrong doing they also should not be destroyed or debased in the process.

In the recent Prisons New Directions for the Millennium conference in Perth WA, Mr Glenn Shaw pointed out in his address Justice for Indigenous Australians, proportions of imprisonment are even worse for people from an Aboriginal background in WA who form 2% of the population and 40% of our prison inmates. … The imprisonment rate for Aboriginal men is 5,700 per 100,000 and the rate for African-American men is 4,900 per 100,000. (This) is a world record statistics namely that "an aboriginal person is more likely to receive a custodial sentence than any other race in the world" (Aboriginal people) do not understand why they are in the system. Often it is because they cannot afford and/or are not afforded the same level of justice … It has become so that those who don't have the capital, get the punishment."

This resolution reflects needs which not only been expressed within WA, but across Australia.
Australian Prisons are overcrowded and are under resourced. This limits the ability to focus on rehabilitation, or to adequately meet the needs of those imprisoned. The review of Australia's response to the criminal justice system invites each State and Territory to reflect on methods of crime prevention, and response to those who commit crimes.

The amnesty proposed in (b) would bring benefits to the community. It will enable a tone of compassion to be established throughout the community. The victims and offended community will have a chance to acknowledge the pain of the offence and move forward on a healing process. The general public will be able to enter the new millennium with a spirit of goodwill. It would offer people who have offended an opportunity to seek early release on special conditions, most importantly the acknowledgment of responsibility for their actions. This amnesty would reduce the number of people imprisoned and provide a chance for people to work towards early release. It also allows for re- establishment of families.

46.5 Welcome the Stranger
in the spirit of the Year of Jubilee:

(a) note the important call of the gospel to welcome the stranger;

(b) commend and celebrate the work of those within the Uniting Church and wider community who work with refugees and asylum seekers as they commence resettlement within Australia;

(c) celebrate the work which has been undertaken by the NCCA National Program for Refugees and Displaced Persons over many years and for the creation in late 1998 of an ecumenical committee to support this work;

(d) commit the Uniting Church in Australia to ongoing support for refugee and asylum seeker resettlement in Australia;

(e) commit the Uniting Church in Australia to:
(i) promoting cultural sensitivity particularly in the language that it uses to describe those who are refugees, access to interpreters from the same cultural background and access to appropriate faith communities; and
(ii) awareness of racism and discrimination used to instil fear against refugees and asylum seekers;
(f) affirm the need for fair, humanitarian, adequately resourced and culturally appropriate government policies and procedures for the processing of refugees and asylum seekers both within Australia and overseas;

(g) call on the Australian government to amend its policies and practices by ensuring:
(i) accountability and transparency within government process in processing of refugees and asylum seekers
(ii) that discrimination does not occur in the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers, and that their dignity is respected;
(iii) cultural sensitivity towards asylum seekers and the situations from which they come;
(iv) that the language used by Government does not encourage fear and hatred towards refugees and asylum seekers;
(v) the current limits on intake of refugees and asylum seekers within Australia are reviewed and that Government demonstrate its international responsibility to the protection of vulnerable individuals ;
(vi) an end to the long period of detention experienced by some refugees and asylum seekers;
(vii) continued investigation and implementation of alternative methods to detention for those seeking asylum onshore in Australia ;
(viii) all refugees and asylum seekers have equal access to facilities, benefits, assistance, information, community networks and legal advice immediately upon arrival within Australia;
(ix) immediate notification to the Red Cross and United Nations of any refugees or asylum seekers arrival in Australia;
(x) sufficient and culturally sensitive translation services are available in all refugee centres;
(xi) sufficient access to medical, legal or community services for those residing in detention centres, including trauma and torture services;

(h) encourage the Australian government to separate its trade policy from its response to refugees and asylum seekers;

(i) ask the General Secretary to communicate the concerns expressed in (f) - (h) to the Prime Minister, Cabinet, Leader of the Opposition, and Leaders of minor parties.

Rationale:
To welcome the stranger is a gospel principle embraced by Christ as we are encourage to welcome all to the house of God. This is also a concept that is embraced within the concept of jubilee. The National Assembly, Synods, presbyteries and congregations (eg. UIM, SR&J, Western, SA, Northern and Victorian Synods. Congregations in NSW, South Australia, Western Australia. Congregations located close to detention centres.) have been involved in living out this call through the support of refugees and asylum seekers. This support has ranged from political advocacy to providing accommodation, food and clothing to recently arrived refugees and asylum seekers. It is important for the Uniting Church to acknowledge the role which has been undertaken by so many in support of refugees and asylum Seekers.

This support and advocacy means that we are well placed to raise concerns about government policy and practice in relation to the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers. These concerns begin with the formulation of the intake numbers set by the Australian Government for refugees and asylum seekers. There appears to be discrimination between refugees who seek asylum onshore and offshore. The Government has sought to engage in consultation on the priority given to groups seeking Asylum. Some Assembly Agencies have expressed support for the Government to ensure that every possible consideration is given to one of our nearest neighbours during this time of extreme crisis.

Dignity is important for all peoples. The loss of dignity suffered by refugees and asylum seekers is exacerbated by the current practices of the Australian Government, especially
· long periods of detention;
· lack of immediate legal advice;
· lack of timely information regarding community/church support and, most recently;
· creation of new categories of refugee based upon their status at entry into Australia.
The practices involved in points two and three above contribute to the inappropriate and life threatening deportation of some asylum seekers.
Other concerns which have been raised by those working with asylum seekers and refugees include:
· cultural insensitivity, e.g. interpreters from an ethnic background not trusted by the asylum seeker; and
· lack of equal assistance for all refugees and asylum seekers
· the apparent lowering of intake numbers.
We believe the Government needs to demonstrate its acceptance of "international solidarity" regarding the responsibility of protection of the individual. This is a commitment the Government stated in "Consultations on the 2000-2001 Migration and Humanitarian Programs Discussion Paper", December 1999 - March 2000.

Applicants from overseas now have the benefit of the IHSS. Asylum Seekers should be given information and orientation regarding acquiring legal advice, process and criteria of acceptance, and available support (both government and community). All refugees and asylum seekers should be entitled to the same benefits, level of information and support.
Temporary Safe Haven and Temporary (onshore) Protection visas afford greater flexibility in the Government's ability to react to sudden crisis situations. They also raise concerns. These visas place their holders in the position of continuing to be displaced, with limited support and lack of security.

The use in recent times by the Government of promotional material which states "No Amnesty for Illegals" sends a message of division and discrimination, especially when some groups of people are more likely to enter Australia in a manner that could legally be termed 'illegal'. There is a need for a more sensitive use of language in the way that we describe and discuss refugees and asylum seekers.

A number of concerns have also been raised about whether Australian Government policy and practice concerning numbers, detention and classification of Asylum Seekers meet Australian legal requirements as well as international and moral obligations.
As a church we are concerned that refugees and asylum seekers are enabled to live full and productive lives and given every opportunity to participate in society.

46.6 Bind the Hearts of the Broken
in the spirit of the Year of Jubilee:

(a) express its distress at the state of rural, regional and remote Australia particularly in relation to access to core services, such as health services, schools, banks and government infrastructure;

(b) note with alarm the impact which government policy, such as the deregulation of the milk industry, has had on rural communities;

(c) affirm that rural and remote communities are an important and integral part of the Australian community;

(d) call on the Australian Government to implement as a matter of urgency programs which encourage and sponsor the development of sustainable rural and remote communities;

(e) confess that as a Church we have not always listened to the pain of our rural and remote members;

(f) ask Frontier Services in consultation with Social Responsibility and Justice, the Rural Ministry Networks and the Synods to promote existing strategies, and research, develop and support new strategies to assist rural and remote communities;

(g) express commitment to the following statement:

"Justice for Rural, Remote and Regional Australia

The 'dying town syndrome' prevalent throughout rural, remote and regional Australia, is no accident. Ideologies, values and practices adopted by governments and Australian society, while bringing benefits to some, have substantially contributed to the fragmentation of communities, and decline in wealth and wellbeing of many country areas. In short, the ethos of the market undermines the ethos of community. Whilst the market is driven by large populations of consumers, self-interest, competition and profit, communities are sustained by addressing needs, solidarity and trust in the group, and mutual partnerships between groups for the wellbeing of all.

The losses in country Australia are losses for the entire nation. These include decline in the diversity of lifestyles, loss of social capital, increased pressure in urban locations, loss of aspects of national mythology and identity, increasing estrangement of the population from the land and landscape, and decline in export earnings in some sectors.

The Uniting Church in Australia hears the cries from rural remote and regional Australia. In the tradition of Jubilee, the Church proclaims "This is the year when the Lord will show compassion" (Isaiah 61:2), and pledges to develop strong partnerships with rural, remote and regional Australians that together we may seek life-giving ideologies, values and practices which empower country Australians to shape their own futures, revitalise their communities, and contribute to the common good of the whole country.

In partnership with rural, remote and regional Australians:

Economic
Where industry development and service provision are allocated on the basis of 'sufficient' numbers of clients,
We seek industry development and service provision based on community need and wellbeing.

Where competition policies divide colleagues, agencies and businesses,
We seek cooperation and collaboration.

Where de-regulation policies overlook power differentials between producer and buyer, and between employer and employee,
We seek structures for collective bargaining and for the prevention of exploitation.

Where globalisation has failed to create a level playing field for Australian products,
We seek advocacy for the ethics of fair trade.

Social
Where 'the dying town syndrome' has seized a region,
We seek state intervention to maintain basic infrastructure at equitable levels, ensuring access to telecommunication technologies, medical care, and adequate schooling.

Where loss of local employment opportunities have led to despair, de-population and work practices which separate families,
We seek support from government for programmes which empower country Australians to revitalise their communities, develop leadership, and boost community based social and economic development enterprises.

Where native title claims and Aboriginal Heritage issues expose racism, stir uncertainty, and divide communities,
We seek genuine dialogue, through which relationships can be reconciled and coexistence negotiated.

Where the mythologies of the Australian frontiers hide the true diversity of rural, remote and regional Australians and the lifestyles they pursue,
We seek spaces in the national conversations for rural, remote and regional Australians to express their diversity, and distinctivenesses.

Political
Where Australian democratic processes allow majority urban voices to silence minority country voices,
We seek participatory and collective decision-making, based in consensus.

Where centralisation excludes those geographically removed,
We seek the decentralisation of power through local and regional decision-making forums, and the development, placement and use of appropriate communication technologies so that all may contribute to the national life, and participate in decisions which affect their lives.

Environmental
Where the demands of a modern lifestyle require the devastation and adaptation of landscapes and eco-systems for metals and minerals,
We seek acknowledgment of the cost of the sacrifice, to traditional owners, to all living Australians and to future generations.

Where ignorance and economic pressures have led to practices which have degraded the land and polluted the water systems,
We seek cooperation between all parties to research and remedy these practises, for the benefit of the environment and future generations.

Spiritual
Where "country" and "city" are seen as opposites, competitors, or estranged from each other,
We seek partnership, teamwork, and belonging with each other in the one family of Australians.

Where pressure is brought to bear to relocate from rural, remote and regional Australian communities for employment, health or other reasons,
We seek to value and preserve the attachments and sense of belonging to place and community that constitute 'home'.

Where rural, remote and regional Australians have become despairing victims of change
We seek compassion and empowerment, and recognition of the immense power of regrowth and creativity emerging in country Australia at this time.

Isaiah 61 says: those who now mourn will be called "Trees of Justice" planted by the Lord, who will "rebuild that which has been in ruins for many generations". From this time on, they will "be greatly blessed and joyful for ever". The church of the Resurrected Christ will hold on to this hope for those who have suffered in rural, remote and regional Australia.";

(h) encourage congregations to use the Social Justice Sunday Materials on 24th September 2000,

(i) encourage urban congregations to consider how they can best support ministries in rural and remote areas.

Rationale:
During 1998, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission undertook a series of community consultations throughout regional, rural and remote Australia. The report of this consultation The Bush Talks Report - was released by the Human Rights Commissioner on 26 February 1999. The report examines a range of crucial issues, including health, education, aged care, youth services, employment, bank closures, telecommunications, public transport, housing and water.

The report documents:
· a lack of adequate health services;
· decrease in access to hospital services;
· increased rates of suicide

Death rates from suicide per 100,000 population
Metropolitan Rural Remote
Capital Other Large centres Small centres Other Centres Other
Male 19.2 21.7 23.8 22.6 23.9 22.6 29.9
Female 5.2 5.0 4.4 4.5 4.3 3.3 4.1
Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Health in Rural and Remote Australia, 1998, page 53.

· rural children are less likely to complete high school education;
· reports that communities are progressively losing key services and critical subsidies. Many communities have declining populations, declining incomes, and declining services and a declining quality of life. The infrastructure and community of many rural, regional and remote towns have been slowly pared away.

Jobs lost in regional Australia 1996 - 1998: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 10,500
Banks 4,800
Coalmining 3,800
Steelworks 2,750
Telstra 2,266
Meatworks 1,944
Clothing 1,044
Metalliferous mining 900
Manufacturing 530

The current President John Mavor has spent a considerable amount of time as President travelling through rural Australia. Similar issues have been raised with him and questions about the Church's ability to respond to these issues.
SR&J recognise that many synods, Frontier Services and Rural Ministry teams have undertaken a great deal of support, advocacy and ministry within rural and remote communities. It is also acknowledged that many parts of the Church are not aware of this. This resolution seeks to acknowledge those issues which confront rural and remote communities each day and express the Church's solidarity to funding some solutions, and advocating for changes.

This resolution asks both the Church and Government to take responsibility for its role in the demise of rural and remote areas and to act creatively and proactively to bring about change.