Tonight, Friday 2 November, Western Australian churches and concerned individuals will join Christian groups all over Australia to host public prayer vigils focused on the current Kids Off Nauru campaign.
Hundreds of people will gather at 6.30pm tonight at Trinity, Uniting Church in the City (72 St Georges Terrace, Perth) to call on the Australian Parliament to work together to bring all children and their families detained on Nauru to Australia by Universal Children's Day on November 20, and to resettle them in Australia or in another appropriate country.
Dozens of children and their families continue to be subjected to the effects of detention on Nauru.
Recently there have been repeated incidents of suicide attempts, including children dousing themselves in petrol. Some children have given up eating, and many bang their bodies repeatedly against walls in their distress.
Yesterday, the government announced plans to bring all children detained on Nauru to Australia by the end of 2018. There has been no mention, however, of permanent protection and resettlement for these children and their families.
"We welcome and commend the government's plan to evacuate all children from Nauru by year's end," said Rev Steve Francis, Moderator of the Uniting Church Western Australia.
"However, this is not all we have been advocating for, and there is still much that needs to be done before we can say Australia is acting justly."
"There are sick children on Nauru who need medical attention well before the end of the year, not to mention the many men and women remaining on Manus Island and Nauru also in need of safety and protection", said The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy, Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Perth.
Vigil attendees will come from many different faith traditions, but tonight will unite together to remember those still stranded on Nauru and Manus. The vigil will be a reminder to Government leaders and the wider nation that followers of Jesus will not remain silent about the gross injustices that have been committed against children and their families on Nauru, as well as men on Manus Island.
The Most Reverend Kay Goldsworthy, Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Perth; Rev Steve Francis, Moderator of the Uniting Church Western Australia and Rev. Deacon Greg Lowe, Director of the Western Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, urge the Federal Parliament to facilitate the immediate transfer of children and their families from Nauru to safety in Australia.
All are welcome to attend the Kids Off Nauru prayer vigil:
6.30pm tonight, Friday 2 November at Trinity, Uniting Church in the City (72 St Georges Terrace, Perth)
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