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Churches join with Unions in new Alliance

9:30pm Sunday, 18th September 2011  

Church leaders rubbed shoulders with union leaders at the launch of a new movement for Social Justice this week. The Catholic church, the Uniting church and individual congregations such as Imagine Church (Hope St Baptist ) have joined to launch the “Sydney Alliance”.

The Alliance brings together diverse organisations “to advance the common good and achieve a fair, just and sustainable city”. Other founding members include the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies, the Arab Council Australia, the NSW Nurses Association, the Cancer Council and the  Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union.

Alliance co-ordinator, Amanda Tattersall, says the public launch marks the beginning of the “end of sound bite politics” in the city.

“We are an alliance of more than 30 community organisations determined to give people a meaningful say in decisions that affect their lives. We will work together to hold political and other leaders accountable for their actions,” she said.

“Many people in this city want their issues properly considered and discussed. They are not prepared to be fobbed off by sound bite politics any longer."

Baptist leader, Rod Benson, supports the Alliance:

“Why should Christians support the Sydney Alliance?  There are many reasons, but Jeremiah 29:7 says, ‘Seek the welfare of the city … and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.’ 

Speakers at the launch emphasised values like equality, harmony, sustainability, the untapped power of civil society, the need to celebrate our similarities rather than our differences, and the importance of collective action.

“It seems the greatest challenge facing the new coalition will be maintaining its non-party political stance. With the best intentions in the world, the reality is that political parties will see the Sydney Alliance as a territorial threat, and political interest groups will seek to use it as a platform for partisan agendas. Still, it’s a brilliant idea, and I hope it does well”