How to…..Set up a Display
Our ‘How To’ series is developed to help start/develop your justice and peace group and are all available on the resources page.
3. How to set up a display.
Displays can be very useful for engaging the attention of people who don’t already have an interest in the issue with which you are concerned.
You can use a display to do the following:
Inform: tell people about a situation or an event, or about an organisation.
Educate: explain the facts to people and show the causes of problems.
Politicise: show how a particular issue is related to wider political issues.
Mobilise: ask people to do something.
Advertise: tell people about an event.
Before you begin, ask the following questions:
Who is it for? (target group)
What should it say? (the content).
Designing a Display
A display must be designed in such a way that it catches people’s attention. You want people to see the display and spend some time looking at it.
Size: an eye-catching, small exhibition may be better than a large untidy one. Where you are going to locate the display will determine the size. You should tailor the size of the writing/illustrations to the space available. Do a rough design – this should show where the words, drawings and logos will be, how big they will be and the colours you will use.
Shape: the display could be flat or three dimensional.
Visuals: people will often see the picture first, so good photos, maps or other drawings are essential. Your diocesan fieldworker or an appropriate agency may be able to help with all three. Make sure the illustrations match the text. It is important that visuals are large and access to a photocopier which enlarges would be useful. Colour grabs attention, but be careful that the final display is not gaudy. Backing sheets, for example, should be in one colour or complementary colours.
Text: it is vital that the text is kept to a minimum. Once you have decided what you want to say, work on the shortest way of saying it. Sometimes just a few words can be very effective: for example, ‘Time Is Running Out’ in large letters, with surrounding pictures of how our present lifestyle is damaging our environment.
Mood: the most effective displays are those which are generally positive rather than negative. Some environmental issues such as global warming, e.g., terrify some people and the exhibition should motivate people to act rather than simply frighten them. The example given immediately above would be most useful if it was counterbalanced by a second display using the wording ‘Building a Better Future’ and displaying positive images of people working for change.
Location: very often people place exhibitions at the back of the church because that is where space is allocated. However, other locations could be considered: the pulpit, lectern or pillars in the church could display a selection of posters or long, narrow graphics. Since people face the front during the service in rectangular churches, the congregation can hardly ignore the posters. Avoid vague posters which distract and annoy people.
Timing: It is sensible to time the display to coincide with something relevant, e.g. CAFOD Fast Day, One World Week, Christian Aid Week, special Sundays e.g. Homelessness Sunday, Racial Justice Sunday etc. An exhibition should be shown for a limited time only. People get bored with looking at something for more than three weeks and associate the theme with their boredom. A permanent display should be regularly updated. A poster on a lectern could be changed every week to give a variety of thoughts connected to the issue. Posters and other useful materials can be obtained from organisations mentioned in the “Useful Addresses” Section or via the External Contacts links at www.justice-and-peace.org.uk.
At the end of the display, you could incorporate details of any follow up, action ideas, dates of meetings etc.
A Few Ideas
A very simple display can be made to look attractive simply by having a colourful, striking backdrop.
If you have access to a photocopier which enlarges and reduces, enlarged type-written text looks more professional and can be read more easily than handwriting.
If you have photographs of people from the parish involved in some kind of activity linked to the Campaign, they could give your display a good local interest. Other ideas in this line might include items from the parish newsletter, posters advertising training days etc.
A challenging title (such as a question) is a good way of attracting people to look at the display.
You might like to experiment with different shapes for the ‘panels’ which make up the display. For example, panels could be shaped like a jigsaw which needs to be fitted together.
Enlist the help of creative people in the parish. The standard of your display will improve and you will have involved more people in the campaign.
Do:
- Get permission to put up your display
- Be realistic about how much you can do and say
- Design your display before you begin
- Identify your target audience
- Make it simple and clear
- Make sure the message stands out
- Be as consistent as possible with style
- Make good use of things you already have available
- Use your imagination
- Make sure it is colourful and eye-catching, but not gaudy
- Use photos, graphics and cartoons
- Use enlarged text (preferably printed)
- Suggest some kind of further action/enquiry/local contact
- Have something for people to take away with them
- Decide who will set up the display and who will take it down
Don’t:
- Don’t try to say everything – just the key points/issues
- Don’t squash too many things together – a clear layout is vital
- Don’t have too much text – this may look too heavy-going
- Don’t block out any other group’s notices etc.
How to…..Run a Small Group
Our ‘How To’ series is developed to help start/develop your justice and peace group and are all available on the resources page.
2. How to run a small group
A group is more likely to succeed if:
- the members share a common idea or values
- its members work and achieve things together
- its members relate well to each other.
Group Dynamics
The ideal size for a planning group is between eight and twelve. People tend to learn more from others, plan effectively, and form friendships when they work in small groups. How a group functions is crucial to the completion of the group’s tasks and the feeling of group members that time has been well spent. Look out for:
- Non-verbal expressions: apart from what they say, what indications are people giving of their feelings and reactions, e.g. gestures, tone of voice, body language, order of speaking etc.
- feelings, attitudes and hidden agendas: these have an important effect on the life and work of a group and must be taken into account. Sensitive observation of words and non-verbal expressions can give clues about feelings, but can easily be mis-interpreted. If they seem important, they should be checked with the person concerned, e.g. ‘you were frowning, Paul. Do you agree with that decision?’
The following points must be addressed before the first meeting:
- Make sure the meeting is well advertised and open to everybody.
- The venue must be organised. Refreshments are always a good idea.
- Appoint a timekeeper and clarify the reason the meeting at the beginning, so that people know what their goal is.
Leadership
Leadership should be seen as a service and should be rotated from time to time so that more people develop the necessary skills. The leader enables the group and all group members to feel satisfied that they have achieved the goals they have set. Members therefore feel that:
- They have every chance to air their views
- They have been listened to and understood
- Different ideas have been integrated to form a group plan of action
- They are responsible for their decisions and actions.
Try this – as a group
Make a list of all the reasons you can think of why meetings go wrong. Look at that list and then draw up a list of tips for ‘making meetings work’.
Behaviour in Groups
The Training for Transformation booklets produced in Kenya suggest that the ways we behave in groups can be understood better by looking at the characteristics of certain animals. If your group is not running smoothly it might be a good idea to have a session – ideally with an outside facilitator – using all or some of the caricatures described below to assist analysis. Act out or read the sketches below and ask each person which animal they identify most with and to think of strengths and weaknesses of each one.
The donkey is very stubborn, and will not change its point of view.
The lion gets in and fights whenever others disagree with its plans or interfere with its desires.
The rabbit runs away or quickly changes the topic as soon as it senses tension, conflict or an unpleasant job.
The ostrich buries its head in the sand and refuses to face reality or admit that there are any problems.
The monkey fools around, chatters a lot or shows off and prevents the group from making progress.
The elephant blocks the way, and stubbornly prevents the group from making progress.
The tortoise withdraws from the group, refusing to give its ideas or opinions.
The cat is always looking for sympathy: ‘It is so difficult for me …’
The rhino charges around putting its foot in everything, and upsetting people unnecessarily.
The owl looks very solemn and pretends to be very wise, always talking in long words and complicated sentences.
The hippo sleeps all the time and never puts up its head except to yawn.
The fish sits there with a cold, glassy stare, not responding to anyone or anything.
The chameleon changes colour according to the latest opinion. It will say one thing to this group and something else to another.
Decision Making
If you are trying to come to decisions by consensus, the following questions might be helpful:
- What are you trying to decide? (Be sure this is clear to everyone.)
- What are the different possibilities?
- (Consider as many as possible and discuss the pros and cons of each.)
- What suggestion, or combination of suggestions, do you choose?
- Who will do what, when, where and how?
- Factors which help decision-making are:
√Clear goals √Clarity about who has responsibility for the decision √Good means of stimulating and sharing ideas √Effective ways of involving all the members of the group √Effective criteria for evaluating suggestions √Prior agreement on what procedures will be most appropriate, e.g. majority vote.
Speaking Personally: Maria Elena Arana
Maria Elena Arana
Maria Elena has worked at CAFOD as Campaign Coordinator for 22 years. She is the CAFOD representative on NJPN, the National Board of Catholic Women, and the Environmental Issues Network of CTBI. Born in Mexico and brought up in NY she has been based in London for 30 years.
Where do you think your commitment to justice and peace come from? I was born in Chihuahua, Mexico and my grandmother who I was named for was a rock of her family and her community. She was either at home or at church- and people knew that they could knock on her door for help, support or food. Growing up in two countries- one, in the main, rich and one much poorer meant that I started asking questions about justice and equality fairly early on. My American mother Grace was a great stalwart of her parish in New York and of several Catholic Women’s organisations. She was loud, outgoing and a great organiser of events while my Mexican father Manuel was quiet, thoughtful and intellectually astute. And he was great for long debates into the night about politics and faith. They and my Catholic schooling supported my interested in social justice- and I began in a small way by attending an anti-Viet Nam protest when I was in High School. But it wasn’t until university when I learned about what was happening in Latin America- especially Chile and Central America that I began to get more involved with solidarity campaigning. And meeting my future English husband Robert on a demonstration in front of the White House while we were working on our Masters ensured that Justice, Peace and Politics have always been part of our life.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today?
I have to say that the two issues that I think we all must be concerned about are access to food and climate change. CAFOD’s Hungry for change campaign comes at a really important moment when the world currently grows enough food for all and yet 1 in 8 people still do not have enough food to eat. And this can impact not just poor people in the developing world but poor people everywhere. And the second issue that most concerns me is climate change and environmental justice. That is a key issue for our world and we need to push our politicians to really begin to tackle this important issue. We now have a good Climate Change Act but we need to make sure that the Act is strongly enforced. But we also need to do what we can locally and that is why I am so proud of the work that CAFOD has done to create the livesimply award for Catholic parishes and communities. In my 22 years working at CAFOD, I believe the livesimply award is one of the most important initiatives that I have worked on. It is a great opportunity for many Catholic parishes to build community and support each other in their campaigning action, and celebrate all the great environmental justice and solidarity work that they can accomplish together.
What sustains you in your commitment?
I am sustained and inspired by so many around me within CAFOD, and so many others active in the J&P movement both lay people and religious. As part of my role at CAFOD not only have I had the chance to meet with and work with many of our overseas partners but also I spend a lot of time with CAFOD volunteers around the country. I draw so much inspiration from that partnership and accompaniment both from the developing world and in England and Wales. And I have the opportunity to learn from others who work with CAFOD such as theologian David McLoughlin who reminded us at the Hungry for change launch that, “Jesus’ shared meals embodied his teachings. Jesus is contaminated because he eats with the sinners and the unclean, prostitutes and tax collectors. Jesus seems to act out his own teaching by eating with men and women of every station ignoring distinctions. He teaches us that there is an alternative!” Another key value that sustains me is solidarity. As Pope John Paul II wrote in On Social Concern, 1987, “It is a firm and persevering determination to commit oneself to the common good; that is to say, to the good of all….because we are all really responsible for all.” Learning of the close connection between Oscar Romero and CAFOD was a great inspiration to me as well as hearing about him and the work of the church in El Salvador from colleagues who knew him well.
What are your hopes for a Church like ours in the 21st Century?
This year’s Year of Faith is a great opportunity! There is so much excellent material in the Vatican II documents. It can be extremely challenging to think about how we all, as God’s people, should evangelise. I always think that St Francis told it best- “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words”. We can see that the best way to evangelise is by the way we live our lives. As my CAFOD colleague Susy Brouard puts it, “we need a moral imagination to picture alternative models of having and being. And we need more than ever to live out our vocation as Christians.” I am so fortunate each year to visit a number of parishes that support CAFOD. So often I find them real centres of love and community, supporting their members as well as doing so much for the communities that CAFOD works with in the developing world, and with groups in poverty and need in this country. There are always stresses and tensions – but I believe there is much that we as the Catholic Church in England and Wales can be very proud of. We are facing many challenges, with increasing inequality, poverty and the ever greater impacts of climate change. But there is so much good news that we as Catholics can share with our social tradition to encourage others to be challenged and empowered by its emphasis on solidarity and partnership.
Speaking Personally: Maire Hayes
Sister Maire Hayes
Sister Maire is a member of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Holy Spirit, currently living in Luton working with Grassroots interfaith project. She is a member of theNJPN Executive.
Where do you think your commitment to justice and peace comes from? It comes to a large extent from my familyupbringing. Both my parents had a social conscience and lived their lives accordingly. They brought me up to be aware of the situation so many people were living in the Ireland of the 1950’s. This was developed and nurtured by the education I received in the schools of the Congregation I was to enter. My study as a student in Liverpool in the lives of such icons as Ghandi, Martin Luther King, and Nelson Mandela, their lives of commitment to their beliefs and sacrifice inspired me greatly. Again as a student I took part in protest marches against Apartheid, Ban the Bomb Save the Whale … but all somewhat spasmodic and “gentle “. However it was my privilege to be missioned by my Congregation in1980 to Chile that changed me radically. Those 22 years were God’s gift to me. I lived and worked there during the cruel dictatorship of Augustus Pinochet, in the “poblaciones” – marginalized areas, in Santiago, Chile’s capital city. Not only did I share the neighbourhood of the pobladores, but also the fear and injustice that marked their daily lives. Liberation Theology, the study of the writings of Gustavo Gutierrez, Leonardo Boff, Segundo Galilea to mention but a few of these inspiring theologians deepened my option to work for justice. My way of praying the Scriptures changed. I took part in activities and protest that denounced injustices, like the Movement Sebastion Acevedo against Torture. I worked alongside the courageous group of women who constantly asked of the Government of Pinochet “DONDE ESTAN!” “WHERE ARE THEY!” of the thousands of missing people who” disappeared” under this regime. I visited political prisoners of some faith and none who inspired me by their dedication to work for justice for the Chilean people. All these experiences and many more, plus the companionship of many pobladores, sisters, priests -some even giving their lives for the cause of justice- were an incentive and support during my years in Chile. “Bread Work Justice Freedom”, the cry of protesters, still remains with me.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today? I returned to the UK and was missioned to multicultural and multi faith Luton. New doors opened in the form of Inter faith dialogue. Hans Kung expressed it thus, “No peace in the world without peace among religions. No peace among religions without dialogue between religions”. I work in an ecumenical organization Grassroots in a programme “A Spirituality thatDoes Justice. With my Grassroots colleagues we engage in inter faith dialogue through reflection and action. Over the challenging years we have with a multi faith steering group achieved Fairtrade Town status for Luton. We organize events like the Peace Walk each year visiting places of worship of the different Faiths, with conversations and exchanges of hospitality hopefully leading to a better understanding of “near neighbours” – a few examples of working for a Luton inHarmony despite the tensions constantly brewing in the town.My years in Luton have urged me to contemplate the teaching of peace and justice in other faiths.
What sustains you in your commitment?
My prayer life – the spirituality of my congregation expresses it thus: “The same Spirit who gathers us in Congregation is also the one that sends us in the simplicity and boldness of the Gospel with those who seek to build the world through justice and love.” RL 10;and “For us there is no mission without adoration without calling upon the Spirit to renew the face of the earth”. RL12.There are organizations that sustain me like the vision ofNJPN, GRASSROOTS, LUTON COUNCIL OF FAITHS, CAFOD,LINKS- RELIGIOUS OF ENGLAND AND WALES, JP IC COMMISSION NORTHAMPTON….Again the examples of so many people who hit the headlines challenging injustices and working for the Common Good and also the unsung people who work quietly in their localities building a society of friendship and kindness. Then there are my memories for to remember is to stress the obligation we have as Christians to humanize an inhuman world. Memories are a form of meeting people who have touched my life and are witnesses of a God of justice and tender love. Indeed I do not think I could live my vow of poverty authentically without working on justice issues.
What are your hopes for a Church like ours for the 21st Century?`
The words and gestures of Pope Francis are an expression ofHope for me, the “untying of the knots” that bind our Church.He speaks of the Church as “a mother with an open heart and with doors wide open”. I hope for an inclusive Church in every way compassionate and not so legalistic, where women are appreciated for their gifts of insight and have a role in decision making and taking at different levels in the structures of ourChurch. A Church that is poor and is for the poor, that lives out the directives of Vatican II especially regarding relations with other Faiths (Nostra Aetate). A Church in which we the baptized are helped and supported to live out the responsibilities of our baptism in our families, parishes and society and so build up the living stones spoken of by St Paul. How we would be changed and begin the ripple effect around us! Finally a Church that speaks out strongly on option for the poor, compassion for refugees, economic justice, care of the earth, indeed the injustices of our world -we know them, let us the Church help our leaders to articulate them. Religious women and men have been directed by Pope Francis to “Wake up the world!” (Rejoice) or as the prophet Micah proclaims; “This is what Yahweh asks of you, only this to act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God”. Micah6:8
Speaking Personally: Louise Zanre
Louise Zanre
Louise has worked for Jesuit Refugee Service UK for over thirteen years, 11 of which as Director. Prior to that she worked with Pax Christi. In the past she has been the Chairperson of the National Catholic Refugee Forum and the treasurer of the Asylum Rights Campaign. She currently sitson the steering group of the Churches Refugee Network and is a member of the advisory body to the Jesuit Refugee Service Europe Regional Director.
Where do you think your commitment to justice and peace comes from?I suspect it’s a mixture of different things. Family background has a lot to do with it. My parents encouraged us to think in a socially minded way about things. As a child I was encouraged to give one of my gifts to the local orphanage in Edinburgh, and at Easter time I helped my father bring stocks of Easter eggs to the orphanage. But there was also encouragement to think about what it would mean to be in that person’s situation, what we would like people to do for us. The other part of it was growing up in the central belt of Scotland at the time of the Northern Ireland Troubles, which had a huge impact on behaviour in that part of Scotland in particular. I remember at the time of the Anglo-Irish Agreement there were an awful lot of fights between adults but also between students at the local non-denominational school and Catholic school, culminating at one point in a full blown riot on the main road to Edinburgh. I remember seeing teenagers trying to kill each other, fighting on top of buses, on top of lorries, taking bricks to each other. I thought to myself at that point that this isn’t religion, religion is being used as an excuse here and there must be a better way forward. That was the reason why I then went on to study Law, and that conviction that there has to be a better way was why I then went to work in the faith based charitable sector.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today
I suppose, generally speaking, it’s the growth of individualism, a sense that everything is alright as long as I’m alright. A lot less thought is given to the effects of policies or decisions or behaviour on other people around us. When it comes to my professional work, a lot of the things that exercise us most at JRS are the result of that individualism gone rampant with respect to immigration policy and particularly to the effect on people who are fleeing human rights abuses and seeking asylum here. I see that manifested in an overuse of austerity as a reason why it’s acceptable to limit services or assistance for people in marginalised groups, without an understanding that there should be a discussion about what’s most appropriate for our society to be funding. So for example no-one ever says ‘Where shall we find money for Trident?’ rather than ‘Where shall we find money for the Health Service?’
The current Immigration Bill going through Parliament has several things in it that are of concern. One of them is access to primary health care. The reason why it’s in the bill is because the Government feels there’s a lot of ‘health tourism’ into the UK. In fact the statistics show less than 0.01% are health tourists in the strict sense of the word, but the effects of the measures will be to deny anyone who does not have
Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK or is not an EU citizen from having access to GP surgeries. That has implications not only for the destitute asylum seekers we are working with at JRS but also people from religious orders who are here on ‘minister of religion’ visas. That shows another problem of society to do with misuse of financial reasons for justifying some of these policies. There is no consideration whatsoever of other values that people bring to society. Just because someone isn’t paying tax doesn’t mean that they aren’t being of benefit to society, that they’re not sharing their skills or talents or fulfilling a useful function, whether it’s the minister of religion carrying out pastoral duties or a destitute asylum seeker volunteering for charities or in the NHS. It’s a fundamental skew of basic values within our society.
What sustains you in your commitment?
People! People I come across – refugees, members of parishes where I go to speak, meeting people who wouldn’t otherwise have the help that we are able to offer, or who share concerns and are able to derive mutual support from each other. And my colleagues, the volunteers who help here, they are living manifestations of the goodwill in society.
What are your hopes for a Church like ours for the 21st Century?
It’s a mix of different things. A lot of hope has been given for the Church by Pope Francis giving personal witness in his concern for those who are marginalised, those who are isolated, those who are poor. That really speaks to my own personal convictions, about where I should be putting my energies. And it really speaks to a wider hope too, that in some way it is institutionalising a concern for the poor beyond the theological rhetoric. Having the theology, having Church social teaching is fantastic and it’s great to have that underpinning, but to have it enacted at the highest level in the Church, to have that basic concern manifested, is really encouraging, really gives hope and life to the Church going into the future.
Speaking Personally: Kay Finnegan
Kay Finnegan
Kay is a Sister of our Lady of Charity. For the past ten years she has been working with women in prostitution and other vulnerable women in the Kings Cross area and as a Chaplaincy Volunteer in Holloway Prison.
Where do you think your commitment to justice and peace comes from?I was greatly influenced by my father. During my childhood I was aware that two nights a week he was out on St Vincent de Paul business. I knew that he visited less privileged families than ours and that these visits entailed bringing material help. I was also aware that he was co-founder of our town’s Trades Union Council and was very busy when all the local factories went on strike. He and the Parish Priest were involved in negotiations. I was impressed by his knowledge of the Church’s Social Teaching and the periodicals he subscribed to. So, joining a congregation that worked with marginalised women just seemed the natural thing to do. In my early days in Religious Life I attended Juniorate studies in Portobello Road for two years. Sisters there were from 47 different nations and there were many missionaries. I was particularly disturbed by the problems of Rhodesia when Unilateral Independence was declared and concerned about the struggle for independence from colonial rule in Africa. I was in Kenya during the 70s and experienced for myself how the other half lives. Later I studied Liberation Theology and this blew my mind. I think all these experiences, plus our charism and apostolate, and the life of our founder, St Jean Eudes, have all moulded me into who and what I am.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today?
The whole area of marginalisation and oppression of women at every level of society in every part of the world. And I think prostitution is one of the forms that the abuse and exploitation of women takes in a very overt yet hidden way. Also the violence that we do to each other and to the rest of creation. All the injustice in the world, all the people who are dehumanised and impoverished at every level. You just have to look at the monopolisation of knowledge which keeps so many millions of people in ignorance and powerless, so that power belongs to the few.
What sustains you in your commitment?
I’ve taken a fourth vow as a Sister of Our Lady of Charity to be actively involved in ministry to vulnerable women to the end of my days. The vow doesn’t feel like something I’m obliged to do. How can I describe it—it’s almost as if a seed has been planted inside me and ever since it’s just kept growing and become a vital part of who and what I am. I have a passionate desire for right relationship with and for everybody. I’m moved by people’s pain and suffering. Secondly and just as importantly, I am sustained by my prayer life and prayers and example of other Sisters. As I grow older I am more aware of the need to open myself in prayer in order to be fed and sustained and transformed. And of course the women themselves are a huge source of inspiration, and give me so much.
What are your hopes for a Church like ours in the 21st Century?
I would like to see a real implementation of Vatican II. WE are The People of God. I’d like pastors to feed congregations with the Social Teaching of the Church. I’d like a Church that listens to and is more influenced by the People of God. A living, changing Church. A Church that is relevant. A Church that challenges injustices and that asks relevant questions.
Speaking Personally: John Battle
John Battle
John was National Co-ordinator for Church Action on Poverty from 1983 until being elected MP for Leeds West in 1987. He has been Minister of State at the Dept of Industry and the Foreign Office. Since retiring as MP in 2010 he is, among other things, involved in community organising, Chair of Leeds J&P Commission and a Patron of NJPN.
Where does your commitment to justice and peace comes from?
The roots of my commitment to justice and peace are probably deep in my own family and Church experience. I learnt my own faith and politics from my mother and father and a good strong extended family which I was fortunate to be born into in Batley Carr, Dewsbury. Then I had the great privilege of studying for the Church to train to be a priest at the time of the great Vatican 11 Council, to learn the scriptures and story of the Church at a time when it was reaching out to the modern world. At the same time the western world was rediscovering the experiences of the two thirds world, and the likes of Thomas Merton, Charles de Foucault and Dorothy Day with the Catholic workers in America were insisting on finding ways of living out “contemplation in a world of action”. Part of my seminary training involved working in local communities under intense pressure such as Kirkby near Liverpool and Worsley Mesnes in Wigan and in Leeds when I left the seminary. The hopeful resistance of people struggling to survive to be found in poor communities always provides a driving inspiration. Great modern Gospel witnesses like Dom Heldar Camara in Brazil and Archbishop Oscar Romero insisted not only on being alongside the poor but on publicly asking “why they are poor”, challenging us to address unjust economic, social and political structures.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today?
Today the main concern has to be the widening gap locally and globally between the rich and the poor, and spelling out that the rich get rich at the expense of the poor, overconsuming the planet’s resources. The theologian Enrique Dusserl reminds us that the rich “consume the lives of the poor”. Today the” individual” is sacrificed on the altar of the so called “free market” and the poor are personally blamed for their plight. The need to address and spell out causes of structural injustice is greater than ever before. Inequalities are increasing and there is little real sense of a “common good” for all people and creation. These increasing divisions themselves lead to violence, conflict and destruction at all levels. Challenging the pervasive pessimism which insists there is “no alternative” to “free markets” and “growth” regardless of sustainability remains imperative. The Gospel message of encouragement and hope is more needed than ever to transform ourselves and our world, but it needs to be preached in the context of developing a new and deep sense of relationship and “solidarity” between all peoples. Today the “local is global and the global is local ” particularly in our urban cities where most of humanity now live and in which paradoxically as Pope Benedict commented “poverty is also isolation”. Rebuilding “basic supportive communities” is a primary task for the Church and wider society.
What sustains you in your commitment?
We do not start out alone from scratch. The great “communion of saints” (not all named and publicly proclaimed”) are witnesses to the “good news” of the Gospel in the witness of their lives that we can look to for inspiration and encouragement. We can find the face of Jesus Christ every day in other people particularly among the poor, sick and vulnerable in our own families and neighbourhoods as well as much further afield in our world. Great saints have gone before us but great saints are also among us today, living witnesses to the suffering, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
What are your hopes for a Church like ours for the 21st Century?
The first messages of Pope Francis are a great fresh start for our Church. Firstly by directing us to the brilliant witness of Saint Francis himself and by suggesting that we become “a poor Church of the Poor” he has staked out a deep challenge. Significantly he did not just say we are a “church of the poor” but challenged us all to be a” poor Church”. Nor is this just an issue for the Vatican and the Bishops but rather it is as personal challenge to us all to be in solidarity with the poor among us.
Pope Francis insists that going towards the poor to “meet and greet” is not enough. We need to become “with ” the poor not doing things “to ” or “for” them. This will demand a solidarity of lifestyle we have not yet prepared for, and it implies that transforming the world cannot be done just by challenging words but by “living out the radical Gospel of Jesus Christ” and fusing together the tasks of transforming ourselves and our world simultaneously. We can no longer tell others what to do .We have to become living witnesses to the truth of the Gospel and that will lead us into a much deeper challenges to existing unjust structures, institutions, vested interests and policies that keep people poor and unable to develop their full human potential and right relationships.
Speaking Personally: Joe Ryan
Fr Joe Ryan
Fr. Joe was ordained priest in 1971 in Tipperary and has served in 6 parishes in the Westminster Diocese. He has been Chair of the Justice and Peace Commission for seven years as well as being responsible for parish duties. He has always tried to get involved in local issues and in the wider field and especially supporting the organisations working for peace and the good of society.
Where do you think your commitment to justice and peace comes from?
When I look back over my forty years of priesthood in the Westminster diocese, I have been influenced by the many wonderful people I have met and worked with, lay and clerical. The basic Gospel values and the ministry of Jesus has always been an inspiration. The concept that “Jesus has no hands, mind, heart, but ours”, offers a challenge and opportunity which I feel needs to be responded to. A major turning point in my life was a trip to the Philippines over 30 years ago, that exposed me to the struggle for justice and equality; the scandal of the divide between rich and poor and the fact that one could be a voice for the voiceless. The example of peace workers, campaigners, has helped to open my eyes, mind and heart, to be part of the struggle for justice in our world. The invitation to come on board has been there, and I feel it a privilege to be able to support and respond. It is so vital to seek the support of like-minded people. When it comes to Justice and Peace issues it is very easy to feel isolated from the main body of the Catholic Church. So often one needs to be outspoken on issues, and this can be misinterpreted as being disloyal or misguided, or irrelevant or any other dismissive attitude. When you overcome these notions, you then just get on with the job.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today?
So often when I speak to people on Justice and Peace issues, the scales come over their eyes and the matter is not considered to be part of our Christian witness. Justice issues are at the heart of Jesus’ Gospel message – not some optional extra we will engage in when we have “saved our souls”. As had been said again and again, “The Church teaching on Social Justice is one of the best kept secrets ever”. This alleged concept is not acceptable and we must not rest until we totally unpack the treasures now ignored. There are so many concerns being addressed by different agencies – overcoming poverty, the arms trade; climate change; migrants/ refugees; homelessness; Human Rights, etc. all of these and more, need to be pursued. We need to support one another and share expertise even more. We need to be a voice for the voiceless!!
What sustains you in your commitment?
I like to be prepared! On the day of judgement, Jesus will say: “I was hungry, thirsty, naked, in prison … and you came to my help!” This truth is very clear and there should be no confusions in our minds as to the priorities recommended by Jesus. I would say it’s the support of like-minded people who are already long since committed to the task of peace. There are so many people who quietly get on with meetings, campaigning, expressing their views by word and deed – simply being witnesses to supporting human values. The goodness of parishioners who have supported me over my 40 years of priesthood and friend’s active in Justice and Peace movements. I have taken the responsibility of Chair of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission seriously and it has opened up challenges and opportunities I had never dreamt of. It is a privilege to be part of an important voice within the Catholic Church, to be able to reach out in so many different ways in an official capacity. It can also mean “ploughing a lonely furrow” – but there is also so much support all around.
Speaking Personally: Danny Curtin
Danny Curtin
Danny is National President of the YCW. Before this he worked with the Diocese of Westminster’s renewal project and was also employed in parish work. Danny is now freelance, working with dioceses and organisations to help them in their mission. Danny is co-founder of Million Minutes, which works to support projects that enable young people to transform their lives and their world, putting Catholic Social Teaching into practice.
Where does your commitment to justice and peace come from?
I was three years old when Pope John Paul II came to the UK, but without doubt it was this visit that laid the foundations for my work for justice. In Lincoln, where the family lived at the time, the parish set up a ‘Response Group’ as a response to the Papal visit. I was allowed to attend this Response group from the age of about twelve. The group met in houses to reflect on life and on how faith integrates with it. We lived our response in our own daily lives, and in our group activity of raising awareness and money for the terrible situation in Ethiopia following the famines of the 1980s. Reflecting now, I can see that the Response group in Lincoln was a great example of how a church can be vibrant and welcoming, living out its faith in life and fulfilling our common mission to work for the Kingdom in the world. It is that vision I have continued to strive to work for.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today?
Ten years ago I was walking with a priest friend in Manchester talking about life, the universe and everything. We got onto the subject of the Young Christian Workers (YCW), which at that point I knew very little about. He was then the YCW diocesan chaplain in Salford and from what he had seen he had become convinced that this could potentially be the method of re-evangelising the young people of our country. I realise now that this was one of the most important conversations I have ever had and was the beginning of an incredible journey. My journey over the last ten years with YCW, including five years as the National President has led me to see the reality of our own countries in the UK. I feel called to draw attention to and respond to is the situation of the poor here at home. There are plenty of people working for the poor across the world. For me, I hope I can be a positive voice, keeping the UK poor, especially our young people, on the agenda for our Church and for our civic leaders.
What sustains you in your commitment?
There are two main reasons why I keep going in this work and cannot see myself doing anything else. First, I have a deep rooted vision of how life can and should be, obviously inspired by faith and the vision of the Kingdom in the Gospels. Secondly, I’ve seen glimpses of where this vision has become a reality. Knowing that our work makes a difference, that the vision can be fulfilled, is what draws me on. I have great hope for the fruits of my work. I am aware of course that at times the work will only come to fruition years later, and I may not see it. This does not dampen my enthusiasm, in fact it gives me great hope, for it gives me the great comfort that ultimately its not in my hands but in God’s.
What are your hopes for a Church like ours in the 21st Century?
The Church is amazing. We are so easily led into conversations and thinking about the Church which become negative and pessimistic. But, when we stop and think, it is just awe inspiring. The Church at home and abroad is the most unique institution doing so much good and contributing to building just and fair societies throughout the world. I was recently in South Africa, part holiday, part work, and in both my relaxation and my involvement in a Church project out there, I saw a vibrant, beautiful Church, offering hope and joy to their country. I see this wherever I go; in the people and the faith stories of those I meet. My hope is simply that more and more people, especially those lay people involved in Justice and Peace, will resist the temptation to be negative, but rather celebrate the Church we are part of, realise we are all part of the problems with it, as well as the joys, and with great gratitude to God work to be a sign of hope and joy to the world.
Speaking Personally: Christine Allen
Christine Allen
Christine was Progressio’s Executive Director for 11 years. Before joining Progressio, she worked for more than ten years in the area of housing, poverty and social exclusion in the UK as Head of Public Affairs at the National Housing Federation. In June 2012 she moved to Christian Aid as their Director of Policy & Public Affairs.
Where do you think your commitment to justice and peace comes from?
I am from Liverpool and I think it’s fair to say that we have a strong sense of social justice and fairness in a city that has been treated pretty badly by the media and politicians. I moved to London over twenty years ago, like many of my fellow City-zens in search of better opportunities. I was incredibly lucky as my opportunity came in the form of CAFOD. But what stops this concern for social justice turning into a chip on the shoulder? The strongest foundation came from my parents. They taught me, through their actions and kindness, what sort of person to be. Even when my father lost his job and the family struggled financially, my mother would still cook a dinner for the elderly man next door. Church was part of our lives but it was a very practical faith. They didn’t got to mass everyday, but my parents lived out the Gospel imperative of Matthew 25, in a quiet everyday fashion. I was involved in the YCS (sister of YCW) at school and that certainly helped me to see how a faith was living and relevant as I lived my life in the world. It gave me an understanding of the See-Judge – Act methodology and as a global movement gave me an insight into the issues of the world. I then went on to study International Relations and Philosophy for a degree. It was after I graduated and I returned home to Liverpool that the next major milestone in the commitment to justice and peace took place. I answered an advert in “The Liverpool Echo” for an assistant Justice & Peace Officer for the diocese. I was still kind of filling a gap as I had been offered the chance to do an MSc at the LSE (Politics of the World Economy!) When I started that job it was like I had discovered this alternative world where I really belonged, with other people who were committed to issues not just out of a political ideology, but because of a deep connection with their faith and an awareness of the imperative of the Gospel. When I was a student one had to keep pretty quiet about one’s faith. The Chaplaincy didn’t see the relevance of soup kitchens and toy collections for striking miners’ families to faith… and the SWP couldn’t comprehend why anyone would want to be religious, let alone a Catholic. So the bringing together of life and faith was something done often on my own. Thankfully the SJA methodology gives you a lot to work with. Once I’d discovered J&P, well it was like coming home. Of course, Liverpool Archdiocese is a special place, but I also met and became great friends with J&P people from around the country. It was that experience that enabled me to never do that MSc, but follow an amazing career path where I have been utterly blessed by people who have inspired me along the way.
What for you are the most important areas of concern today?
My job at Progressio, and shortly with Christian Aid, reflects a concern for poverty, global inequality and planetary abuse that is positively sinful in our world today. Poverty and how we see it – Organisations who seek to tackle poverty need to raise money, and governments have to justify development spending by talking about aid and relief. But so often the images and the language used imply a passivity and victimhood of the people who are poor. It’s very easy for the media to create a division between the honourable poor who wait for our largesse to save them, and the feckless scroungers who are milking the system. So for me, a real concern is how we are encouraged to see people who are poor. How does that compare with the first and fundamental principle of Catholic social teaching that calls for respecting the dignity of the human person?
Inequality, especially global inequality is linked to the question of how we see poverty. Firstly it isn’t just “out there” – there are elites and rich in every country of the world and deep, deep divisions in our own society. The challenge for us is to make the connections between countries, and forge links. This picks up another important tenet of Catholic social teaching – solidarity.
Planetary abuse – I can’t help where I was born, but I can do something about my lifestyle (my six year old daughter’s passion for shopping however is another challenge!). There have been some improvements in awareness and engagement with environmental issues over the last twenty years, but it’s still far from being mainstream. Politics remains hugely shortterm. Catholic social teaching still has a little way to go to really reflect on this, although Pope Benedict is surprisingly outspoken in this area, but the concept of intergenerational justice is growing. In other words, what kind of world are we leaving for our children?
What sustains you in your commitment?
I am amazingly lucky to be able to work in this area – organisations like Progressio, CAFOD (and Christian Aid) are powerful beacons of hope in our society. They are places where the practical change that we want to see is made real in an empowering way, where solidarity can be experienced. Having spent eleven years at Progressio, it’s been a major source of commitment despite the challenges. It’s full of inspiring people, doing amazing things – whether overseas or here in the UK. I have been able to meet incredible people, see life-changing things and be humbled by their work, dedication and effort, often in the face of outstanding odds. I find ways to sustain and nourish my faith outside of this context too, of course. But, like so many other J&P folk, I’m part of a kingdom in the making, right around the world.
What are your hopes for a Church like ours in the 21st Century?
“ A church like ours”! The church of compassion, of love, of activism and comm
