Journeying together during CAPSA’s National Week of Prayer and Action

The Catholic Alliance for People Seeking Asylum (CAPSA) has officially launched its National Week of Prayer and Action, which runs from September 16 to 20, and seeks to engage the Australian Catholic community across schools, organisations and parishes to act and stand in solidarity with people seeking asylum.

“The theme of this year’s National Week of Prayer and Action is ‘Journeying together with refugees and people seeking asylum’, which encourages us all to be present, be compassionate, to listen and learn and to amplify the voices of those who are less able to be heard,” says CAPSA convener and Jesuit Social Services CEO Julie Edwards.

“We know that when we come together as a Catholic community and engage in prayer, reflection, action and advocacy, together we can positively impact the lives of refugees and people seeking asylum who sadly continue to experience challenging and disempowering journeys to finding protection in Australia.”

The National Week of Prayer and Action will highlight inspirational stories and practical ways in which all community members can advocate alongside refugees and people seeking asylum via CAPSA’s website and social media channels.

The centrepiece event is a webinar on September 18th that will explore the theme of the week to understand what journeying together means for each of us, as Australians and for refugees and people seeking asylum. The webinar will feature a panel of speakers including David Manne (human rights lawyer and Executive Director, Refugee Legal), Tracey Cabrie (General Manager of Cabrini Outreach’s Asylum Seeker Health Services), Danijel Malbasa (refugee, advocate, writer and lawyer) and Ruth Lesmana (Client Services Manager, House of Welcome) who will share reflections from their roles as advocates and practitioners.

“We believe that all people who seek safety in Australia should be able to claim their rights, thrive and live as valuable members of the community. The National Week of Prayer and Action connects community members to the information and resources they need to be able to effectively advocate for more humane policies that give everybody a chance to flourish,” says Ms Edwards.

CAPSA, convened by Jesuit Social Services, supports individuals, schools, parishes and Catholic organisations in their advocacy for fair and humane treatment for people seeking asylum.

Register for the webinar at: https://events.humanitix.com/capsa-webinar-national-week-of-prayer-and-action-journeying-together-with-refugees-and-people-seeking-asylum

Media enquiries: Kathryn Kernohan, 0409 901 248 or kathryn.kernohan@jss.org.au