“Many asylum seekers in Britain are at near destitute levels because the government doesn’t want to be seen to be soft on asylum seekers,” Sarah Teather MP, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Refugees, told the annual gathering of the National Justice and Peace Network on Sunday. The ban on asylum seekers working is just one of the government measures she says has forced many into severe poverty. (more…)
Call to be a ‘Church of the Poor’
The National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) underlined its mission to foster social justice, based on the Church’s Social Teaching, at its AGM on Saturday at CAFOD’s offices in South London. A talk by David McLaughlin, Senior lecturer in Theology at Newman University, titled “Our Response to Pope Francis’ call to be ‘a Church for the poor’”, and based on the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, was enthusiastically received. He stressed that, “private charity can never be enough; the poor also need justice”.
During the discussion following that talk, Julian Filochowski, Chair of the Archbishop Romero Trust, called the papal document, “the most exciting thing to happen to the Church since Vatican II”. The meeting was uplifted by the steady encouragement of Pope Francis to undertake work for justice, peace and the integrity of creation.
McLaughlin pointed to the Virtual Plater website as an excellent resource for exploring the Church’s Social Teaching. And from there links can be made to other places, such as the Catholic Social Teaching website, which is a livesimply initiative. It picks up on the themes of Human Dignity, Community & Participation, Care for Creation, Dignity at Work, Peace & Recoinciliation and Solidarity & Subsidiarity.
Anne Peacey of Hallam Diocese stepped down as NJPN Chair at the meeting after nine years and she was warmly applauded for her service. And there was a sharing by around 20 diocesan representatives and another 20 representatives of religious orders and Catholic agencies who were present covering work in the areas of justice, peace and care for creation.
Alison Gelder of Housing Justice invited support for a series of Housing Justice Roadshows, taking place in May and June in Liverpool, Birmingham and Rayleigh. They will demonstrate how churches can engage with the housing crisis.
Pat Gaffney, Director of Pax Christi, announced an event this week to commemorate the WW1 centenary and commiting to future peacemaking. On 15 May, descendants of 50 First World War conscientious objectors will take part in this year’s International Conscientious Objectors’ Day commemoration in Tavistock Square, London at 12 noon. All are welcome to join them.
Patricia and Michael Pulham of Christian CND spoke about the ‘No Faith in Trident’ lobby of parliament on 11 June. They also shared its new resource ‘Nuclear Weapons: What can Christians do?’ which groups are encouraged to discuss as dialogue continues about the renewal of Trident, which is Britain’s nuclear weapons system.
Maria Elena Arana of CAFOD Campaigns outlined plans for CAFOD’s new Climate Change and Sustainable Energy campaign, which will be launched in September. CAFOD will be highlighting how climate change is linked to severe weather and humanitarian disasters and says “it will be crucial to campaign on this important issue in the run up to the General Election in May 2015. She also reminded about the Live Simply Parish Award which encourages parishes to live simply, sustainably and in solidarity with the poor, reporting that 11 parishes have achieved the award over recent years.
The NJPN Environment Working Group, chaired by Ashley Ralston of Arundel and Brighton Diocese, announced Christian Ecology Link’s ‘Joy in Enough’ project and Operation Noah’s ‘Fossil Free Churches’ work. The group is also pushing Creation Time, which runs from 1 September – 4 October, the feast of St Francis of Assisi. Columban JPIC urged everyone to view and use the new DVD resource and booklet ‘Conflict and Climate Change’ which is suitable for adult groups and older schools’ groups. One of the speakers on the DVD, Mary Colwell, is to be a speaker at this year’s NJPN conference in Derbyshire 18-20 July, where the theme is ‘Called to life in all its fullness: accepting the implications of our baptism’. More than 300 people are expected to attend.
For more information see:
www.justice-and-peace.org.uk
www.virtualplater.org.uk
www.catholicsocialteaching.org.uk
See also: ICN 13 May 2014 –
David McLoughlin: A Response to Pope’s call to be a Church for the Poor www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=24722
Members of the National Justice and Peace Network gathered in York on Saturday, along with local justice and peace activists, for the first Open Networking Day of 2014. Several people had travelled from around the country, despite the difficult weather conditions.
The keynote speaker for the day was Tricia Griffin who shared her experience of working as volunteer on the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine/Israel. She described the reality of life under occupation for the people of Palestine, such as the daily indignity and stress of those having to cross the checkpoints, often to access their own land which has been cut off by the separation wall. One delegation from South Africa described this process as worse than under apartheid. Tricia also explained that there are now 500,000 Israeli settlers living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, sometimes in settlements as big as 25,000. These settlements are illegal under international law. Among the many actions that people here can take to challenge the injustices of the occupation, Tricia highlighted: pressing for accurate labelling of goods from Israel and the West Bank, to make it clear if they are from illegal settlements; lobbying MEPs to place constraints on trading with Israel; informing ourselves and sharing the stories.
Websites for more information: www.eappi.org; www.paxchristi.org.uk; www.palestinecampaign.org
In other items raised during the day, the meeting welcomed the intervention of Archbishop Vincent Nichols at the weekend on the effect of welfare reforms on the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. Jesuit Refugee Service spoke of the difficulties being experienced by their international staff in Syria, and the call for civil society organisations in Syria to be included in peace talks. There was news of a new campaign, End Hunger Fast, which will be calling for people to undertake a fast against the rise of hunger in the UK. These were just some of the events and campaigns highlighted by representatives from diocesan Justice & Peace groups and agencies such as CAFOD, Housing Justice, CARJ and Pax Christi.
Middlesbrough Diocese Justice & Peace Commission, who hosted the meeting, also gave a presentation of the justice and peace activities going on around their diocese, demonstrating the vitality of engagement in action for justice and peace at the grassroots
National Justice & Peace Network holds four Open Networking Days a year. The next one will be on 10 May 2014 at the CAFOD offices in London, where theologian David McLoughlin will speak about the Church of Pope Francis and the implications for justice and peace work.
Booking are also now being taken for the Annual Justice & Peace Conference: ‘Called to Life in All Its Fullness: accepting the implications of our baptism’, 18 – 20 July at The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanick, Derbyshire. Keynote speakers will be Sarah Teather MP; Mary Colwell, environmentalist and producer of nature programmes for the BBC; Gemma Simmonds CJ, theologian; and Clare Dixon, head of CAFOD’s Latin America desk. The conference will be chaired by Rev Ruth Gee, current President of the Methodist Conference.
News from National Justice & Peace Network Autumn 2013
Small acts of beauty by small groups of people still carry the potential to change the world. Joy Mead
Download: Autumn 2013 Newsletter
About 70 Justice and Peace activists, many from the host dioceses of Shrewsbury and Wrexham, attended the NJPN open meeting in Chester on Saturday 14 September. Keynote speaker Vijay Mehta shared his vision for world peace, outlined in his book The Economics of Killing: How the West fuels wars and poverty in the developing world, and introduced the peace programme 4D which stands for Disarmament, Demilitarisation, Development and Democracy. Using a short film made by Uniting for Peace (www.unitingforpeace.com) which charted war since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and featured peacemakers such as Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. it explored ways of advancing non-violent initiatives. One such idea is Peace One Day, celebrated every year on 21 September. Founded by film-maker Jeremy Gilley just twelve years ago it has achieved a UN backed resolution for an international Day of Peace with the ultimate aim of making every day a day of peace and non-violence. Jeremy’s commitment and enthusiasm, evident in the film clip, is outstanding
The overwhelming theme of the Chester meeting, in spite of all the problems in our world today, was one of hope. We all came away heartened and revitalised.
Groups were invited to share ‘good news’ stories of the past year
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Oscar Rom
‘I will hold your people in my heart’
We began with a beautiful and contemplative prayer service prepared by Maureen Borbone, Luton, Northampton Diocese, who hosted this meeting. It perfectly set the stage, preparing us for a rich and informative day.
There were two short presentations, the first of which was an overview, presented by Teresa Wiseman, of the activities of the Northampton Diocese Justice and Peace Commission, based in Leighton Buzzard. This Commission was originally formed in 1986 and they, with the support of Bishop Peter Doyle, serve a rural diocese that have a Catholic population of about 3%. Their activities included among many others, support for Palestine, soup kitchens, fundraising, Fairtrade, support for Cafod’s ‘IF’ campaign, food banks etc.
Maire Hayes DHS, followed with a short resume of the activities of ‘Grassroots’, a Christian organisation in Luton, where she works in the capacity of the Spirituality of Justice, in the field of Inter‐faith. Luton is a multi‐ethnic and faith community, with e.g., 47 Mosques, and this alone highlights the reality of the many challenges this work represents. Maire is also the Diocesan Representative for Inter‐faith and the Religious representative member on the NJPN Executive. With Maureen Borbone, Maire has also been responsible for the success of Luton as the first Town to receive ‘Fairtrade’ status.
After these short but impressive presentations we were then treated to an excellent insight into ‘The Future of Europe’ by Bishop William Kenny CP, Birmingham, who gave a passionate and enthusiastic overview of the history and development of the EU (European Union), and the chequered relationship that Britain has and continues to have in Europe. He is both a member of COMECE, the Commission of the Conference of Catholic Bishops on the European Union, and of Caritas Europe. He has extensive experience of the workings of the EU and of Britain’s tenuous relationship within it. He treated us to a potted history of the beginnings and founding philosophy of the Union, which grew out of a passionate desire after the 1st and 2nd World Wars, and possibly effected by Catholic Social Teaching at the time that the World should never again go to war. Consequently Europe formed a Union based on the intention of Peace . This was a successful peace plan as the countries of Europe have not since experienced War.
The EU Peace Project is based on two things: knowledge of each other, and dependence on one another. This means that peace has to be worked at still:
We need to educate our people for peace.
Take part and responsibility in the society we belong to.
The project requires social cohesion.
And a recognition of the spiritual aspects of life.
Bishop William went on at great lengths to develop these themes and drew us in to an amazing insight into the depth of the problems but also the possibilities of a successful European enterprise. We were nearly brought to our knees in homage to him for the gift of his knowledge and appraisal of the ‘beast’ we call ‘Europe’. His honest assessment is that we will reject it at our peril!
The rest of the day was spent Networking, Notices, Events and Campaigns, NJPN business, and questions.
This was my first experience of the local face of NJPN and my overall impression was of respect and admiration for a group of intelligent women and men who are doing precisely those things in and for our society that Bishop William had described as imperative in and for the European project to survive, and which the title NJPN represents. It is crucial and critical for the future health of society here in Britain that you exist. You should be thoroughly proud of yourselves and I am not one bit surprised that you are seen as a threat by our Bishops!
I’d like to add how proud I was of the contribution made by the Northampton Diocese Representatives who generously and graciously hosted the event. Thank you.
Jackie Gleeson (Loreto, IBVM)
A New World Order? China today and our response.
“There is only one Church in China” a Chinese Catholic bishop once said and we are all members of that church”. This remark was quoted on Saturday at the annual conference of the National Justice and Peace Network Conference in Derbyshire, where the theme was ‘A New World Order? China today and our response’.
‘Justice at work – A place of safety, fulfilment and growth?’ was the theme of this year’s National Justice and Peace Network annual conference which took place at Swanwick this weekend. Nearly 400 representatives from England and Wales took part in three days of talks, workshops, prayer and social gathering.
In a message ahead of the conference, Cardinal Peter Turkson president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace said: ‘I wish first and foremost to congratulate the NJPN for holding a meeting to consider Justice as indispensable condition for peace, fulfilment and growth.
‘Our world is witnessing the breaking waves of violence in North Africa and parts of the Middle East; and the cry that is heard in the lull, when the explosions cease, and in the smouldering ashes of destruction is a cry for JUSTICE.
‘The last African synod made all the participants, not only servants of justice, Reconciliation and peace, but also the fashioners of the same. It is the yearning of the continent, where politically motivated conflicts trample it underfoot. It is the fading dream of the population of the Great Lakes region of East-Central Africa; and it is the hope that the new-born state of Southern Sudan will embrace it as both a theological and a social virtue. With prayerful wishes for a successful meeting’.
The conference was chaired by Maria Elena Arana from CAFOD. Speakers explored many different aspects of justice in the workplace, beginning with a talk from theologian David McLoughlin on the social conditions of people in Palestine during the time of Christ, and the challenging things Jesus had to say about this in his teachings. Jon Cruddas MP reflected on the dignity of work. Frances O’Grady, deputy general secretary of the Trades Union Congress discussed ways in which trade unions work to deliver justice at work and in society. YCW president Phil Callaghan gave a powerful reflection on young people entering the world of work in a time of recession. Sheila Kambobe, Deputy Director of the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection in Zambia spoke on the plight of migrant workers and small businesses in a free market. John Battle gave brief reflections on Catholic social teaching after each presentation.
Bishop William Kenney, auxiliary bishop in Birmingham, was present throughout the conference. He celebrated the Saturday evening Mass and chaired a discussion panel.
Imaginative liturgies throughout the weekend were led by Fr Martin Newell and leading Australian musician Rod Boucher, from the Catholic Worker Movement. Workshops explored many issues, among them: ‘The Living Wage Campaign’, ‘Workers in the Informal Economy’, ‘The UK Arms Industry – Ethical Issues and Alternatives’, ‘God’s Compassion for Women involved in Prostitution’ and ‘A Balanced Approach – Does your work leave any space for life?’; the challenges facing the global seafaring community; discrimination in the workplace; rural workers; and the impact of development workers in the global south.
There was a fair trade market each day and children and young people had their own lively programme of workshops and activities. . The children and young people gave a film presentation and also contributed to the liturgies with words, art and music.
Independent Catholic News
18.7.2011
By: Jo Siedlecka
Our daily bread – food security, people and planet.
