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The decision by Anglicare to abandon residential aged care has caused anguish and sadness, even if it was inevitable. It has sold its five nursing homes in Canberra and across the south coast to the Returned Services League as "on-going concerns". The Anglican Church (in this Diocese of Canberra and Goulburn) continues to provide chaplaincy and pastoral care to residents in the homes. And it continues to own cheaper to run 'retirement living premises' in Red Hill, Downer and Goulburn. The Anglicare Board urged a sale more than four years ago. When they did sell early this year the church got less for them. Anglicare said the transfer to another provider was done in a way that ensured residents were being put "at the centre". "But it is with a heavy heart that we do this," spokesman Bishop Stephen Pickard said at the time the decision was made. His heaviness of heart is based on a belief that institutions like the Anglican Church, from pari...

Mandela's death has reminded me of the collective madness of apartheid. My children need to be told about it again and again, as children need to everywhere, so that history does not repeat itself. I tell them that marrying Peter would have landed us in jail. The system's obsession with race imprisoned people in their minds as well as in their movement. It stuck people in a holding pattern and dampened the human spirit. But even when caged birds are released they have to be reminded of how to fly. Mandela famously said 'People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love'. With his passing I wrote this piece for Fairfax Media to remember an extraordinary man and to reflect on the challenges for South Africa's current leaders. The real Mandela challenge - living up to his ideals December 10, 2013 Millions of words have been written about Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. But it's worth reflecting on his extraordinary inclusive ...