Christ has called us into a community of justice where all are free to contribute and to share one another’s burdens. The Uniting Church respects the rights and dignity of our first people.
A Covenant Relationship
A leading edge in our justice work is the Uniting Church’s efforts to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians together and to support First Peoples primarily through our covenant relationship with the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Christian Congress (UAICC).
At its 7th Assembly the Uniting Church formally entered into a relationship of Covenant with its Indigenous members, recognising and repenting for the Church’s complicity in the injustices perpetrated on Australia’s Indigenous community, and pledging to move forward with a shared future. Congress’ generous response to this statement, among other messages, called upon the broader Church to take up the mission of reconciliation.
The ongoing and continually renewing nature of the Covenant calls the Uniting Church to continually act to remove the systems and structures of discrimination and oppression in Australia.
(UnitingJustice: About Justice for Indigenous Australians)
The Social Justice Commission
The Social Justice Commission supports the UAICC in advocating for:
- The implementation of the recommendations of the Bringing Them Home Report and supports Bringing Them Home WA
- The Social Reinvestment WA Coalition to reduce the rate of Aboriginal incarceration in Western Australia. Listen to our podcasts here.
- the Close the Gap campaign to end the health and life expectancy gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
- policies which respect self-determination and the ability and desire of Indigenous people to themselves address disadvantage (without the imposition of solutions by outside welfare and government bodies) including support for the Beananging Kwuurt Institute.
- culturally appropriate Indigenous governance in the form of a representative body, elected by the Indigenous community.
- the Recognise campaign to address the historical exclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples from Australia’s Constitution, removing discrimination and; the pursuit of treaty negotiations.
- The Boab Network, a sub-committee of the Creative Living Centre, a registered not-for-profit Charity with its own constitution and Board which answers to the Council of the Floreat Uniting Church.
Resources
National Reconciliation Week 2020 Resource with Uniting (PDF, 330kb)
Walking Together is a set of resources designed to help Uniting Church members explore the Covenant between the UCA and Aboriginal and Islander peoples. The resources include a study guide, videos and worship resources.
Media Releases
Visit our Media Releases to find out about the prominent issues we are actively involved in.
