MEDIA RELEASE
NZ Council of Christian Social Services
Friday 28 March 2008
Putting the fate of the poor and vulnerable on the 2008 Election agenda
The New Zealand Council of Christian Social Services (NZCCSS) today launched an information programme for raising public
awareness of social justice and compassion issues, under the theme ‘Let Us Look After Each Other – Aroha tētahi ki
tētahi’.
“We chose this theme because it expresses a love of the people, for the people – it reinforces the sense in which we
live in an inter-dependent society, one in which we should measure success by the well-being of the most vulnerable
amongst us”, says Ross Kendrew, NZCCSS President.
“As we enter another election year cycle the NZCCSS has been drawing on its collective experience, its extensive
networks and its policy watching role to question whether the situation of the poor and the vulnerable in Aotearoa New
Zealand is high enough on the agenda of public concerns.
“Every day of every week, for instance, the members of NZCCSS – the Anglican Care Network, Baptist Churches of New
Zealand, Catholic Social Services, Presbyterian Support Services Inc and the Methodist and Salvation Army churches –
actively support families and individuals to contend with the consequences of the very real poverty traps that still
exist in New Zealand.
“By their complex nature, social issues should not be dealt with in isolation from each other, or by policies that do
not respond to the grassroots voices of the people most affected by those policies,” says Ross Kendrew.
“The five policy concerns we have identified as priorities are support for families and communities to nurture and
protect our children, dignity for an ageing population, poverty elimination, access to affordable housing, and
government support for community-based solutions. Our belief is that a just and compassionate society has to be based on
policies that closely address all of these concerns.
“Furthermore we believe a point has been reached where a high level and wide-ranging call for more awareness and action
about entrenched social issues is needed. To begin this process we will be working with the six major denominations that
support NZCCSS to promote social justice and compassion during 2008 to Church locations and congregations around the
country.
"At the same time we believe all New Zealanders, including all politicians across the political spectrum, need to think
deeply about the meaning of our overall theme – Let Us Look After Each Other, Aroha tētahi ki tētahi – and how it might
inform or inspire their own actions. Supportinginformation is available on our website, www.justiceandcompassion.org.nz
ENDS