Creative Task and Written Reflection
Part 1: Creative Work
The creative work is a description of the immigrants seeking opportunities to be part of the Australian community. The woman in the picture is hopeful that she will get an opportunity for the new citizen status in the country. The woman is fleeing war-torn country affecting the safety of her child. Her journey to the new country is faced by different waves and challenges. The challenges could be the harsh environment and the unsafe routes that people cross to get to the desired country. She is full of hope that things will change the country will offer her an opportunity. The community is expected to support and provide relief for the restrictions that undermine the opportunity of the migrants. The drawing shows the pain and struggles and expectations of the women in the society who flee from dangers in their country and seek refuge.
Part 2: Personal Reflection
The picture shows that the Australia ascribes to the Catholic social thought since it offers acceptance, equality, love, and opportunity (Behr, 2019). The focus of the Catholic social thought is to provide a humanistic approach to the immigrants coming to the country (Massaro, 2021). Immigrants deserve an opportunity to experience human dignity. Providing refuge to such people is critical in promoting dignity, equality, and justice. Dignity, equality, and justice are important pillars of Catholic social thought (Behr, 2019). The pillars are critical pillars in demonstrating the need for embracing all people irrespective of the differences. Denying the woman an opportunity undermines the spirit of CST principles.
Human dignity is part of the human justice which is critical in offering justice for people experiencing war in their countries. For instance, the country offers an opportunity for the immigrants to find their new families. The society ascribes to the Catholic social thought which ensures that the human rights are protected and their fundamental right as human beings is preserved (Massaro, 2021). The Catholic social thought offers preferential option for the poor. The opportunity for citizenship is critical in enhancing justice and equality. Equality is critical in bridging the gap between the rich and the poor, the natives and the immigrants. Equality is important since it demonstrates the need to show compassion and equal treatment for all without regard for the social, legal, and political differences.
The world is experiencing diverse challenges that require implementation of the CST principles. The principles indicate the need for appropriate action to be taken to restore harmony in the world. For instance, various countries are fighting leading to loss of lives and increase in the number of refugees. It is critical to apply the CST principles to address the problems of discrimination that undermine the safety of the immigrants.
I have a similar experience of immigrants who were denied entry at the borders leading to shuttered dreams. Some communities come from warn-torn countries or families experiencing violence. For instance, some young girls are threatened to marry old men or face the risk of death or torture. It is important to use the principles of CST to give the women an opportunity to live in Australia. Another group at risk of facing problems is the men who are forced to sign up for the military teams fighting in war zones. For instance, in the current scenario in Russia and Ukraine, people are fleeing due to diverse reasons. The purpose of fleeing justifies the reason for giving the immigrants an opportunity to live in Australia. Failure to give the affect group an opportunity to live will force them to go back to their home country or seek refuge in some countries. The CST principles encourage people to give the vulnerable an opportunity to live in the society without the risk of oppression or discrimination.
The creative reflective piece of art resembles the Ubuntu principle. The principle encourages me to always remain ethical since my actions impact the lives of others. I always strive to ensure my acts are ethical and respect the dignity of others. The principle aligns with the concept of subsidiarity, which encourages people to handle issues at different levels to promote harmony in society (Shields, 2022). For instance, in the principle of subsidiarity, every issue should be decided at the lowest level that involves all those who are affected. The belief is that individuals should strive to make positive contributions to the society at their level. For instance, maintaining ethical behavior is a critical contribution of individuals in the society. Individuals should not expect the government to control the behavior in the local community when they can make a personal resolution to uphold equality, justice, and equality for all (Shields, 2022). For instance, treating the immigrants without discrimination is critical in enhancing smooth relationships with all members of the community. Discrimination undermines justice and equality in society.
The reflective picture shows a woman who is holding her child tightly. She is uncertain of how life will be without the assurance of acceptance in the new country. She is already facing rejection from her home country and her future remains uncertain. It is clear that the woman is hanging her hope on the thought of acceptance and justice for the immigrants. CST is a classic example of the common good that the society should embrace of looking at the interest of all the people (Shields, 2022). Australians have a challenge due to the diversity of the community. It is important to uphold the values that seek the common good for all people. For instance, when the woman in the drawing becomes a member of the Australian community, she will be feeling afraid of the future. As a woman joining the minority team in Australia, the common good involves pursuing the safety, comfort, and good health for the minority.
The concept of subsidiarity and participation is essential in the smooth running of the society. The CST of subsidiarity indicates that the society exists to serve the needs of the community (Teehankee & Sevilla, 2020). Similarity, an individual has a duty to correspond and remain responsible in the community. The principle indicates that high levels of organizations should not be allowed to manage the functions that may be managed efficiently by the lower organizations. The principle encourages every individual to take part in running the affairs of the community (Teehankee & Sevilla, 2020). It is important to delegate the duties to the organizations to ensure they meet the duties as expected.
CST recognizes that individuals should not abscond their duties in the name of assuming the government or higher offices will cater to their needs. For instance, it is vital to Help the poor and the less privileged in the society. The objective is to ensure people generate local solutions to the problems affecting their lives (Marek & Jabłoński, 2021). Ubuntu principle encourages people to collaborate to generate local solution to their local problems. It is important to enhance teamwork in the community to solve various issues affecting the society. The principles states that ‘I am who I am because of who you are’. The concept is healthy since it encourages people to view their live with the perspective of the broader society. Pursuing the good of the entire community is critical in generating harmony in the society (Marek & Jabłoński, 2021). People should strive to work together to address social, economic, legal, political, and ethical issues.
The participation of every individual in the community should be to pursue the common good. Striving for the common good is essential in realizing better results compared to individuals only focusing on their personal problems while undermining others. For instance, giving the immigrants an opportunity is an example of pursuing the common good. People should be mindful of the millions suffering in war-torn countries or suffering from hunger or violence. The desire for a common good should push them to enhance equality, justice, and happiness for all (Marek & Jabłoński, 2021). It is important to collaborate with all the stakeholders to realize quality results.
Empathy and compassion is a critical aspect of CST principles. CST embodies the principle of human dignity which stipulates that human beings are made in the image of God. It is thus important to respect them and show them love since they resemble the image of God. Empathy and compassion are critical in handling the immigrants in the society (Himes, 2019). The Australian society is facing an influx of immigrants from different countries. It is important for the Australians to showcase compassion and empathy. People demonstrate compassion and empathy since every human being is equal before God. No human being is lesser than the other despite the gender, skin complexion, age, or country of origin.
The world comprises of diverse groups of people, and they need to live together in harmony. Cultural diversity should be a strength and not a weakness. People should appreciate the differences that exist such as religion, gender, skin complexion, age, or country of origin. CST principle on the preferential option for the poor shows that communities should take care of the poor and vulnerable in the society (Himes, 2019). It is vital to showcase the need to care for the vulnerable. For instance, the woman in the reflective drawing is part of the vulnerable group which should be taken care of. Giving appropriate attention to the vulnerable will create a conducive environment for all people.
The reflective task shows the need for addressing the issues relating to immigrants in Australia. The reflective picture shows a woman who is holding her child tightly. She is uncertain of how life will be without the assurance of acceptance in the new country. CST remains a cornerstone foundation for solutions that the country needs to address the immigration crisis. The concept of subsidiarity and participation is essential in the smooth running of the society. The CST of subsidiarity indicates that the society exists to serve the needs of the community. The focus of CST is to give the vulnerable, weak, and poor an opportunity to live in the society without fear of discrimination.
References
Behr, T. C. (2019). Social justice and subsidiarity: Luigi Taparelli and the origins of modern Catholic social thought. Catholic University of America Press.
Himes, K. R. (2019). Catholic social teaching, economic inequality, and American society. Journal of Religious Ethics, 47(2), 283-310.
Marek, A., & Jabłoński, A. (2021). Care of the Common Good as a Responsibility of Business Leaders. Catholic Social Teaching Perspective. Religions 12: 125.
Massaro, T. (2021). Social Welfare and Catholic Social Teaching: Foundational Theological Principles for Case Studies. Religions, 12(5), 288.
Shields, J. K. (2022). Teaching Catholic Social Thought: A Symposium Introduction. Journal of Moral Theology, 11(2), 78-86.
Teehankee, B., & Sevilla, Y. (2020). Managing for good work: Principles and practices of humanistic management based on Catholic Social Thought. In Virtuous Cycles in Humanistic Management (pp. 121-134). Springer, Cham.
