Christian Community and the pursuit of Common Good

Justice and International Mission Convention 2025

When: Saturday 12 July, 9 am – 4:15 pm

Where: Centre for Theology and Ministry, 29 College Crescent, Parkville

Cost: $50 Metropolitan/ $30 Concession and Rural and Regional, $10 online (morning sessions only) (Morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea included)

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

When Jesus said, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me," (Mt 25:40) he was inviting us to seek the Common Good. Jesus saw a common good as fulfilling God's will that we love and serve others, creating a society where all people are valued and treated with dignity, and where justice and peace prevail. The common good is a collective responsibility, where people live in harmony, sharing resources, offering help, and showing kindness to one another in ways that build up the community, and not just for individual gain.

Political and financial inequality across the globe and in Australia is increasing, resulting in people on lower incomes believing that the democratic system does not work for them. The increase in these inequalities also erodes trust and social cohesion in our society, and increase the growth in racism. It also makes it harder to address problems that require whole of society and international cooperation, such as climate change and pandemics.

The problem of the erosion of trust and social cohesion is enhanced by the spread of disinformation and misinformation in the online world. The ability of generative artificial intelligence to create realistic video material will increasingly make it more difficult to tell the truth from lies in the online world.

The Convention will examine what we, in the Christian community, can do to reverse these trends and rebuild a commitment to the common good in our society.

Keynote Speaker

Associate Professor Myra Hamilton

Myra Hamilton is an Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies at the University of Sydney Business School. She is a sociologist and social policy scholar whose work identifies and challenges inequalities arising from gender, age and social disadvantage. Among other things, her most recent work challenges the notion of the ‘generation wars’ and seeks to uncover the workings of elite privilege and its harms.

Myra will speak to her recent book on social, political and financial inequalities that exist in Australia, The Privileged Few.

Panel Members

Godfrey Moase

Godfrey is an Executive Director of the United Workers Union, that represents many workers on low incomes. He is also the chairperson of CoPower, a non-for-profit cooperative that seeks to transform the electricity and gas industries. He has published in the Guardian and New Matilda.

Godfrey will speak on the importance of democratic reform for low-income people.

Bruce Poon

In his professional life, Bruce worked as a consulting project manager and CEO in the infotech sphere. He has been the founder and director of several for-profit companies and not-for-profit charities and has led numerous expeditions overseas to aid communities in the developing world.

He joined the Animal Justice Party in 2012 and has served in various roles on the board and state committees, parliamentary adviser to our first Victorian member of parliament, and has served several terms as national president.

He is the president of the Animal Justice Foundation, which seeks to provide long term funding to valuable initiatives within the animal protection movement, including political initiatives.

Bruce will speak on the challenges faced by a small political party that lacks support from billionaires and millionaires in our current democratic system.

Mark Zirnsak

Mark is the Senior Social Justice Advocate in the JIM Cluster. He has been in Synod social justice roles for 26 years. He has been a numerous government consultive bodies in that time. Prior to joining the Synod he was a research engineer with a multinational mining corporation.

Mark will speak to the threats that financial and political inequalities pose to our collective well-being and what could be done to address them to build the common good and rebuild trust between us.

Aunty Esme Bamblett

Bangerang, Taungurung and Wiradjuri

Aunty Esme has been involved in Aboriginal Affairs for over 50 years in various capacities. She is a member of the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, which is negotiating a Treaty with the Victorian Government.

She speak on what kind of reforms to the democratic system are necessary to advance social justice for First Peoples.

WORKSHOPS

Please list your top three workshop options when registering (eg, 6, 3, 7). Workshops will be run based on the number of participants, and will not run if not enough participants register interest. Each workshop will aim to look for a specific way forward in each area.

One person, one vote - Giving people an equal say in democracy
Unequal access - Regulation of Lobbyists
Separating ice from snow - Misinformation and Disinformation and the role of AI
The other person might be right - Addressing political polarisation
Giving First Peoples a fairer say in democracy
Limitarianism - Limiting the role of wealth in democracy
Riders of the Apocalypse - Responding to threats to humanity's future
Make me a channe - The Synod's role in peace-building

Program

9 am Gathering & Registration. Tea and coffee will be provided on arrival

9:30 am Introduction, acknowledgement of country and opening worship

9:45 am Keynote address

10:30 am Morning Tea

11 am Panel Discussion on the common good, democratic reforms, and trust.

12:20 pm Lightning talks: One minute presentations about what you are doing in your church or community on social justice. Please register your interest in advance if you would like to make a presentation.

12:35 pm Lunch

1:15 pm First Round of Workshops

2:00 pm Short Break

2:15 pm Second Round of Workshops

3 pm Discussion on the direction and work areas of the JIM Cluster

4 pm Closing worship

4:15 pm Finish

Please register by Wednesday 9 July

If you have particular access needs or need assistance to register contact Alicia Torres on 03 9340 8815 or alicia.torres@victas.uca.org.au

Contact the host of Justice and International Mission Convention 2025