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  • A message from Tim Costello about Gambling Reform
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    A message from Tim Costello about Gambling Reform

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    Common Grace <info@commongrace.org.au>
    2:53 PM (38 minutes ago)
    to me

    Dear Neville,

    I am writing to tell you about a new Gambling Reform initiative that I am involved in and to ask you, as an Australian Christian who is passionate about Jesus and justice, to join me.

    Next week a new documentary called ‘Ka-Ching! Pokie Nation’, will be released, highlighting how poker machines are specifically designed to prey on people and addict them. To follow on from the documentary and extend this message to broader Australia, a new organisation called The Alliance for Gambling Reform has been established, bringing together 42 churches, local councils and community groups, of which Common Grace is a part.

    As the Chair of the Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce, I’d like to ask you to be involved in this campaign, by watching the documentary and encouraging those in your world to also do so. ‘Ka-Ching! Pokie Nation’ will first screen on Tuesday night, ABC (October 20th 9.30-10.30pm) and you can see and share the trailer here.

    Kachingpreview.jpg

    I believe that poker machines are a counterfeit experience of grace. They promise blessing and the favour of ‘the gods’, but deliver a reality that destroys lives and communities. Proverbs says ‘We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall’  (Pr 16:33). Poker machines attempt to remove God from the equation, and by allowing them a place in our society, we are essentially allowing the greedy to design and build machines that steal futures. It happens across all our parishes and congregations – leaving a trail of ruined marriages, bankrupt businesses, and kids who go without. Obviously, this is not the vision we have of a flourishing life under the reign of God.

    Poker machines are a hidden drain on Australian society with over $10 billion spent on them each year by regular mums and dads. They need more regulation. I am hopeful that a movement of God’s people naming the huge cost these machines place on individuals and communities might grow into legislative reform. I long for the churches to be at the forefront of these types of social issues, as representatives of the grace and freedom found in the Lord Jesus Christ, advocating for the sake of those trapped in addiction and the communities that bear the terrible costs.

    At Common Grace, we are coordinating a campaign specifically designed for churches to get involved in addressing the problem of poker machines. Following the documentary’s screening, we will equip and support churches to host local screenings and to speak with local pubs and clubs that have poker machines, asking them to change their practices. We’d love you to participate. Register your interest by signing up at www.pokiesplayyou.org.au/commongrace.

    Together, let’s pray and believe to see real change in our nation through this campaign. Thank you for your support,

    Tim Costello

    Chair of the Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce

    Common Grace Board Member

    PS. We have also made an opportunity available for those who want to contribute financially to changing the conversation about poker machines in Australia. If you or your church is able to offer financial support to the campaign, you can do so by clicking on the link here.

    Common Grace
    http://www.commongrace.org.au/

  • Staggering hypocrisy Alice Jay – Avaaz

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    Staggering hypocrisy

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    Alice Jay – Avaaz Unsubscribe
    11:49 PM (9 hours ago)
    to me

    Our pressure is working! The UK Prime Minister just urged the Saudis to stop Ali’s execution. But Germany and the US have yet to speak out. Send an urgent message.

    The original email is below

    —–

    Saudi Arabia is about to behead a 21-year-old man and then crucify his body in public. This same country was just chosen to head a UN Human Rights panel — what staggering hypocrisy! But after mounting public pressure France and the UK have called to suspend the execution. Now we need the US and Germany, the Kingdom’s key allies, to speak out to save Ali. Send a message:

    SEND A MESSAGE
    Dear friends,

    Saudi Arabia is about to behead a 21-year-old man and then crucify his body in public. This same country was just chosen to head a UN Human Rights Council panel. What staggering hypocrisy!

    Ali Mohammed al-Nimr was arrested when he was 17 for participating in demonstrations against the government, then he was convicted under torture. But his case is not an exception — Saudi Arabia has executed more than 100 people this year, that’s a rate of one every two days!

    After massive public pressure, France and the UK have urged the Saudis stop this execution, but the US and Germany have yet to speak out. The best way to get urgent action is to channel our outrage to these leaders who have influence over the regime. Send a message now to save Ali, and then stop this human rights farce, his execution could happen any time:

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_saudi_beheading_paglobal/?bhPqncb&v=66203

    Saudi is now Chair of the UN committee that oversees nominations to key special rapporteurs and experts. Ali’s whole atrocious case shows how absurd that is! Human rights experts say this is an ‘arbitrary execution’ prohibited under the international Convention on the Rights of the Child, as Ali would be executed for crimes committed when he was a minor. But they will go ahead unless there is a massive cost on the international stage.

    The US and Germany have an ugly, but tight trade relationship with Saudi — they either sell the Kingdom weapons or buy oil, or both! We know international voices count. When we campaigned earlier this year for the German Vice Chancellor to tell Saudi officials to stop the flogging and possible execution of the blogger Raif Badawi, Sigmar Gabriel spoke out. Badawi hasn’t been flogged since and he’s still alive. He is still rotting in prison.

    Let’s urgently get US and German officials to tell Saudis that they must stop this execution, and then demand they weigh in at the UN Human Rights Council to ensure this new role is challenged. Send a message now – let’s help save this young man’s life:

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_saudi_beheading_paglobal/?bhPqncb&v=66203

    When regimes worldwide violate basic human rights, our community has spoken out and helped stop atrocities. Let’s now come together for Ali.

    With hope and determination,
    Alice, Melanie, Marie, Alex, Marigona, Maria Paz, Spyro and the whole Avaaz team

    MORE INFORMATION:

    Cameron urges Saudi Arabia not to execute Shi’ite protestor (Reuters)
    http://uk.reuters.com/article/2015/10/04/uk-britain-saudi-idUKKCN0RY09P20151004

    France urges Saudi Arabia to cancel death penalty for youth (Gulf Times)
    http://www.gulf-times.com/region/216/details/456125/france-urges-saudi-arabia-to-cancel-death-penalty-for-youth

    U.N., rights groups call on Saudi Arabia to spare man from beheading, crucifixion (CNN)
    http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/23/middleeast/saudi-arabia-ali-al-nimr-execution/

    Saudi Arabia executes ‘a person every two days’ as rate of beheadings soars under King Salman (The Independent)
    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-executions-amnesty-international-beheadings-death-sentences-rate-under-king-salman-10470456.html

    Saudi Arabia and France ink $12bln deal (Al Arabiya)
    http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/06/24/France-Saudi-Arabia-to-ink-12bln-arms-deal.html

    Yemen and the scandal of UK arms sales to Saudi Arabia (The Guardian)
    http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/sep/17/yemen-and-the-scandal-of-uk-arms-sales-to-saudi-arabia


    Avaaz.org is a 41-million-person global campaign network     that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz’s biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

  • BREAKING: Carmichael Mine approved – urgent court action needed. Sam R – GetUp!

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    BREAKING: Carmichael Mine approved – urgent court action needed.

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    Sam R – GetUp! Unsubscribe
    6:09 PM (22 minutes ago)
    to me

    NEVILLE.

    Terrible breaking news — but we have a plan.

    Moments ago Greg Hunt re-approved the Carmichael mine, and we need to fight it in court.


    Twelve weeks ago GetUp members helped beat the monstrous Carmichael Mine in Federal Court. It was a historic victory that reverberated across the world.

    But Greg Hunt has just rushed through a new approval, and Adani has the all-clear to build one of the biggest coal mines in the world.

    This coal mine will devastate our climate, our Great Barrier Reef, and our economy. The mine will spew out more carbon pollution than all the cars, planes and trains in Australia combined.

    It will drain 12 billion litres of precious groundwater. It will be built without the free, prior, and informed consent of the Wangan and Jagalingou Traditional Owners. It will hold back our economy and lock us into a dirty, polluting, out-of-date mine when the rest of the world is moving on.

    Can you help fight this hideous, destructive mine in court? https://www.getup.org.au/carmichael

    This is a dumb, cowardly approval, but we had an awful feeling it would happen. So we’ve been working behind the scenes with lawyers and experts to examine it closely. They say a case against the approval could have strong prospects of success.

    We’re still working with our movement partners to decide exactly which litigant will take the case, and who will play which roles — we’ll keep you posted with every update. It’s likely we’ll be supporting both environment lawyers and conservation groups, like we did with the Mackay Conservation Group challenging the mine the first time.

    But we can only make it happen if we have enough money to afford the huge amount of research, barristers and legal fees we need to fight the coal giant’s mine in court.

    We’re confident this can be a strong legal challenge. But if for any reason the case doesn’t get off the ground, we’ll offer you a full refund.

    Every contribution gets us closer to raising what we need to finish this godforsaken project once and for all.

    We’ve done it before and we can do it again. Can you help us fight Adani in court?

    Let’s do this: https://www.getup.org.au/carmichael

    For the climate. For the Reef. For our future.

    Sam R and Adam, for the GetUp team

    PS – GetUp has a strong history of taking on huge targets in court, and winning. In 2010, GetUp made a High Court challenge that helped get 100,000 young people enrolled to vote. Last year, 14,000 GetUp members chipped-in to fight off Greg Hunt’s Abbot Point coal teminal approval, twice. Let’s do it again: https://www.getup.org.au/carmichael

  • Tell Turnbull to make Super Trawlers Abbott’s legacy, not his!
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    Stop The Trawler Crew <stopthetrawler@et.org.au>
    2:17 PM (13 minutes ago)
    to me

    stopthetrawler.net
    Neville
    Did you know that our new Prime Minister Mr Turnbull has a history of doing good for our oceans? Click here to tell him to show leadership again, and make super trawlers part of Abbott’s legacy, not his.

    Malcolm Turnbull was part of the Howard Government era that addressed overfishing from the national trawler fleet and established a network of marine parks in south-eastern Australia, leading the way in ocean conservation globally. But this is all at risk of being lost.

    The massive factory trawler Geelong Star is back out there fishing now – with no proven way to stop killing protected dolphins and seals or impacting on our valuable recreational fisheries – taking Australia’s fisheries down the global path of industrialisation that has led to fishery collapses and devastating impacts on coastal communities.

    Sign the petition here and let Mr Turnbull know we need his leadership on oceans again. He’ll have a lot on his plate right now so we need to make sure that he hears loud and clear, that super trawlers are a problem, and they aren’t going away.

    Mr Turnbull has already offered us some hope – he has removed the avid super trawler promoter – Senator Richard Colbeck – from the role of Parliamentary Secretary for Fisheries. Let’s take this hope and turn it into action! Tell Mr Turnbull to ban factory freezer trawlers from the Small Pelagic Fishery for good.

    Thanks for everything you do!

    Bec and the Stop the Trawler crew

    p.s. The new Prime Minister offers new hope for stopping massive factory trawlers from devastating Australia’s fisheries and marine life, but he needs to hear from you. Sign the petition here and spread it far and wide.

  • It’s bad for jobs Michael O’Connor CFMEU National Secretary
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    It’s bad for jobs

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    Michael O’Connor
    12:43 PM (1 hour ago)
    to me

    Dear Inga,
    In the final few weeks of the Abbott Government, a disastrous decision was made that puts the Maryvale paper mill, in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, at risk. This decision reversed the policy that required all Federal Government departments and agencies to use 100% recycled paper.

    Under the old policy, Australian Paper had invested $90 million into a de-inking and recycling plant with the capacity to produce 50,000 tonnes of recycled paper every year. Australian Paper employs 1000 people at the Maryvale mill, making them one of the largest employers in the region. The Government’s silent scrapping of the policy has left the plant, its employees, and the Maryvale community in the lurch.

    We’re calling on Malcolm Turnbull to show some leadership and reverse this decision, will you join us?

    Malcolm Turnbull has the opportunity to show how different he is to Abbott’s administration by reversing this decision. A decision that is bad for jobs, bad for the community and bad for the environment.

    It means Australian manufacturers will, again, be forced to compete head to head with paper manufactured overseas. Paper which is often sourced from unsustainably managed forests and contributes to deforestation

    When combined with the China Free Trade Agreement, under which local manufacturers will also have to compete with one-sided tariffs, the impact on jobs in regional communities would be magnified. Let’s stand up for Our Jobs, Our Kids, and Our Future.

    Join us standing up for jobs, for local communities, and for the environment by asking Malcolm Turnbull to reverse this disastrous decision.

    In Unity

    Michael O’Connor
    CFMEU National Secretary

  • Sydney — on November 29th we march! Nic Mackay – Avaaz

    Sydney — on November 29th we march!

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    Nic Mackay – Avaaz Unsubscribe
    10:28 AM (32 minutes ago)
    to me

    Dear friends in and around Sydney,

    Something magical is happening… All across the world we’re coming together to hit the streets on November 29th — hours before the most important climate summit this decade!

    And it all starts with us Aussies! Sydney will be the first big event on the 29th and together we can create a bolt of people-powered action that will travel around the globe, from Tokyo to Johannesburg, Sao Paulo to Paris.

    Click on the below image right now to join the People’s Climate March in Sydney and find out more information:


    In the photo, last year’s People’s Climate March in Sydney — this year is going to be even bigger!

    This is going to be mega! Last year almost 700,000 people took to their streets and created the largest mobilisation on climate change in history. In Sydney, thousands of us packed out Bicentennial Park and this year we are going even bigger, right in the heart of the city!

    If hundreds of thousands of us join events in cities and towns everywhere, we’ll show our leaders meeting in Paris that our movement cannot be ignored and we will accept nothing less than an ambitious climate deal, with a global commitment to 100% clean energy!

    Click the link to join in the Sydney event and this world-wide movement right now:

    http://www.peoplesclimate.org.au/sydney#avaaz

    Let’s seize this moment, for our future, our kids’ futures, and everything we love.

    With hope,

    Nic, Oli, Alice, Luca, Morgan, Iain and the rest of the Avaaz team

    More Information:

    Climate change rallies held across Australia urge Tony Abbott to act now (The Guardian)
    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/sep/21/climate-change-rallies-held-across-australia

    A splash of climate hope as Turnbull knifes Abbott (ABC)
    http://www.abc.net.au/environment/articles/2015/09/15/4312889.htm

    ‘Climate deception dossiers’ expose oil industry lobbying (RTCC)
    http://www.rtcc.org/2015/07/08/climate-deception-dossiers-expose-oil-industry-lobbying

    Taking a call for climate change to the streets (NYTimes)
    http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/nyregion/new-york-city-climate-change-march.html

    People’s Climate March: the revolution starts here (article on The Guardian by Avaaz founder Ricken Patel)
    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/29/peoples-climate-march-the-revolution-starts-here


    Avaaz.org is a 41-million-person global campaign network     that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz’s biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.