pathways, OCTOBER 2007
The Australian Catholic Bishops' annual social justice statement appeal for neighbourliness is brave as values are out of vogue in current foreign policy, according to the international relations expert who launched the statement.
"These days everyone is a realist," Dr Michael Fullilove (pictured below) said.
Although this was "yet another of the unfortunate consequences of the foolhardy Iraq war", it did not mean that foreign policy should be values-free.
"The foreign policy of a democratic country such as Australia can never be values-free," he said.
"A broad definition of 'neighbourliness' is inscribed on the cortex of most Australians regardless of their religious beliefs. It should be reflected in our international policies no less than our health or welfare policies."
"There should be an open conversation on international affairs and the Australian people should be invited to participate."
The
Director of the Global Issues Programme at the Lowy Institute (Sydney) said that it was not always easy to agree on the policy form our neighbourliness should take. He took two "hard" examples - the use of force and capital punishment.
In the use-of-force example he cited the first Gulf War in 1991 and NATO's bombing of Kosovo in 1999, both of which were strongly opposed by many Australians because of the harm that would be done to ordinary men, women and children.
"I respectfully disagree," he said. "I believe both those wars were right. Sometimes avoiding the difficult option amounts to passing by on the other side. Sometimes you have to do a lesser evil to prevent a greater evil."
In the case of capital punishment, he said: "The Australian Government is opposed to capital punishment and we engage in modest advocacy against the death penalty, but most of Canberra's efforts are directed towards cases involving Australian citizens. When it comes to foreigners, we tend to pass by on the other side.
" ... we have a twofold problem: we are making little progress towards universal abolition, which is a bipartisan national policy; and our bilateral relationships are being damaged because of our perceived hypocrisy on the issue.
"I believe that Australia should run a different kind of policy.
"Australian political leaders should be consistent in their rhetoric on the death penalty, whether it is the Bali Nine or the Bali bombers who are standing on the drop. Canberra should also take more purposeful steps towards abolition by working with other abolitionist states in the region, such as East Timor, Cambodia and the Philippines, to nudge retentionist states towards abolition.
"Speaking plainly on the death penalty and initiating a regional coalition against it would increase our chances of making a difference. It would also disarm those regional critics who charge that Australia cares only about its own.
"In other words, it would be the right thing to do as well as the smart thing. It would serve the neighbours' interest as well as the national interest."
Dr Fullilove said that
Who is my neighbour? Australia's role as a global citizen made the point that globalisation was knitting the world together much more closely than ever before.
"And I think that will increasingly bring these foreign policy issues - these difficult choices - into the Australian mainstream.
"It is up to each of us to exercise our conscience and work out what our duty to our neighbours' demands of us ...
"And in order to exercise our conscience we need a broad debate with many participants and lots of well-argued positions.
"For that reason I'm delighted to report that the Social Justice Sunday Statement 2007 is a very good document indeed - broad, interesting, well-researched, nuanced and accessible.
"Not everyone will agree with everything in it but it's important that we hear it."
This statement would give heart to those seeking a greater contribution by Australia to global justice, in part "because it is realistic and balanced, grounded in the scriptures and the church tradition, and attentive to political and economic realities," he said. "Prepared months before a federal election but for discussion in parishes during an election campaign, it is a clear, strong statement without being partisan or party political."
The statement focuses on five issues and "is practical in proposing ways forward":
foreign aid, development assistance and trade justice
military alliances and interventions
the United Nations and international financial institutions
climate change and energy policy
border protection and refugees.
Fr Brennan said the Bishops did not rely only on government and political parties to bring about change.
"They serve it up to all of us, and with hope and practicality. No matter what our religion and no matter what our politics, could we not all agree with the bishops that we would be even more blessed if we lived in an Australia that:
- matched the best of the developed nations of the world in aid and development assistance
- accepted the traditional Catholic doctrine opposing pre-emptive military strikes
- included a majority of citizens who voluntarily assisted their offshore neighbours at times of crisis
- supported the United Nations (though not uncritically) in efforts to provide the poor and weak nations of the world their due place at the table
- consumed the cleanest and safest energy on the planet
- provided asylum and humanitarian assistance in Australia to refugees fleeing directly to our shores in fear of persecution
- included parish and school communities that had good neighbourly relations with at least one parish or school community in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council,
Bishop Christopher Saunders (Broome) said that many other issues could be added to those addressed in the statement: the imposition of the death penalty, the trafficking of women and children, organ-harvesting, political and religious intolerance, and the production of weapons of mass destruction.
"The theology of solidarity developed in the encyclicals
Populorum progressio and
Sollicitudo rei socialis, promulgated 40 and 20 years ago, gives us two practical directions," he said.
"As children of God, we must commit ourselves to the common good of all - because we are all really responsible for all. And the good global citizen will explore the positives and negatives of globalisation from the perspective of those who are not faring well."
Who is my neighbour? Australia's role as a global citizen was launched at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, on Monday, September 17, ahead of Social Justice Sunday on September 30.
Mrs Elsie Heiss of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry in Sydney and Chairwoman of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council, acknowledged the traditional custodians, the Cammeraygal people, and welcomed guests.
As well as the statement, the
Australian Catholic Social Justice Council has other resources suitable for prayer and worship, personal reflection, discussions in classrooms and in other groups including the Ten-Steps leaflet, a prayer card and PowerPoint presentations. An associated ecumenical resource has been produced through the Social Justice Network of the National Council of Churches of Australia. Details on
In Whose Interest? Australia as a global citizen are available on the
NCCA website or telephopne NCCA (02) 9299 2215 or ACSJC (02) 9956 5811.
overseas photographs: Fr Mark Raper SJ
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