What’s ahead for 2020
As we begin this next decade working with and on behalf of institutional abuse survivors, it’s important to take a moment and reflect on some of our successes and share some of our ideas for 2020 and into the future.
This newsletter outlines recent developments, and the plan for the near future of In Good Faith Foundation.
In late 2019 IGFF received a significant surge in funding provided by the Federal Government, as a National Redress Scheme Support Service. Our team is to be congratulated for their enormous and often unrecognised hard work and dedication to assisting survivors on their recovery journeys.
This surge funding has meant that 2020 has opened with a huge leap forward in Foundation activity, with some amazing service delivery results up to 30th December 2019 that further support our calls for additional funding.
Some service delivery and client demographic data from the past year:
The additional funding provided by DSS means that IGFF will be experiencing rapid expansion in the very short term. A key focus of this will be expanding our dedicated and hardworking team of frontline staff as we work to provide individual support and lobby for systemic change.
We will also have greater resourcing to respond in ever varied and more comprehensive ways to enquiries. While we continue to demand greater institutional accountability and more survivor centric processes there is also a genuine sense of excitement and possibility as we move forwards into this next phase at IGFF.
In 2020 IGFF will undertake some additional projects and systemic advocacy including:
- Submissions to Government Inquiries
- Education programs
- Consultancies and Memorial Projects
- A Public Awareness Campaign called “Everyday Courage”
- Commence a research project
- And build a more diverse partnership network
We’re encouraging you to invite friends, family and communities to subscribe to our newsletter and keep up to date with everything that’s happening!
Thank you for your support so far – we look forward to having you join us in our next steps!
Recent news coverage of institutional abuse
ABC Life interviewed a survivor trying to leave the Jehovah’s Witnesses but fearing being shunned
While she has found support and connection within SaySorry.Org and their Facebook groups, this article details how hard it can be to leave a religious community – particularly for survivors, and victims of institutional cover-ups.
“It’s really hard because I’m so detached from everyone around me. I can’t be friends with those in the religion, because they know I don’t go to meetings, and I don’t really have outside friends. It’s very isolating.”
The Catholic Church is trying to stop one of its practicing priests from suing for child abuse
In what might be the first case of its kind in Australia, a serving parish priest in NSW is suing the Lismore diocese for abuse he suffered as a child.
The Catholic Church are trying to stop this litigation, leading to further criticism in the wake of their reaction to the Royal Commission’s findings.
Over this past week, In Good Faith Foundation has been following the news of Bettina Arndt being awarded the Order of Australia with concern. We recognise that this specific public honour is deeply upsetting for many of our clients and other survivors.
In order to recognise and respect their experiences we are seeking to make our concerns known, and have sent the letter shared below to the Governor General’s office, signed by IGFF CEO Clare Leaney and former head of the Victoria Police Sexual Crimes Squad Glenn Davies.
If there is anything specific you would like to draw to our attention, or would like to be forwarded this letter as a more readable Pdf, please contact us at [email protected].
