Catalyst is an advocacy group seeking to speak up for the rights of the vulnerable and oppressed. It recognises that those with power, such as governments, businesses, and the social ‘mainstream’ should be called to use their power not simply to avoid harm but to actively do good.
Catalyst is a program of Baptist World Aid for churches within Australia where each group can work for a common goal. The concept is simple – change occurs when we speak out together.
Scripture calls us to “seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). Advocacy seeks to bring about change, in line with God’s heart for his world.
Campaigns
- More Aid, Better Aid calls on the Australian Government to lift the Australian aid budget to 0.7% of national income by 2015.
- Stop the Traffic is a campaign aimed at ending slavery. Many people think slavery ended centuries ago – however the slave trade is alive and well with up to 27 million people trapped in the world today. Advocating for fairly traded products is a great way to help. Changes are already happening as a result of consistent advocacy.
- Behind the Barcode seeks to influence Australian companies and consumers to ensure the products they import are not keeping producers in the third world in poverty and slavery.
What action is Catalyst going to take in Gymea in 2012? Here is a sample of what we will be doing.
Please watch this space for further information.
- Worldchangers Dollar Dinner. A main meal that costs us $1 to produce to relate to the two million people in our world who live on a dollar a day.
- Card signing Sundays where you will be given opportunity to advocate.
- Worldchangers Market Day where the awareness of fair and ethical trade can be promoted to the Shire.
What you can do to make a difference:
- Purchase Christmas & Birthday gifts online from fair traders. A good website to start is http://www.fta.org.au/buy-sell/other-ethical-traders
- Many fairly traded products are on our supermarket shelves. Look for labels such as Fairtrade, UTZ or Rainforest Alliance.
- Look for a local coffee shop that serves fairly traded coffee.
For further information contact Barbara Higgins - 9522 8126 or