• Creativity in Cold Lentils
• Recovering Hope
• Truth Is A Two-Way Street
• Our chance to stand in solidarity
• Human Rights: a common meeting place?
• The Heart of God
• Dare to Dream
• Learning to Listen
• Finding meaning in the experience
• Towards An Understanding of Home
• Silence
• Peregrinasaun Haksolok Hamutuk
• Peace
• The Big Show
• Weakness and Strength
• United in Peace
• The Ring
• ACUSA
• People as seeds of hope and change
• Being Grateful
• In the midst of 250,000 people
• UN World Habitat Day
• Praying The Rosary
• I Want To Make A Difference
• How Fragile we are
• The Challenge of email
• Being Socially Responsible
• Thirsting for Knowledge
• The Lord is my Shepherd
• Archived Thoughts of the Week
• An Idea

I have the great privilege of walking and working with students who are part of ACUSA at St Patrick’s Campus. ACUSA stands for Australian Catholic University, Students for Awareness. It is a privilege because the members of ACUSA are people who want to make a difference in the world.

As their Mission states:

“ACUSA is a non-hierarchical group of like minded students at ACU Melbourne who seek to raise awareness about social justice and environmental issue. We aim to engage, educate and challenge students and the broader community about current issues with an obligation to thinking global and acting local”.

ACUSA meets weekly and over the year the students get involved in many activities. For instance, they facilitate forums to raise awareness of important social issues. This Thursday 11th September, ACUSA is facilitating a Forum with ACU Institute of Legal Studies. The topic is, “How have the anti-terrorism laws impacted on human rights in Australia?” Guest speakers are Julian Burnside and Phoebe Knowles.

Together we also try to raise awareness by holding stalls during the common lunch hour. E.g. the concept of choosing Fairtrade goods, support for Asylum Seekers through food drives and encouraging volunteers for the Breakfast Club and Homework Club at Atherton Gardens.

These students bring so much energy, enthusiasm and fun to these meetings that we all leave renewed and energised. They often help me put life back into perspective!!

• Geraldine Butler,
• Mission Engagement,
• Melbourne