September 2012 edition of Public Sphere | The Salvation Army

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September 2012 edition of Public Sphere

Latest news and comment from the Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit.

> download the September 2012 edition of the Public Sphere newsletter (PDF, 166KB)

EDITORIAL

Attending church was always a tough thing for me when I was a kid. I loved going to play and hang with my friends.

But I struggled epically during the prayers because, in my mind at least, they seemed to take hours. I used to assume my traditional ‘prayer positions’—either bending forward with my head on the pew in front or slumped in my chair, head resting on the seat back and eyes open counting the lights inside church.

And I remember always wondering, does God really hear all these prayers? Decades later I know now by faith and through the Bible that God does exist and He does hear my prayers.

However, today I often wonder if people are truly hearing the things that we in The Salvation Army are saying about the harsh realities that many New Zealanders face today.

From January to July 2012, our Unit has made over 12 submissions to amendments to legislation the Government is proposing. These submissions cover critical indicators of social inequality in our nation—children’s well-being, problem gambling, prisons, and community sentences and so on. Our Unit also meets regularly with politicians to state our opinions. We continue to make media releases, send out regular e-newsletters, attend countless meetings and publish research reports and analyses of policy.

Yet I can’t help but wonder whether these messages are actually getting across to people. No one likes hearing or reading depressing stories. Issues like child abuse, homelessness and overcrowding, prisons, alcohol abuse, problem gambling and so on are complex and destructive. But these are issues that thousands of New Zealanders that The Salvation Army works with face in their every day lives.

We implore you to please don’t ignore these messages.

Whether you are a Joe Bloggs citizen living a normal life, or whether you are a politician sitting in a privileged position of authority and decision making, please don’t ignore these messages. And when you do hear, read or see these messages, we challenge you to respond thoughtfully, honourably, and justly.

Ronji Tanielu (Social Policy & Parliamentary Unit)