WelCom August 2024
Darwin Bishop Charles Gauci, the chair of the Australian Bishops’ Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, has called on all Australians to unite in addressing the critical issues faced by the First Nations people.
Bishop Gauci highlighted the enduring and significant presence of First Nations communities in Australia, who have lived on this land for untold thousands of years.
Bishop Gauci emphasised the numerous challenges these communities continue to face, including disparities in life expectancy, high incarceration rates and pervasive violence.
‘We face a number of challenges together with First Nations communities at the moment,’ Bishop Gauci said. ‘We know that there is not much narrowing of the gap at all with life expectancy, incarceration, housing and violence. In some ways, the situation is getting even more complex as generations come and go.’
Bishop Gauci acknowledged there are no quick fixes and that any solutions must be rooted in the dignity of each human person, with profound respect for ancient cultures and the voices of the people affected.
He called for all sectors of society to rise above self-interest and political agendas to work towards the common good.
‘I am making a heartfelt plea for all of us – whether it’s governments, local, regional, federal, the Aboriginal communities, the churches – to come together,’ he urged.
‘Rise above self-interest. Rise above politics and work out a way of moving forward.’
Source: ACBC Media Blog