End Holiday Hunger: ask your MP to support the bill
End Hunger has been actively campaigning to make a difference on holiday hunger over the summer break, including a meeting at City Hall in London and activists sending over 150 postcards to MPs asking them to tackle holiday hunger.
Next week there will be a chance to persuade the government to step up to the plate on the issue, with Frank Field MP presenting a bill on 5 September that would see funding for every local authority to end holiday hunger – along the lines of the Welsh Assembly Government’s Food and Fun project. The UK has the highest level of childhood food insecurity in the EU it is important we take steps to tackle food poverty.
If you can, please write to your MP and ask them to support Frank Field’s bill as it goes through the House of Commons. Click here to use our simple e-action.
If you have already contacted your MP on holiday hunger, please feel free to forward this email to a friend. You can find out which MPs have already agreed to support the bill on feeding Britain’s website.
If you want more information on our holiday hunger campaign you can find out about it on the holiday hunger pages of our website.
*** NJPN Action of the Week *** Campaign Against Arms Trade: Stopping the London Arms Fair
On 12 September, the international weapons industry plans to set up shop in London at a huge arms fair, DSEI.
With your help, we can stop it.
DSEI is one of the world’s largest arms fairs. The weapons sold here fuel the death, destruction and injustice perpetrated by militaries, police forces and at borders around the world.
Join us in calling for it to be shut down.
This is where war, repression and injustice start. But this is also where we can intervene to stop it.
In 2015, hundreds of people took part in a huge week of action – the biggest-ever protests against DSEI. For six days we blocked entrances, disrupting the set-up of the fair. 2017 is set to be even bigger.
Join actions at the gates of the arms fair every day from 4-11 September, stopping the arms fair before it starts. Find them all at: stopthearmsfair.org.uk.
Can’t make it in person?
If you can’t be there in person, you can still help make sure the opposition is the biggest ever.
Show how big the resistance is: sign and share the petition
Spread the word: Share this video with friends to help mobilise
Follow and share the action by following #StopDSEI and CAAT on Facebook and Twitterfor the latest updates
Find more ways to get involved at stopthearmsfair.org.uk
Let’s stop the arms fair!
The death of Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor: RIP
Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor, may he rest in peace and rise in glory.
Cardinal Vincent Nichols announced the death of his predecessor Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor who died peacefully yesterday, 1 September 2017:
Cardinal Nichols continued:
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor died peacefully surrounded by his family and friends.
Please pray for the repose of his soul. Pray, too, for his family, and those many friends and colleagues from the Diocese and far beyond who mourn his loss.
Information about the funeral rites for the Cardinal will be circulated as soon as possible.
With my good wishes and prayers,
Cardinal Vincent Nichols
Archbishop of Westminster
More information here
With sadness, we report the recent death of John Ruming at the age of 86. Having taken early retirement from a career in marketing in 1988, John was appointed at the first part-time paid worker for the National Liaison Committee (NJPN’s previous name). Almost his first action was to take 6 months’ unpaid leave to attend a course on Ignatian Spirituality at St Bueno’s in Flintshire. This was a topic close to his heart, having been active in the Christian Life Communities movement.
Resident in Carshalton, he had been on the central J&P Committee of the Southwark diocese throughout the 1980s, being Chair for much of that time. During his three-year term of employment he did great work in making the national work for J&P appreciated and accepted, showing a great flair for organising conferences – which at that time took place within a different diocese each year.
Subsequently John was on the Executive of Pax Christi UK for a good number of years, playing a great role in coordinating the practical arrangements for the 1997 International Council in London and spending a year as Chair.
After another retirement he remained in demand as a leader for Weeks of Guided Prayer, energised by Ignatian Spirituality. He moved to the Sussex coast in about 2008, living alone and in good health until he judged it prudent to move into a care home. His quiet reliability and good humour were appreciated by all who came into contact with him.
He was a good man: may he rest in peace.
Phil Kerton 31 August 2017
***NJPN Action of the Week*** Christians Aware August Action Card : Modern Day Slavery
There are more slaves now than at any point in human history. Over 27 million is the current estimate of slaves worldwide. Those who perpetrate the crime target the most vulnerable in society and seek to use them as commodities from which to make profit.
Inform yourself and take action
Seeking Sanctuary: Migrants around Calais – Briefing Note, August 2017
Lord Hylton suggests we should draw attention to a series of reports produced just before the Summer break. These condemn police violence against migrants in Calais and the State’s extreme reluctance to provide any access to drinking water, toilets and food.
Awareness of these reports is patchy in the UK, especially the most recent one. As the new session of Parliament draws near, we aim to keep you aware of these by providing links in this message. Please feel free to contact us, or Faith Anderson (faith.anderson@CSAN,org,uk), Public Affairs Officer at CSAN (Caritas Social Action Network), if we may be of further help when you work upon this issue in the coming weeks and months.
There are now many hundreds of people sleeping in the open near Calais and hundreds of others close to Dunkirk plus yet more along the coast and near main roads. Like others in Paris, they have been living in a sadly deprived state, and remain uninformed about legal avenues for entering the UK.
Read more/download
News from the North West – September 2017
The September issue of the NW NJPN E Bulletin leads with Pope Francis’ comprehensive new document on migrants and refugees which has been welcomed by CAFOD and Christian Aid. The recent racial tensions in the US are highlighted against a backdrop of the establishment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Other in-depth articles include nuclear weapons, Care for Creation and volunteering overseas plus book and film reviews and an extensive diary for the autumn.
Download the bulletin here:
News from the North West – September 2017
Portsmouth Diocese Justice, Peace and Social Responsibility Bulletin August 2017
This latest bulletin from the Portsmouth diocese Justice, Peace and Social Responsibility team is available to download.
The focus for August is the recent NJPN Annual Swanwick Conference.
Download newsletter here:
Portsmouth Monthly Bulletin – August
***NJPN Action of the Week*** Call for UN Human Rights inspectors to have access to West Papua
“Over 500,000 civilians have been killed in genocide against the indigenous population. Thousands more have been raped, tortured, imprisoned or “disappeared” after being detained. Entire villages have been demolished, entire generations wiped out. Basic human rights such as freedom of speech are denied and Papuans live in a constant state of fear.”
“The ban on foreign journalists and humanitarian organizations keeps the world from knowing the atrocities that are being committed against the indigenous population. International humanitarian agencies and non-governmental organizations have been pressured to close their field offices and leave West Papua. Access for UN human rights observers has been closed for eight years. And access for journalists, humanitarian agencies and human rights observers is often denied.”
We are very encouraged to see this significant petition gaining incredible momentum in just a few days and we encourage people everywhere to please sign and share it with your friends and family.
Together, we will get the UN to act and find out the truth about the genocide and illegal occupation of West Papua. #FreeWestPapua
Link to the petition
News from the North West – August 2017
The August issue of the NW NJPN E Bulletin leads with reports from the annual NJPN Conference, held last month in Derbyshire, on the theme A Sabbath for the Earth and for the Poor: The Challenge of Pope Francis. Also featured are articles on current J&P campaigns plus obituaries of renowned dissidents Irina Ratushinska and Liu Xiaobo as well as an extensive diary of forthcoming events across the NW region.
Download the bulletin here:
News from the North West – August 2017
