Each year, staff at Rosemount select a theme to be reflected upon through various aspects of program curriculum, activity and service delivery.  The theme for 2013 is Reconciliation.

Miranda is an official Ambassador for Reconciliation week and was invited to share her story with the young people and staff at Rosemount.

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Chief Executive Officer Lyn Harrison says:  “This level of engagement is wonderful to see and a real breath of fresh air into our thinking process and program development.  We feel very fortunate to have linked our work to a new generation of professionals, who come from right across the spectrum of what it takes to do good in these times.”

In Semester 1 of 2013 Rosemount has had students working with us on research projects, development of our community commerce program and doing final placement for advanced qualifications in social work.  They include:

• Collaborating on developing and informing the Community Commerce program research (group pictured) – Biljana Omcikus is in her  final semester for a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting and finance at the University of Wollongong; Iozefa-Raki Tauria Sakaria-Cecil is also a Commerce student at the University of Wollongong, majoring in finance; Hannah Lai is a Social Science student at Macquarie University, majoring is Development Studies and Culture Change; and Callum Andrews is completing the Honours year in his Bachelor of Accounting (Honours) at University of Wollongong.

• Final student placement providing input to development of counseling services – completing  a Master’s degree in social work at Charles Sturt University, Jenny Pitty came into social work via art school and a previous masters of arts therapy, who keeps using her art skills whilst doing clinical work by contributing illustrations and photographs to resources about child sexual assault, non-violence and healthy relationships.

• Review of the Thrive program – Kellie Marscham is a social research student in an advanced stage of her degree at Macquarie University, after starting out studying law and forensic science.

• Preliminary work and literature search on deliberate self harm – this work to inform a possible research project on patterns of deliberate self injury and the impact of “social contagion” is being undertaken by Emma Hubner, a postgraduate student who is well along in her studies for a Master of Psychology (Forensic) at the University of New South Wales.

Speaking at the official opening, Rosemount Good Shepherd Chief Executive Officer Lyn Harrison reminded all present of how Sr Clotilde touched the hearts of so many of those with whom her life intersected.

“We hope to emulate that wonderful, positive impact that Sr Clotilde had for so many people in the work that we will do here in our new centre, ” she said.

Read a short biography of Sr Clotilde Bridges (1890-1961), a lady who’s life touched the hearts of many.

On the anniversary of the Kevin Rudd apology in the Australian Parliament in 2008, Rhonda Cumberland, Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand’s CEO, on behalf of all seven Good Shepherd agencies, signed  a commitment to develop the Reconciliation Action Plan.

The action plan, to be finalised by December 10 2013, will provide ways to act on the good intentions of working respectfully and meaningfully with Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders.

The project is overseen by a Steering Committee of Good Shepherd CEOs and staff, while the Reconciliation Action Plan  will be developed by a working party in consultation with staff.

The working party is co-chaired by Bob Maguire, from Good Shepherd Microfinance, and Jason Eades, Aboriginal advisor.

So far, the working party has articulated the goals of the RAP, which are to:

1. Demonstrate the commitment of the Good Shepherd network to reconciliation;
2. Engage staff and stakeholders in the development of the Reconciliation Action Plan;
3. Work from the Good Shepherd mission and vision;
4. Increase access to, and use of, community finance services and products and other Good Shepherd services, by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities that are under-serviced; and
5. Explore opportunities to build mutually beneficial partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander professionals, organisations and communities.

The RAP working party will continue to provide updates on how Good Shepherd as a network is progressing towards launching its Reconciliation Action Plan – click to view the commitment.

For more information, please contact Bob Maguire: bmaguire@gsmicrofinance.org.au

In a range of changes under the new law, forced marriage will be made illegal. Forced marriage is defined under the legislation as a situation where a person does not give ‘full and free’ consent to the marriage, because of the use of coercion, threat or deception.

“Australia has a legacy of slavery and slave-like conditions and these amendments recognise the breadth of exploitation through the new slaveries of forced labour and forced marriage” said Associate Professor Jennifer Burn, Director of Anti-Slavery Australia.

Lyn Harrison, Chief Executive Officer of Rosemount Good Shepherd, said “We join with Anti-Slavery Australia in commending the Australian Parliament for the passage of this Bill.”

The collaboration between Rosemount and Anti-Slavery Australia to research forced marriage in Australia continues, and updates are published regularly.

Read updates on forced marriage in Australia

Over the century since, the Sisters have provided ministries to meet the immediate and long term needs of the disadvantaged, including initiatives in education, residential services, counselling, in-court support and financial assistance.

“Current Good Shepherd activities in NSW are worthy successors of the tradition established by those first Sisters so long ago,” Ms Lyn Harrison (CEO of Rosemount Good Shepherd) said.  “We owe a great deal to those audacious women who were not prepared to hear ‘It can’t be done’.”

“Through 2013, we will will pay tribute to the founding Sisters along with the communities, organisations and individuals who are each important parts of the contemporary Good Shepherd Network not just in Sydney and New South Wales, but across Australia and around the world.”
For more information about the work of the Good Shepherd Network, please visit: www.goodshep.com.au

To purchase ethical products helping women trade their way out of poverty, please visit the Good Shepherd Trading Circle on-line store at: www.thetradingcircle.com.au

From Johnny as MC to Yarrie, and Madi who performed poetry and dance to Kristi who spoke of her experiences at Rosemount, the courage and resilience of youth was truly celebrated.

Yari , now 18, performed two of her own creative pieces, Being a Woman and Mama Africa.  She shared the encouragement she received from her Counsellor, Amanda, when she showed her first poem to her: “Since that day, Rosemount has given me confidence in life, I’m motivated to do more things in my acting, my writing, my dancing and my rapping as well.”

In a day of celebration and reflection, Rosemount Good Shepherd opens its doors to the community to mark 30 years of creating opportunities for young people and families.

From the traditional “birthday cake” through an art workshop to a participatory timeline (below), the team took every opportunity to express what Rosemount has meant to the community that it serves.

Members of the Rosemount team going back to the earliest days joined with young people, community representatives, local politicians and police personnel to look back over 30 years of creating opportunities for young people and families.

CEO Lyn Harrison, took the opportunity to pay tribute to the staff of Rosemount: “Mary Euphrasia, our  founding saint, said these beautiful words: ‘Gratitude is the memory of the heart.’ I can honestly say, that in my very long career, I have never had the pleasure of working with such a dedicated group of staff.  They certainly do believe in the goodness and the greatness of each of the young people and the clients they work with,”

Local MP The Hon. Carmel Tebbutt also shared her admiration and respect for the work achieved at Rosemount, hoping for another 30 years and more of service to the community.

A variety of activities took place in an “open day” style, including the opportunity to create art works reflecting interaction with Rosemount.  From the traditional “birthday cake” through to an art workshop and a participatory timeline, the team took every opportunity to express what Rosemount has meant to the community that it serves.

A variety of activities took place in an “open day” style, including the opportunity to create art works reflecting interaction with Rosemount.