Noelene Osora

Do more for refugee and asylum seekers

MEDIA RELEASE – 18 June 2025

Refugee Week – a timely call for Federal Government to do more | Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CASPA)

CASPA urges the Australian Government to ensure the safely and well being of all people who have sought asylum in Australia.

Good news stories from Australia’s Refugee Council

Operation Not Forgotten (ONF)

• Operation Not Forgotten marks the 100th arrival of refugees resettled in Canada ending years of separation
• Government repays ONF travel loans after four years of lobbying

Church communities step-up for sponsorship of refugees

The community sponsorship movement has come a long way in Australia.  After years of research, development, advocacy and successful piloting, the government announced in February 2025 that the Community Refugee Integration and Settlement Pilot (CRISP) will become a ‘permanent and valuable’ part of Australia’s humanitarian program.

Act for Peace

Building a locally led approach, lawfully

Committed to amplifying the voices of people who are displaced as key to facilitating a truly locally led approach.

This Refugee Week, Act for Peace celebrates a campaign to enshrine refugees’ right to participate in international law and policy reform.

NAIDOC Week 2025

Sunday 6 –  Sunday 14 July 2025

2025 Theme: ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy’

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

First Nations

Celebrate the Next Generation!

Our Churches and Christian communities have developed resources to celebrate this year’s NAIDOC Week. 

These can be found together on the NCCA website page under First Nation resources.

Safe Church Program

Ecumenical Funding

Glenburnie Program

Funding from this program is intended to “provide resources for the churches and the community on issues relating to a just, participatory and sustainable society.”

Closing date for applications: 31 July 2025.

World Council of Churches

News from the WCC

Australian churches observe the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity: During Ascension and Pentecost, Christian churches in the southern hemisphere hold ecumenical services to mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The World Council of Churches Strongly Condemns the Attack on the Iranian territory: “an unlawful act that violates international law and the sovereignty of a nation-state.” WCC General Secretary Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay

ARTFinc grant

Australian Research Theology Foundation Inc. (ARTFinc)

Funding applications for religious and educational projects within Australia are welcomed by ARTFinc for projects in the Church in 2025-26. 

Applications close: 30 June 2025

Inaugural Oration

The John and Anna Belfer Oration in the History of Jewish Philosophy

“The First Rabbinic Philosopher: Saadia Gaon (882 – 942),”

When: Monday 30 June 2025, 6:00 pm AEST

Where: The Great Synagogue, Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW

Jewish philosophy initiative

The University of Notre Dame’s Centre for the History of Philosophy, is launching a new academic focus on the study of Jewish philosophy. 

“… it’s really important …to promote a shared understanding of the Abrahamic intellectual traditions – not only for insight into the past, but also for finding ways to live together and think together today.” Associate Professor Nathan Lyons, Centre Co-Director.

Seeing the grief of others

‘…. for those of us whose lives have been shaped by the horrors of the Holocaust … we cannot let history repeat. We should never give up trying to understand “the other”, and we must never succumb to the temptation to dehumanise our fellow human beings.’ Corinne Fagueret