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As part of our preparation to participate in
the Sydney Alliance some members of West Epping UC Church
recently participated in Alliance training.
The
Sydney Alliance is
a citizens’ coalition whose vision is to provide our community with
a voice to express our common values and
aspirations for a fair and just Sydney. The Alliance is
broadly based across religious organisations, community
organisations and unions establishing relationships that respect
diversity, while building a cohesive society. The Alliance is
a non-party political organisation. Its primary purpose is to
empower member organisations with the ability to act for the common
good to achieve social change in our
communities.
To achieve this vision Sydney Alliance builds
bridges and dialogue between organisations and develops the
capacity of organisations and their members to participate in
public life. It seeks to build grassroots power that respects
the contribution and dignity of all
people.
The Sydney Alliance is funded by 24 partner
organisations representing faith communities (including Christian,
Jewish and Muslim traditions), community organisations and various
trade unions. The Uniting Church is a key member of the Sydney
Alliance, and WEUC has been involved since 2008, largely through
the activities of Kent Crawford.
The Sydney Alliance provides an exciting
opportunity for WEUC to actively engage with its local community,
and shape the focus of forthcoming Alliance campaigns. As part of
WEUC’s preparation to participate in the Alliance, Kent Crawford
and Engaging With the Word Co-Missioners Michelle Erofeyeff and
Srian Abeysuriya have participated in Alliance training; here are
some extracts from their experiences...
“I think we all realise how fragmented our
community has become in Sydney and throughout Australia over recent
years. Where once we had confidence in our capacity to come
together to surmount obstacles faced by people in our
neighbourhoods, now we often don’t really know our neighbours or
get involved in each others’ lives. The Sydney Alliance, at
its most basic level, is about rebuilding the fabric of our
community life by bringing together members of organisations that
have a vision for the common good, and then providing them space to
really get to know each other and encouragement to work
collaboratively to achieve their common dreams. How can we at
West Epping ensure we are working in partnership to serve our
community? The Sydney Alliance will help provide the tools
and the forum to help us live out our mission
collaboratively.” Kent Crawford.
“I loved the two-day training and am keen to
see how we at West Epping can become more involved. The relational
and collaborative approach to building a better city appeals to me,
as I believe that is the best way to achieve change. Seeing a young
Israeli woman and an older Lebanese woman find that they have a lot
in common was just one example of how building relationships based
on shared experiences can be the beginning of much bigger change
for the common good.” Michelle
Erofeyeff
“The two-day training program I attended in
Western Sydney provided a unique opportunity to understand how the
Alliance works, and its capacity to facilitate positive change. I
was able to hear, and in turn share, very personal life experiences
with people from other faiths, union and community groups, and in
doing so, built strong relationships with those I would not
normally have had an opportunity to engage with. I left feeling
energised and wanting to deepen my engagement with the
Alliance.” Srian
Abeysuriya.
If anyone is interested in learning more about
the Sydney Alliance, or attending a 2-day training in August,
please contact the Church office on 9868
3574.
To download a prinable version
click
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