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
Features of our new digital home for UCA resources
Features of our new digital home for UCA resources by Rev Kath Behan, National Consultant, Uniting Church in Australia Assembly Last month saw the successful launch of uHub – our refreshed living library of Uniting Church resources. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be highlighting various features of this content-rich site, calling attention to…
ASC meets in July
Assembly Standing Committee meets in July The ASC met in Sydney over the weekend of 25-27 July to continue its governance and oversight of the Uniting Church Assembly The Uniting Church Assembly Standing Committee (ASC) met in Sydney over the weekend of 25-27 July. The ASC is the governance body for the National Assembly. Elected…
A Tribute to Joan Stott: A Woman of Unwavering Faith and Action
A tribute to Joan Stott, a woman of unwavering faith and action The Assembly, with others around Australia and the world, pay tribute to Joan Stott whose hugely impactful life bore fruit in the Uniting Church and in global networks alikeThe Uniting Church Assembly joins with many across Australia and around the world in mourning…
Young adults pilgrimage for peace
A reflection on the Young Adult Pilgrimage of Peace in South Korea Uniting Church Pastor Joyce Tangi writes about her experience attending the World Methodist Council Young Adult Pilgrimage of Peace in South Korea earlier this year written by Pastor Siosiana (Joyce) Tangi After attending the World Methodist Council in Gothenburg, Sweden, 2024 I…
A reflection on the March for Humanity
Why I marched: a personal reflection Minister at Hope Uniting Church Rev Hee Won Chang reflects on why she joined the March for Humanity in Sydney on Sunday 3 Augustby Rev Hee Won Chang, Minister at Hope Uniting Church, Maroubra On the weekend, the Uniting Church in Australia joined the March for Humanity. As a…
Why the Uniting Church Assembly supports the March for Humanity
A call to public witness: why the Uniting Church supports the March for Humanity The Uniting Church Assembly has chosen to officially support the public event for peace and justice in Palestine, when thousands of people will walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge Why the Uniting Church Assembly is supporting the March for Humanity…