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Notice concerning the closure of Uniya:To Friends and Supporters of Uniya Jesuit Social Justice Centre 2nd March 2007 Dear Friends, Peace. For eighteen years Uniya Jesuit Social Justice Centre has provided effective research, advocacy and public education on matters of social concern to the Australian community, applying principles of Catholic Social Teaching to contemporary social questions. The thoughtful cooperation of many people has given Uniya life over this time. While we greatly value Uniya’s role, we do not see how it can be effectively sustained as a Jesuit work in the long term. Thus Uniya will cease to operate on May 31st 2007. Because of your support, we wanted to inform you of this decision of the Australian Jesuits. Uniya, set up in 1989, built on earlier experiences of the Province’s social institutes, such as the Institute of Social Order and Asian Bureau Australia. The name and also the legacy of Uniya will be retained. The Jesuits will, of course, continue to promote a faith that does justice. Province bodies, such as Jesuit Social Services, Jesuit Theological College and Eureka Street, published by Jesuit Communications, continue to promote engagement in and reflection on contemporary social questions. Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), which at times functioned as part of Uniya, will continue its normal work. JRS and Jesuit Mission are building stronger links to peoples in the Asia and Pacific region, and JRS is developing its research and public policy capacity. Uniya publications and website documents will be continually accessible through JRS. The decision to close was reached at the end of 2006 following consultations. We recognise and value the leadership and service of past and present directors and staff, and we thank them. We offer renewed thanks to the many who have volunteered their time, talents and resources to make Uniya programs so successful. We thank St Canice’s Parish for giving such an inspiring home for Uniya. In their commitment to the work at hand and their care during the delicate procedures around closure, Mary Bryant the present director, and Mark Byrne, the senior researcher, are to be admired, and we thank them. We take this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to you who have generously and faithfully supported Uniya over many years. We invite you to continue to participate in the Province’s mission to relieve the burdens on those most in need in our community and join in seeking a more just Australia. With sincere good wishes and prayers,
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