February 20: Reshaping society post 2020

FEATURE

Ethical Shopping FAITH TALK

Justice is love in public MY STORY

This is just the beginning

MAGAZINE

Vol. 002 | No. 06 20 February 2021 AUD $1.00

salvosmagazine.org.au

Reshaping society post 2020 Working together to make a nation where everyone can thrive

“I’m approaching the new year with optimism and focused hopefulness.

By focused hopefulness, I mean I’m focusing on the things that I can actually influence or change.

They feel small sometimes, but, in my experience, a critical mass of small changes makes a big difference.”

Brené Brown Research professor and author

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The Salvation Army is about giving hope where it’s needed most.

What is The Salvation Army?

The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church.

Vision Statement Wherever there is hardship or injustice, Salvos will live, love and fight alongside others to transform Australia one life at a time with the love of Jesus.

Mission Statement The Salvation Army is a Christian movement dedicated to sharing the love of Jesus by: • Caring for people • Creating faith pathways • Building healthy communities • Working for justice

Salvos Magazine Founders William and Catherine Booth General Brian Peddle Territorial Leaders Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson Secretary for Communications and Editor-In-Chief Lieut-Colonel Neil Venables Publications Manager Cheryl Tinker Assistant Editor Simone Worthing Designer Ryan Harrison Cover Photo Getty Images. Reprinted with permission.

The models have no connection to the case studies.

Editorial ph. (03) 8541 4562 Enquiry email salvosmagazine@salvationarmy.org.au All other Salvation Army enquiries 13 72 58

CONTENTS

[04] Feature Reshaping society post 2020 [10] Faith Talk Justice is love in public [12] My Story This is just the beginning

Social Justice The coronavirus pandemic has certainly turned the world, as we knew it, upside down. On a positive note, we have seen displays of incredible kindness, sacrifice and selflessness as people on the frontlines, and in their local neighbourhoods, care for those who are sick, vulnerable, lonely and afraid.

Tragically, though, the pandemic has also highlighted, and often deepened, poverty, injustice, hate and overwhelming suffering, both in Australia and globally.

As the World Day of Social Justice approaches on 20 February, this edition focuses on what Australians can do to make this nation a place where everyone is included, has their basic needs met, has access to equal opportunities, and can live with dignity and respect.

Printed and published for The Salvation Army by Commissioner Robert Donaldson at Focus Print Group, Rowville, Victoria

There are definite and significant roles for governments and a wide range of agencies and professional bodies in this effort, but we can all play our part. Social justice is based on the lifestyle choices we make every day that can make the world a more dignified, respectful, kind and equitable place for everyone.

Some photos in this magazine were taken prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For all these stories and information on where to get help, go to salvosmagazine.org.au

Press date 8 February 2021

salvosmagazine.org.au

Simone Worthing Assistant Editor

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FEATURE

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2020: drawing back the curtain on unemployment and poverty We all want a nation that leaves nobody in need words lyn edge

The Salvos’ Lieutenant-Colonel Lyn Edge had an article published in major Australian newspapers The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald late last year, reflecting on 2020 and the recommendations for creating a better future. Below are her words:

Three years ago, a BBC interview went viral when the interviewee’s children ran enthusiastically into his office mid-discussion. In 2020, a clip like that would not even have raised an eyebrow. In 2020, our screens were windows and the curtains were drawn back.

Suddenly, we had glimpses into each other’s homes and lives – noisy children, wayward pets, washing baskets and bookshelves all on display.

2020 also gave a glimpse into the lives

of people experiencing unemployment and poverty in a way we had not seen in living memory. As the number of people 4

unemployed or with reduced hours skyrocketed, more of us saw, and then many of us lived, the experience of financial hardship.

People who had never had to deal with Centrelink before suddenly found themselves forming a queue. Indeed, here at The Salvation Army, around 40 per cent of people seeking financial support from us were asking for help for the very first time. Our EmploymentPlus services saw an increase of people looking for jobs, from 38,000 in March to 58,000 in November. When JobSeeker was at the highest rate in history, we saw people who suddenly lost their jobs struggling to make ends meet.

The base rate of JobSeeker and Youth Allowance is … in effect, a poverty trap

The Salvos have been in the business of helping people who have fallen on hard times for around 140 years in Australia. We’ve been advocating the government about the rate of the JobSeeker Payment (previously the Newstart Allowance) for what feels like almost as long. The base rate of JobSeeker

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and Youth Allowance is so low that it acts as a barrier to getting a job. It is so low that, it becomes, in effect, a poverty trap.

Before COVID-19, we worked with people who had less than $17 a day left after they had paid for housing. When the Coronavirus Supplement first came in, they told us about being able to afford medication, eating fresh fruit and vegetables, buying their kids the right equipment for school. Things that most of us take for granted are luxuries on the old rate of JobSeeker.

Those who are newly unemployed have not yet experienced the old base rate of JobSeeker (without intervention, the rate it will go back to on 31 March 2021). So far, the newly unemployed tourism worker or restaurant manager has been spared the indignity of having to choose between buying groceries or paying for electricity.

I am not naturally a cynic, but it is hard not to notice that when the kinds of people on JobSeeker changed, so did the conditions.

FEATURE

These newly unemployed people could never be written off as ‘dole bludgers’. No one seriously believes allowing a newly unemployed pilot to live with dignity would be a disincentive to looking for work.

These newly unemployed give us important glimpses into our society as a whole. They show us that unemployment is rarely a choice and can happen to almost anyone.

The system is broken, and it needs to be fixed.

With this newfound insight, the case for genuine welfare reform is surely unarguable; JobSeeker must be increased and indexed to wages growth and the Commonwealth Rental Assistance needs major work. I can

The previous levels of assistance prevented people from affording groceries and paying essential bills.

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The Coronavirus Supplement has enabled those struggling with unemployment to buy fresh fruit and vegetables for their families.

only speak to what Salvos see every day – the system is broken, and it needs to be fixed.

Now the curtain has been drawn back, it’s not an option to just let it fall again. People are looking into the lounge room of our nation, and we need to make a decision about what we want them to see. I’m sure we all want them to see equality, compassion, and a nation that leaves no one in need.

So, let’s roll up our sleeves because we can do this. To start: •

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The Commonwealth Government needs to permanently increase the JobSeeker Payment and the Youth Allowance.

Looking at the budgets of people who come to us for help, we believe that an increase of at least $125 a week is needed so that people can afford just the very basics. This needs to also be part of a larger work of welfare reform to ensure ongoing equity and care for all.

All governments need to work together

to develop a plan to end homelessness.

Making sure every person has a place to call home will be hard, but Australia has done hard things before and we can do this.

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Each one of us can check the way we think and talk about people who are experiencing hard times. A lot of people tell us that one of the hardest things about becoming unemployed is the indignity and stigma. We can all help end that.

To do these things will be harder than blurring the background in our online meetings, but it will be worth it.

Lieutenant-Colonel Dr Lyn Edge is Secretary for Mission at The Salvation Army Australia.

Scan here for more on financial stress.

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FEATURE

Curiosity, courage and creativity Three ways to be a more ethical consumer words heather moore

state-imposed forced labour of ethnic minorities in China – accounts of worker exploitation and abuse abound from around the world.

As more and more stories come to light, awareness has grown about the conditions that millions of people toil under every day – mostly in developing or semi-developed countries.

These conditions are not just a consequence of poor labour protections in those countries; they are equally driven by the demand for low-cost products, churned out in short timeframes, often for consumers in the developed world.

What do you think about when you shop?

Do you ever pause to think about who made the product or how many people it took to make all its parts? What about where, and under what conditions, it was made?

If so, you are probably already someone who understands there is often a human cost behind the apparent bargain, and even for some more costly items.

Just because something costs more doesn’t mean it was made ‘ethically’.

From apparel to furniture to technology, the reality behind many of the products we rely on every day can involve profound and protracted human suffering.

From forced child labour in central African cobolt mining for mobile phone parts to

As decades have passed, these forces have jointly entrenched a global system of inequality and disenfranchisement of the worlds’ poorest people.

However, there are signs that this may finally be changing. Encouragingly, increasing awareness has started to shift consumer attitudes about companies caught up in labour abuse and other controversies, with many deciding to ‘vote with their dollar’ and seek out more ethical options. Companies responding to this are very slowly beginning to see tangible financial rewards, but a lot more is required to meaningfully and broadly shift standardised business practices.

This is not as easy as it sounds. While there are some websites that provide guidance for the ethically-minded consumer, sometimes the highest-ranked company or product is still tainted with risks. In other cases, the ‘ethical choice’ available exceeds the 7

FEATURE

consumer’s budget or there simply is not an ethical option readily available.

In truth, consumers alone cannot change the many complex issues behind this problem.

Multiple things need to happen, over multiple years, at multiple levels, including businesses making active decisions to change their own harmful business practices.

There is often a human cost behind the apparent bargain …

This does not mean, however, that consumers can’t make a difference. Indeed, consumer action may be the only way to prompt businesses to change their behaviour.

If this is starting to sound complicated and difficult, be reassured that there are some very simple ways ethical consumers can build their impact in the short term.

First, be curious. Take some steps to be a more informed consumer. There are a range of websites and apps that provide advice on ethical purchasing, including ethical.org. au, fairtradeanz.org/for-consumers, and thegoodshoppingguide.com. There are also organisations that publish reports on various products such as Know the Chain, the Ethical Trading Initiative and Verité.

Second, be courageous. Don’t be afraid to ask for information and reassurance from companies you are thinking of buying from.

Unless thousands, if not millions, of consumers suddenly and dramatically change their 8

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purchasing behaviour, businesses will need a signal to stimulate change. So, if you can, respectfully let companies know that you are making an active choice because you care about how products are made. This will encourage those doing the right thing, to keep doing the right thing. They can also share that good news in their annual reports, demonstrating to shareholders, consumers, and importantly, competitors, that they are ‘getting good by being good’.

In turn, tell the companies who you’ve decided not to purchase from that they are losing your business. It only takes a quick email and consumers could have even greater impact by including the company board on that email.

Finally, be creative. If you haven’t heard of ‘circular economy’, check it out. Every day, there are new ways emerging to reduce waste and shift away from the traditional ‘take-makedispose’ model that is at the heart of poor labour conditions for supply chain workers.

By reducing our consumption through creative purchasing, such as clothing swaps and ‘buy nothing’ social media sites, we reduce the demand for products made in ways that are bad for both people and the environment.

These are just a few ways to become a more ethical consumer. For more articles, go to salvosocialjustice.org Heather Moore is a Policy and Strategic Projects Adviser for The Salvation Army, Australia.

Scan here for more on financial stress.

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NEWS

Breaking the gaming cycle Roma Salvos in far south-west Queensland is hosting a retro-style games program designed to help those addicted to gaming in the digital and virtual world. The program uses a mix of semi-traditional and modern board and card games based on contemporary military strategy.

About 10 to 12 people attend each week, with an age range of 16 to 60. The group includes tradies, business managers, support workers, counsellors and retail assistants.

Daniel Wells, a social worker in the bustling rural town about 480km west of Brisbane and inaugural president of the Maranoa Gaming Community (MGC), leads the group.

“Most of us have trouble with gaming addiction – playing the X-Box, PlayStation, whatever – and we see how harmful it is to the person, to families and, ultimately, to the players,” Daniel said.

Social worker Daniel Wells runs a community group out of Roma Salvos to help gamers beat their addiction.

“I see a lot of potential for this [Salvos] venue and see where it’s somewhere safe to be,” said Daniel. “That’s really important. I work with a lot of clients who feel like they don’t have anywhere safe.”

Salvos pastors Majors Kaylene and Paul Morrice regularly drop in to “actively encourage the group”.

“I’m encouraging [group members] that, if they’re going through hard times, that Kaylene and Paul are here for them to chat to if they need a set of ears,” Daniel said.

Pandemic is a board game popular with Roma gamers.

“The idea was that we could use this to help get them out from behind the screen and build social networks. We know that the more social networks you have, the more you are involved with other people; the more likely you are to talk about what’s happening in your life and the struggles. Out in these parts, suicide is quite a big thing.”

“For me, it’s all about community and building our community. I’ve seen what happens when people don’t feel like they’re part of something; like they feel isolated, and we encourage them to go to church or to our gaming group where they can start exploring. Once they’ve got their foot in the door, we can sort of help them to explore other options and ideas and, if that includes God, then cool.” – Darryl Whitecross 9

FAITH TALK

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Justice is love in public It’s time to treat all people with the respect and dignity they deserve words amanda hart

2020 was a year that seemed to turn every-

thing upside down. We had to find new ways to carry out our work, new ways to connect with others, new ways to live lives of purpose and meaning – all from within the four walls of our houses, for the most part.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the main performer in the 2020 scene of our lives – it dictated where we could go, who we could see, the latest fashions in facial clothing (read: face masks) – but there was so much more going on behind the scenes, occasionally taking the spotlight for a brief moment before being hidden once again behind the COVID-19 mask. Injustice, oppression, suffering, hate for fellow humankind. This can’t be what God intended for the world, can it?

It’s time to show our love for others in public.

One of the things that stood out for me during the year was the truth that we should already know – we are all equal. COVID-19 did not discriminate by race, gender, social or economic status. We were all affected in some way. For me, this was a reminder that all of humankind was created in the image of God; all of humankind was created with dignity and 10

should therefore be treated with respect; all of humankind has the right to feel safe and loved.

Through reflecting on these thoughts, I was drawn to the words of Jesus in the Bible, in Matthew chapter 22, verses 37-40: "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (New Revised Standard Version).

What does this have to do with social justice?

Well, as my thought process continued, I was reminded of a phrase I heard a number of years ago spoken by philosopher Dr Cornel West: “Justice is what love looks like in public.” Justice is loving your neighbour in public. Treating them with the respect and dignity they deserve.

Take some time to imagine it. Think about what would happen if we were to acknowledge and accept the inherent value, dignity and worth of our neighbour. And I’m not just talking about the neighbour next door who looks like us, talks like us and likes the same things we do. I’m talking about the neighbour who is ‘other’ to us.

Just imagine how we, as individuals, could be transformed if we did this. Think about the flow-on effect and the impact your actions would have on others. Think about how we, as a community, could be transformed if we

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started looking at each other and treating each other in such a way that we reflected Jesus’ words to love our neighbour as we love ourselves.

It’s time to stop imagining it. It’s time to stop talking about it. It’s time to do it. It’s time to show our love for others in public.

Let me leave you with these words from the Bible, in the book of 1 John chapter 3, verse 18, “Beloved children, our love can’t be an abstract theory we only talk about, but a

FAITH TALK

way of life demonstrated through our loving deeds” (The Passion Translation).

Captain Amanda Hart is a Salvation Army officer (pastor) in Victoria.

Scan here for more on finding meaning.

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MY STORY

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This is just the beginning Sara shares her journey to freedom and faith in Australia words sara

I was born in Mashhad, Iran. As a woman in an Islamic society, you are nothing. Life is just difficult.

When I was born, my father was in jail because of his political views. My mother struggled with young children, the Iran-Iraq War [1980-88] was going on and she wasn’t allowed to work. She raised us and waited for my father. Despite this, I had a good childhood with my two brothers.

We moved to Tehran [capital of Iran] when I began high school. We [girls] had to wear the hijab and strictly practise Islam. We were also all trying to understand the war. I had a lot of questions about God, too. Who is he? Who am I talking to when I pray? Who is listening?

Nobody had answers for me.

I went to university and studied accounting.

Although my mother had strict rules for us, particularly me, as a girl, I started having a social life. Men harassed women openly, constantly. I felt very insecure.

I had a boyfriend, but we could really only go out for coffee. I didn’t tell my parents about him. We did get married when I graduated and then I started working. It was the biggest step of my life. I felt so independent and had less harassment issues as I wore a wedding ring. I still earned less than men doing my job and had to work harder. I loved it though, and the skills and experiences it brought me professionally and personally.

Over time, I realised my husband and I weren’t 12

Sara is now a member of the Salvos in Melbourne.

equal in our relationship. There was domestic violence. I couldn’t live that way. I decided to divorce, which was a huge step. I had to fight for it and my life was turned upside down.

Living as a single, divorced woman in a Muslim country was hard. Men thought they could take advantage of me. Thankfully, my parents – who didn’t agree with my divorce – said they would support me, even in the

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darkest places. I wanted them to trust me.

I lived in my own place, worked hard and wanted to be a better person. I became a financial manager and completed a master’s degree in finance in 2015. I was really proud of this. I also completed a course in psychology and communicating with others.

I travelled to Europe, China and other parts of Asia. I met open-minded people and wanted to know why they were so different.

I just found people trying to help each other.

My brother, Salman, came to Australia in 2011 because of political challenges in Iran.

I visited him, with my parents, and found it very different from anywhere I’d been. I liked the whole environment.

In 2017, a friend of Salman’s, Sarah, came to Iran and I was her host. She came from a Catholic family and we had similar life stories.

When I went again to Australia, I met up with Sarah. I wanted to improve myself and help others. Sarah showed me that I could be like Jesus, helping others without being powerful or wealthy, which was the thinking I had grown up with. Back in Iran, I started reading my father’s Bible, but it wasn’t until I returned to Australia in 2019, to help my brother and his partner who were expecting a child, that I learned more about what the Bible says.

An Iranian friend introduced me to the Salvos in Melbourne, and to Major Colin Elkington,

MY STORY

the Salvos officer (pastor) there. My whole life changed. I believe it was God leading me to this point. Although I stopped being a Muslim at university, I felt God was there, somewhere, and he would show me the way. I never thought that praying five times a day would help me; I talked to God when I was walking or going to bed. When Colin explained how God connects with us, I knew I had been talking to Jesus in those times.

It was all a miracle, and it was all Jesus. I became a Christian and a member of the Salvos. I couldn’t go back to Iran, so I applied for a protection visa and found work at the same time as it came through. Another miracle.

My sister-in-law helped me find a place to rent. Generous Australians, my local community, helped me get the things I needed to start my new life. It was such a lovely feeling to know that I was accepted. I had heard about the difficulties some people new to Australia faced, but I just found people trying to help each other. It was all so great.

My parents came and stayed with me for three months. They are not worried about me anymore. After 10 years they trust me.

I am not the Sara I used to be. I want to care for others and share the love I have received.

I look after my niece, go to the Farsi Fellowship at Brunswick Salvos, volunteer, help my family and others when I can. I try to help people in Iran, and tell them more about Jesus.

God has led me here. It ends with Jesus and yet it is just the beginning!

Scan here for more on finding meaning.

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TASTE OF LIFE

Night-before French toast

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Have a laugh

Our wedding was so beautiful.

Even the cake was in tiers.

PHOTO BY KATRINA MULFATI ON UNSPLASH

Ingredients 1 French stick loaf or baguette, 4 tbs butter, 4 eggs, 2 cups milk, ½ tsp cinnamon, blueberries and strawberries (optional) Method The night before serving, melt butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan, stirring. Pour into a round baking dish, 25-30cm in diameter.

Cut bread into 2cm-wide slices and lay them on top of brown sugar mixture.

Combine eggs, milk and cinnamon and pour over the bread.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 180-200°C and uncover baking dish.

Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Decorate with blueberries and strawberries if desired.

Great for brunch! Enjoy!

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Last night I dreamed I was a muffler.

I woke up exhausted.

I saw a movie about how ships are put together. It was riveting.

Bible byte “Do what is just and right. Rescue those poor ones being robbed by the extortionists. Protect the outsiders, orphans, and widows in your land from any oppression, for they have no one.

Stop the violence and the shedding of innocent blood in this place.”

Jeremiah chapter 22, verse 3 The Voice Bible translation

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TAKE FIVE

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1. For how long as World Social Justice Day (20 February) been established?

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Answers: 1. 13 years 2. In the digital economy. 3. Poverty, exclusion and human rights. 4. The International Labour Organisation. 5. Equity, access, participation and rights.

Did you know?

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Equality. Equity. Social Justice.

Equity Equality means recognising that we all have the same inherent worth and treating everyone equally because we all have equal value.

means recognising that while we all have the same inherent worth, some of us face barriers that others do not, meaning that not everyone gets the same opportunity.

Equity requires treating people differently so that they can have equal opportunity.

Social Justice means recognising that we all have the same inherent worth and that systems and structures create barriers for some people – but it does not have to be that way. Social Justice is about confronting and reforming those systems and structures to remove the barriers that lead to inequality and inequity.

IN THE SALVATION ARMY WE WORK TO BRING SOCIAL JUSTICE BY: »

Including the excluded;

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Challenging harmful cultural practices;

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Confronting the powerful; and

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Advocating for the oppressed.

The Salvation Army – A Pathway to Social Justice.

To download this report, go to Salvationarmy.org.au