What we do

UnitingJustice Australia (UJA) is a part of the National Assembly of the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) and sits within the Uniting Faith and Justice Agency. It is our mission to pursue social and ecological justice and peace in Australia and the world on behalf of the Assembly.


This work includes:

identifying critical issues of national and international significance and develop a considered position on these;
  
advocating on national policy issues; 
  
participating in public debate;
  
educating, informing and resourcing the church, to engage in actions for social and ecological justice and peace; 
  
acting on issues of injustice within the Church;
  
providing advice to Assembly, ASC, the President and the General Secretary on justice issues of national and international significance. 

Priorities are set and identified through resolutions of the Assembly and the Assembly Standing Committee, the UnitingJustice Reference Committee, long-term strategic planning, issues arising out of ecumenical co-operation, and urgent political and social issues.

UnitingJustice is committed to using the most appropriate strategies to make a positive difference in the world. Our advocacy makes use of a range of strategies: 

the drafting of statements for the consideration of the National Assembly or Assembly Standing Committee; 
  
direct lobbying of Government and parliamentarians (meetings and letters);
  
submissions to federal parliamentary and departmental enquiries; 
  
media statements; 
  
speeches and workshops at rallies, seminars and conferences; 
  
collaborative work through ecumenical alliances and partnerships with community sector organisations; and 
  
the production of resources to enable UCA members to actively engage with significant public issues.   

 

How we do it

The work of UnitingJustice will:

be grounded in the gospel; 
  
build upon the tradition of the Uniting Church in Australia; 
  
be done in co-operation with synods and other Assembly agencies; 
  
be done ecumenically and in partnership with other organisations; 
  
be conducted on the basis of the best research available; 
  
respect and advance human rights;
  
be concerned with the needs of the whole creation; 
  
be grounded in the Church relationships of solidarity with those most affected by injustice; and 
  
reflect the life-experience of those who have experienced injustice.