'Act justly, Love tenderly, walk humbly with your God'
Micah 6.8
All posts by Stephen Cooke
NW NJPN E BULLETIN Mid November 2021
The mid November NW NJPN E Bulletin looks back at COP26, leading with an overview by Frank Regan plus the last of Ellen Teague’s COP26 blogs and an article by journalist Jonathan Cook making the links between defence spending and the climate crisis. Peter Kennard’s Art installation Code Red, created to coincide with the Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, continues to 19 December – we give a glimpse of his work alongside his press release for the show. Two more photo exhibitions on the theme of environmental damage are also highlighted plus short films from Church Action on Poverty and a film installation at Tate Liverpool inspired by a satire on Victorian society and the role of women. Pax Christi USA has issued a strong rebuttal to the criticism lobbied by Archbishop Gomez, Chair of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops in which he condemns movements for social justice as “anti-Christian pseudo-religions”. Traidcraft are promoting an ‘Injustice Advent Calendar’ with opportunities to stand up for justice for the 24 days of Advent plus links to a series of talks from CAFOD for December available on Zoom. Finally, take time to read an in-depth article by Jenny Sinclair, founder director of Together for the Common Good.
In a packed edition the NW NJPN Justice and Peace E Bulletin for November 2021 focuses on COP26 with the first of a series of daily reports from Ellen Teague and Jo Siedlecka for Independent Catholic News – look out for on future reports at www.indcatholicnews.com. Other items include a challenging speech by Pope Francis to the World Meeting of Popular Movements, an inspiring story of love and friendship, a report on Prisons Week including a short video clip which is well-worth watching, white poppies for peace, book reviews and a packed diary. Please read and pass on.
‘2021: Life on Earth – moment of truth’ is the theme.
As climate changes, the biodiversity crisis and Covid-19 make clear, ecological conversion is becoming a matter of life and death. Decisions to be made this year at the COP26 climate summit and in the recovery from the pandemic are critical for salvaging a viable future. This is a year of opportunity the like of which we will never see again.
At Conference 2021 we will take inspiration from Laudato Si, Fratelli Tutti and secular thinking on integral ecology. We will seize this moment of grace for the changes and choices now confronting us.
Conference chair: Christine Allen, Director of CAFOD
Facilitators include:
Lorna Gold, Fr. Eamonn Mulcahy, Mark Rotherham, Bishop John Arnold, Colette Joyce, Lord Deben
There will be opportunities to take part in workshops and activities throughout the weekend as well a JUST FAIR consisting of more than 20 stalls from different agencies displaying goods and resources
There will be age-appropriate parallel programmes for young children and teens, as well as provision of a creche.
The NW NJPN E Bulletin for mid October covers a wide range of events and articles. The theme running through this issue is hope. We hear the voice of hope in the power of the human spirit in art, poetry, and stories: three Dads, former strangers united in grief, channelling the loss of their daughters to suicide to help others; 23 year-old footballer Marcus Rashford honoured in his home city for speaking out for children who live in poverty in the UK; 22 year-old Vian, who fled war in her Syrian homeland and is now continuing her training as an artist at college here; homeless people on park benches sharing their stories and building ‘community’; refugees and those who care for the dying finding hope in the belief that even ‘in a broken world, things aren’t fully broken’; hope to be found in Christ’s solidarity with the suffering earth and its potential restoration as described in a powerful article by Celia Deane -Drummond; hope, as Cardinal Vincent Nichols says, that the forthcoming synod will ‘make hopes flourish, stimulate trust, bind up wounds, and build bridges … to restore our common mission’; and hope that young people will be changemakers to create a more peaceful and sustainable world.
In the run-up to COP26 the October issue of the NW NJPN E Bulletin features several articles on the climate crisis. You can read more on this in the Winter edition of Vocations for Justice from the Columbans (see attachment). The plight of refugees and the government’s approach to this humanitarian issue comes under criticism as well as the current plan to end the Universal Credit top-up. Also included are some innovative online resources from the Arts world, linking climate change, racism and refugees. We have advance notice of Challenge Poverty Week 11-17 October and Asylum Matters Week of Action 18-24 October plus a song and a poem for peace to celebrate Peace One Day (21 September) and look forward to International Peace Day (2 October). Look for some interesting diary dates too.
