Sydney Friends of Standing Together event calls for peace
The peace group, aligned with global movement Standing Together, held a rally in Sydney on 4 May in support of Jerusalem peace summit
May 19, 2025
written by Rev Lindsay Cullen, Assembly Associate General Secretary
Sydney Friends of Standing Together (SFOST) is a group aligned with Standing Together, which describes itself as “a progressive grassroots movement mobilizing Jewish and Palestinian citizens of Israel against the occupation and for peace, equality, and social justice.”
Recently SFOST was involved in organising a rally on Sunday 4 May in Sydney near the Town Hall, aimed at coinciding with and supporting the large peace summit It’s Time, which was held in Jerusalem on 8-9 May. More than 20 cities around the world held rallies in support, and thousands attended events in Jerusalem.
"I spoke of the teaching of Jesus – drawn from the Jewish scriptures, that we should love our neighbour; that Jesus made clear with his story of the Good Samaritan that ‘neighbour’ does not just apply to those who look like and think like us."
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you want to get the latest news from the Uniting Church in Australia then subscribe to our weekly newsletter delivered to your inbox.
I was privileged to be asked to speak at the Sydney event on behalf of the Uniting Church in Australia. Sydney Friends of Standing Together described this as an opportunity to stand in solidarity and recognise that it is time to:
- stop the killing, bombing and starvation
- return all hostages
- end the occupation
- listen to the people
- promote peace for all.
These aims are very consistent with the things our own UCA Assembly Standing Committee, and the Assembly, have been calling for since April 2024.
I began by focussing on the recent election, and in particular the concession and acceptance speeches made by Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese. The graciousness of these speeches pointed to the need to humanise our opponents.
I spoke of the teaching of Jesus – drawn from the Jewish scriptures, that we should love our neighbour, and that Jesus made clear with his story of the Good Samaritan that ‘neighbour’ does not just apply to those who look like and think like us, but to those who may be quite different to us, those who are in need.
I commend the organisers and the attendees for their commitment to ongoing calls for peace, and it would be my hope that members of the UCA would continue to live into our call to be peacemakers.
More news
Repairers of the Breach, Bearers of the Light: President reflection
Repairers of the Breach, Bearers of the Light: President Reflections on her Ormond Uniting Church visit Rev Charissa Suli attended Ormond Uniting in Melbourne’s south-east to celebrate the dedication and reopening of their church bulding after a long and trying journeyby Rev Charissa Suli, President, Uniting Church in Australia I continue to reflect on my…
Calling for nominations: Women of the Uniting Church
Calling for nominations: Celebrating women of the Uniting Church Help us honour the remarkable women of the Uniting Church this International Women’s Day Celebrating Uniting Church Women for International Women’s Day 2026 Every day, in every place across the Uniting Church, women are leading, empowering and inspiring in our church communities and beyond. To mark…
Focusing our Shared Life on Local Communities Responding to God’s Call
Focusing our Shared Life on Local Communities Responding to God’s Call The Assembly’s new CGRA held its first meeting of 2026 last week, where they explored governance and resourcing reforms to better support local communities responding faithfully and sustainably to God’s call in mission. by Dr Paul Minty, Executive Officer of the Commission…
Assembly's new strategy for 2026–31: Third Strategic Goal explained
The 2026-31 Strategy: Third Strategic Goal explained In this third article on the Assembly’s 2026–31 Strategy, Andrew Johnson reflects on Liberating Justice – renewing the Church’s long-held commitment to confronting injustice through faithful witness, collective action and hope-filled engagement in Australia and the world by Andrew Johnson, Assembly General Secretary This year, the National…
Position available: National Director - Frontier Services
The Uniting Church in Australia’s bush ministry agency, Frontier Services, is seeking a National Director to lead its mission supporting remote and regional communities across Australia. This is a rare opportunity to combine values-led leadership, national fundraising accountability and service to some of the country’s most isolated communities.National Director – Frontier…
This is my Uniting Church: Engadine UC
This is my Uniting Church Engadine Uniting Church ‘This is my Uniting Church’ is a series that delves into the stories and faces of our local congregations and communities of faith: the beating heart of the Uniting Church! In this edition, we shine the spotlight on a Uniting Church located in southern Sydney. It’s on…