HomeOpinionEditorialEditorial – December 2012: Working together for good

Editorial – December 2012: Working together for good

Last month the Commonwealth Bank awarded grants to 10 local charities as part of its 2012 Community Grants Program. Charities included Gunawirra Limited, the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy and The Factory Community Centre, all of which rely on volunteers.

Congratulations to nominees for the 2012 Volunteer Awards which recognise the fantastic achievements of volunteers and community organisations in the Sydney electorate. Tanya Plibersek will host this year’s awards at the Community Room, Redfern Oval, on December 5. There will be winners, but no losers.

The SSH is again proud to support the Vinnies Christmas Appeal. Donations of money, non-perishables, toiletries and toys will help Vinnies volunteers provide much-needed help this Christmas-time, from practical assistance to food hampers, emotional support and gifts for children. Let us know if you or someone you know is in need of support, or visit www.vinnies.org.au/Christmas2012.

Congratulations to Shane Phillips, recently named NSW Local Hero. As well as being the CEO of the Tribal Warrior Association and helping to introduce the Clean Slate Without Prejudice program run in collaboration with police, Shane operates a mentoring program to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people. The concept is uncomplicated: it’s about forming good habits, guiding by example, including everyone and acknowledging achievements.

We acknowledge the value and virtues of so many who serve so generously. We simply wouldn’t have a community newspaper without the contributions of our writers and distributors. Thank you! Every blessing for a safe and happy holiday.

spot_img
- Advertisment -spot_img

Salt and light – local journalism in the Age of AI

Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas asks how human dignity can be safeguarded in an age shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), digital platforms and concentrated technological power. AI can serve human beings and the common good, but only when governed by ethical responsibility. It must not reduce people to...

A shivered plate

I can juggle three balls (badly), provided there’s a wall to bounce them off back towards me. I can keep a hacky sack in the air for around 30 taps. I can do ‘toe basketball’ and get the ball in the basket (on the floor) with my toes, at...

Sin, harm and healing

Talk of sin can leave people demoralised rather than healed. In some church settings, sin has sounded like shame, illness, depravity or permanent failure. That can be spiritually damaging. It can make people feel trapped. But we still need a way to speak honestly about harm. Our world is wounded by...

Concerns over Australia’s response to pro-Palestinian activism as laws face scrutiny

From hate speech laws to anti-protest measures later ruled unconstitutional, the NSW government’s rushed legislative response following the Bondi tragedy has prompted severe concerns over its impact on protest rights and free speech.  In April, the New South Wales Court of Appeal (NSWCA) ruled that the anti-protest laws introduced by...