CARJ Press Release
Please see below a press release from CARJ
Please see below a press release from CARJ
Welcome to this June round up of news from Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW).
QPSW continues to work with and on behalf of Friends to put Quaker faith into action. And, in these unprecedented times, there remains much for us to do
https://mailchi.mp/quaker/quaker-faith-in-action-may-1494482?e=e66c8dfae6
This edition is a wide ranging edition featuring many different themes.
Download here: Summer 2020 Newsletter
This year’s NJPN conference was scheduled for 17-19 July, and it had an environmental theme. It has been postponed. A sub-theme was ‘Ecological Conversion: necessity, dream or delusion?’
To support the ‘necessity’ part, promotional material described how ‘Five years on from Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, we are learning that ecological conversion is a matter of life and death’. Scientists first announced this warning three decades ago, and they have been joined in recent years by non-governmental organisations, young people and older activists trying to save humanity and ‘our common home’.
Surprisingly, little has been done by the Church to implement Pope Francis’ encyclical; and, as the conference title suggests, at the start of this year we had no way of knowing whether the necessary systemic change was a ‘dream’ or a ‘delusion’.
Before I explain my own perspectives on lockdown, I have to state that I practice not ‘social’ but ‘media’ distancing. I cancelled my TV licence many years ago and simultaneously switched off the propaganda from mainstream newspapers. I therefore have my own opinions on what has been behind these recent times, and with this I have observed the following. Over a few months, people who don’t normally talk about wildlife have been talking about it.
Wildlife has come back. People have walked down empty roads which were once traffic-jammed, and cycled along them with family members, free from the constant assault of traffic and noise. They have seen beautiful sunny skies, of a blue which they probably never
knew existed, free from aeroplane contrails. They have had a temporary respite from full-stretch living and had time to slow down and experience God’s creation, and they have sampled how a better
life could be.
‘God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform’ said William Cowper in 1773. And, coincident with spring sunshine, in a matter of months we have been shown that rapid systemic change
is neither a ‘dream’ nor a ‘delusion’. We now know that it is possible.
The NJPN conference will go ahead, but rescheduled for 23-25 July 2021.
In the meantime, two mini conferences by Zoom will be held on
18 July this year with the theme: ‘Post-Pandemic Church: paralysed or energised? Recovered or reimagined?’ This will lead into preparations for ‘2021 – Action for Life on Earth’.
See: https://www.justice-andpeace.org.uk/conference/
Dr Andrew Neil Rollinson is an independent energy engineer and a member of the NJPN Environment Working Group.
The word ‘GOAL!’ was splashed across the front pages of newspapers last week, not because of the resumption of the Premiership season but because a 22-year-old Manchester United player, Marcus Rashford, who himself had experienced childhood hunger, had forced the government to agree to provide food vouchers over the summer holidays for children on
free school meals.
Perhaps most striking was the footballer’s celebratory tweet after the Prime Ministerial climbdown: ‘Just look at what we can do when we come together. THIS is England in 2020.’
As we enter probably the deepestrecession in the country’s history, we need to focus intensely on the growing impact of poverty on the
young. Even before Covid-19, nearly a third of children (4.2 million kids) were growing up in poverty, with 1.3 million eligible for free school meals. During the last three months more than 200,000 children are estimated to have had to skip meals. Undoubtedly the economic situation of families is going to worsen dramatically as the furloughing scheme comes to an end.
One early indicator of the direction of travel is the rapid growth of dependence on foodbanks. There was an 87 per cent increase in
food parcels issued by the Trussell Trust’s network in April (with a 107 per cent increase in parcels destined for children). What was
originally a last-ditch defence has become ‘the new normal’ for many. Meanwhile, more than a third of pupils are reportedly not engaging with school work, whether through lack of parental support, difficult domestic situations or personal mental health issues, the full extent of which we shall only be able to assess fully once children return to the classroom.
The effect of current pressures is the creation of a wounded generation that will carry the scars of social exclusion
and educational failure through life, with implications for the
health and happiness of everyone. What Pope Francis called ‘the
throwaway society’ – one which tolerates exclusion and allows
hope of a better future to die in the hearts of its young – cannot thrive.
Let Rashford’s tweet become our question: ‘Just look at what we can
do when we come together.’ What can we do? What future do we
commit to, post-Covid? What ‘new normal’ do we want? Ensuring that children don’t go hungry in the holidays shouldn’t feel like a great victory. But ‘THIS is England in 2020’. So yes, celebrate Rashford’s ‘goal’; and then ask: what’s next?
Fr Rob Esdaile is Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Thames Ditton, Surrey
Abridged notes of the 57th Meeting of the National Justice and Peace Network Environment Group May 2020
Conference 23-25 July 2021– Action for Life on Earth
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic 2020 conference has been postponed until 23-25 July 2021.
Plans are being made to provide webinars, through ZOOM, on the weekend of 18th-19th July (date of the original conference). Rome is likely to announce a new Vatican programme towards sustainable development over a seven-year period, this could well feature in the above webinars.
The 2020 planning group will continue to guide next years conference. Future planning will take into consideration the ‘signs of the times’ over the coming year and make amendments to the programme accordingly.
Laudato Si’ Week (16-24 May)
This was a time of reflection and activity to mark the 5th anniversary since the publication of Pope Francis’ encyclical in 2015. Pope Francis feels we have not done enough in the last five years to halt the destruction of the ecosystem that sustains us and so he has renewed his urgent call to return to this document to step up our efforts to protect and preserve our environment.
Operation Noah announced that of 42 faith groups internationally who this week pledged to divest from fossil fuels, 21 were from the UK. These include the Jesuits in Britain, the Sisters of St Joseph of Peace (UK) and the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, the third diocese in England and Wales to confirm divestment, see the links below and the Operation Noah website for more information
https://www.dabnet.org/News/View/331
https://twitter.com/OperationNoah/status/1262282675160780800
The Global Catholic Climate Movement (GCCM) organised a series of webinars that attracted thousands of Christian environmentalists from around the world. Below are the recordings:
Laudato Si’ Retreat (17 May) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMWgaMBibdo
‘Laudato Si at 5 – As Prophetic and Relevant as Ever’ (18 May) with Lorna Gold, Fr Augusto Zampini, Christiana Figueres: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssYIOWjG87k
‘Deepening our Communion with Creation’ (19 May) with Mary Evelyn Tucker and Amy Echeverria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOdqg10eHlU
‘Time for the Church to lead by example’ (20 May) with Yeb Sano https://youtu.be/_twko0-0N58
Season of Creation 2020
The theme for the Season of Creation 1 Sept – 4 Oct will be ‘Jubilee for the Earth’.
CAFOD and the Columbans have excellent resources. See https://seasonofcreation.org/
for more information.
A new annual CLIMATE SUNDAY is being introduced across the Christian denominations from 6th September 2020, during Creation Time. The positive feedback from parish and J&P groups to the Global Caring programme (available at www.ourcommonhome.co.uk), means that, this initiative will now form part of the Season of Creation resources.
Journey to 2030
‘Journey to 2030’ is a great resource for helping to mobilise the Catholic Church to act on the ecological crisis. It has the support of the CBCEW. Website – https://journeyto2030.org/. And see The Ecological Conversion group website- https://theecg.org/. John Paul’s blog is at: www.theecg.org/blog
Follow the Ecological Conversion Group facebook @EcoConversionGroup.
The NJPN Environment Group will monitor regularly and sign up to ‘Journey to 2030’.
NJPN Executive to consider inviting John Paul De Quay to run a study half day on the initiative at a networking meeting.
Green Christian – Radical Presence
Green Christian has launched a platform for Christians to develop mission and advocacy for a world at the ‘tipping point’. ‘Radical Presence’ is a new course of seven online group conversations on the pandemic and its aftermath. Over seven sessions, Radical Presence stimulates conversations which draw on the Bible, Christian faith, experience, science and analysis. Churches groups can participate free of charge and share their conclusions with each other. In this way Radical Presence will build a consensus to guide the nation’s emergence from lockdown and will equip Christians for mission and advocacy in a changed world.’ www.radicalpresence.org.uk.; https://greenchristian.org.uk/resources/
Green Christian Monthly Prayer guide
Subscribe: https://greenchristian.org.uk/resources/prayer-guide/
Email Monthly – Have an email sent to you announcing when the monthly guide is online or
Email Daily – Arrange to have emails sent for daily prayers/meditations
Bishops’ Conference
Bishops’ Conference is continuing to push for both Diocesan Environmental Policies and a dedicated Diocesan Environment Contact in dioceses. Exciting things have been happening in Liverpool recently with a high-level group taking creation care forward.
Sign up to a free newsletter of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales at: https://www.cbcew.org.uk/
CAFOD
CAFOD is very busy with a virus programme work, an emergency appeal and a coronavirus petition. (The petition already has 3,500 signatures and will run until September.)
https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/12879/cafod-warns-of-devastating-global-impact-of-covid-19
https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/12884/growing-hunger-and-oppression-face-urban-poor-
CAFOD’s three-year campaign is ‘Our Common Home’ and the theme this year is, ‘Generations Unite’. Materials are available and templates for Creation Liturgies, meals and quizzes.
https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Climate/Generations-Unite
There are now 74 LiveSimply awardees: 56 parishes, 16 schools, 1 organisation and 1 university. See http://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/How-to-campaign/Livesimply-award – as well as, campaigning initiatives which are available on CAFOD’s website – https://cafod.org.uk/Campaign/Latest-campaigns.
ARocha and Eco Congregation Scotland have environmental audits which might suit some LiveSimply applicants. See https://ecochurch.arocha.org.uk/ and https://www.ecocongregationscotland.org/materials/ideas-for-action/church-check-up/
Columban JPIC
The Summer 2020 newsletter Vocation for Justice took the theme ‘Jubilee for the Earth’.
Ellen Teague commented: “Our amazing planet is in peril from climate change and the loss of habitats and species. And yet this moment of eclipse, where darkness is passing in front of our normally ordered lives, is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stop, and to say that real, lasting change is possible. We have stopped for a virus. Let’s use this time to think hard about what we want the world to look like when we come out the other side.” https://columbans.co.uk/publications/vocation-for-justice
The Columbans’ 2020 Young Journalists’ Competition
In mid-March – a week before lockdown – winners were announced of the third ‘Columban Young Journalists’ Competition’ on the theme, ‘Tackling our Throwaway Culture’. Around 100 young people entered between Britain and Ireland, and in England alone more than 20 schools were involved. Four winning articles at: https://columbans.co.uk/category/justice-peace/education. Four winning videos at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC5w6L2-OVQfo_D7_cHn6p1f_1lMJecs
Synod on Amazonia and Biodiversity
In the leadup to the next international conference on biodiversity in China, Columban JPIC international is currently planning for a podcast series which will be released during the Season of Creation.
NJPN Universe Column
Columns on environmental justice and Laudato Si’ Week have been written or will be soon recently by Colette Joyce, Andrew Rollinson and Ellen Teague. The next rota will run from July if any of the group would like to sign up – let Ellen Teague know.
AOB
A tribute was written (in the Tablet) to Sir John Houghton, a co-chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) scientific assessment working group and lead editor of the first three IPCC reports. He gave great support to Operation Noah’s work to move the Church to engage with the Climate Change.https://www.thetablet.co.uk/texts-speeches-homilies/4/1426/a-tribute-to-sir-john-houghton-1931-2020-
Caritas Internationalis warns of post-pandemic aftershock
The after effects of the pandemic are, “even more complicated and more deadly than the impact of the virus itself, especially for the most vulnerable communities in the poorest countries,” Caritas Internationalis warned in a statement on 6 May. https://www.caritas.org/2020/05/post-pandemic/
The issue of ECOCIDE is becoming more prominent as the UN contemplates introducing the atrocity crime of Ecocide. And Pope Francis is considering adding ‘ecological sin’ to Catholic teaching: https://www.energylivenews.com/2019/11/18/pope-francis-considers-adding-ecological-sin-to-catholic-church/
London Mining Network is highlighting the worst aspects of extractive industries and they have also lobbied that mining companies observe lockdown and stop going into rainforests, particularly in Ecuador. http://londonminingnetwork.org/
Trade agreement with US must be based on environmental and social aims
https://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/39546
https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/news/2020/may/20/trade-bill-slap-face-mps-say-campaigners
Other
European Christian Environmental Network
ECEN has an excellent resource section on its website www.ecen.org. The Biodiversity section, for example, aims to promote nature conservation in churches and properties, and lobby for the protection of biodiversity.
Bishops’ Conference Theology Resources
A comprehensive list of theology resources are available at:
https://www.cbcew.org.uk/home/our-work/environment/environment-theology-resources/
Time to Act – Christians in Extinction Rebellion Jeremy Williams
Christian Climate Action involves Christians committed to prayerful direct action and public witness in response to climate breakdown. There are short essays on the biblical and theological basis for Christian action and stories of people engaged in protests.
ISBN-13: 9780281084463
https://christianclimateaction.org/ Jeremy Williams blog at: https://earthbound.report/about/
Finding God in a Leaf: The Mysticism of Laudato Si’
Brian Grogan SJ
Brian Grogan brings the background of Ignatian spirituality and a lived appreciation of God’s creation to this book. Read slowly each morning, it could give a focus for living the day in recognising God in all things, and the call of God to be a co-creator of his beautiful world each day.
ISBN-10: 1788120043
ISBN-13: 978-1788120043
Climate Generation: Awakening to Our Children’s Future
by Lorna Gold
Lorna Gold shares her personal journey in understanding what those two words ‘climate change’ mean for her as a mother seeking to protect her children and, by extension, the world of which we are all a part. ISBN: 9781847308412
Saying Yes to Life
Ruth Valerio
Draws on the Days of Creation, relating themes of light, water, land, seasons, other creatures, humankind, Sabbath and resurrection hope to environmental, ethical and social concerns.
ISBN-13: 9780281083770
On Fire: The Burning Case for a Green New Deal
by Naomi Klein
A compelling case for a comprehensive Green New Deal that would create the potential for improving and even alleviating most environmental and social problems. She documents the need for such a program and convincingly lays out her case for adopting a Green New Deal now.
ISBN-10: 024141072X
Future Meetings in 2020: Wednesday 9 September; Wednesday 25 November
Bishop Rose Hudson-Wilkin speaking at the Memorial service on Dover seafront, 20 June 2020.
This service was live streamed from the Dover seafront and marked the end of Refugee Week, also the 20th anniversary of the discovery of the 58 dead Chinese migrants found in a sealed trailer at the port.
Ben Bano from Seeking Sanctuary remembers well the traumatic impact on all involved – the reports of the impact on families who sent their young people abroad with such high hopes, the traffickers who saw the young people as objects rather than people, and not least the impact on the emergency service workers and port staff who had the gruesome task of dealing with the aftermath.
Watch the event here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNHuS1czfsk&feature=youtu.be
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“Please, have you got any change?” – a question most of us are asked when walking through city streets – but are we only being asked about the odd coins in our pockets?
Perhaps we should think about a change in our attitudes, our judgments and our relationships.
We are halfway through a year that has brought profound change in the way we live our everyday lives. Like most crises, these emergencies offer both danger and opportunity. We have witnessed the first pandemic most of us have experienced and the way it affects those already marginalised and disadvantaged. We have learnt to appreciate previously unsung and underpaid members of our society upon whom our lives depend. We have seen the anger and despair resulting from racism.
We have seen how changes during lockdown have improved our environment and been given the opportunity to live our lives differently in the future. Our military have been given the chance to see a different way to use its skills and discipline in helping our hard-pressed NHS and social services. Might this also offer the opportunity to convert the armed services into emergency response services available to be deployed both here and abroad?
As we are anticipating changes in our economic state, a new report, ‘Banks, Weapons and Nuclear Weapons – Investing in Change’ is particularly appropriate. This report, researched and produced by nine Faith groups and organisations, including Christian CND and Pax Christi, looks at the policies, practices and investments of some of the most popular financial institutions in the UK. Those of us whose salaries and pension funds provide us with an income might not realise that billions of pounds of our money is invested in the production of nuclear weapons. The money that keeps us alive could be produced by weapons that threaten death to millions.
The report tells you which positions have been taken by these institutions, how they engage in their practices and how transparent they are. There are also suggestions for the kind of action their concerned customers might take.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”.
‘Investing in Change’ will inform us about where our treasure is hidden away.
If we Invest in change, what rich harvests for everyone!
Report at: https://moneyoutofnukes.wordpress.com/
Patricia and Michael Pulham are on the Executive of the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CCND), a member of the National Justice and Peace Network.
The Summer 2020 issue of MouthPeace, Liverpool and Shropshire’s joint newsletter, is now available to read,
It can be found by clicking here.
Previous MouthPeace Issues can be found