27 May 2002

The refugee crisis and its implications on society will be discussed by Reverend Tim Costello at a University of Queensland luncheon.

Entitled The Contemporary Philosophy of Containment – Legal, Economic and Social Implications, the address will explore the current ethos of ‘containment’ in Australia, with particular reference to the refugee crisis.

A two-course lunch will accompany the presentation, which will be held on Friday, June 7 in The Bristol Room, Royal on the Park, corner Alice and Albert Streets, Brisbane at 12 noon.

Rev. Costello is President of the Baptist Union of Australia and an advocate on urban poverty, substance abuse, reconciliation, homelessness and problem gambling.

As Director of Urban Seed, a non-profit Christian organisation that offers hospitality to those who have been marginalised, he aims to engage society on critical moral, spiritual, social and cultural issues.

He is a spokesperson for the Interchurch Gambling Taskforce in Victoria, a member of the National Advisory Body on Gambling and the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation, and is the brother of Federal Treasurer Peter Costello.

The event, which costs $35 per person (including GST) or $30 for full-time students, is hosted by UQ’s Social Work and Social Policy Alumni in association with the Law Graduates Association and Economics Alumni.

People interested in attending should contact Keiran Hargreaves at UQ’s Development Office by Tuesday, June 4 on telephone 07 3346 3924 or fax 07 3346 3901.

Media: for further information, contact Social Work and Social Policy Alumni President Anne-Maria Butler (telephone 07 3213 9223, mobile 0417 726 136, email anne-maria.butler@pt.qld.gov.au) or Joanne van Zeeland at UQ Communications (telephone 07 3365 2619 or email communications@uq.edu.au).