Mary MacKillop Foundation

Are you an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander who would like to go to University? You may be eligible for a scholarship with the Mary MacKillop Foundation. Click here for more details.

Marist Fathers' Aboriginal Education Fund

The Marist Fathers Aboriginal Education fund aims to financially assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary students who are studying at one of the Diocese of Lismore's secondary schools. Click here for details on eligibility and how to apply.

Current Issues

The latest Current issues from Tracker magazine, a publication of the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Australia’s largest Aboriginal organisation:

Reflections on a Royal Commission: It’s 20 years since the Royal Commission in Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. One of the men who help run that Commission, Hal Wootten, QC, believes the lessons of that exhaustive inquiry have never been properly learnt. Read more...

Hard labor: Black incarceration rates soar: In 2007, Labor leader Kevin Rudd made a raft of promises to Aboriginal Australia prior to the election. Buried among them were commitments on how his government would tackle Aboriginal deaths in custody, and the skyrocketing Indigenous incarceration rates. The number of Aboriginal people behind bars has been steadily increasing ever since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody came to a close in 1991. It is now at its highest in two decades. Read more...

We recommend you review the following sites.

• Social Justice and other Aboriginal issues
  • Australian Catholic Social Justice Council On the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council site there are briefings you can subscribe to for free that provide updates on issues and current events.
  • Caritas Australia Excellent resources on the multi-media section that would be suitable for teaching purposes.
  • Edmund Rice Centre (Christian Bros) Fantastic commentaries on relevant social justice issues.
  • Jesuit Social Services A wide range of resources on different social justice issues.
  • Sisters of St Joseph Go to Justice Space for up to date resources.

• Catholic Social Teaching
  • Archdiocese of St Paul & Minneapolis An excellent resource on Catholic Social Teaching, particularly helpful to teachers.
  • Australian Catholic Social Justice Council For a Catholic perspective and social teachings