Open for Business...
the Edmund Rice Centre for Social Justice, Fremantle

HE STAFF OF NEWLY INDEPENDENT EDMUND RICE CENTRE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE are busy at the moment preparing for the official re-launch of the Centre which will take place in mid-April. The Centre is located in the refurbished Cleopatra Hotel at 24 High Street, Fremantle.

Brian Coyne recently visited the Centre and met with the consultant assisting the transitionm Dr Debra Rosser, and the front-line staff, Damien Norris (Program Coordinator), Dr Shane Lavery, (Curriculum and Delivery), and Clare O'Connor (Facilities and Administration Coordinator).

Province Leader, Br Kevin Ryan, sees the continuation of the Centre, independent of the University of Notre Dame Australia, as providing powerful witness to the deep commitment of the Christian Brothers to the promotion of social justice in our community. The Centre itself sums up its commitment in this phrase: "promoting social responsibility through transformative education, social action and reflection".

Debra Rosser is overseeing the preparations for the re-launch. She explained to ERNN that the Centre will be hosting a Social Justice Congress on 16-17th April. Teachers, administrators, students and social justice oriented groups are being invited to participate in a range of seminars and workshops at the Congress. These seminars and workshops are designed to help the participants isolate key justice concerns within our communities and to propose justice targets and strategies for change and action. The congress is dedicated to exploring the integration of social justice, human rights and ecology within the personal and professional dimensions of modern school life.

Regarding other projects run by the Centre, Program Coordinator, Damien Norris, explained that the Immersion Programs are continuing with an emphasis on three different types of experience. There will be continuing strong involvement with East Timor and the work the Leeuwin Care Group is providing there. 14 people have recently returned from a summer immersion in East Timor and another is planned for July. Also in July, the Centre is planning to provide an immersion experience for adults wishing to work with people living in a remote Aboriginal community in Central Australia. In November this year the Centre is coordinating an immersion experience trip to India.

As well as the immersion experience trips that have been such a feature of the Centre when it was associated with the university, Damien sees the Centre offering much more to the local Fremantle community and to the wider Catholic community in Perth. The Centre has excellent facilities in Fremantle to host schools and community groups seeking to run Social Justice endeavours and workshops. The Centre is now developing a range of teaching resources that can be used by West Australian schools in the teaching of social justice issues. Dr Shane Lavery is the key contact for this program.

The Centre sees itself developing a supportive social justice community that taps into the strong social justice thirst that seems to exist in young people today for a more just and sustainable society. The Catholic Education system today is providing many opportunities for young people to be involved in service programs and in reaching out to those in the world who are marginalised. The Edmund Rice Centre for Social Action, Fremantle seeks to provide a framework through which young adults in particular can continue their activisim, selfless service to others and their study of social responsibility and sustainable development.

Individuals, teachers and parish and community groups who are interested in using the resources provided by the centre, or in participating in the programs being developed by the Centre are encouraged to contact Clare O'Connor on 08 9335 4353 or by email at: edmundrice.centre@cathednet.wa.edu.au.

NOTE: ERNN will provide coverage of the re-launch of the Centre in a later edition of ERNN.