The New Zealand Catholic Bishops are inviting people to act on the challenge issued by Pope Francis this coming week – Social Justice week: “Weave bonds of belonging in our local community.”
New Zealanders pride themselves on being friendly, but not everyone experiences a sense of community or connection.
The 2016 Quality of Life survey reveals an increasing number of New Zealanders think neighbourliness in on the decline.
The Quality of Life Survey seeks to capture perceptions of well-being in nine to twelve major cities in New Zealand every two years.
Between 2004 and 2016, there is a marked decrease in neighbourliness reflected by respondents.
In 2016, 77 percent of New Zealanders surveyed believe it is important to have a sense of community, but only 58 percent said they actually experience a sense of community
In 2004, 88 percent of respondents said that they had positive interactions with their neighbours such as visiting, having a chat or asking for small favours.
In the most recent survey in 2016, only 42 percent of respondents reported having similar positive interactions with their neighbours.
The 2014 New Zealand General Social Survey reveals that one in seven New Zealanders feel isolated or lonely some or most of the time
Social Justice Week was established by the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference in 1997 as an ongoing commitment in the Catholic calendar for the week beginning the second Sunday of September
It is a time to consider, reflect and take action on a particular current social justice issue in the light of Catholic social teaching.
Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand has prepared a number of resources for Social Justice week including a liturgy resources, a reflection brochure and a power point presentation.
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