15 Henley Rd
(PO Box 2219)
Homebush West,
NSW 2140
AUSTRALIA
Ph: (02) 8762 4200
Fx: (02) 8762 4220
Int'l Ph: +61 2 8762 4200
Int'l Fx: +61 2 8762 4220
Email: erc@erc.org.au
Located just 100 metres to the south of Flemington Railway Station. Link to new location on Google Maps
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In 2005 the Edmund Rice Centre began the Eco-Justice unit as a project to examine how we could better integrate ecological concerns in to the practice and work of the Centre.
The Eco-Justice unit has examined the Centre's own practice, introducing worm farming, more comprehensive recylcing and promoting fair and sustainable trade.
The philosophy of the Eco-Justice unit comes from the Earth Charter, an international declaration of principles underpinning a sustainable future.
We have developed a number of resources and activities, both regular and ad hoc, on issues of sustainability.
And we have initiated the Pacific Calling Partnership campaign, bringing together individuals and organisations involved with, or with a concern for, our Pacific neighbours, to help address the issues arising from climate change in low-lying Pacific nations.
Updates from the Pacific Calling Partnership and Edmund Rice Centre delegation in Copenhagen.
Representatives from the Pacific Island communities most threatened by rising sea levels, are attending the Copenhagen UN summit, together with Australian human rights advocates, to ensure that the human face of climate change is not forgotten.<- - Click on the grey "ERC in Copenhagen" button in the left-hand Eco-Justice sub-menu to learn more about this ERC program.
The Earth Charter is a declaration of fundamental principles for a just, sustainable and peaceful global society in the 21st century. The Edmund Rice Centre has joined thousands of organisations throughout the world in adopting and implementing the Earth Charter, and your school can do the same.
<- - Click on the grey "Earth Charter" button in the left-hand Eco-Justice sub-menu to learn more about this inspiring declaration.
Afternoon Tea for the Future is a regular activity of the ERC's Eco-Justice Program, allowing a space for relaxed discussion on topics relevant to Ecological Justice and the promotion of sustainable lifestyles.
<- - Click on the grey "Afternoon Tea for the Future" button in the left-hand Eco-Justice sub-menu to learn more about this ERC program.
The Edmund Rice Centre's Eco Justice project is one of the organisations that has helped found the Sydney Food Fairness Alliance. The Alliance was launched in NSW Parliament House at the end of 2006. It brings together a range or individuals and groups committed to educating people about how they can enjoy seasonal, local and sustainable food.
<- - Click on the grey "Sydney Food-Fairness Alliance" button in the left-hand Eco-Justice sub-menu to learn more about ERC's involvement in this Alliance.
The Pacific Calling Partnership began in May 2006 in response to a series of calls that had come from the peoples in low-lying Pacific Islands.
The PCP brings together a number of significant Non Government Organisations (NGOs), school groups, community organisations, and individuals who all recognize Australia’s ecological debt to Kiribati, Tuvalu, parts of the Torres Strait and other low-lying Pacific Island neighbours.
These are joined in partnership with individuals and organisations living in the Pacific and migrant groups in Australia. New members are always welcome.
<- - Click on the "Pacific Calling Partnership" button in the left-hand menu to learn more about the Partnership.
The NSW Food Summit starts the framing of a state-wide food policy that will address affordable access to healthy food, sustainable food systems and farming, food safety and health.
Latest News: (1) Climate change summit: ERC & PCP in Copenhagen (2) New Just Comment published: No More Torture (3) Ongoing: Support ERC´s Deportations Research
Copenhagen, 7 - 18 Dec 2009
Lilla International Women's Network Read more
ERC staff are part of the Pacific Calling Partnership (PCP) group visiting Kiribati, 7th to 16th Oct 2009, in preparation for the joint Australia-Kiribati PCP delegation in December to the UN's Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change.
PCP wants voices from low-lying Pacific Island communities to be heard because it is these people that are already facing the consequences of climate change through sea-encroachment into their communities. Further details
The next informal discussion gathering of ATftF will focus further on the lead up the Copenhagen UNFCCC Summit to be held in December. All welcome: 2pm to 4pm, Tues 27th Oct at ERC's library. Further details
In association with the support of short-term women interns in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, the Lilla Women's Network is celebrating the launch of a directory of services in Chiapas that provide services to women.
The directory (in Spanish) can be viewed on the Lilla website.
ERC continues liaison with the Dept of Immigration in regard to the reopening of the cases of those asylum seekers who Australia sent back into situations of danger.
Interest remains strong within the community from those concerned with Australia's dismal track record of recent years in our treatment of asylum seekers.
There is a strong and continued stream of expressions of support for the case presented by ERC in the documentary A Well Founded Fear. We have received a number of representations calling for SBS TV to rebroadcast the programme. ERC will liaise with the documentary's producers and with SBS in this regard.
Sign petition to Minister of Immigration to reopen cases of those deported to danger.
ERC's success in mounting a coherent argument for the reopening of the cases of those asylum seekers that Australia has deported to danger, has been based on rigorous research in situ in the countries to which these people were returned.
Such work has high levels of risk for our researchers and for the deportees. We are committed to accompanying these vulnerable people to achieve safety. In many cases their treatment by Australia has placed them at greater risk than when they were first forced to flea their place of origin.
The results of this research conducted by ERC Director Phil Glendenning and colleagues has been published in two reports: Deported to Danger. Information about the research and copies of the reports are available here.
The unique nature of this human rights research work means that it does not qualify for most sources of funding from agencies. The work can therefore only be continued through your support. To donate please go to our donations page.
Donations for this ERC work are tax deductible!
ERC is concerned for the ongoing situation of the civilian population of northern Sri Lanka effected by the armed conflict that has caused dramatically increased consequences for the people over the past twelve months.
The Sri Lankan Government's narrow focus on armed enforcement appears to carry no concern to the underlying causes of the conflict. There is little attention being paid to the calls for equity from the Tamil minority and for protection from persecution and discrimination at the hands of the Buddhist Sinhalese majority.
ERC condemns the violence and terror of the LTTE Tamil Tigers, but also laments the repression of the Tamil population.
The refusal of the Sri Lankan Government to allow respected international aid and media organisations open access to the conflict areas and to the concentration camps of Tamils displaced by the violence, serves only to lend validity to the reports that violent repression and state terror are being by perpetrated upon the Tamil population by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. More information.
