It is tempting to turn Christmas into a safe holiday that asks little of us but that would be to ignore the prophetic reality of Jesus’ life.

At this time of the year people of all walks of life, Christians and people of many faiths and none, honour Him by standing with the undocumented person seeking asylum, the Muslim family just arrived in Australia, the refugee fleeing injustice, the Aboriginal person seeking recognition in their own country and the people of the Pacific trying to sustain life on their islands.

Young boys in Kabul, Afghanistan

A Christmas that bends the arc of history

As 2022 draws to a close, it is timely to remember the words of Martin Luther King who said that the arc of history is long but it bends towards justice. What he did not say is that we need people to do the bending!

For more than 25 years, shifting the needle of history in the direction of justice has been the work of the Edmund Rice Centre. In 2022 this work has included:

- Supporting refugees to make the journey to safety out of Afghanistan and find re-settlement in Brazil, Portugal and the USA.

- Running educational and mentoring programs for newly arrived refugees in Western Sydney.

- Working in partnership with climate leaders and activists across the Pacific to progress climate justice.

- Creating education kits for schools and the community to promote awareness of the Uluru Statement From the Heart.

- Establishing a youth diversionary program in the NT to create alternatives to imprisonment for young Aboriginal people who come into contact with the law.

- Conducting Let’s Talk programs in Aboriginal communities in Northern NSW, to educate non-Indigenous Australians about First Nations history and culture.

Anna Nuariki, I-Kiribati graduate of our climate leadership training, speaking at COP27

A Christmas of Hope

Our work is aimed at enabling the First Peoples (Aboriginal People and Torres Strait Islanders), the Last to arrive (refugees and people seeking asylum), and the Next (peoples of the Pacific confronting climate change) to take their rightful place on this planet with access to their rights, security and safety.

Their needs are great and the resources required to get the job done are insufficient.

This Christmas please support us to keep our work going in 2023 by making a donation. Together, let’s continue to bend the arc of history towards justice.

Many thanks for your support and Merry Christmas to each and every one of you and your loved ones.