Sometimes when people talk about something being ‘political’ they mean it is topical or controversial.  Actually, ‘politics’ just involves any of the activities or issues associated with governing a group (in this case a country or a state).  In Australia, and most other liberal democracies, politics involves a certain amount of conflict between ideas, and groups who have those ideas, about how to run the country.  Sometimes those different ideas are entirely opposed, but sometimes they are more similar than they appear.  The way democracy works is that the population chooses between those groups and ideas, and the group backed by most of the voters becomes the way a country is actually governed.

Politics is critical to the idea of social justice.  Politics is the forum for discussion and decisions about structures and systems that can lead us closer to, or further away from, social justice.  While social justice is everybody’s responsibility and privilege to pursue, our systems of government have the gigantic platform for developing the foundation that lead to, or addresses, hardship and injustice.  This is why so much social justice advocacy is focused directly on government and political parties – because this is where big changes can readily occur.

So there is no question that politics is important to social justice, but you might be wondering if social justice is important to politics?

The short answer is a resounding yes.

The long answer is still a resounding yes, but…

Social justice is a difficult concept to pin down.  Even if everyone can agree what the social justice outcome we want is there are differing views on how we can best achieve the outcome and, usually, all of those differing views are at least a little bit right.

In Australia, every political party represented in the Commonwealth Parliament either explicitly references social justice in their policy platform or uses words and concepts we would consider synonymous with social justice – a “fair go”, “equity”, “equality” or “opportunity for all”.  The concept of social justice is baked into the Australian political system but it often does not feel that way; even if the same words are being used, that doesn’t mean all sides are talking about the same thing.

There are so many different social justice issues that it is natural that individuals pick just some to focus on.  Sometimes, the solution to one social justice issue might exacerbate another.  For example, some of the most effective ways to tackle climate change would increase the cost of food and energy.  If other policies are not put in place to support people on low incomes, climate change action could disproportionately disadvantage people in poverty or financial hardship.  This does not mean that no action should be taken – it just explains why some political parties will preference policies that look like social justice action from one angle, but not from another.

Even when everyone agrees on the social justice outcome there can be very real disputes about how to best achieve that outcome.  One of the central differences between the two major sides of politics in Australia is actually about economic approach rather than desired outcome.  There is credible evidence to support both approaches it is just that, as we saw with climate action above, every social policy outcome needs to be carefully balanced and calibrated – and that is an incredibly difficult task. 

In Australia we have an independent bureaucracy which helps with that task by applying skill and evidence to problems outside of the electoral cycle.  The Australian Public Service, and those of every state and territory, helps to even out the differences between the two major parties to ensure that there is consistent social policy progress irrespective of who is in power.  But our elected officials are ultimately in charge, so whichever party wins power, that will be the approach to social justice issues at least until the next election.  That brings us to probably the most important point about a political approach to social justice:

Although every politician comes with their own views about social justice, what it means and how to achieve it, at the end of the day they work for the people they represent.  Their job is not just to govern the country, but to govern in a way that is in line with what they promised when they were elected.

That opens up a range of options for those who are trying to influence decisions to achieve social justice outcomes:

1. Because social justice is a major concern of almost all politicians, we have something in common – sometimes it can feel like someone on the other side is never going to agree with us but actually, if we look for it, there will often be common ground.
2. We need to think about the destination, but also how to get there – it might be that people disagree with a policy, not because of what it is trying to achieve but because they can see an unintended consequence.  It is important to explore all the impacts of an idea, listen to why people have concerns and then work to finding a solution that minimizes negative impacts.
3. Talk to more than just the party in power – many people have input into implementing social justice initiatives and while it is definitely worth talking to the government, it is also worth talking to the opposition and cross-benches and the bureaucracy because everyone has a role to play.
4. Contact your local representatives – Your local politicians are there not just to lead but to listen to those they represent.  They want, and need, to know what you think – so tell them!

Social Justice Champion:

It is very hard to pick a ‘Social Justice Champion’ in the political field – not because there aren’t any but because there are so many and they are so different from each other.  No political action is achieved by a single person – usually there are many people involved in pushing for, designing and then implementing a change and each of them are social justice champions in their own way.

Below is just a small sample of the breadth of social justice activity in Australia’s political history.  None of these actions completely removed hardship and injustice, but each of them moved us closer to where we need to be:

• National Apology to the Stolen Generations – On the 13^th of February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd made a formal apology for the past government policies of child removal and assimilation.
• Pregnancy Alcohol Warnings – New requirements for mandatory pregnancy warning labels on packaged alcoholic beverages were gazetted in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) on 31 July 2020.
• Gender Equity – On 18 December 1894 the South Australian Parliament passed the Constitutional Amendment (Adult Suffrage) Act. This was the first in Australia, and the first in the world to allow women to be elected as Members of Parliament.
• Referendum to Count Aboriginal Australians – 1967 Referendum in which Australians voted overwhelmingly to amend the Constitution to allow the Commonwealth to make laws for Aboriginal people and include them in the census.
• No Child in Poverty- Australia’s Prime Minister Bob Hawke said: “By 1990, no Australian child will be living in poverty,” at the ALP’s election campaign launch on June 23, 1987. Now don’t get us wrong, this didn’t happen, but to date it has done more to alleviate child poverty than any other policy like it.
• Free Medical Care – Gough Whitlam created Medibank as a key policy proposal in 1972. What we now know as Medicare, gave Australian’s free access to hospitals and a range of medical services.
• National Disability Insurance Scheme  – introduced by the Gillard Government on 1 July 2013 and grown by each subsequent government the NDIS radically changed the way disability support is funded and delivered given people with disability a level of choice, control and dignity in risk that had never been the case before.
• Racial Discrimination Act – 1975: promotes equality before the law for all people regardless of race, colour or national or ethnic origin. It is unlawful to discrimination against people on the basis of race, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
• Modern Slavery Act – The Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act 2018 came into force on the 1^st of January 2019. The Act established a national Modern Slavery Reporting Requirement.
• Harm reduction – introduction of needle and syringe programs (1986) and medically supervised injecting facilities (2001).
• Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006 (Vic) – Victorian law that sets out the protected rights of all people in Victoria as well as the corresponding obligations on the Victorian Government to enact them.
• Returning Aboriginal Land – In 1975 Gough Whitlam returned the traditional lands of the Gurindji people to Vincent Lingiari, pouring the red dirt into his hands.

Jennifer Kirkaldy is General Manager for the Policy and Advocacy Stream of The Salvation Army Australia

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army

Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work. Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledge, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing.[1]

As the above statement illustrates, social justice is one of the social work profession’s core principles, which also include: service, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence.

As such, social work and social justice cannot be separated.

“The primary mission of the profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic human needs of all people, with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty.”[1] Importantly, and contrary to popular assumptions about the profession, this mission cannot be realised strictly through charity and direct support to individuals, commonly referred to as ‘down-stream’ work. Social workers are also obliged to go ‘upstream’, to engage in collective advocacy at the systemic and structural levels of society to address the forces that both cause and sustain inequality and injustice.

This idea is perhaps best captured in the phrase: The job is not to rescue the caged bird; the job is to break the cage. This phrase embodies the notion that the way help is delivered matters and that help, which fastens the recipient to perpetual dependence on the helping system, can become another form of oppression in itself.

Social workers are therefore expected to work—not just out of the goodness of their hearts, but from a theoretical and practical evidence base.[2] Social workers are trained in a strengths—rather than deficits—based approach, to factor in a person’s unique circumstances, help them identify their own solutions and provide tools so they may realise those solutions for themselves. Social workers are also called to agitate for change at a systemic level to address structural and cultural violence that are so often the root causes of personal disadvantage and suffering.[3]

A set of professional standards, or Codes of Ethics, provide the roadmap for social work practice, to ensure all social workers and social work students act in ethically accountable ways in the pursuit of the profession’s aims.[4] They are meant to guide social work practitioners to always remain cognisant of the inherent power dynamics in service relationships and of the potential for personal motivation, privilege and unconscious bias to undermine practice. What does this mean?

It means that social workers:

• maintain clear and appropriate professional boundaries for the protection of service users
• are accountable for their actions and act in accordance with the law
• work within their professional areas of competence
• support considered and reflective self-awareness in making and justifying decision making;
• inform their practice from a recognised and contemporary social work knowledge base
• promote and facilitate lifelong learning, education, training and supervision to maintain professional competence and commitment to integrity.[5]

Perhaps most importantly, social workers must ensure the wellbeing and interest of service users is given priority and has precedence; and seek input and feedback from service users in the development, implementation and evaluation of service provision.

The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) holds that social justice is a core principle that its members are obliged to promote and uphold for society in general and for the people with whom they work. The social work profession:

• promotes policies, practices and social conditions that uphold human rights and that seek to ensure access, equity, participation and legal protection for all
• promotes justice and social fairness, by acting to reduce barriers and to expand choice and potential for all persons, with special regard for those who are disadvantaged, vulnerable, oppressed or have exceptional needs
• advocates change to social systems and structures that preserve inequalities and injustice
• opposes and works to eliminate all violations of human rights and affirms that civil and political rights will be accompanied by economic, social and cultural rights
• promotes the protection of the natural environment as inherent to social wellbeing
• promotes community participation, including service.

Catherine Booth’s famous quote, “If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present”, is particularly relevant to the social work profession. Not only did she identify the need for social reform; her words also imply that imperfection and struggle are natural components of growth and that if we deny today’s problems, we only bind ourselves to the past.

Social Justice Champion:

Shirley Colleen Smith (1924-1998), better known as Mum Shirl, was a prominent Wiradjuri woman, social worker and humanitarian. Her remarkable work included helping to set up services like the Aboriginal Legal Service, Medical Service, Housing Company, the Tent Embassy and the Aboriginal Children’s Service. These services still contribute to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander welfare in New South Wales and have inspired similar ones around the country.

Heather Moore is a Policy & Advocacy Advisor and Lead on Modern Slavery & Migration for The Salvation Army Australia

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army

[1] National Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics, Preamble. https://www.socialworkers.org/about/ethics/code-of-ethics/code-of-ethics-english.

[2] Payne, M 2014a, ‘Critical Practice’, Modern Social Work Theory, 4th edn, Palgrave Macmillan, New York, pp. 319-347.

[3] Dutta, K 2020, Violence Triangle of Johan Galtung in Context of Conflict Theory, Asian Institute for Human Rights. https://www.aihrhre.org/understanding-violence-triangle-johan-galtung-conflict-theory/1.

[4] Australian Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics, p5. https://www.aasw.asn.au/document/item/1201.

[5] Australian Association of Social Workers, Code of Ethics. General ethical responsibilities, pp 12-14.

[1] International Federation of Social Workers, Definition of Social Work. http://ifsw.org/get-involved/global-definition-of-social-work/.

“Everyone, as a member of society, . . . is entitled to realization. . . of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality”

1. “Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
2. Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
3. Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
4. Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.”

(Articles 22 and 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Economic justice is the component of social justice that promotes the existence of opportunities for meaningful work and employment opportunities and the dispensation of fair rewards for the productive activities of individuals (UN, 2006).[1] Economic justice is accomplished when everyone has access to the means that create opportunities to live a dignified, productive and creative life.

The concept of economic justice has acquired increased significance given the trends of income and wealth inequality observed in the last few decades. According to the United Nation’s World Social Report 2020, despite the unprecedented global economic growth over the last decades, there is a growing consensus that this growth has been accompanied by increasing disparities in the distribution of income and assets, unequal access to health and education, and declining levels in the participation of citizens in public affairs.

In Australia, sustained economic growth has delivered significantly improved living standards for the average Australian in every income decile, but inequality has also slightly risen (Productivity Commission, 2018).[2] In our country, someone in the highest 20% of the income scale lives in a household with almost six times as much income as someone in the lowest 20% of the income scale. Furthermore, people in the highest 20% of the wealth scale hold nearly two thirds of all wealth (64%), while those in the lowest 60% hold less than a fifth of wealth (17%) (ACOSS, 2020).[3]

Prosperity and justice go hand-in-hand. The idea that the economy will be more successful if it is fairer is at the core of economic justice. In its broadest sense, economic justice represents just and fair allocation of resources within the economy. This can be achieved through four main principles: access, equity, participation and human rights.

Access to resources

Economic justice is hampered by the concentration of wealth and power. A healthy society must ensure that services and resources are offered equally. This includes access to education, healthcare, shelter and food. Unfortunately, equal access to opportunities is not always guaranteed and some members of society have limited access often based on their socioeconomic status, race, gender, or education, amongst other factors. Education, for example, is associated with better opportunities in the future. Similarly, people with higher socioeconomic status will more likely obtain higher-paying jobs in comparison to those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Equity

Equity is based on the principle that we all have the same inherent worth. Quite often, the effort and resources required for two different people to achieve the same goal can vary widely. Similarly, some people face barriers that others do not. For example, obtaining a college degree might look very different for an individual coming from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background and require more community support and resources in comparison to more privileged peers. To achieve economic justice and equal opportunities for everyone, it is crucial that the society provides equitable resources based on the specific needs of individuals.

Participation

Participation is a fundamental human right set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and reiterated in many other conventions and declarations. A healthy society must ensure that everyone is able to raise their concerns and take part in the decisions that affect them. Active participation is often a catalyst to strengthen political will around matters that affect diverse groups, particularly those who are disadvantaged. 

Human Rights

Human rights are inherent to all members of a society regardless of any individual characteristic. Human rights, and social and economic justice are intertwined. Human rights are manifest in laws that guarantee freedom of speech, voting rights, criminal justice protections, and the protection of everyone’s civil, political, economic, and social rights.

Why do social and economic justice matter?

Despite the general recognition that social and economic justice are good for everyone,

as a society, we must recognise that there is no one-size fits all solution to achieve social and economic justice as a single matter. Social and economic justice require strong and coherent policies in a wide range of areas. Policy development and possible solutions to achieve social and economic justice can also represent diverging views as to what is ‘the best approach’ to increase equality, fairness and the optimal allocation of resources.

Governments have the capacity and obligation to work to improve social equity and justice. Developing social policy is therefore a means for a government to create a more balanced structure of social and economic justice in their communities. These efforts must be supplemented by those of social organisations, including the civil society, think tanks and the non-for-profit sector.

There is no finish line to cross. Social and economic justice mean fairness across generations. Progress may be slow, but the effort can be translated into reduced inequality, improved lives, and a society where every person meets their basic needs, everyone is welcomed, and everyone can thrive and hope for a better future.

Economic justice champion story

Martin Luther King Jr. (1929 – 1968) is remembered foremost as a civil rights leader and activist. Dr. King was a champion not just for civil rights but also for political, social and economic justice for poor and working families. For Dr. King, civil rights and economic justice were deeply connected. In 1958, he wrote “that the inseparable twin of racial injustice was economic injustice”.

In 1968, Dr. King supported and called for legislation that would provide citizens with the right to a job, adequate education and decent housing, among others. Dr. King’s civil rights group, the Southern Leadership Conference, was particularly concerned with the ways in which economic inequality perpetuates racial and social inequality. He also supported and urged labour unions to embrace the civil right movement.

Dr. King also believed that every person was entitled to a liveable income, whether they worked or not. In his book, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community?, he called for unconditional cash transfers for every citizen, pegged to the median income of society and not at the lowest level of income.

Most notably, Dr. King tirelessly advocated for the right of every employable citizen to have a decent job. Before his death, Dr. King wrote: “I hope that a specific number of jobs is set forth, that a program will emerge to abolish unemployment, and that there will be another program to supplement the income of those whose earnings are below the poverty level”.

Dr. King manifested a clear goal of eradicating poverty and creating equal opportunities for all, and he believed that, with the right support, poor people and workers could lift themselves up, fulfil their dreams and truly change the world.

Alejandro Navarrete is a Policy and Advocacy Advisor for The Salvation Army Australia

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army

[1] United Nations, Social Justice in an Open World (2006)

[2] Australian Government, Productivity Commission, Rising inequality? A stocktake of evidence (2018)

[3] Australian Council of Social Services, Inequality in Australia (2020)

Justice is a famously hard thing to define. It is beyond fairness, it is more than equality. It is a jumble of values, perspectives and outside factors which evolve over time.

‘The Law’ is used interchangeably with ‘justice’. But it is wrong to say that when something has a legal outcome, it is a ‘just’ outcome, particularly a socially just outcome. Unfortunately, social justice appears to be a ‘happy accident’, rather than the central goal of the Law.

The type of Law most people are most familiar with is the court room because that’s the kind of stuff we see on TV with a lawyer theatrically putting arguments to a judge or jury. But this is the Law being enacted for a specific person, addressing a problem that they have personally experienced. In fact, most legal disputes require “standing”, which basically means that only someone who is affected by an issue can even bring a case to court. As such, this type of Law is focused on an individual getting some form of specific personal justice, rather than a larger social outcome.

Then again, if you repeat a single, individually just decision over and over throughout a society, does it lead to social justice? The legal system thinks so.

One of the major tenants of the legal system is precedent. Meaning that if a decision was made in one specific way once, it should be followed in similar situations in the future. This not only makes it easier for judges, but this predictability makes it much easier for individuals. People know what courts have thought in the past, they know what judges will probably say in the future, and they know the standard that they need to observe to not get punished. This means they can behave accordingly. If these precedents follow socially accepted norms of ‘justice’, individuals will know to act within these guidelines or be fined, or even put in prison.

Often people will call the Law a skeleton, or a scaffolding, but this is not quite right. That would make Law the core, and society has grown around it, or that laws come before social values. I heartily disagree. Laws lag behind a society. They cannot really lead a culture, especially in a democracy. Otherwise imposed rules will be rejected at an election, or simply ignored.

As society is always evolving, the social view of justice will always be changing. But the Law is pretty static. Precedent and predictability means it can only inch forward, bit by bit, trying to catch up.

As such, unfortunately the Law can lead to social disadvantage being entrenched. Even reasonable and compassionate judges can be forced to follow laws they personally disagree with, and may not further social justice, because they are bound to follow legal rules which have failed to keep pace with society.

“Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg)

A Champion of Social Justice in the Law:

In an ideal world, all lawyers would be champions for social justice. But, we all know that too many fall short of this goal.

One of the most famous legal champions and an advocate for social justice is the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Justice Ginsburg is known for her time on the US Supreme Court where she cast many important opinions which were often significant steps forward for many social causes.

However, throughout her time before being appointed to the Bench, Justice Ginsburg is remembered for her significant advocacy and skill in arguing a number of cases, particularly on the topic of gender discrimination. Although the issue of gender discrimination is hardly at an end, significant legal changes and the advancement of women’s rights throughout US Law were in no small part due to the skillful and ‘unbelievably cogent’ arguments of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.[1] 

Although it is hard to define what justice is, let alone social justice, it is fairly clear that the work of champions like Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg can use the Law to achieve a more just society, and demonstrate how arguing the cause of an individual can advance justice for a society as a whole.

So how do we, as individuals and members of society, work for a socially just system of laws in Australia? Well, it is always possible to take the Ginsburg route, getting a law degree, and working tirelessly to undo injustices you see, but that’s a lot of work!

On the other hand, the biggest way in which all of us interact with the Law is actually taking part in democracy. Courts are slow, expensive and, at best, can only inch forward legal change. Whereas Parliament is much more dynamic. They can rewrite laws, totally change legal systems and revolutionise structures. And better yet, voting, writing to your local member and taking part in the political discourse is free.

That’s why it is important that all of us not just cast a ballot, but engage in politics and advocate for social justice. We are all part of our society, and need to work to ensure that political policy, legislative direction, legal rules, and ultimately society, work toward social justice, and that justice is not something available only to those who can afford to pay, and wait for incremental legal change.

Joshua Gani is a Policy and Advocacy Advisor for The Salvation Army Australia

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army

[1] https://www.aclu.org/other/tribute-legacy-ruth-bader-ginsburg-and-wrp-staff

Justice is a biblically defined, theological, Christian issue. It is not a human construct. So, it is Scripture that determines what the justice issues are. This gives a distinct authority and delineates what justice is, and what it is not.

This is so integral to humans that we carry within us an innate sense of right and wrong, a conviction that oppressors should be held accountable and the weak protected. We instinctively want justice. Around us we see a world that is fallen and filled with injustice. Yet, in this same broken world, God calls his people to justice.

Social justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations. We uphold the principles of social justice when we promote gender equality or the rights of indigenous peoples and migrants. We advance social justice when we remove barriers that people face because of gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture or disability.

United Nations World Day of Social Justice – 20 February 2021

We believe that the biblical and theological foundations of Social Justice are as follows:

Hebrew Foundations – The ‘Justice Bedrock’

The Hebrew Scriptures contain a repeated theme to care for the outcast, marginalised and powerless. They insist on the dignity of the poor and counsel us to resist any temptation to view the poor as somehow different from ourselves. God holds us accountable for the way in which we care for the weak. Indeed, if we do not care for the poor, then we are accomplices in their oppression.

Jesus Boundaries – Justice Extremities

With the coming of Jesus we see justice lived out on the very margins of society. He does not deviate from the Hebrew Scriptures, which he ‘came to fulfil’ (Matthew chapter 5). He personally tends and cares for the very same kind of vulnerable people that God cares for in the Old Testament. He incarnates the compassion and justice of God.

Global Landscape – Justice Initiatives

With the birth of the Church there is an important development in the journey of social justice.

Citizens in the Kingdom of God start responding with initiatives to compassionately care for the vulnerable.

The expansion goes hand in hand with the story of salvation. As the Church takes root and grows, organised social actions begin.

Being raised up by God for a distinctive work, The Salvation Army has been led by God to adopt the following combination of characteristics:

‘…its worldwide tradition of service…without discrimination or preconditions, to the distressed, needy and marginalised, together with appropriate advocacy in the public domain on matters of social justice.’ (The Salvation Army in the Body of Christ, IHQ, 2008)

Social Justice Champion Story:

Salvation Army officer Major Campbell Roberts is widely known for his tireless work in social justice, described as a ‘trusted voice advocating for those in need’.

Campbell was awarded the Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2019 and has also received the Salvation Army’s Order of the Founder. Over the years, Campbell has become a social justice advocate to prime ministers and a confidante to politicians. When asked, he says he is encouraged by millennials who are responding to a gospel of social and environmental justice, as well as personal salvation.

Some traditional evangelicals still baulk. There is a current backlash against what has been dubbed ‘social justice warriors’ which, astonishingly, is used as a derogatory term. But Campbell points to Micah 6:8: ‘And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God’ noting that ‘walk humbly’ is the personal relationship, ‘act justly’ is the creation of a just society between God and community (which includes the environment) and ‘love mercy’ is the caring part of the Army. If you don’t have them all together, you are not proclaiming the gospel.

https://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/article/what-social-justice-warrior-looks

The above information is taken from the International Social Justice Commission’s Newsletter for January – March with full permissions. To see the original please go to the ISJC website.

World Social Justice Day is coming up on Saturday the 20^th of February and it has got us thinking about the many different perspectives of social justice there are depending on your background and line of influence. For example, how I, as an Ordained Minister, think about social justice, may be very different to how you think about it.

The thing with social justice is that it is not a one size fits all. Just because I see what I do and why I do it one way doesn’t mean your way or approach is wrong. So in our year of listening to the many voices, we will be featuring a few of these different perspectives here throughout the month of February.

Members of the Policy and Advocacy Team, who all come from different walks of life and fields, have written an article on their perspective of social justice. Their articles have been written not to say their way is the only right way, but to get us all thinking – What is social justice? And how can all of these perspectives work together to see God’s kingdom come on Earth?

So join us this February as we celebrate World Social Justice Day and explore how we all contribute to building the Kingdom of God on Earth.

Captain Alexis McKeand is a Policy & Social Justice Adviser for The Salvation Army Australia, and a Chaplain in the Royal Australian Air Force

*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Salvation Army

This is my dinner table. It was gifted to me as a hand-me-down when I first moved out of home eight years ago. It has specs of glitter embedded in it; streaks of green and red paint have stained the wood, and there is a water-mark from a plant that adorned the table top for a few months.  This table, with its scratches and marks and as of a few weeks ago, a broken chair – is the heartbeat of my house. Countless meals, teas, coffees, milos, prayers, light-hearted conversations, heart-breaking conversations, art activities, bible studies, arguments, confessions, board games, laughter and tears have been shared at this table. This table is a symbol of the hospitality that takes place in my home.

Growing up in the church, I always thought hospitality was just about having people over for dinner, or bringing scones for the weekly morning tea at church. But hospitality is more than knowing how to host a dinner party. This quote from Henri Nouwen sums it up for me – “Hospitality means primarily the creation of free space where the stranger can enter and become a friend instead of an enemy. Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place. It is not to bring men and women over to our side, but to offer freedom not disturbed by dividing lines[i].” Hospitality provides a space for the Kingdom of God to reign.

When we engage in hospitality, it creates an opportunity where we are able to recognise the injustices our neighbours face. Hospitality provides a space to develop friendships and walk alongside people. When you invite people into your home, you invite them into your space and you open yourself up by sharing with them. In my experience, when you sit with someone in your home and they share the struggles of their life, you don’t just bid them farewell at the end of the conversation with a ‘great to chat, see you next time’ as you close the front door; you are moved to action.  In the middle of hospitality, we live, love and fight alongside others as they experience hardship, and ultimately participate in God’s transforming work.

In Australia One, justice is mentioned both in our Vision statement and in our mission values. Justice is integral to the gospel, and therefore to the work of The Salvation Army. Yet, in order to pursue justice, we need to recognise where injustice prevails. One way we can do this is by engaging in hospitality. When you commit to sharing life with others, you are moved when they experience hardship. As N.T. Wright puts it, “Justice is what love looks like when it’s facing the problem that its neighbour is dealing with”.

In order for justice to move beyond an Australia One buzz word within the organisation, we must start engaging in the messy parts of our neighbourhoods where injustice is prevalent. Unless Salvationists are actively engaged in their neighbourhoods, ‘working for justice’ is just another line in a corporate merger. Hospitality requires vulnerability; it requires stepping outside of our comfort zone. Are we prepared to do this? In Partnering with God, Edge and Morgan state that we are a sent people[1]. We are not sent to the four walls of our church buildings, but to the people in our neighbourhood. Salvationists are all called to engage in the mission of God, which is to join in God’s work to usher in the Kingdom. We are called to love and serve our neighbours.

Hospitality is a practical way to live, love and fight alongside people as we all seek the Kingdom. However, it is a position of power to always sit in the place of host. What would hospitality look like in your life if you were to enter the space of your neighbours? Hospitality allows for mutual transformation; it provides opportunities for us to learn and teach, provide and receive – but requires that we place ourselves in the role of guest as well as host. It is during this process that the Kingdom of God is revealed and we share in our humanity.

Practical suggestions

I moved into my current neighbourhood with the intention to be present to the community and its needs. I wanted my house to be a place of hospitality – a safe and welcoming space, particularly for young people, who would otherwise not have that. I have been in my neighbourhood for almost five years, and it has been a messy process of mistakes, learning and trialling new things.  Here are a few things I have learnt along the way:

• Family dinners are essential! I live in a share house – and for all intents and purposes, my housemates are my family. If we are not connecting or communicating in a healthy way, any hospitality or community that comes from our house is ultimately unhealthy. We have family dinner once a week. This is an exclusive time for us to share in a meal, prayer and air any concerns we have.
• Allocate one meal, or day a week for intentional hospitality. We found quickly that if we didn’t protect one day a week for engaging with our neighbours, life got in the way!
• Be open to God teaching you – I have been changed more than I have changed my community. I expected that I would be helping and teaching in the neighbourhood, but God has taken this time and used my neighbours and community to teach me.
• Hospitality still requires ‘rules’. Practising hospitality does not mean you give up all your space. I live with introverts so down-time is very important for the mental health and energy of my housemates. Additionally, there is an expectation then when people enter our house – they still respect the people and the things in it.

The command to act justly, love mercy and walk humble with your God is a theme embedded throughout the bible. How is God asking you to seek justice? In what ways may God be prompting you to create spaces for hospitality? How can you be a representative of Jesus in the places most impacted by hardship and injustice?

An opinion piece by Amanda Merrett

[1] Edge & Morgan, 2017. Partnering with God.

[i] ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life