President of the Uniting Church in Australia Dr Deidre Palmer has urged Australian Christians to raise their voices for a more just world.

Dr Palmer encouraged a 200-strong crowd of members from the Micah Australia movement gathered in Canberra to lobby their local federal politicians to do more to alleviate extreme poverty.

“As Christians who follow the way of Jesus, our values are shaped by God’s vision for all people and the whole creation,” said Dr Palmer.

“We are here to give voice to those who may be denied a voice, or whose voices are diminished - people living in poverty, people displaced by conflicts, and by the impacts of climate change, people living under the oppression and exploitation of modern slavery.”

“We advocate for justice for all, a distribution of resources that alleviate poverty and addresses its causes - a vision of a world where everyone is able to flourish.”

‘Voices for Justice’ is an annual advocacy event run by the Micah Australia organisation. The event this year focussed on efforts on ending extreme poverty, modern slavery and the global refugee crisis.

Participants spent the first two days in policy briefing and training sessions at the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture.

They went on to meet 94 Members of Parliament from all sides of the political aisle, putting their new knowledge on lobbying and advocacy to immediate use.

Staff and supporters of the Assembly’s international relief and development agency UnitingWorld were well represented. They conveyed the simple message that ‘Australian Aid works’.

“We know that Australian Aid saves lives, improves global health and removes barriers that keep communities in poverty,” said UnitingWorld’s Marcus Campbell.

“Voices for Justice has given us the opportunity to tell our stories of impact - of how our projects lift people out of poverty, build peace and strengthen communities around the world.”

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