The monthly e-bulletin for the North West, linked to the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN), is produced jointly by the dioceses of Lancaster, Liverpool, Salford, Shrewsbury and Wrexham.
NJPN NW Justice and Peace E Bulletin September 2015
This urgent appeal from Pax Christi asks that we respond with prayer and action in support of the people of the Cremisan Valley whose lives and land are threatened by the continued building of the separation wall
Pax Christi asks us to: ‘ Please write now to protest this action’
For further details:
https://paxchristi.org.uk/2015/08/19/urgent-action-needed-to-protect-cremisan-valley/
Next month all 193 UN Member states have the chance to sign up to global goals for tackling poverty, inequality and climate change. They could save the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children.
We say could, because these goals will only change the world if they’re met and they’ll only be met if world leaders know that we’re all watching. That’s why we need you.
On the eve of this historic meeting of global leaders, thousands of people across the world will come together under one sky to ramp up the political pressure.
As night falls in London, we’ll be lining up on the Millennium Bridge holding stars to light the way to a better world. Will you join us?
This is an opportunity to send a powerful message to world leaders that we can’t afford to miss. We could be the generation that stops children dying from preventable causes.
I hope to see you there.
Thank you,
Yvonne Jeffery
Save the Children
Bishop Declan Lang, Chair of the Bishops’ International Affairs department, visited Thailand two years ago and called for Catholics to pray for the victims:
“Tonight Catholics throughout England and Wales will be praying for the people of Thailand and all those affected by this appalling attack. I strongly recall the generous hospitality we received in Bangkok two years ago and wish to convey my solidarity with the local Church at this most challenging time.”
Rt Rev Declan Lang Chair, Department for International Affairs Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
In just a matter of weeks ‘Defence & Security Equipment International’ (DSEI), the world’s largest arms fair, will once again descend on London. There, in our capital city and with the support of our government, huge quantities of lethal weaponry will be exhibited for sale. Once sold, those weapons make possible the next war, the next humanitarian crisis or the next act of repression. And their effects will be felt the world over as people are killed, maimed and tyrannised.
The arms fair will bring together representatives of over 1000 of the world’s arms manufacturers with military delegations from across the globe. At the last DSEI in 2013, the UK government invited 14 authoritarian regimes, and 9 of the countries that the Foreign Office has identified as having the most serious human rights concerns.
When we work together we can have real impact on the arms trade. At DSEI 2013, we organised large-scale direct action which blocked deliveries of weapons and potential buyers from entering. We also locked down the offices of massive arms company Lockheed Martin and disrupted two arms dealers’ dinners. Following coordinated action to challenge the ‘Defence, Procurement, Research, Technology and Exportability’ (DPRTE) arms fair, formerly held in Bristol, it was forced to move location in 2014 and will not go ahead this year. Over in Australia, following a massive public campaign in 2008, campaigners have managed to permanently stop the national equivalent of DSEI, proving that public pressure really can have a long-term impact.
Please donate today and join us in challenging the arms fair.
As it draws closer, we are doing everything we can to make this year’s DSEI the last. We are putting on events all over the country to raise awareness and empower ordinary people to take action against the arms fair. During the set up of DSEI itself, we will organise a massive week of action, bringing together activist groups, from the local to the international, to stand together against the arms dealers. Looking longer-term, we are producing ground-breaking research exposing the UK’s role in arming violent and repressive states, building high-profile support for our campaign and ultimately changing the terms of the debate on arms exports.
Please donate to CAAT and to help support this vital action against the arms trade:
www.caat.org.uk/support-our-work/donate
CAAT is the only single-issue UK organisation working to put an end to the deadly arms trade. We pride ourselves on being grassroots, independent and politically focused in our campaigning. It’s only thanks to individual supporters like you that we can continue to take effective action. In the run up to DSEI, and beyond, we need your support if we are to make a lasting impact.
Please click here to make a one off donation or here to set up a Direct Debit. All donations we receive make us more effective in our work challenging the arms trade.
A free day of training for activists – Saturday 17 October
A full day of free skills workshops at the lovely MERCi Centre in Manchester. Choose from a wide range of workshops such as how to get local press coverage, using social media effectively, making an impact with a street stall, creative actions, strategies for influencing politicians, facilitating effective meetings and more. Places are limited, so book now!
What sessions would you like to see at the event? What skills would you like to gain for your group work or campaign? Email takeaction@waronwant.org to let us know and we’ll try and accommodate your wishes!
More events…
Stop the Arms Fair will be coming to Manchester on Saturday 22 August (and Birmingham on the 25th too). Join with others from your area and find out more about how you can stop this deadly arms trade.
In October, we’ll be up in Manchester to demonstrate against austerity with the People’s Assembly and the TUC. Find out more here.
Hope to see you in Manchester!
Together we are stronger. Let’s build our movement this Autumn.
Pope Francis has established an annual day of global prayer for creation. It will be celebrated on 1 September.
In a letter to the heads of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, Pope Francis said:
“The annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation will offer individual believers and communities a fitting opportunity to reaffirm their personal vocation to be stewards of creation, to thank God for the wonderful handiwork which he has entrusted to our care, and to implore his help for the protection of creation as well as his pardon for the sins committed against the world in which we live.”
The Day of Prayer is in unity with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who began a similar day of prayer for the Orthodox Church in 1989. “The celebration of this Day, on the same date as the Orthodox Church, will be a valuable opportunity to bear witness to our growing communion with our Orthodox brothers and sisters.”
Related
liturgyoffice.org/News Liturgy Office – Pope Francis announces World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
https://www.news.va/en/news News VA – Pope Francis announces World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation
Bishop Patrick Lynch urges us, as Christians: “to face up to the shared responsibility of making the world a better and safer environment to live in”
The statement reads:
I am deeply concerned over the deepening humanitarian crisis involving thousands of migrants unfolding in Calais. The crisis has developed over a decade and challenges us all, both as Christians and as Europeans. We must face up to this reality at various levels.
“First, in solidarity with the most vulnerable migrants we recognise the local pastoral, humanitarian, and compassionate response from the French Church and call on the French authorities to redouble their efforts in providing adequate reception facilities for migrants. We acknowledge the work done by faith organisations in France and the UK together with charities, agencies and the great generosity of families and individuals to the relief efforts. The task is immense and their contributions are most valued. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales will be making a material contribution to those efforts.
“Second, at an international level we are aware that the answer to the current migrant crisis lies beyond Calais. Estimates from the UNCHR indicate that “In the first six months of this year, 137,000 refugees and migrants crossed the Mediterranean Sea, travelling in terrible conditions upon unsafe boats and dinghies”. The 2014 estimate for the same period was 75,000. Therefore in addition to addressing the humanitarian needs of the increasing numbers of migrants undertaking this treacherous journey we must examine the root causes of current migration from North Africa and the Middle East across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.
“Third, we must face up to the shared responsibility of making the world a better and safer environment to live in. We must examine as a matter of urgency the arms trade that fuels armed conflict and civil war, climate change, unjust economic policies, poverty and corruption as some of the underlying causes of this fundamental global trend. The safety of vulnerable women and children who may fall prey to smugglers and human traffickers is paramount and must be addressed.
“Finally, the current migration crisis is complex and there are no easy solutions for governments, non–governmental organisations, faith groups and charities working on the field. However, governments, charities and humanitarian aid agencies should be encouraged to work together for a collaborative international response to the challenge in partnership with the countries of origin. Countries of origin must recognise that ‘the defence of migrants rights’ is viable and effective when based on a firm foundation of legal norms, and operates under the rule of law. (Caritas Europa 2009)”.
Bishop Patrick Lynch
Chair, Office for Migration Policy
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
With a final decision on whether to replace the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system only months away, a new report, co authored by Dr. Stuart Parkinson, who facilitated a workshop at the recent NJPN conference, highlights the latest scientific and technical information about the risks posed by the continued deployment of these hugely powerful weapons.
The report is published by Scientists for Global Responsibility, an independent UK organisation of scientists, engineers and others concerned about the use and misuse of science and technology.
In particular, the report points out the following.
The report points out that nuclear weapons do not address real and pressing security concerns such as climate change, terrorism or numerous ongoing international conflicts.
The report argues that to reduce the nuclear risk, the UK should take Trident off continuous patrol at sea and place our nuclear warheads in storage. Trident replacement should be cancelled enabling active support of current international discussions to ban nuclear weapons in a similar process to other weapons of mass destruction such as chemical and biological weapons.
Dr Philip Webber, Chair of SGR and lead author of the report, said “The latest scientific and technical assessments of the risks of nuclear weapons suggest even more devastating effects than those made in the 1980s. As we mark the 70th anniversary of the dropping of the Hiroshima bomb, the UK should take an active role in abandoning the illusion of nuclear security. There are enough nuclear weapons deployed across the world to destroy civilisation several times over. Only luck has saved us from numerous nuclear near misses over the last 70 years. The time has come to cease our gamble with nuclear weapons.”
Dr Stuart Parkinson, Executive Director and co-author of the report, said “The UK is wasting billions of pounds and considerable scientific and technical expertise on a highly dangerous and essentially unusable weapons system – and the government wants us to continue to do this until at least the 2060s. We need to say no.”
The report is entitled UK nuclear weapons: a catastrophe in the making? It can be viewed at:https://www.sgr.org.uk/resources/uk-nuclear-weapons-catastrophe-making
3-17 AUGUST – PAX CHRISTI ICON OF PEACE AT WESTMINSTER CATHEDRAL
We are delighted that our ICON will be hosted at the Cathedral in St
Patrick’ s Chapel. Do visit , and encourage others to visit if in London.
You might want to think of hosting the ICON yourself, a wonderful focus for prayer and reflection on peace-making and reconciliation. See more at
https://paxchristi.org.uk/resources/pax-christi-icon-of-peace/
6-9 AUGUST – HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI EVENTS
Not too late to plan an event, ensure that prayers are said next weekend to mark this important 70th anniversary of the bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. See full listing of events:
https://mapalist.com/Public/pm.aspx?mapid=536517
Prayer and other resources here
https://paxchristi.org.uk/resources/prayer-and-seasonal/
9 AUGUST – COMMEMORATION OF FRANZ JAEGERSTAETTER
The annual memorial service will be held at 6.30 in Sacred Heart Church, Horseferry Road, Victoria SW1P, London . Guest speaker Chris Gabbett, head of Trinity School, Leamington Spa, a Pax Christi School. See more at:
https://paxchristi.org.uk/event/commemoration-service-for-blessed-franz-jagerstatter/?instance_id=434
15 AUGUST – THANKSGIVING MASS FOR BEATIFICATION OF OSCAR ROMERO
12.30 pm at St George’s Catholic Cathedral, Southwark. Details at
https://paxchristi.org.uk/event/blessed-oscar-romero-thanksgiving-mass/?instance_id=432
Looking ahead to SEPTEMBER
12 SEPTEMBER – DAY CONFERENCE ON ‘SUGGESTING THE POSSIBLE IN A FRAGILE WORLD’
Will be led by Pat Gaffney, Pax Chrsiti at the Niland Centre, Bushey, Hertfordshire. Full details here
https://paxchristi.org.uk/event/suggesting-the-possible-in -a-fragile-world-day-gathering/?instance_id=451
14 SEPTEMBER – CANDLE-LIT VIGIL ON EVE OF DESi ARMS FAIR
A gathering open to all to join this silent vigil. Gather at 6.30 at
Royal Victoria DLR outside in Tidal Basin Road. Then to London Excel for vigl between 7 0 8 pm. Full details here
https://paxchristi.org.uk/event/candle-lit-vigil-dsei-arms-fair/?instance_id=444
21-27 SEPTEMBER – WORLD WEEK FOR PEACE IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
Pax Christi is a sponsor of the week and we have leaflets available from the office for use in churches. £3.00 per 100 leaflet and postage. See more about the week here. https://paxchristi.org.uk/campaigns/israel-and-palestine/ world-week-for-peace-in-pi/
