All posts by Stephen Cooke

NJPN Comment in the Catholic Universe: Colette Joyce – Living Laudato Si’

Lockdown means that I am writing this article outdoors in my garden rather than from a desk in Vaughan House, Westminster. I am sitting on the grass, listening to bird song and wondering if the breeze actually requires a warmer jumper. When my mind wanders from the task, I study the patterns of the moss within the lawn for inspiration. This is the simple connection with nature that human beings are in danger of losing in our high-tech, concrete and plastic-covered world. For many of us, the pandemic has created a chance to sit still, stay put, stop polluting and reassess what is important to us.

 

The week 16-24 May marks the 5th anniversary of the encyclical Laudato Si’: On the Care of Our Common Home and Pope Francis is calling us all once again into an urgent dialogue about our common home, not just for the sake of our health and well-being, but for our very survival. The problems he spelt out five years ago are getting worse: pollutants in the air, water and soil, a throwaway culture, toxic waste, the loss of biodiversity, extinction of species and de-stabilisation of the climate  This beautiful world, with all its many wonders, stands on the brink of ruin.

 

He pointed to the decline in the human environment caused by choosing ever-increasing exploitation of the earth’s resources over the building of sustainable communities. He highlighted global inequality as the gravest of all the problems confronting us. That we have accepted as normal the deterioration of the land and societies of the poorest people on earth to enrich the wealthiest is the gravest of distortions. We measure success by our percentage increases in national GDP (the overall production of ‘stuff’) when perhaps we should be measuring people’s well-being.

 

The central insight of the encyclical is that the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor are one and the same thing. (#48) A ‘green’ recovery from the pandemic is necessary to prevent future affliction. We have before us an unexpected chance to re-make our societies in a way that benefits both people and planet.

 

This Laudato Si’ Week let us set aside time to decide what changes we need to make to our lives as individuals, parishes and societies in order to save that which is most precious to us.

 

Pope Francis invites people everywhere to pray the Laudato Si’ prayer together on Sunday 24 May at 12noon local time. https://laudatosiweek.org/prayer/

Colette Joyce is the Westminster Justice & Peace Co-ordinator.

NJPN comment_22 May

Colette Living Laudato Si

Environment, NJPN Universe comment

Latest News From The Northwest

The June edition of the NW NJPN E Bulletin looks at ways in which the coronavirus is changing the way we view the world and our interconnectedness with all creation with a mix of inspiring opinion pieces, prayers and reflections. As always, it is the poor who suffer most as reports from the UK and overseas indicate.
There’s a tribute to the late meteorologist Sir John Houghton, one of the first to raise the alarm about climate change. His name will be known to many activists, especially in connection with Operation Noah whose patron he became. But we also salute one of the countless men and women who quietly ‘do their bit’ to bring about a better, fairer world: Will Cochrane, a tireless and dedicated campaigner for over forty years who remains very close to our hearts here in Shrewsbury Diocese, who has died due to Covid-19.
Liam Purcell from Church Action on Poverty offers some resources to keep us occupied during lockdown and there resources on Laudato Si’ to help us celebrate the feast of Pentecost on 31 May.
Please pass on to others. Stay safe; stay alert!
 
NJPN North West

Please help Brazil’s Bishops avert genocide *** NJPN Action of the Week***

“Please do all in your power, by prayer and action, to make these urgent initiatives more widely known” Clifton J&P Commission

The initiatives are:

1): The Brazilian Bishops’ “statement on impact of Covid-19 on people and rainforest“ dated 4th May 2020.

2): Sebastião Salgado’s “We are on the eve of a ‘genocide’: Brazil urged to save Amazon tribes from Covid-19”.
An open letter published in The Guardian on the 3rd May, Salgado is both a Brazilian and one of the world’s leading photojournalists.

NJPN Action of the Week

NJPN eBulletin – 11th May 2020
Annual Justice & Peace Conference 17-19 July 2020
“2020 Vision: Action for Life on Earth”
Bookings are still being taken until advice to the contrary
 
Booking forms from NJPN
c/o CAFOD Lancaster Volunteer Centre,
St Walburge’s Centre, St Walburge’s Gardens,
Preston PR2 2QJ
020 7901 4864 admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk
or download here
Discount for families

Lest We Forget….

Dear Friends,

As the country marked the 75th Anniversary of VE Day on Friday the 8th May, in a much quieter way than was originally planned, we have the words of Pope Francis to reflect on: –

“History teaches us that the path of peace requires great tenacity and continuous steps…my hope is that each and every person may give his or her own contribution to peace and reconciliation.”

Amen to that.

May God continue to bless you and your families.

As previously mentioned we are still taking bookings for the Conference at this current moment in time (details above).

If your organisation is interested in running a stall at the conference, please contact the Just Fair Manager, Ann Kelly at annkellynjpn@btinternet.com

Please note also a temporary postal address due to the closure of the Eccleston Square office:

Geoff Thompson, NJPN, c/o CAFOD Lancaster Volunteer Centre, St Walburge’s Centre, St Walburge’s Gardens, Preston PR2 2QJ.

You can still use the same phone number.

See below for: –

Note on Data Protection

About these E-Bulletins

Donate to NJPN

Note on Data Protection

Your email address is stored with MailChimp only to allow us to send you these emails, and to track interactions (e.g. open rates). To read more about how MailChimp stores and uses your information, click here for the full MailChimp Privacy Policy. Sections referring to Distribution Lists concern your emails.

No sensitive data (such as credit card details) is given to MailChimp because we do not have an e-commerce element.

You can unsubscribe or update your preferences at any time by clicking the links at the bottom of the page.

 

E-Bulletin Contents: –

News and Comment

  1. High Court Rules Government unlawful denying migrants access to services
  2. Pope appeals for respect for the dignity of farm workers
  3. Update from Pact
  4. Palestine Solidarity Campaign defeats UK Government over pensions divestment
  5. Let’s bailout the people and not tax haven billionaires
  6. Catholic Church in the US now aligned to Trump
  7. NJPN column in the Universe
  8. Calais in the times of Covid-19
  9. A new hymn written for Christian CND
Newsletters

10. Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility Newsletter

 
Events

11. Day of Prayer for Humanity – 14th May
12. A New Lucas plan for post-pandemic socially useful jobs?

Actions

13. Please help Brazil’s Bishops avert genocide

***NJPN Action of the Week***

14. Become a Friend of your Local Pantry
15. Campaign Against the Arms Trade Watch and Share Videos

Petitions

16. Make the Covid-19 Vaccine affordable for all
17. 38 Degrees Petition for pay rises for our NHS Heroes

Resources

18. Life on the Breadline – conference resources

The Last Word

 19. The Great Realisation

 

News and Comments

1. Migrants being denied access to services

New analysis from ONS and High Court ruling of the 7th May 2020 shows negligence towards minorities.
Please click here to read the full story, and comment from Sarah Teather.

2. Pope calls for respect for the dignity of immigrant farm workers

Pope Francis was alerted this week to the harsh exploitation of farm workers, many of them immigrants, during the current crisis. This is also something that Caritas Europa called for back in April.
Read both articles here.
Pope Francis wished that the “crisis may give us the opportunity to make the dignity of the person and of the work the centre of our concern.”

3. An update from Pact CEO, Andy Keen-Downs

I have been looking for the source of a quotation, and would love to hear from any of our well-read supporters who may be able to confirm its source. I believe it may be John Churton Collins, and I may well be misquoting, but it’s something like:
‘In prosperity, our friends know us. In adversity, we know our friends.’
It came to mind as I was reading messages and letters from so many individuals and charitable funders who have responded with such kindness and generosity in recent weeks. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your kindness.
As our Government maintains the social lockdown, and begins to explore what the future might look like, we remain worried about what is happening within prisons. . We are urging the Government to do more to allow lower risk prisoners who are close to the ends of their sentences to go home to their families, so as to minimise infection levels and deaths in prisons.
We have published guidance for prisoners’ families on the two schemes established by the Government for this purpose, namely, the ‘End of Custody Temporary Release’ scheme and the ‘Compassionate Release on Temporary License’ scheme.
The Early Conditional Release Scheme was supposed to be releasing between 3,500-4,000 prisoners. Many experts find it shocking that, as of Friday the 1st May, only 33 prisoners have been released under this programme.
The number of deaths in prison from Covid-19 have so far been fewer than feared, but this is thanks to heroic efforts by prison governors and staff and, of course, to the almost complete lockdown of prisons which means that men and women are spending at least 23 hours a day in their cells. But as I write, 5 prison staff and 15 prisoners have sadly lost their lives to the virus.
We continue to do all we can to support prisoners and their children and families to keep in touch and to cope this includes forming a new partnership with The Smallwood Trust, which means we are now providing emergency financial aid to mothers who are leaving prison who are facing destitution.
We have created ‘Pact Packets’ to help families, and especially children, through this very difficult time of not being able to visit their loved one in prison. For more information, go here…
We are also providing 20,000 men and women prisoners with a free ‘Writing Home’ pack, including a guide on letter writing and a free stationery pack. Our Helplines and volunteer befrienders are providing a lifeline for thousands more worried families. We can only achieve these things thanks to being able to work in a spirit of partnership with our colleagues in HM Prison & Probation Service, and thanks to the continuing support of our friends.

4. Palestinian Solidarity Campaign vs. the Government

PSC is delighted to announce that we have won a great victory in the battle to defend the right to take action in the UK in support of Palestinian rights.

Since 2017 we have been fighting the UK Government in the courts, protecting the right to undertake Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaigns in the UK. We won in the High Court, then lost in the Court of Appeal, but today the final verdict from the Supreme Court is in – and we have won!
For the full story follow this link.

5. Should the Coronavirus be the catalyst to start taxing companies and the rich properly?

Robert Palmer, Executive Director of Tax Justice UK, wrote an interesting article in the Independent on the 26th April about the Coronavirus and who should be getting Government support, along with what is wrong with our tax system. Read the article here.

6. Dolan delivers the Church to Trump and the Republican Party

The National Catholic Reporter writes: – ‘The capitulation is complete. 
Without a whimper from any of his fellow bishops, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York has inextricably linked the Catholic Church in the United States to the Republican Party and, particularly, President Donald Trump.’
The piece in the NCR makes for interesting reading and will probably have you cringing in places. Read it here.

7. NJPN Column in the Universe from 1st May

Niall Cooper, Director of Church Action on Poverty writes…

Three weeks ago, millions of people across the UK saw their livelihoods evaporate overnight. The global pandemic is not just a health crisis, but also an economic crisis unparalleled in our lifetimes.
In the space of under a week in late March 14 million people in the UK suffered an ‘income shock’: a sudden and unexpected drop in income as a result of the crisis measures taken to combat the coronavirus.
More than three million people Britain have gone hungry since lockdown began, because they did not have enough food. The only economic crash that is on anything of a comparable scale is the Great Depression of 1919/20 – but this time the crash literally happened overnight.
One Friday bars, shops, cafes, hotels were open, tills were ringing, wages were paid. By the following Friday, everything was shut. 14 million livelihoods had gone west in the space of a week.
What has happened to those 14 million in the intervening month? Facts are currently thin on the ground. As of this week, businesses have applied funding to continue paying 2.8 million employees ‘on furlough’ at least to the end of June.
A further 1.6 million people have applied for Universal Credit. These are not necessarily those who would previously have counted themselves as the ‘poorest’ in society. For many, this will be their first experience of applying for benefits. But how many others have not applied out of pride, shame, ignorance or confusion, or because the thought that they might be eligible for state benefits has not even occurred to them?
The response at community level, by foodbanks and other community projects, has been heroic, with many seeing a doubling or trebling in the numbers turning to them for support. However, it is clear that charitable and voluntary action cannot avert the scale of crisis of poverty that is now affecting millions.
In the light of this, further bold and courageous Government action is required to match some of the radical measures being rolled out by nations in the grip of the crisis. As Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said, the support needed is “on a scale unimaginable only a few weeks ago. This is not a time for ideology and orthodoxy, this is a time to be bold – a time for courage.”
With grateful thanks to our friends at The Universe. Click here to see the latest news and to subscribe. With all the churches shut just now they are very much depending on direct home subscriptions.

8. Covid-19 and the effect on Calais

The April Update on the Care 4 Calais website makes very sobering reading. They have had a very tough few weeks and have had to make a lot of changes to their operation, along with conditions being some of the worst they have seen. More details are here.

9. ‘Let Us Raise Our Voice’

A new hymn has been written by Chris Idle, with music by Sue Gilmurray, to mark Christian CND’s 60th Anniversary in 2020. We hope that it will inspire congregations and groups around the country to join us in working and praying for a nuclear weapons-free world.
Listen to it here.

NEWSLETTERS

10. Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility

The ECCR April 2020 Newsletter is now available to read here.

EVENTS

11. Covid-19 Day of Prayer for Humanity on Thursday 14th May

Pope Francis is supporting an interreligious day of prayer and fasting for an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thursday 14th May the day of prayer for humanity will be an opportunity for all believers “to pray, fast and do works of charity,” the Pope says.

Expressing his closeness to the victims of COVID-19, as well as those entrusted with their care, the pope also encourages co-operation between countries to “adequately and effectively” respond to the COVID-19 crisis. “It is important,” Pope Francis says, “to bring together scientific capacities, in a transparent and impartial way, to find vaccines and treatments and to guarantee universal access to essential technologies that will enable every infected person, in every part of the world, to receive the necessary health care.”

The 14th May initiative comes from the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity. Full details are available from the Vatican News website here.

12. Online Lucas Plan event on the way forward after the pandemic – Wednesday 13th May 19:00 – 20:30 BST

An online event on how worker-led industrial conversion to deal with the coronavirus pandemic is a model for the future.
The public health crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has put into sharp focus the precarious nature of work and human lives upon which our neoliberal capitalist economies thrive. On the other hand, it has shown what type of work is essential to society such as work in health and social care, public transport and other public services, and in the food supply chain.
To find out more about this Webinar, and join in go to…

ACTIONS

13. Please help Brazil’s Bishops avert genocide

*** NJPN Action of the Week***

“Please do all in your power, by prayer and action, to make these urgent initiatives more widely known” Clifton J&P Commission

The initiatives are:

1): The Brazilian Bishops’ “statement on impact of Covid-19 on people and rainforest“ dated 4th May 2020.

2): Sebastião Salgado’s “We are on the eve of a ‘genocide’: Brazil urged to save Amazon tribes from Covid-19”.
An open letter published in The Guardian on the 3rd May, Salgado is both a Brazilian and one of the world’s leading photojournalists.

14. Become a Friend of Your Local Pantry
The coronavirus crisis has caused sudden hardship and natural fear for people across the country. We know it will mean many more parents losing work, children potentially going hungry, and people worrying about food security. For that reason, we have brought forward the launch of our friendship scheme, so our supporters and the wider public can act now to prevent hunger.
The Your Local Pantry project, run jointly by Foundations Stockport and Church Action on Poverty is now being rolled out nationwide, with communities invited to set up their own affiliated Pantries, to emulate the success in Stockport and unlock food poverty in their area.
To find out more and donate, go to…

15. Questions for BAE
Weapons manufacturer BAE Systems held its Annual General Meeting on the 7th May, but it wasn’t taking questions from shareholders.
We understand why it would want to hide from scrutiny: this is a company with plenty to be ashamed of. But as it continues to profit from violence around the world, we still have #QuestionsforBAE, such as its complicity and support for violence and humans rights abuses around the world.
The Campaign Against the Arms Trade are asking you to Watch and Share the Videos now.

E-Petitions

16. Global Justice Now petition to make the Covid-19 Vaccine affordable for all.
Will you join over 13,000 people calling on our Government to attach conditions to public funding so that a Covid-19 vaccine will be patent-free and affordable for all? Details and petition here…

17. Give our heroes the pay rises they deserve
Our health and care workers have been risking their lives to look after us during the coronavirus pandemic. The crisis has forced them to work even longer hours, kept them away from loved ones, and made our hospitals and care homes some of the toughest places to turn up to work each day.
We are asking the Government to give a permanent pay rise to everyone who works in the NHS and Care System.
Sign the petition here.

Resources

18. Transforming Structural Injustice
On 13th September 2019, over 50 people gathered at Coventry University for the Life on the Breadline workshop.
This participatory workshop reflected on how the Church can work to transform structural injustice.
To read more about it click here.

The Last Word

19. The Great Realisation
A rather moving YouTube video – but you have to put up with the adverts beforehand…stick with it, though, it is worth it.

NEWS LINKS

Independent Catholic News
Find Justice and Peace stories at:
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/justice-peace-environment
Sign up to receive these regularly.

Catholic Communications Network
Find news stories at www.catholicnews.org.uk

Latest Zenit Headlines here

Vatican Radio homepage: http://en.radiovaticana.va/

World Council of Churches
https://www.oikoumene.org/en/

UK Parliament News
https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/

Follow us on Twitter: @NJandPNetwork

Follow us on Facebook: National Justice and Peace Network

 
About these E-BULLETINS
 
The items above are emails received from around the Network which may be of interest to those involved in working for justice and peace.
The views expressed are not necessarily those of NJPN.
To unsubscribe from these mailings, email admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk with “unsubscribe” in the subject box. We also welcome your feedback at the same address.
Forwarding these emails: Please feel free to forward these emails on to your contacts – but please remember to tell them to contact YOU if they want to unsubscribe!
Urgent Actions:
We sometimes receive emails that need immediate action and cannot wait for the weekly bulletin. To receive these items email the same address with “urgent actions” in the subject box.
If you appreciate these bulletins, help to keep them coming by donating to NJPN:
Send cheques payable to NJPN to: NJPN, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX.
Make a regular donation by standing order: Download standing order/membership forms from http://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/
(NJPN is a registered charity no: 1114947 Company no: 5036866)
If you shop online, you can support us at no extra cost to yourself by signing up with easyfundraising.org.uk, where lots of companies will make a donation to us when you shop online with them.

 

.

NJPN eBulletins

SVP and CSAN Toolkit: Keeping Parishes Safe

St Vincent de Paul Society (E&W) and Caritas Social Action Network have released a toolkit to help Catholic parishes and groups develop safe, local responses to people in need during the Covid-19 pandemic. The toolkit addresses the Christian call to step out in love to those excluded and at risk, throughout a time when the Government has asked people to stay at home as far as possible.  It includes examples of how parishes can offer support, advice and guidance on safeguarding, communication, dealing with health and other risks, referring people on as needed and to volunteer with other initiatives. Help could include keeping in touch with a friendly chat on the phone, shopping for food and other essential items, dog walking, help with prayer and advice on how to get involved with other initiatives locally.  It can be adapted to local circumstances.

Please give a thought to those who do not have access to the internet, nor the use of a mobile phone as they can feel quite cut off from society and perhaps unaware of the help that is on offer to them.

 

If a parish does not already have its own befriending group, local outreach group or equivalent (with strong procedures in place) then the temporary or full membership to the SVP is a safe, quick and effective response to the current crisis.

For individuals seeking to help, for more information about this please visit:  www.svp.org.uk/svps-response-covid-19 to join with the efforts in your local area.

To download the SVP toolkit:

https://www.svp.org.uk/sites/default/files/content/Covid-19-Response-Toolkit-Apr20.pdf

To donate to the work of the SVP: www.svp.org.uk/donate-now

 

Welfare

Latest News From Lancaster

“In the F&J May E-News there is an update of resources and information I have received focussing on the impact of COVID-19.

I hope it is helpful, and we are able to continue keep those effected by Covid-19 in our thoughts, prayers and actions.

The newsletter can also be downloaded at : https://tinyurl.com/y7pncqq6

Reports, newsletters and posters mentioned in this issue and previous newsletters are also available at http://www.lancasterfaithandjustice.co.uk/newsletter/

Maggie”

You can download the newsletter by clicking here.

Diocesan news

CAAT: Don’t let BAE hide from scrutiny today

“Dear friend,

Homes in Yemen destroyed by coalition airstrikes. BAE Systems has sold Saudi Arabia £15 billion of arms and services since the Saudi-led war on Yemen began.

Today one of the world’s largest arms companies, BAE Systems, can’t hold its Annual General Meeting due to the covid-19 crisis. Yet unlike other companies, BAE has created no way for shareholders like us to ask them questions and hold them to account. 

So we decided to put BAE under the spotlight anyway, sending them questions by video, to make sure they hear from the people most affected by their lethal trade.

Hear from CAAT’s friends challenging BAE, and help expose the company by sharing these videos on your social media. 

It’s been quite a year for BAE. CAAT recently found that since the outbreak of the war in Yemen, BAE hit a staggering £15 billion in revenues from weapons and services sold to Saudi Arabia. 

As BAE and other arms companies come forward to create parts for ventilators and face masks to tackle the covid-19 crisis, let’s remind them that there are ways to move away from products that take lives to ones that save them.

Watch and share the videos now. 

With thanks as always for your continued support.

Stay safe

Caroline
Campaign Against Arms Trade”

Arms Trade, Campaigns

NJPN E-Bulletin – 26th April 2020

Annual Justice & Peace Conference 17-19 July 2020
“2020 Vision: Action for Life on Earth”
Bookings are still being taken until advice to the contrary
 
Booking forms from NJPN
c/o CAFOD Lancaster Volunteer Centre,
St Walburge’s Centre, St Walburge’s Gardens,
Preston PR2 2QJ  

 

020 7901 4864   admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk 
or download here
Discount for families

 

” What I do is a drop in the ocean. But many drops make a different ocean.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta
 

Dear Friends,

So the lockdown continues for however long the Government sees fit. The important thing for all of us is to stay safe and well, and sane, in these unprecedented times.

Hopefully, by the end of this, we will all step out to a better, cleaner and perhaps more kind world. One where we look out for our fellow humans, and our planet. That has to be our prayer really, doesn’t it.

God bless you all and your families.

NJPN Updates: – Just a reminder that our Networking Day and AGM on 2nd May has been cancelled, and the AGM re-scheduled to take place on 19 July at the Annual Conference.

As previously mentioned we are still taking bookings for the Conference (details above).

If your organisation is interested in running a stall at the conference, please contact the Just Fair Manager, Ann Kelly at annkellynjpn@btinternet.com

Please note also a temporary postal address due to the closure of the Eccleston Square office:

Geoff Thompson, NJPN, c/o CAFOD Lancaster Volunteer Centre, St Walburge’s Centre, St Walburge’s Gardens, Preston PR2 2QJ.

You can still use the same phone number.

See below for: – 

Note on Data Protection

About these E-Bulletins

Donate to NJPN

 

Note on Data Protection

Your email address is stored with MailChimp only to allow us to send you these emails, and to track interactions (e.g. open rates). To read more about how MailChimp stores and uses your information, click here for the full MailChimp Privacy Policy. Sections referring to Distribution Lists concern your emails.

No sensitive data (such as credit card details) is given to MailChimp because we do not have an e-commerce element.

You can unsubscribe or update your preferences at any time by clicking the links at the bottom of the page.

 

E-Bulletin Contents: –

News and Comment

  1. Covid-19 Toolkit for Catholic Parishes and Caritas Diocesan Agencies.
  2. Pope Francis speaks out on Earth Day
  3. Busting the myths over Fairtrade
  4. One Year on from the Terrorist Attacks in Sri Lanka
  5. Women on the front line of the crisis
  6. Ex-Detainees write to Priti Patel
  7. Dorothy Day: new film showing her vision is very much alive

Newsletters

    8. The latest NJPN NW Bulletin for May, including quite a lot
      about the effect that Covid-19 and the lockdown is having
      around the world.
    9. Church Action on Poverty Summer Newsletter
  10. Operation Noah Newsletter
  11. 30th Anniversary Edition of Quarterly Return from Shared
      Interest
 12. ‘Love unites us all.’ Christian Aid’s latest Newsletter
 13. Latest Newsletter from the Joint Public Issues Team

Actions

     14. Millions of garment workers going without pay.
     15. Sign for a temporary ceasefire.
    16. Email Matt Hancock
    17. Tell Dominic Raab to end UK arms sales
    18. UK urged to ban cotton imports from Xuar

    
The Last Word

    18. Robert Lindsay sums up life as it is for us now

     
 

News and Comments

1. Covid-19 Toolkit courtesy of CSAN/SVP

CSAN England and Wales Caritas Catholic social action

 

Caritas Social Action Network and the St Vincent de Paul Society (England and Wales) have released a toolkit to help Catholic parishes and groups develop safe, local responses to people in need during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The toolkit addresses the Christian call to step out in love to those excluded and at risk, throughout a time when the Government has asked people to stay at home as far as possible.  It includes examples of how parishes can offer support, advice and guidance on safeguarding, communication, dealing with health and other risks, referring people on as needed and to volunteer with other initiatives. Help could include keeping in touch with a friendly chat on the phone, shopping for food and other essential items, dog walking, help with prayer and advice on how to get involved with other initiatives locally.  It can be adapted to local circumstances.
To download the toolkit, click here

2. News from the Vatican and the Pope at audience on Earth Day

Holding his weekly general audience on the 50th Earth Day on Wednesday, Pope Francis called for common action and ecological conversion that lead to a deeper love for our common home and our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable.
The full article can be read here
“We can each contribute in our own small way,” Pope Francis urged.

3. Why are there so many misconceptions over Fairtrade goods?

In an article that the Fairtrade Foundation produced last year, they are again trying to bust those myths surrounding Fairtrade. Makes thought-provoking reading, and something to share with anyone who has something negative to say about goods with the Fairtrade logo.
Read here.

4. A year on from the terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka

More than 270 people were killed in April last year, and Rome Reports have made a short documentary available on Rome Reports Premium. The trailer is available here 
‘The wounds were still fresh, and the fear palpable, but the faith and joy of the country’s Catholics transcended the pain.’

5. Podcast from Global Justice Now

Global Justice Now have produced a podcast about women on the front line of the crisis. They talk to two women, one in the Philippines and one in South Africa, about their experiences during the coronavirus pandemic. To listen, please click here.

6. Ex-detainees speak out

Freed Voices is made up of people who have experienced immigration detention in the UK, and are now committed to speaking out. Between them, they have lost over 20 years of our lives to detention, and they have written this urgent letter to the Home Secretary concerning the risks posed by Covid-19 to those in Immigration Removal Centres. Read it through the London Economic here.

7. Dorothy Day: Anarchist Grandma, Patron Saint of the Resistance

When Pope Francis addressed Congress during his 2015 visit to the U.S., he named four great men and women whose legacies helped shape the fundamental values of the American people: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Merton, and Dorothy Day, the Catholic social activist and pacifist.

It was among his most audacious statements during the trip, and he got away with it because—outside of churches and the peace movement—Dorothy Day, the woman who could become America’s next saint, is largely unknown.

Revolution of the Heart: The Dorothy Day Story, a new documentary film by Martin Doblmeier, wants to put that right. It has been released in the US, but there is no release date for it here at present.
If you want to read more about Dorothy Day, her Granddaughter, Kate Hennessy, has published a book about her ‘The World Will Be Saved By Beauty.’

To hear a talk given by Kate Hennessy, and to buy her book, please go to the Pax Christ website.
 

NEWSLETTERS

8. NJPN E-Bulletin North West

Our friends in the North West have put together a very interesting and informative e-bulletin. Always a good read…click here

9. Church Action on Poverty Newsletter

Sparks, the Church Action on Poverty’s Summer Newsletter is available to read here and will replace the printed copies that normally get sent out.

10. Newsletter from Operation Noah

Operation Noah, who provide a Christian response to climate change have produced their latest newsletter. There is a tribute to the eminent Meteorologist, Sir John Houghton, who recently passed away; plus an invitation to encourage your church to move away from fossil fuels.
Find the full newsletter here.

11. Quarterly Return Newsletter

Shared Interest are celebrating 30 years of helping people trade their way out of poverty. Discover their story, and find out about the people and places they are involved in here.

12. ‘In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps’ Proverbs 16:9 NIV

Love has been the driving force for communities to stand together during this period of uncertainty. And we’re reminded that love unites us all.

In this month’s campaigns newsletter, Christian Aid celebrate love in action, highlight some activities you can get involved in and share campaign successes. Find it here.

13. Joint Public Issues Team Newsletter

In the midst of a changing world, the team at JPIT still want to continue to hold their Six Hopes for Society before the Church by continuing to work for peace and justice. One of the ways that they are doing this is through their Stay and Pray initiative. To find out more, go to 

ACTIONS

14. Traidcraft Exchange – many garment workers are not being paid.

Some of the UK’s biggest fashion brands are refusing to pay factories that make clothes and shoes for them. The factories have done the work, but the brands aren’t paying up.

Millions of garment factory workers are going without pay as a result.

Traidcraft Exchange are contacting brands including Marks and Spencer, John Lewis, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Clarks, Primark, and the group that owns shops like Burton and Dorothy Perkins.
For more information and to send a message to the brands follow the link

15. Global Action is needed now!

World Beyond War is calling for a temporary ceasefire, with a view to making it permanent, and including weapons production and shipment.
Sign the petition and find details of #NoWar2020 going virtual at the end of May.

16. Support access for all to Covid-19 testing, treatments and vaccines.

The spread of Covid-19 globally will only be halted if everyone has access to tests, treatments and any future vaccine. Global solidarity has never been more important. Sharing knowledge openly would speed up research while removing monopolies on treatments and vaccines would save lives quickly. Global Justice Now are asking us to petition the Secretary of State for Health, Matt Hancock, to publicly welcome and commit to supporting the proposal for a Covid-19 global mechanism for all countries to get access to affordable testing, treatment and vaccines.
Click here to add your name.

17. Campaign Against Arms Trade – contact Dominic Raab

The UN Secretary General has called for an historic global ceasefire, to allow war-torn countries the chance to focus on responding to the COVID-19 crisis. A ceasefire could allow vital humanitarian aid to people in need, alleviate already stretched healthcare workers, and offer a crucial window to build lasting political solutions.
UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has backed the call for a global ceasefire. Let’s encourage him to turn these words into action.

18. Sign Freedom United’s petition to ban cotton imports from
      XUAR

The UK should block cotton imports from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR), Northwest China, due to the systematic forced labor its people face, rights groups argued this week.

In a 60-page letter to the UK’s customs authorities, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and Freedom United partner World Uyghur Congress (WUC) submitted “overwhelming and credible evidence concerning the scale and gravity of the forced labour regime in Xinjiang.”
At the start of this month, Freedom United launched a campaign calling on the Chinese government to end the forced labor of Uyghurs and other marginalized ethnic groups, bolstered by multiple partners including Anti-Slavery International. To read more and sign, click here.

The Last Word

Unashamedly borrowed from a Tweet he posted on the 14th April following the death of a friend, please find below a shortened version of words from Robert Lindsay, summing up the emotions we are all feeling right now: – 

“How did it come to this? How did we find ourselves in isolation for fear of our lives, fearful for our children and our loved ones? How many charities have materialised to help fund our NHS workers when we’ve all watched the years of under-funding and how our unappreciated Health Service has been treated?
The NHS was totally unprepared for this global catastrophe and we watch in horror how the front-liners (many of whom are reinforcements) are coping amidst this chaos.
Throughout all the Brexit madness – the lies – the spin – the fake promises our NHS would benefit from, when we all knew that many of our doctors and nurses had moved into the private sector and all the heath service employees from overseas would be sent back home.
We knew from Branson and Trump that many deals were being put in place to privatise our National Health Service – and now the people of this country are applauding from their doorways and streets a service so unprepared with doctors and nurses fighting under abject conditions.
My children constantly ask when things will go back to normal, that’s what we all want to know, but I don’t want things to be going back to normal – I want life to be better, gentler, kinder, more honest in an environmentally-friendly world.
This virus is a killer. It’s killed old people, it’s killed young people, it’s killed people we know. There will be other diseases which infect our globe if we carry on destroying our environment and abusing our wildlife, our oceans and forests…so let’s not go back to normal. If we learn anything from this insanity that has affected us all LET’S MAKE LIFE BETTER

NEWS LINKS

Independent Catholic News
Find Justice and Peace stories at:
http://www.indcatholicnews.com/news/justice-peace-environment
Sign up to receive these regularly.
  
Catholic Communications Network
Find news stories at www.catholicnews.org.uk
 
Latest Zenit Headlines here
 
Vatican Radio homepage: http://en.radiovaticana.va/
 
World Council of Churches
https://www.oikoumene.org/en/
 
UK Parliament News
https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/
 
Follow us on Twitter: @NJandPNetwork

Follow us on Facebook: National Justice and Peace Network

 
About these E-BULLETINS
 
The items above are emails received from around the Network which may be of interest to those involved in working for justice and peace.
The views expressed are not necessarily those of NJPN.
To unsubscribe from these mailings, email admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk with “unsubscribe” in the subject box. We also welcome your feedback at the same address.
Forwarding these emails: Please feel free to forward these emails on to your contacts – but please remember to tell them to contact YOU if they want to unsubscribe!
Urgent Actions:
We sometimes receive emails that need immediate action and cannot wait for the weekly bulletin. To receive these items email the same address with “urgent actions” in the subject box.
If you appreciate these bulletins, help to keep them coming by donating to NJPN:
Send cheques payable to NJPN to: NJPN, 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX.
Make a regular donation by standing order: Download standing order/membership forms from http://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/
(NJPN is a registered charity no: 1114947 Company no: 5036866)
If you shop online, you can support us at no extra cost to yourself by signing up with easyfundraising.org.uk, where lots of companies will make a donation to us when you shop online with them.
NJPN eBulletins

Newer Posts|Older Posts