Air raid sirens, shelters and human suffering: the challenges facing an aid agency in war torn Ukraine

While the tragedy of Gaza never seems to leave the headlines, the war in Ukraine dips in and out of the news. That’s despite the past six months seeing the most intensive fighting of the conflict. 

Tetiana Stawnychy heads the Ukraine operation of the aid agency Caritas. She’s in Australia meeting supporters.

The early 1990s was, for Catholics, a time of political ascendancy – a Catholic prime minister, governor-general, and five of the seven high court justices. One of them was Sir Gerard Brennan, whose most famous judgement was the Mabo decision granting native title to indigenous Australians. 

How did his religion influence his decisions as a judge? His son, Jesuit priest Frank Brennan, has released a two volume-collection of his father’s articles and speeches, giving an extraordinary insight into the thinking of a jurist who helped shape Australian law.

GUESTS:

• Tetiana Stawnychy, President of Caritas Ukraine, based in Kyiv, Ukraine
• Father Frank Brennan Jesuit priest, human rights lawyer and academic

During the COVID pandemic emergency physician Stephen Parnis from St Vincent's Hospital in Melbourne was a prominent medical voice. 

Dr Parnis will be giving the 2025 lecture to the Plunkett Centre for Ethics on Wednesday November 5 in Sydney at the Australian Catholic University.

This program was made on the lands of the Gadigal People