http://vinnies.org.au/files/NSW/SocialJustice/Year%20in%20Review/YearinReview_08_forweb

SOCIAL JUSTICE

YEAR IN REVIEW

2008

CONTENTS Foreword: Michael Callaghan 1: A Brief History of Homeless Services in Australia 2: Animation Helps People Help Themselves 3: Vinnies Youth asking all the Right Questions 4: Homelessness and Access to Public Space 5: SPARK Helping People Find a Place to Call Home 6: Looking beyond the Label of Homelessness 7: Making Economics Easier to Understand 8: Men with Courage Speak out on Domestic Violence 9: Ozanam Industries takes Care of Business 10: Residents at Risk 11: Stories of Heartbreak and Hope from the Bush 12: Values, Poverty and Inequality in Australia 13: Life Lessons 14: Vincentian Social Justice and Catholic Social Teaching

RESEARCH TEAM

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St Vincent de Paul Society NSW

Dr Andy Marks

Senior Researcher andy.marks@vinnies.org.au

Cassie Douglas

Research Officer cassie.douglas@vinnies.org.au Media enquiries Marion Frith Communications Officer

Telephone: (02) 9568 0215 Mobile: 0417 446 430 Email: marion.frith@vinnies.org.au

Writing by Dr Andy Marks

Layout and design by Rachel Anne Irvine

Privacy Statement: Because the St Vincent de Paul Society respects the privacy of the people it serves, the names of any clients featured in this report have been changed and pictorial models used. Š 2009 St Vincent de Paul Society NSW ABN: 46 472 591 335

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

FOREWORD: MICHAEL CALLAGHAN The diverse network of material support and assistance the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW provides to the most disadvantaged members of our community is driven by a commitment to draw nearer to Christ and His vision. Love and compassion is of course central to His vision, and Vincentian social justice is one of many ways it is focussed and interpreted.

Informed by the principles of Catholic social teaching, social justice is fundamental to the Society’s mission. The alleviation of need cannot be meaningfully addressed unless the unjust structures that cause it are identified, challenged and eliminated; this is the role of social justice.

The Society’s commitment to social justice and advocacy was significantly strengthened in 2008 with NSW State Council authorising the establishment of a research team at the Lewisham Offices, staffed by Senior Researcher, Dr Andy Marks and Research Officer, Cassie Douglas.

The research team works with, and at the direction of the NSW Social Justice Committee, comprising: Michael Callaghan (Chair), Lisa Bright, Greg Hogan, Des Kinsella, Sheila Kinsella, Julie McDonald and Brian Murnane.

Throughout the course of the year the research team greatly expanded the Society’s research and advocacy profile both within the Society and among external stakeholders.

In early June 2008, the research team released the major social justice report, Residents at Risk. The report, detailing the predicament of disadvantaged caravan park residents throughout NSW, received an extraordinary level of positive media coverage, generating much needed public and political awareness concerning marginal housing and homelessness.

This report was followed by the research report, Life Lessons. Produced to coincide with the November opening of the Ozanam Learning Centre, this study examined the practical and theoretical aspects of learning and recreation as pathways out of homelessness.

In addition to the release of regular online social justice snapshots covering new and emerging issues of relevance to the Society’s work, the research team played an active role in a range of other initiatives, including submissions to the Federal Government’s Homelessness Green Paper and the planning of the Society’s current national social justice agenda.

The development of research partnerships with external social service agencies was an additional priority throughout the year, enabling the Society to share and enhance its research expertise among the broader research community. These partnerships also led to invitations for the team to speak at various conferences, functions and events, offering a pro-active Vincentian perspective on issues of marginalisation and disadvantage.

The collection of writings by Dr Andy Marks contained herein offers an overview of much of the Society’s work in the area of social justice throughout 2008. The themes covered in these pieces go to the heart of the Society’s mission, illustrating how our work remains vital through faith, learning, reflection and action.

I encourage you to reflect on the topics covered within. I also urge you to promote discussion among your colleagues and the broader community on issues of social justice. Most importantly, the Committee welcomes your comments, not only on the matters covered in this yearbook, but also your perspective of Vincentian social justice both now and into the future.

Yours sincerely, Michael Callaghan Vice President, Social Justice St Vincent de Paul Society NSW State Council

Foreword: Michael Callaghan

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A BRIEF HISTORY OF

HOMELESS SERV

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IN AUSTRA Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

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ith more than 40 homeless services across NSW, the St Vincent de Paul Society is a leading provider of assistance to people experiencing various forms of homelessness. The Society’s development of new initiatives like the Ozanam Learning Centre – a state of the art learning and recreation facility for homeless persons – emphasises that despite the many inroads we have made, we must always be prepared to invest in new approaches to tackling the ongoing crisis of homelessness.

The remarkable progressions we have witnessed in homeless service delivery in recent years remind us just how far we’ve come in assisting some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

Church based forms of refuge have a long history in Australia. The experience of urban workhouses and rural itinerancy are also well documented. Consolidated responses to homelessness, however, in the form of hostels did not arise en mass until the Depression of the early 1930s.

VICES

ALIA

1: A Brief History of Homeless Services in Australia

Little change occurred in the structure and delivery of services during the postwar era, with most agencies offering homeless persons no more than a basic meal and a cramped dormitory bed. Privacy was non-existent and clinical secondary care reserved for all but the most dire cases.

Access to homeless services during this era was also markedly limited, with few appropriate services available for homeless women and children, and no formal acknowledgement of the widespread prevalence and devastating impact of domestic violence. For Indigenous Australians, access to mainstream homeless services was non-existent, and government policies sanctioned the removal of Indigenous children from their families on the basis of arbitrary racial assessments.

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The rise of pronounced liberaldemocratic social agendas throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s provoked a major re-think in the manner in which Australian governments and the community addressed homelessness.

Studies of the social, economic and health related facets of homelessness gradually led to a shift in the delivery of homeless services. No longer was the focus solely directed towards the provision of basic food and shelter.

Again, however, homelessness among Indigenous Australians continued relatively unchecked.

Recognition of a selection of highlyvisible symptomatic behaviours prevalent across the homeless population saw treatment for conditions such as alcoholism and mental illness receive greater emphasis. However, despite selected advances, many of these programs were crude, poorly resourced and fragmented in nature.

As such, their long-term success was extremely questionable, as were a selection of the attendant diagnostic, implementation and evaluation strategies.

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The increasing impact of global conditions on the Australian economy in the mid-1980s saw issues like housing and unemployment enter the homelessness research spectrum. In time, service delivery reflected the tenor theoretical findings and a recognition of the influence of socio-economic issues led to the implementation of a multistrand response to homelessness across government departments and social service entities.

The new millennium saw factors like social inclusion, environment, culture and technology enter the discourse of homeless service delivery. Central to this approach is the notion of “agency�.

As both a theoretical doctrine and a practical device, agency seeks to empower homeless persons to make positive life choices.

For agency to be achieved, however, a range of integrated services are required, as are unfettered access and flexible forms of support. In the context of homelessness, learning and recreation are viewed as key elements in achieving sustained agency and, in the first instance, securing viable pathways out of chronic homelessness.

This is an aim evident in the design, development and realisation of the Ozanam Learning Centre. The test of the Centre’s effectiveness will be its ability to adapt and grow with the rapidly changing nature of homelessness in Australia.

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

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or 175 years the St Vincent de Paul Society’s service to the most disadvantaged members of the community has been driven by its mission to live the gospel message by serving Christ in the poor with love, respect, hope and joy.

The Vincentian vocation is an expression of Christ’s love, built around the core activity of visitation, in which Society members meet personto-person with the people they assist, sharing in their stories with empathy, compassion, faith and a willingness to make a difference.

Visitation gives Society members a unique perspective of disadvantage.

The trust members forge with individuals on this personal level helps the Society not only to gauge the causes of need on an individual basis, but also to understand how disadvantage can become a family, community or even more widespread issue.

ANIMATION HELPS PEOPLE HELP

THEMSELVES 2: Animation Helps People Help Themselves

For all of the people the Society assists, families are viewed as one of the most critical forms of support for vulnerable people. The family is that vital link with the community that, at its best, offers people the unconditional love, confidence and support we all need to feel connected to the world around us, regardless of differing social, economic or cultural backgrounds. This is why, wherever possible, the St Vincent de Paul Society strives to help families experiencing hardship stay together.

Children are the heart of any family, embodying the hope, renewal and innocence we all seek to attain.

On a practical level, children can also be pivotal in leading a family out of disadvantage and breaking intergenerational cycles of deprivation.

Education is the key to achieving this aim. However, for positive change to occur through education, children must feel loved and supported. Again, family is crucial in providing these

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

essential ingredients. For this reason, the St Vincent de Paul Society is very concerned at the unprecedented range of pressures many families are facing today.

Despite the combined weight of the housing crisis, rising food and utility costs, petrol prices and an array of other pressing issues, the Society is making positive inroads with families in many extraordinarily disadvantaged communities. One such community is in Claymore in south western Sydney.

Established in April 1999 by the St Vincent de Paul Society, the Claymore Animation Project has forged new approaches to community development, working with residents a the large public housing estates characteristic of this area. Pioneered by a joint project the Society established with the Good Samaritan Sisters in Claymore in 1995, the project’s partners include the Franciscan Friars, the Presentation Sisters (Wagga Wagga Congregation), the Sisters of St Joseph and the Catholic Diocese of Wollongong.

As the name suggests, the process of Animation is one of “bringing to life”, energising and inspiring communities from within. On the surface, this may seem a logical approach. It is, however, a relatively new way doing things.

So much of the history of the care of disadvantaged groups has been about one-way transactions, in which care is something to be provided by an external agency, rather than fostered from within. While the care-giving approach can achieve results, it is not a long-term option.

As Article 7.9 of the Society’s guiding document, The Rule, states: “The Society should work not only with individuals in need but also with families and communities. It can help an excluded or deprived local community to develop a sense of responsibility and solidarity which leads to improve its economic, social or environmental well-being.”

The Rule also clarifies the Society’s commitment to the principles of selfsufficiency, an ideal integeral to programs like the Claymore Animation Project.

Article 1.11 specifies: Vincentians endeavour to help the poor to help themselves wherever possible, and to be aware that they can forge and change their own destinies and those of their local community.”

can discuss and dialogue, find the root causes of their problems and together search for solutions.”

The search for solutions goes on in Claymore. However, the project has already produced extremely encouraging results, with community members working both with the Society and one another to foster positive and lasting change. This is truly a worthwhile project, one that enables communities to take charge of their own destiny and map a viable and sustainable way ahead. More reports from Claymore will be shared as the animation continues to come to life.

The Society of St Vincent de Paul has been active in the Campbelltown district since 1955. In the 1970s and early 1980s, the Campbelltown district experienced rapid urban growth, quadrupling from 30,000 to more than 120,000. As the district grew, so too did the Society’s response to needs in the local community. This expansion triggered the development of the Animation project.

The concept of Animation arose from researcher and community worker D. Abraham of Caritas. As he explains: “The crux of animation is not about giving resources to people but developing the resources of the people so that they can develop themselves. The whole program is to involve people, to create a forum for the people where they can come together as equals, where they

Experience and research proves that communities that receive the support and resources to create or “animate” their own forms of care are far more likely to develop long-term sustainable solutions. The St Vincent de Paul Society has always been about facilitating these types of solutions.

2: Animation Helps People Help Themselves

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VINNIES YOUTH ASKING ALL THE

RIGHT QUESTIONS 10

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

O

ne of the most encouraging aspects of the resurgence in youth involvement in the St Vincent de Paul Society that has occurred in the wake of World Youth Day is the intense interest in social justice.

Perhaps social justice is a natural focal point for young people; after all, one of the most vital characteristics of youthfulness is the conviction that ideals are not just something to be aspired to but rather to be realised.

Youth is a stage in life when we think the impossible is possible, it is a time where enthusiasm abounds and the responsibilities of day to day life have typically not yet accumulated to a level where time becomes a precious commodity.

Speaking recently at the Social Justice Sunday Mass at the Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, I was very impressed with the commitment students expressed regarding social justice issues. Following the lecture, in which questions of inequality, poverty and justice were raised, I was fortunate to meet with a group of ACU students, including Augustino Dut, Vanessa Forcella, Daniel Nelson, Youssef Taouk, Santino Bol Wek and Melissa Cameron – definitely names to look out for in the social justice arena.

These students were highly attuned to the key questions surrounding social justice. Daniel led the discussion, asking us, “What sort of community do we want to live in?”

Daniel’s question was exceptional, one that goes to the heart of Catholic social teaching. Many highly qualified and experienced researchers or commentators may think such a question is too general, too vague to produce any concrete outcomes.

I would argue, however, that this is precisely the manner in which social justice should be approached. Social

3: Vinnies Youth asking all the Right Questions

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

justice should not be about narrow paths of inquiry, and it certainly shouldn’t be concerned with having all of the answers; rather it must be about asking the right questions and listening intently to the ensuing responses.

For Vincentians, social justice is distinctly concerned with humility, centred upon drawing nearer to Christ by learning from his teachings and seeing his love expressed through the poorest of the poor. This is the spirit of social justice I am fortunate to witness in everyday through the process of sharing research, exchanging ideas and building relationships. This spirit is especially evident in the hearts of young Vincentians.

Some weeks after the ACU lecture, I was fortunate to receive an invitation from Peter Figg, youth coordinator from the Society’s Broken Bay Diocese, to speak to a group of young students taking part in a Vincentian ‘street retreat’. A ‘street retreat’ is a chance to share in the work the Society does, at the coalface. Speaking on the issue of homelessness and human rights, I was again struck by the level of interest and knowledge on the part of the participants. Asked to clarify which particular human rights may be compromised by the experience of homelessness, the students responded in remarkably creative and insightful ways.

Rather than focusing solely on the right of the homeless to shelter, the ‘street retreat’ participants raised a number of complex issues like access to public spaces, psychological trauma and even fundamental civil liberties like the right to vote. This questioning impulse ensured that the discussion flowed into important areas not often discussed in the same breath as homelessness.

Indeed, the tenor of discussions in general led all of us to the conclusion that more work was needed to break down the stereotypes surrounding

homelessness. This is exactly the process by which social justice leads to advocacy. It is a process all too often fractured by the habits many of us develop through age of discussing issues in circles, focusing too much on convention and not enough on action. The ‘street retreat’ is another example of youths leading the way in the Society.

However revolutionary or progressive it may seem, the notion of youths and young adults carrying the torch for social justice is not new to the Society.

In fact, the Society was born through the energies, compassion and, most importantly, faith of youths. It is no accident that the Society’s principle founder, Blessed Frederic Ozanam was a 19 year-old when his faith and convictions prompted the formation of the Society. Much of Frederic’s yearning to express his faith in a proactive manner stemmed from the enthusiasm and ideals of youth. The most clearly defined characteristic of Frederic’s commitment to social justice, however, was his questioning impulse.

but for me it has lost none of its power or relevance. To remain faithful to Frederic’s spirit it is critical that we continue to ask these questions, continue to heed the “shaking” of the “ground under our feet.”

Young people hear and feel the ground under their feet and, like Frederic, are determined to continue to ask the right questions. If we are to remain faithful to the Vincentian vocation, we must learn to listen to and respect the voices of youths, and in doing so remind ourselves that young people keep the Society young.

A strident advocate for social justice, at no time did Frederic make the mistake of believing he had all the answers. “The question which should be agitating the world today”, said Frederic, “is neither one of the forms of government nor of persons, it is a social question. It is a struggle between those who have too much and poverty, which is shaking the ground under our feet.” This statement was made more than 170 years ago,

3: Vinnies Youth asking all the Right Questions

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HOMELESSNESS AND ACCESS TO

PUBLIC SPACE 14

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

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ith the rapid growth of modern cities, space is now at a premium.

Nowhere is this fact more evident than in the current housing crisis afflicting an extraordinarily large proportion of Australians. Lack of affordable housing is of course a matter of great concern to the St Vincent de Paul Society, particularly the effects of the crisis on the most disadvantaged members of our community. Indeed, the Society’s Residents at Risk social justice research report examines one of the hidden aspects of the housing crisis; specifically, people marginalised by ‘last resort’ caravan park residency. Urban expansion and rising population are often the focal points of debate surrounding housing.

One detrimental consequence of the growth of cities that has not been discussed at length, however, is the decreasing levels of access to public space.

What is public space? At first glance, it may seem a simple thing to define. The term ‘public space’ can broadly be understood as encompassing the opposite of private space. This is technically accurate, but it is an overly simplistic interpretation. To be truly public, an area must contain members of the public.

After all, a city square, no matter how expansive and inviting is a barren, lifeless place without the bustle a diverse mix of people can bring.

It is also crucial that public space is shared space, inviting access to all members of the public and not just an exclusive few, or those who, for example, have converging traits, interests and motivations. Again, were a particular space to contain only people of a similar standing, it would undoubtedly be bland and unwelcoming.

The idea of public space stems from the earliest of civilisations, reflecting the fundamental human need to gather together and share life’s experiences. The ancient Greeks recognised public space as an essential ingredient for a democratic society. The Agora, which literally translates as ‘city square’ comprised the heart of civil society. The Agora was the vibrant forum in which various groups could share and articulate their ideas in a free and open manner. Today, this inspiring and inclusive term survives only in its negative connotation as agoraphobia, the fear of public spaces.

Public space is inexorably linked to notions of social exclusion. When we talk about social exclusion, typically we think of the factors that impede a disadvantaged individual or family’s access to essential services, or financial pressures that exclude people from community participation. While these circumstances do perpetuate marginalisation and exclusion, they form only part of the picture. For people currently experiencing homelessness, denial of access to public space can seriously impinge on their ability to survive and work towards breaking debilitating cycles of deprivation.

The University of New South Wales’ Centre of Public Law (CPL) has an extensive array of resources for homeless persons and the social services sector regarding access to public space. These online aids have been developed in response to the CPL’s identification of a number of laws unfairly targeting the homeless.

“People who are homeless”, say the CPL, “have very few public space rights, with laws commonly prohibiting a range of essential human activities if carried out in public. Examples of such laws”, they continue, “include vagrancy, loitering, trespass, public drinking, anti-begging, anti-sleeping and anti-camping laws.”

4: Homelessness and Access to Public Space

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The CPL correctly observe that laws regulating “essential human behaviour (such as sleeping) can make you a criminal simply because you live in a park or on the edges of town.” Such laws, they add, “neither serve as a deterrent”, nor do they have “a rehabilitative function”; rather, they “tend to perpetuate the very lifestyles they are designed to check.”

Laws impeding access to public space are particularly detrimental to the Indigenous population. The law has no account for customs or longstanding cultural links to particular public spaces. Researcher, Elizabeth Eggleston claims that vagrancy laws effectively “punish poverty”, perpetuating systemic cycles of blame towards those most in need of support, compassion and empowerment.

Disadvantaged young people are another particularly vulnerable segment of the community adversely affected by current laws pertaining to public space. The youth resource website, Actnow, raises a series of questions regarding issues confronting young people and public space. Actnow directly address young people, explaining how, “access to a space refers to how you feel within that space, how easy it is to get to, or who is most welcome in that space. Youth are often excluded or seen as a problem in public spaces.” Current laws directly contradict widely accepted research linking freedom of participation with increased levels of youth self-esteem, resilience and social cohesion.

Actnow adds that “youth are often excluded or seen as a problem in public spaces”.

Male youths, they continue are often “stereotyped as disruptive and negative in the community”. Reflective of the approach towards homeless persons in general, “governments often respond to the community’s misplaced fears by introducing tougher legislation and policing.” Considering over quarter of homeless persons in Australia are under the age of 18, it is clear that the current system of punishing the poor is utterly unacceptable.

In accepting a prestigious award from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Sydney architect Richard Johnson said, “pedestrians need to claim back [Sydney’s] streets. Public space”, he concluded, “rather than buildings will ultimately define the city.”

The weight of evidence concerning the importance of public spaces, and Mr. Johnson’s comments compel us to consider exactly what kind of city we want to live in.

The St Vincent de Paul Society recognises the importance of social inclusion in building a more compassionate and just community. We implore governments and legislators to reexamine our public spaces, placing the needs of the most disadvantaged members of our community to the forefront of their planning and policy initiatives. Only then can we integrate the architecture of hope into otherwise impersonal and alienating cities.

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

4: Homelessness and Access to Public Space

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SPARK HELPING PEOPLE FIND A PLACE

TO CALL HOME

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

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ight-year-old Winnie, a refugee from Sudan was recently asked, “What does ‘a place to call home’ mean to you?” It’s an important question, yet one most of us rarely stop to ponder.

Her reply was simple, yet extraordinarily profound. “A place to call home is Australia and Africa”, said Winnie. “I came from Africa to Australia. A place to call home is home. I feel safe at home with my family.”

Winnie’s insightful description of ‘home’ arose through her participation in the St Vincent de Paul Society’s SPARK program. SPARK is an acronym for St Vincent de Paul Society Assisting Refugee Kids. Now in its second year, this Special Work continues to produce good outcomes for both participants and volunteers.

Focusing on schools with high proportions of refugee students, this highly adaptive and progressive program builds vital links between refugee and mainstream community groups. SPARK plays a critical role in aiding the challenging transition period refugees face in the early stages of their settlement in Australia.

Studies show that refugees who receive positive and proactive support in the early period of settlement are far more likely to become productive and cohesive members of the community than those who do not receive sufficient assistance. Combine this logic with research illustrating the lifelong importance of positive reinforcement and support for children, and we begin to see how SPARK, a program that marries these two early intervention strategies, is having such a significant impact on refugee communities.

Discussing SPARK’s strengths, the program’s coordinator, Clare Thompson explains, “Settlement services are not generally well linked to

the education system. SPARK bridges that gap, promoting understanding and collaboration between services, families and communities.”

Clare points out that SPARK is also a highly adaptive and innovative program, “operating both within Government and Catholic school systems. No other schools based program”, she adds, “has this level of access and connection with the refugee community.”

On the practical level, SPARK draws on current research highlighting the importance of an integrated or holistic approach to settlement issues, rather than fragmented or piece-meal assistance.

Primarily centred upon homework assistance groups for primary school aged children, SPARK branches out to include other education and training programs including creative workshops, sports activities, and the provision of information and literacy skills for parents.

One of the keys to the success of these support programs is the focus on making them fun. Many of the activities are developed in consultation with the participants. As SPARK volunteer, 21 year-old Jessica says, “When I tried to get the kids to do some spelling they weren’t really interested, all they wanted to do was go outside and play soccerexactly the same as my brother.”

The inclusion of recreational and creative activities has helped to bring the education programs the balance they need, ensuring that kids are able to build self-esteem and support one another in a multitude of ways both within and outside the classroom.

SPARK has also enabled the forging of vital links with the mainstream community, with barbeques, picnics and other social gatherings bringing refugee and local communities together

5: SPARK Helping People Find a Place to Call Home

in relaxed and informal settings. This is one of many ways in which SPARK works towards building self-sustaining relationships that will last well beyond the life of the program. These aspects of the program empower the people involved rather than make them dependent on the ongoing support of external agencies.

In addition to educational, social and recreational support, SPARK offers refugee families life skills vital in meeting the diverse challenges of settlement.

This includes community forums on topics ranging from nutrition through to budgeting. Seemingly minor things like filling in school forms or reading notices have also been important parts of these inclusive learning sessions.

The group structure of the information sessions has also led to greater information sharing among refugee families and members of the broader community outside the SPARK program.

The growth of this form of mutual support is extremely encouraging. This level of communication and support is a critical feature of an inclusive community.

Finding ‘a place to call home’ can be a difficult task for any of us, but the things that make a place home are familiar to us all. As Winnie says, it is place where we must “feel safe”.

Fellow SPARK participant, 8 year-old Rebekah says, home is a place where “we live together.” Hala, aged 9, says “My home is special to me because my family live there. There are also lots of kind neighbours.” 8 year-old Theresa says, “My mum lives at home. My mum is beautiful. I cook with my family. I help my family. I love my family.”

Innovative educational, recreational, social and community building features of SPARK ensure it is many things to many people. Most importantly, it is a program that helps incredibly traumatised people arrive at a place they can call truly call home.

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LOOKING BEYOND THE LABEL OF

HOMELESSNE

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

I

can wait all day”, says Brian, “it’s just so perfect when you finally see it.”

He is well accustomed to waiting, it used to bother him but it doesn’t worry him anymore.

“

I struck up a conversation with Brian in early July while conducting social justice research for the St Vincent de Paul Society as a volunteer on the Society’s Night Patrol van. I learnt a great deal that night, beginning with my encounter with Brian.

A smallish man in his late forties with a broad grin and an impossibly thick moustache, Brian’s been in various stages of homelessness now for around fifteen years, but he’s tired of talking about that. Standing in the queue at the Night Patrol van, Brian has other things on his mind, things infinitely more important to him than his homelessness.

Brian waits to see a breed of owl that frequents Sydney’s Botanical Gardens at night this time of year. His eyes light up as he describes it to me. “It’s called a Tawny Frogmouth, funny name isn’t it”, he gestures to me excitedly, nearly spilling his cup of tea as he stretches his neck and arms out loosely imitating the owl’s odd appearance and distinctive call.

ESS

“Sometimes I go to the State Library”, Brian adds, “you can sit in there all day and look at books about the birds and learn all about their habits.” I ask him how his interest in birds arose.

“Well…” says Brian scratching his chin, “I’m a photographer, and any good photographer knows that sometimes you have to wait to get the perfect shot.” Brian continues, “I don’t always have a camera with me but I notice when something comes into my frame of view. Most people are in too much of a hurry to recognise the perfect picture. I’m lucky”, Brian concludes, “I get to see it every day.”

6: Looking beyond the Label of Homelessness

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Brian’s friend Bob is less animated.

When the Night Patrol Van makes its stop at Sydney’s Martin Place around 9.30pm the large crowd awaiting its arrival forms two long queues. Bob is too frail to stand in line. He waits on a bench at the side of the plaza, where I bring him a sandwich and a cold drink.

Jackie, a longstanding Night Patrol volunteer tells me Bob can’t handle hot drinks. He likes apple juice, Jackie adds.

Tonight a biting wind is making it very cold and Bob’s breathing is uneasy. He doesn’t like to talk much but I ask him if he’s okay. “Yes thank you”, he murmurs.

“I’m sorry Bob, we’re all out of apple juice tonight”, I explain, sitting next to him. “That’s alright mate”, Bob replies, his voice broken yet gentle, “thank you for the sandwich.” I leave him to eat in peace, as Jackie informs me he likes his own space. The volunteers tell me they will keep a close eye on Bob over the coming nights, ensuring that his health doesn’t deteriorate.

Moving through the crowd I enjoy a conversation with Michael, a man in his mid-thirties. He updates me on the football results, even though the game only finished 10 minutes ago.

“News travels fast out here mate”, he says grinning. Michael goes on to explain he’s a “greenie”. “Whys that?” I ask. “Well the little heater in my bedsit broke the other night”, he says with a wry smile. “Now I just rug up and save on electricity, I’m environmentally friendly.” Our lively discussion is broken by an elderly homeless woman yelling obscenities indiscriminately at all assembled. “She’s okay”, chuckles Michael, a regular visitor to the van, “she does this nearly every night the poor old girl, never a dull moment with her around.” Other visitors, however, are not so regular, or noisy.

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Looking over to the steps leading up to Macquarie Street, about 20 metres away from the van, Jackie’s colleague,

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

Graeme notices a new face. “She looks very young”, he says to Jackie. “She’s only twelve”, Jackie replies. “She’s not here alone”, she continues, “I spoke to a chap earlier who explained that the girl’s mother has a home, yet when her parents split up she chose to be with her dad, who, as it happens, lives on the streets now.” Graeme takes a blanket from the back of the van and hands it to the girl who is wearing nothing but a pair of tights and a thin sweater. She nods nervously in thanks but is reluctant to talk.

Surveying the scene, I can’t escape the irony that politicians, stockbrokers and business people stride purposefully across these very same streets by day.

The feelings this powerful disparity provokes are difficult to reconcile and will never leave me.

After about 45 minutes, the Night Patrol van has served the roughly ninety people assembled at Martin Place. It’s time to head off to the next destination, St Mary’s Cathedral.

Arriving at the Cathedral, the crowd assembled is not as large as Martin Place, yet the need remains great.

A group of people huddle together by the entrance to the Cathedral’s underground car park. The warm air from the vents provides some respite from the cold. The car park closes at 9pm but the security guard bends the rules, keeping the doors open until the Night Patrol van arrives.

I meet Kim near the car park entrance.

He’s a young Korean man, here on a student visa. Kim was evicted from his share flat in Strathfield when the landlord nearly doubled the rent in the space of three months. “I work hard”, he explains. “When I finish my studies I will be a good Australian, a physicist.”

He is a remarkably intelligent man. I tell him he is already a “good Australian”.

He smiles warmly and thanks me for the sandwich.

I set out on this research expedition to find out more about the multi-faceted experience of homelessness. Of all that I encountered that night, the reluctance of Brian, Bob, Michael and Kim to solely identify themselves as “homeless” left the biggest impression.

However, on reflection, their reasoning in this regard is quite unsurprising. After all, when was the last time you opened a conversation with somebody by stating your name and then informing them you have a home?

The prospect of spending time on the Night Patrol van led me to believe I would gain a unique insight into homelessness. I did, but not in the manner I expected. I learnt a very important lesson, one that often gets lost in our rush to help people experiencing disadvantage. That lesson is: first and foremost, people are people In seeing the face of Christ in the poor, Vincentians must also seek out the myriad of beauty, complexity, compassion and compassion of our Father’s creation. We must not only see poverty, but also a person like Brian, who’s patience allows him to recognise the magnificence of God’s design; or Bob who remains gentle and at peace despite the calamity around him; or Michael a character with a sense of humour and resourcefulness that clearly lessons the burden of those around him; and Kim, a man who’s deep intelligence and genuine wish to help others penetrates the despair that engulfs him.

If I am blessed, I will have an opportunity to continue to learn from the people I was lucky enough to meet that night. However, as Brian taught me, to glimpse the perfect picture, I will first have to learn how to wait.

6: Looking beyond the Label of Homelessness

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MAKING

ECONOMI EASIER TO UNDERS 24

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

E

ver wondered what the term ‘negative growth’ means? It seems like an oxymoron. What about ‘stagflation’? How can something be stagnant yet inflating at the same time? These are just two examples of the way in which the language of economics and the logic of ‘the market’ seem both contradictory and thoroughly illogical all at once.

Why should the puzzles of marketspeak be of concern to the St Vincent de Paul Society? Surely the Society has little reason to focus on what happens at the top end of town? True enough, the Society is not overly interested in adding its voice to the already impenetrable discourse of neoclassical economics, yet it has plenty of reasons to critique the manner in which economics and ‘the market’ is discussed.

The language of economics may be complicated and indirect, yet it can have very a blunt and direct impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged Australians. When this language is finessed to a degree that only Harvard trained economists can take part, the rights of those people least able to participate are seriously undermined.

ICS STAND 7: Making Economics Easier to Understand

Part of the problem in current economic jargon stems from the way it is presented in the media. When it comes to reporting on ‘the market’, economists and media executives don’t believe the general public can deal with straight talk.

Next time you watch the news, look for the none too subtle shift in language that occurs when the financial report rolls around. After a news bulletin full of simple and direct information about what happened to whom, where and why, we suddenly enter the fairytale language of metaphor and analogy. All at once, this nebulous thing referred to as ‘the market’ is personified into what

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sounds like a critically ill patient tucked away in the dark recesses of a distant hospital ward.

Take, for example, the following phrases from recent television news reports: “And in financial news, the market took a turn for the worse today”; “the market was stable”; and, “the market is recovering.” It is as though finance reporters are sitting dutifully at the bedside of an ailing giant, providing the rest of us with a veiled commentary on the cumbersome patient’s welfare, all of the time sparing us the detail, filtering out the gory parts in case we can’t handle it.

Those holding the reins of the market, whoever they are, would perhaps have us believe that they are merely trying to simplify what is a very complex set of issues. “We don’t want to bore people with complicated facts and figures”, they might say. While this may be true, do they want to go too far the other way and treat people like children?

When the language of economics becomes reminiscent of a fairytale, then the ability of people to understand finance and make informed decisions is seriously diminished. One thing is for sure, when the market takes a downturn the effects on marginalised people are anything but a fairytale, they are more like a nightmare.

In conducting financial counseling with people experiencing disadvantage, the St Vincent de Paul Society is constantly confronted with the consequences of poor financial literacy. While economists may argue that it is up to the individual to keep pace with, and read the market, the Society believes the market has a responsibility to meet people halfway. Economics shouldn’t just be a thing that happens to people; rather, the needs of people, particularly the most disadvantaged members of the community should be the central part of the process.

The Society is not calling for a wholesale change in the manner in which economics is discussed. We are, however, asking that we as a community reexamine our priorities.

The benefits of increased financial literacy are well evidenced. Sound financial skills enable an individual to make choices and take charge of their own destiny. This type of empowerment has a ripple effect where generations learn responsible financial behaviours, with the potential to not only improve families but also communities. If the social benefits alone are not convincing then economists may be impressed by research indicating Australia’s Gross Domestic Product would benefit by over six billion dollars per year if an investment was made in increasing the financial literacy of the ten per cent of the population with the lowest literacy levels.

The question of perspective highlights one of the biggest problems apparent in current financial literacy programs.

Significant inroads have been made in teaching people on limited incomes

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how to manage everyday or regular costs such as rent, bills, food and transport. So too, planning for ‘eventbased’ situations has also played an important part. By using the term ‘eventbased’ we are talking about managing cost spikes that occur around events like an illness, loss of job, a change in housing, and other personal factors.

The focus on ‘events’ has taken hold in financial literacy programs across the world, in regions such as Europe, North America and South East Asia, simply in recognition of the fact that people rarely plan, rather they respond to financial events as they arise.

The key to bringing about lasting change lies in building people’s broader knowledge of economics. If an individual can understand what fluctuations in interest rates can mean to the broader economy, even on a rudimentary level, then they have a better ability to plan. If a shop assistant on a limited income understands that a downturn in consumer confidence can undermine retail spending, they might recognise that it is a bad time to apply for an increase in their credit card limit. Similarly, learning very simple things about the difference between the Reserve Bank’s cash rate and the banking sector’s market rate may help a young family gain a better understanding of what size mortgage repayments they can afford.

So much of current market logic talks about the imperative of change, how businesses must adapt to survive. Let’s apply this logic to the manner in which the market affects the most disadvantaged members of our community. Markets have the resources to change; people in economic disadvantage do not. The time has come to cut our “negative growth” (a.k.a., our losses) and redefine the language of economics in a way that enables all of us to contribute to the discussion.

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

MEN WITH COURAGE

SPEAK OUT ON

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 8: Men with Courage Speak out on Domestic Violence

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s little as ten years ago, if you asked a member of the general public about an issue like depression, it is unlikely they would have known very much about it. Lack of community awareness meant that at best people were ambivalent and at worst prone to prejudice.

If we compare this attitude to prevailing opinion today, it is clear a massive shift has occurred. For instance, most of us now have a reasonable understanding of conditions like depression and anxiety. Similarly, there is considerable awareness of the prevalence of these conditions, with most people now recognising that 1 in 5 of us will be affected by mental illness in our life time.

Years ago, issues concerning mental health were simply not discussed.

It took a concerted effort on the part of governments, professionals, community groups and, most importantly, ordinary individuals to bring previously hidden issues to light.

Talk is the key.

Former Victorian premier, Jeff Kennet, actor Gary McDonald and sportsperson, Andrew Johns are just a few of many prominent figures who have taken the lead by talking openly and honestly about depression and anxiety, helping to breakdown the stigma and myths surrounding mental health issues.

The efforts of high-profile Australians have prompted similar responses on the part of many local communities.

The ‘Mate Helping Mate’ program whereby rural men support one another in dealing with mental health issues, is an excellent example of the healing power of talk and friendship. Supported by the St Vincent de Paul Society, ‘Mate Helping Mate’ is an initiative that has thoroughly busted the myth that men are unwilling to open up with one another regarding their health.

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The notion of men speaking-out on sensitive issues is perhaps a new and challenging concept for many.

For a long time, mainstream society held onto the outmoded idea that men don’t talk about their feelings. We now generally accept that talking about these issues is a sign of great courage rather than weakness. Given the great leap forward that has occurred in the way that men discuss their health, it is timely to apply the power of talk to other hidden issues.

Domestic violence has long been a difficult topic for men to discuss. An attitude has prevailed that, while the overwhelming majority of men reject violence, they are reluctant to discuss their opinion openly. Perhaps we need the leadership of prominent Australians to provoke a response.

Sadly the issue of violence is rarely discussed in the public domain in a manner that could be described as progressive. For instance, a recent media report concerning football players charged with assault, urged fans to continue supporting the players and “the code”, as the men in question were yet to be convicted. What about the female victim of the alleged assault, no mention was made of her, nor any support offered? If they were asked, no doubt the overwhelming majority of male football supporters would not support a “code” that swept violence under the carpet.

While the incidence of negative reporting of violence related issues is disappointing, we shouldn’t lose heart.

We must recognise the transformative power of open and honest discussion.

Men must also accept that, when it comes to domestic violence, they are compelled to speak-out.

following statement made by a man at a recent forum against violence.

“Domestic violence is not an issue where you can sit on the fence”, he said. “If you don’t have an opinion, then you’re allowing it to happen.”

This straight-forward but remarkably incisive statement brings to mind the adage, “bad things happen when good people do nothing.”

How do men begin? The answer is to ask the right questions. We must ask ourselves whether we want to live in a society where domestic violence is the leading cause of homelessness among Australian women.

We must question how we would feel if one of our children were among the 129,231 children who last year witnessed their mother being abused.

And we must ask how we would cope if our daughter, sister or friend was among the one in every fifty women between the ages of 18-19 who seek assistance from a homeless shelter or women’s refuge every year.

Once we have examined the issue at a personal level, we then need to share our opinions with friends. Make those around you aware of your thoughts on domestic violence. This is not always easy, particularly for men, as many of us have been taught not to discuss these matters. It takes courage to do so.

Before you think you haven’t got what it takes, think of the incredible courage displayed by the tens-of-thousands of women who have survived the trauma of domestic violence. With this thought in mind, it is impossible to stay silent.

The obligation for men to make clear their opposition to domestic violence is in many ways summed-up by the

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

8: Men with Courage Speak out on Domestic Violence

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OZANAM INDUSTRIES

TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS

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he legend abounds that Australians love long-weekends.

For most workers, time-off is a precious commodity. One Sydney workplace, however, is bucking the trend. With premises in Stanmore and West Ryde, Ozanam Industries deals with challenges common to most businesses, but staff motivation is not one of them.

“It is very difficult to get some of our employees to take holidays”, explains Manager, Alyson Morrison. “For many of them, work is their sole reason for being. Everything else in their lives is provided, but this is one area where they can make a contribution.”

Many managers listening to Alyson would argue the reluctance of staff

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to take a break is hardly a reason for concern; that is until they learn about the remarkable achievements occurring against the odds on a daily basis at Ozanam Industries.

Ozanam Industries is a Special Work of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

Offering supported employment to people with disabilities, the business is a proven success as both a commercial concern, and a place of support and community engagement for many people who would otherwise have little social interaction or parity with the mainstream community.

The Stanmore site produces an array of products and services, ranging from baking, sorting and packing Hosts for communion services around the

country, through to assembling various commercial products of differing levels of complexity for onsite packaging and distribution. The West Ryde facility houses a specialist mailhouse, engaging in all manner of large and specialist scale coding, sorting and distribution of printed material.

Ozanam Industries has proven to be very competitive, in many instances out-doing its rivals in the mainstream business community to secure work with major clients including large institutions and various commercial product manufacturers. Importantly, this work has not been secured through acts of charity; rather, it is most often the result of Ozanam Industries’ competitive business practices, and most importantly, its dedicated staff.

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

Despite its many successes, attracting new business remains a considerably challenging proposition. The standard expected from supported employment workplaces is typically higher than that of mainstream businesses. As Alyson explains, “Stigma and negative public perceptions mean we have to try even harder. Unfortunately”, she adds, “this attitude permeates across all sectors.”

Much of the quality work Ozanam Industries conducts has prompted glowing testimonials on the part of many clients; however, as any astute business person knows, the best endorsements come in the form of ongoing work and return business, and Ozanam Industries has a range of loyal customers.

The quality of the work is not a question, a fact proven by a series of ongoing business achievements. Marketing Manager Rod Seibler says, “An example of our ability to handle complex jobs is our recent work in the matching of complex codes and databases for a major client seeking to distribute surveys. At first they were very reluctant to give us the job because the information was sensitive and multifaceted. I was very persistent and eventually they gave us their work and they were very satisfied the result.” Alyson adds, “There isn’t much that we can’t do. Because we have to be inventive, we find ways to achieve results and assure quality for our customers.”

Many of the innovations that occur at Ozanam Industries arise from the particular abilities of their staff. As part of their compliance regime with government departments, Ozanam Industries is particularly sensitive of its staff skill set and as such highly aware of its operational capacities.

“Every single employee that commences work”, says Alyson, “has to have an assessment and that determines our level of funding. And each employee has to have in independent wage appraisal. We pay wages based on an award, pro-rata basis, according to people’s competencies and productivity. This administrative process alone can involve up to 12 pages of forms and assessments.” This considerable administrative burden has its challenges, yet it has also enabled a range of admirable success stories in relation to staff development.

Alyson explains that the receptionist at the Stanmore site is blind with very limited task skills. “At her first wage assessment which was four years ago, she had a productivity rating of 5 per cent. She really wasn’t suitable for an employment outcome.

We got to thinking about what she could do, and had the telephone system modified so that she had a task. Her most recent assessment revealed her productivity had increased to 15 per cent. Not only does she manage the phones, she’s had training to improve her workplace communication and gained a whole new range of competencies. This four year improvement is evidenced-based, not just a feel good story. Importantly, the benefit of that to her is that her wage increased along with her confidence.”

Social interaction is a critical feature of the business. “Many men and women here”, says Alyson, “don’t have any interaction with anyone outside their immediate circle. Their whole life is service provided. Their accommodation is with a service provider and their employment is with a service provider. They would get on the bus in the morning, get off the bus here and then do the reverse in the afternoon and have no community contact at all. Work is the one place where they can feel they are not just an object of service, rather they are being productive and contributing in important ways.”

Asked about strategies to deal with possible “challenging behaviour” on the part of staff, Alyson responds, “We’re fairly fortunate that we haven’t had much in the way of challenging behaviour. If I look at the actions of many people in the mainstream business community, I’m sure we would all agree there is definitely all manner of challenging behaviour apparent there.”

The thinking behind the business is simple. As Alyson says, “An important part of our philosophy is about doing our work, not as providing a service but providing a place of employment with the expectation that people will giver their best.”

Clearly the staff at Ozanam Industries respond well to expectations. The real challenge lies with convincing the broader community to adopt a similarly open and accepting attitude; and of course, there is always the constant challenge of getting staff to take a holiday.

9: Ozanam Industries takes Care of Business

31

RESIDENT AT RISK

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

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hile conference members monitor Ricky’s situation, he strives to remain independent.

As he puts it, he is “not one to ask for help”. Although he has made progress, Ricky still struggles with self-esteem issues. Conference president, Dale tells how Ricky is reluctant to invite family members to visit him in the caravan park as he feels that he has “nothing to offer anybody.”

[An extract from: Residents at Risk: the real story of ‘last resort’ caravan park housing, St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Social Justice Research, May 2008]

TS 10: Residents at Risk

Ricky’s story is one of many included in the St Vincent de Paul Society’s NSW Social Justice research report, Residents at Risk. Authored by Senior Researcher, Dr Andy Marks, the report examines the predicament of disadvantaged caravan park residents in selected locations across the state.

Primarily drawing on interviews with Society members conducting regular visitation with residents, the report also incorporates conversations with residents, a special case study, and statistical analysis to, firstly, build an account of marginalised caravan park residency and associated challenges; and secondly, present a series of informed recommendations.

At first glance, the report’s subject matter may provoke a series of questions. Why conduct research on caravan parks? Aren’t they holiday destinations? It is indeed the case that for many people, caravan parks are a place to spend treasured holiday time with loved ones. As one holiday maker remarked in response to the threatened closure of a much loved park by developers, “It’s just part of the Aussie tradition to spend your holidays at a caravan park down on the coast.”

For others, however, caravan parks are associated with an entirely different level of existence.

Surely it is not “part of the Aussie tradition” to leave extraordinarily disadvantaged men, women, children and families with no option but to reside indefinitely in caravan parks across NSW, one step away from homelessness. For them, the threat of park closure is but one of many pressing, often desperate, concerns impacting on virtually every facet of their existence. These people are not spending their holidays in a caravan park, nor are they residing in parks as a result of, what is often called, a lifestyle choice. For an increasing amount of people, caravan parks are a form of stop-gap housing – an improvised form of crisis accommodation with none of the network of support services considered basic requirements for recognised forms of crisis accommodation.

With affordable housing at record lows, and social housing utterly failing to meet demand, an increasing amount of people are turning to caravan parks as a ‘last resort’ form of housing. Many people are unable to secure even this type of inadequate accommodation as the number of parks continues to drastically decline and site rents increase at a rapid rate. The number of caravan parks in the Sydney region alone has halved in the last decade and many regional areas have experienced similarly marked declines in supply.

One Western Sydney caravan park runs at full-capacity, with some people waiting to secure a site resorting to sleeping in their cars alongside a creek bordering the park.

Living conditions reported across the caravan parks comprising this report’s case studies and ‘conversations’ ranged from inadequate to extremely poor. In one regional park, Shelly lives with her mother and her three young children in a secondhand canvass tent. Conditions in another park in metropolitan Sydney were so poor that Emma, a girl in her early twenties with a mental illness resorted to

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prostitution within the park to fund her drug addiction and pay the rent on her van and site. At another park, Hayley, a single mother in her mid-20s, has only $50 a fortnight to live on after paying the rent.

Violence is an ever present threat in the majority of caravan parks studied. Reports of violence towards women and children are common.

Furthermore, Society members are simply unable to visit some parks at night due to threatening behaviour.

Many residents, particularly those with children, consider their environment to be particularly dangerous; despair among these groups is understandably high and avenues of protection and recourse are either ineffective or nonexistent.

Parks are a common form of accommodation for women fleeing domestic violence. The threatening and abusive behaviour prevalent in many parks exacerbates already fragile levels of stress and anxiety.

Against the advice of prisoner support groups, many parks act as transitional housing for ex-prisoners. Coping behaviours developed in prison are often transposed to comparably brutalising park environments, further complicating and heightening existing patterns of violence and abuse. The fact that children, families, the elderly and people with special needs are forced to contend with these conditions is utterly unacceptable.

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Levels of substance abuse and addiction are high in the majority of caravan parks studied. Alcohol is a commonly adopted mode of dealing with the feelings of hopelessness that pervade day-to-day cycles of ‘last resort’ existence. Many people who initially enter parks as a temporary form of accommodation turn to drugs and alcohol when their ability to make choices and extricate themselves from this mode of life evaporates. In many

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

parks drugs act as a currency between some residents who live precariously between Centrelink payments – and payment breach periods – struggling to cope with the symptoms of addiction in an unsupported environment.

Problem gambling is also an issue for some caravan park residents, particularly so when park location provides ready access to clubs and pubs. As is the case with the broader community, the density of electronic gaming machines – or ‘pokies’ – is concentrated in low socio-economic areas. It follows that caravan parks accommodating significant proportions of disadvantaged residents are also typically located in these areas.

Violence, abuse and addiction place additional pressures on caravan park residents living with a mental illness.

While not sufficiently confirmed by existing modes of data collection, Society members anecdotally report the incidence of depression, anxiety and other conditions such as schizophrenia is markedly high among the disadvantaged residents they serve.

Addiction and mental illness are often accompanied by physical health problems. The sheer range and volume of medical conditions addressed by a volunteer physician and community health nurse at a mobile health clinic established ‘on-site’ at one regional caravan park confirms that many residents have poor levels of access to basic health care, and virtually no access to specialist and ongoing care.

In addition to the characteristics of caravan park residency detailed above, disadvantaged park residents also report difficulties relating to their tenancy. Most were unaware of their rights. Those who had a rudimentary understanding of the regulatory environment felt unable to exercise those rights. A culture of fear pervades

10: Residents at Risk

relations between many tenants and park operators, inhibiting the ability of many residents to secure fair and reasonable outcomes.

The broad findings emerging from Residents at Risk indicate that despite often common challenges and triggers, the problems faced by disadvantaged caravan park residents are manifest in many ways. One factor that was, however, common to nearly all residents covered in this report was their often desperate feelings of loneliness. “They feel as though they’ve been abandoned, as if nobody cares about them”, was a refrain closely approximated by nearly all Society members asked to surmise the general feelings of the people they assisted.

an immediate state-wide audit of caravan parks; consultation with all stakeholders; the coordination of onsite health teams and clinics; and the implementation of achievable pathways out of caravan park housing for disadvantaged residents. Longterm recommendations include: the commitment of state and federal governments to a Social Inclusion Strategy, incorporating affordable social and community housing; a reevaluation of current NSW Department of Housing ‘TemporaryAccommodation’ policy; better regulatory protections for park residents; and a thorough review of current Australian Bureau of Statistics data collection practices.

Current levels of assistance to disadvantaged caravan park residents are at best ad hoc and at worst, non existent. It is difficult to point to a lack of commitment on behalf of governments, as there is very little in the way of a formalised approach to assisting marginalised park residents. Much of the deficiency in support stems from a lack of understanding and an absence of reliable reporting of the predicament of these residents.

Given the enormity of the problem, the report closes with a series of detailed recommendations to government and the social service sector. Shortterm recommendations include:

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STORIES OF HEARTBREAK AND HOPE FROM

THE BUSH 36

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

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he St Vincent de Paul Society’s Rural Task Force marked its second anniversary in August by meeting in Ulladulla, the region where it all began. Speaking at the meeting, Bev Kerr, the Task Force’s President, recalled how this vital Society initiative was enacted in response to the following question put to the Society’s State Council by the Ulladulla Conference: “what are we doing to help people struggling with the drought?”

Since then, the Rural Task Force has travelled throughout regional NSW making good on its commitment to go out into rural communities and work person-to-person, on the ground where it can be of most benefit. Beginning at Peak Hill, in July 2006, the Task Force has since met with local farming and business communities in Manilla, Coolamon, Lake Cargelligo, Merriwa, Coolah, Warialda, Warren, and of course, Ulladulla. The next meeting is planned for the township of Berrigan in the Riverina.

Bev told the Ulladulla meeting that the Task Force had “heard some terrible stories in the past two years.” One such tale of heartbreak was that of a farmer who took his drought affected sheep to the saleyard, only to be told he’d have to take his stock back as they were in too poor a condition to accept for sale. He replied that he had no grain to feed them and asked if he could give them to the yard. They said they were sorry but they couldn’t take them. Devastated, he took his sheep home and shot the entire flock, and then shot himself.

Another farmer, recalled Bev, told the Task Force that the drought meant his lambs were being born deformed as a result of malnutrition. Bev explained that the devastating nature of these stories had prompted many city dwellers to enquire about trucking loads of food to struggling rural areas.

While well intentioned this approach,

11: Stories of Heartbreak and Hope from the Bush

37

she added, was not the answer.

Farmers want sustainable help for the whole of the farming community. Bev said that this is why the Task Force decided early on to seek financial support only for farmers. This helps rebuild communities, as farmers use these funds to buy essentials from local businesses, injecting funds where they are most needed.

Bev’s talk was followed by reports from other members of the Task Force who provided updates on conditions in their respective areas. Pauline Black from Wagga Wagga Diocese said the Riverina continues to be badly affected by the drought. Many farmers had taken their own lives. The Society is providing assistance to struggling schools by paying for excursions and events. Local farmers are also being helped with bills, food parcels, fuel, maintenance costs, ambulance cover, and counseling. Importantly, Pauline added that Society members are also providing “non-material support” in the form of prayers and masses. Another important, if unconventional form of assistance has been the establishment of “spotters”. Spotters, Pauline explained, are a group of farmers wives who ring the Society and other agencies if they see a neighbour in trouble. On the advice of a spotter, “we brought a parcel of food to one farmer’s wife”, Pauline recalls, “and she was so overwhelmed she sat on the kitchen floor and cried.”

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Mick Holmes from Young reported that farmers across the Canberra/ Goulburn Diocese are trying to put crops in but are being forced to cut corners because of the cost of sprays and fertilisers. This is unsurprising said Mick when you consider it can cost anything between $200-550 per acre to achieve a successful yield. Mick added that marginal increases in rainfall have had little impact because falls have not been steady enough to seep into the sub-soil. Mick was very worried about

Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

children in the region. The unrelenting desperation around them has prompted a “don’t care” attitude among youths.

“This is very bad for the future”, he said. Mick closed his report with the important question: “Are we thinking outside the square or just about what we can do?”

Don Hewitt reported on conditions in Armidale and the New England. The Society has recently expanded its visits with farmers in the area. Don told how he took part in a visit to a farming couple in their 70s, who for the first time in three generations were forced by the drought to take their stock on the road or the “long paddock” as it is referred to colloquially. The couple had been camping out on the roadside, moving 300 head at a cost of $1.30 per head, per day. Vinnies members helped them with bills and purchased a second-hand caravan so they would not be forced to sleep in the back of their truck. Don commented the Dioceses’ expanded visitation work has been an unparalleled learning experience for all involved.

Allen Murphy from Bathurst Diocese commented, “the Australian farming community is one of the proudest in the world.” He observed that farmers experiencing extreme personal hardship are invariably more concerned about their neighbours than themselves. Allen was particularly concerned about the decline in local communities. With time, he said, we can recover from the drought but the loss of communities is irrevocable.

Mental health is another point of concern. Allan was very encouraged by the attendance of more than 200 people at a recent mental health forum. The heartfelt stories shared at the forum had a much needed healing affect. “I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house”, he observed.

process by which urban Dioceses pair up with their rural counterparts to provide resources, support and assistance. Peter commented: “We stand ready and willing to help in any way needed.”

Vince Toohey from Wilcannia/Forbes Diocese, an area encompassing half of NSW conducts his visitation on the phone. Vince takes the time to build trust during the course of these conversations. He’s heard many tales of heartbreak, such as the story of one hard working, typically stoic young farmer who broke down in tears around the family dinner table, no longer able to hide his frustration and despair. Vince has also been lobbying government, telling one high-level inquiry: “If Australia wants a farming industry, we can no longer turn our backs and say, ‘famers are tough – she’ll be right mate’. Farming people are no different from other Australians and are entitled to a similar lifestyle.

It’s the least you would expect from a civilised society.”

Bev assured all present that the Rural Task Force will continue to provide assistance on the ground, person-toperson, wherever it is needed. Ongoing St Vincent de Paul Society initiatives such as the Mate Helping Mate DVD – a vital mental health resource – are also having a positive impact on the lives of rural Australians. Similarly, the Society is currently conducting intensive social justice research in regional areas like Ulladulla to ensure that our practical response and advocacy work is continually informed by the latest research. As Vince correctly said, “it’s the least you would expect”.

Peter Leckie from Sydney Archdiocese raised the issue of “partnering”; a

11: Stories of Heartbreak and Hope from the Bush

39

VALUES, POVERTY AND INEQUALITY

IN AUSTRALIA

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

“

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e no longer judge society by the fate of the poor but by the fortunes of the rich.” This comment, made by journalist Mark Davis, pinpoints a disturbing trend in the way in which the notion of community is discussed in contemporary Australia.

Davis’ observations, detailed in the Sydney Morning Herald, 30 August 2008, are taken from his forthcoming book, Land of Plenty. The book is a call to reassess the things we value as a nation. Central to his aims is to attempt to view Australian society, not through the impersonal appraisals of economists or statisticians, but through the prism of the people who have been left behind in the wake of 15 years of record economic growth. Much of his reading of the current situation mirrors that which St Vincent de Paul Society members have known for years; quite simply, the growth in the nation’s prosperity has not resulted in a fairer society, if anything, it has only served to broaden the divide between the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots’.

Davis’ choice of topic is not groundbreaking; however, what makes his comments particularly interesting is his ability to look beyond the rhetoric and simply trust his experiences.

“A couple of years ago”, says Davis, “driving through the industrial zone of the outer Melbourne suburb of Airport West at around knock-off time, I switched radio stations and came in on a conversation between two commentators discussing how class was dead in Australia. As I listened, I watched young and old men walk across a dusty gravel carpark to an assemblage of 15- and 20-yearold rusty Fords and early model Commodores. Men earning $30,000 or $40,000 a year, caked in foundry dust.”

Davis drove on to an appointment in a leafy suburb in South Yarra. The radio debate continued as he journeyed in matter of minutes between areas that

12: Values, Poverty and Inequality in Australia

seemed more like different planets than nearby suburbs. What he witnessed crystallised his view of the realities of inequality in Australia.

“A whole class of people has disappeared from popular consciousness and analysis”, says Davis. This group of disadvantaged Australians, he adds, has been “filtered out of everyday conversation”. Much of this problem stems from the fact that while divisions between classes are not as pronounced or openly discussed as they are in for instance, the United Kingdom, they still permeate everyday Australian existence. According to Davis, examples of this divide are subtle but easy to find.

Davis goes on to recall what occurred when he observed a family of “outsiders” entering a space surreptitiously “reserved” for wealthier Australians.

On the outskirts of the city, Davis visited an architecturally designed restaurant perched upon the top of a manicured garden hill surrounded by a shimmering dam, where “the basic meal costs more than $50 a head, the crowd is almost entirely white” and the drive is lined with prestige European cars. All of a sudden, the tranquil murmur of classical music and clinking glasses was shattered by what he describes as “a wonderfully liberating moment”.

A young family arrived, looking distinctly out-of-place. “Four noisy, barefoot young kids tumbled and cartwheeled down the lawn to the dam” while their mums and dads in modest secondhand clothing “stood uneasily at the top of the hill… looking particularly self-conscious and uncomfortable.” All of the “filters” designed to keep these kind of people out had failed, thought Davies, bar one. “There was nowhere for them to sit – not without spending $50 a head. For the kids, wonderfully, this didn’t matter”, Davis continues.

“They charged up and down the hill for

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

15 minutes while the parents improvised, filching a vacant restaurant chair so that the women could sit down in the heat, one perched uneasily on each corner, while the kids finished their game.”

Davis’ observations of kids blissfully unaware of the barriers of difference, class or poverty remind me of an insightful comment made by a social worker at a Family Centre in a depressed rural town in northern NSW, whom when asked how she coped with the despair and poverty she saw in the new mothers she helped every day, replied how she tells despairing parents, “babies don’t know whether their born in to a rich or poor family, all they know is love, and all they ask for is to be loved.” This is a simple yet extraordinarily heartening comment, one that reminds us how Christ’s love abounds in us all, regardless of the crude divisions so often imposed by a society so readily seduced by the vacuous “logic” of the market.

If Davis’ book achieves one thing it will be to start a conversation, one that is long overdue in mainstream Australia, a conversation that addresses the predicament of the most disadvantaged members of the community. The St Vincent de Paul Society has been contributing to this vital discussion for over 175 years.

The signs of a change in public discourse are encouraging, even among economic analysts. Columnist Ross Gittins recently wrote, “Governments have become so obsessed by the economy that they aren’t always aware of specific instances of the limitations of markets”. Gittins goes on to talk about the fundamentals of a responsible government and a compassionate society, observing that in all the debate about pensions and welfare, “no one seems to have spared a thought for the single adult unemployed, living on [$219] a week.” He critiques the modern day obsession with economics, stating, the “justification for putting so much emphasis on economic growth is that the richer we are the more easily we can afford to buy the solution to our problems. That may be true of many problems”, he concludes, “but most of us know money is often a poor substitute for the support of family and friends.”

The St Vincent de Paul Society remains committed to ensuring that we define the worth of our community through the manner in which we address the needs of disadvantaged Australians.

12: Values, Poverty and Inequality in Australia

43

LIFE LESSONS

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

T

he multi-faceted nature of homelessness demands an integrated and innovative response. New research released by the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW reveals learning and recreation programs are critical parts of progressive homeless service delivery.

Coinciding with the launch of the Ozanam Learning Centre, 6 November 2008, the St Vincent de Paul Society’s research team released the social justice report, Life Lessons: Learning and recreation as pathways out of homelessness.

“With the homeless population constantly changing and new challenges adding to the already complex experience of homelessness, it has never been more important for homeless services to adapt and renew”, says Dr Andy Marks, Senior Researcher with the Society and coauthor of the report.

“When correctly planned, implemented and evaluated, learning and recreation programs have proven to be extraordinarily successful ways of empowering a homeless person to make the transition back into the mainstream community”, says Andy.

Throughout the 37 homeless facilities comprising Matthew Talbot Homeless Services, the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW has long used learning and recreation as therapeutic, motivational and supportive devices for people dealing with the trauma of homelessness and related issues such as domestic violence, family breakdown, addiction and mental illness. The Ozanam Learning Centre consolidates and enhances this expertise.

As the report’s co-author, Cassie Douglas explains, “The ‘Life Lessons’ report examines the viability and structure of learning and recreation

13: Life Lessons

programs, not just across Matthew Talbot Homeless Services and at the Ozanam Learning Centre, but throughout a range of comparable national and international homeless services.”

The report’s findings confirm that recreation and education can and do produce positive outcomes for many people in various stages of disadvantage. Whether they are at risk of homelessness, currently experiencing homelessness or in the early stages of moving on, Cassie adds that “appropriately resourced learning and recreation programs, implemented in conjunction with housing, health and employment assistance can enable sustained independent living.”

Listening to homeless people is the key. “Good client feedback models are crucial if learning and recreation programs are to work”, says Andy.

“The programs that produce the best results are those that accurately reflect the needs of the people they are set up to assist, rather than imposing more demands.”

The ability to plan, adapt and renew is critical if learning and recreation programs are to stand the test of time. “The homeless population is constantly changing, and of course no two experiences of homelessness are the same”, Andy adds. “If learning and recreation programs are to affect lasting and sustained self-empowerment, they must be capable and willing to adapt, not only to changes in the homeless population but the changes shaping the broader community.”

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VINCENTIAN SOCIAL JUSTICE

AND CATHOLIC

SOCIAL TEACHING

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Social Justice Year in Review: 2008

T

he St Vincent de Paul Society’s expression of social justice stems from its beginnings in Paris in 1833. Driven by a desire to follow Christ and an insatiable yearning to add “work to talk”, the Society’s principle founder, 19 year-old Frederic Ozanam dedicated himself to providing practical help to “the poorest of the poor”. With the lucid counsel of Sister Rosalie Rendu, young Frederic and his fellow conference members began with the simplest of tasks, leaving bundles of firewood at the doorsteps of the city’s most impoverished residents at the height of a bitterly cold European winter.

While refusing to be daunted by the extent and severity of the poverty he encountered, experience quickly led Frederic to the realisation that material aid alone would not bring lasting relief to those in need, nor would it prevent future generations inheriting the crippling hardships he witnessed in the depths of the city’s burgeoning slums.

Frederic’s close-up view of the unremitting impact of deprivation convinced him of the importance of also being able to step back to survey its broader causes. Perception was the key.

Frederic determined that the Society must not only be concerned with alleviating need but also with identifying the unjust structures that cause it. In seeking to realise this goal, Frederic’s unwavering faith, his natural inquisitiveness and his sharp analytical mind compelled him to address the most challenging and complex of issues, without fear or thought of the damage it may cause his career.

In line with the revolutionary verve of the times, Frederic’s views on poverty were direct and, at times extraordinarily confronting. The Society became political, but not in the traditional sense of the term. For Frederic, the Society

was not partisan, nor was it aligned to a particular ideology or political system. From the outset, the Society positioned itself squarely as a layCatholic organisation, resolutely on the side of the poor.

Social questions were at the heart of the fledgling Society’s advocacy work. “The question which should be agitating the world today”, Frederic proclaimed, “is neither one of the forms of government nor of persons, it is a social question.

It is the struggle between those who have too much and poverty, which is shaking the ground under our feet.”

Frederic’s incisive identification of the crisis besetting a world swept up in the turmoil of rapid industrialisation was, for its time, remarkably astute and progressive. His call to action was no less direct. “Our duties as Christians”, he declared, “is to throw ourselves between these two camps, in order to accomplish through charity that which justice cannot do.”

Here we see the emergence of the Society’s voice as a force for social justice. In the years since, this voice has grown to a chorus resonating across more than 130 countries across the world. True to Frederic’s calling, the Society has become a strident advocate for justice, a united force for positive change that cannot be ignored.

In reflecting on the Society’s ongoing journey towards social justice, it is important to consider the convergence of the Society’s Vincentian ideals with the broader spirituality and intellectual candour of Catholic social teaching.

The principles of Catholic social teaching are centred upon the rights of the individual and the broader community. While many of these rights are comparable to the tenets of similarly orientated secular social justice documents, distinctions are

14: Vincentian Social Justice and Catholic Social Teaching

apparent in the responsibilities attached to the provision of these rights and the spirituality they encapsulate.

Catholic social teaching is guided by ten themes: 1) The dignity of the human person; 2) Common good and the community; 3) Option for the poor; 4) Rights and responsibilities; 5) The role of government and subsidiarity; 6) Economic justice; 7) Stewardship of the environment; 8) Promotion of peace and disarmament; 9) Participation; and, 10) Global solidarity and development.

The ideals encompassed by Catholic social teaching seek to bring Christ’s liberating love to the forefront of our way of life, compelling us to consider the social implications of our decisions.

Catholic social teaching’s promotion of compassion and cohesion ahead of competition and individualism may seem at odds with the so-called logic of the free-market, yet its principles remain more relevant than today than ever before.

In a world where we are literally sold the doctrines of materialism on a daily basis it has never been more important to remember the value of human decency, its concurrent fragilities and miraculous strengths. This is the social question that, to use Frederic’s phrase, “shakes the ground under our feet” today. It is also the question that drives the St Vincent de Paul Society’s relentless pursuit of social justice.

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CHARITY IS THE OIL BEING POURED ON THE WOUNDED TRAVELLER. BUT IT IS THE

ROLE OF JUSTICE

TO PREVENT THE ATTACK. BLESSED FREDERIC OZANAM