Although reports of violence and child abuse regularly appear in our local papers, the major concern in our part of Australia, the Central Coast of New South Wales, is the ongoing loss of human life due to suicide.
In our town a special committee organized a "Suicide Summit" to which the whole community was invited. Keynote speakers were scheduled to participate, in hopes that some solutions would be found. Over three hundred people, including many professionals in fields of mental health, came together. They heard how, despite their best efforts, systems and services were failing, how family members were affected by suicide, and they heard also from those seeking assistance.
First Church of Christ, Scientist, Gosford, Australia, booked one of the fifteen display booths. Our display of Christian Science literature included The Christian Science Monitor's special series "The Child Sex Trade." There was much genuine interest shown:
