Refugee Resettlement
Mapping the Refugee Settlement Projects of the Australian Churches A project of the Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy, with advice from Prof. Sandy Gifford, Director of the Refugee Health Research Centre, La Trobe University.
The churches have historically played a highly significant role in the settlement of refugees in Australia, not only in providing services and support, but in establishing networks of inclusion, community and integration. The study will help churches identify strengths, weaknesses and gaps in their work with refugees. The results will help inform responses from governments as well as churches in helping sometimes traumatised refugees settle into Australia.
The morality of torture in the light of Christian social traditions, with special reference to Australian public opinion
This project will survey what the main Christian traditions have said about the morality of torture, and examine the thinking of leading Christian ethicists in current debates. The project will consider the military codes of practice of the Australian intelligence and defence forces, in relation to US military or intelligence practice, with special reference to treatment of people detained as possible terrorists following the 9/11 attacks on New York. It will also consider use of interrogation techniques in policing. In addition, the project will examine debates about the reliability of information gained through torture.
Relevance of the project: a recent study by the Australian Red Cross to mark the 60th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions revealed that 40 per cent of respondents thought captured soldiers sometimes deserved to die, and 43 per cent of respondents believed it “OK” to torture captured soldiers to obtain “important military information”.
The research proposal aims to clarify Christian social thinking on this issue, with a view to helping inform public opinion.
Youth, Religious Belief and Social Justice
Sociological studies have indicated an association between religious commitment and involvement in social welfare / justice activities. Research focusing on youth (aged 13-24 years) also suggests an association between faith orientation and social concern and involvement. The aim of the proposed research is to focus on a study of youth engaged in social justice activities and the religious / non-religious factors associated with such engagement. A main question posed by the research relates to the motivation behind youth engagement in social justice activities: To what extent is it motivated by basic human compassion, religious faith, or some other factor or combination of factors? Further to this is the issue of what factors help to sustain social justice involvement: For example, to what extent does religious faith help to sustain this type of engagement? To what extent is modelling important?
Long-term health costs of extended mandatory detention of asylum seekers
This report is part of a project by the Yarra Institute for Religion and Social Policy, funded by the Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand.
The project aims at developing mechanisms to assist the processing of asylum seekers, and to improve the ease of transition into Australian society for successful asylum claimants.
