Justice & Peace Advisers
Specialist Adviser: David Thomson
DABCEC, 4 Southgate Drive, Crawley West Sussex RH10 6RP.
Tel: Crawley (01293) 651155. Email:
david.thomson@dabnet.org Priest Adviser: Fr Kevin Dring
JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION:
The Commission exists to keep the diocese aware of problems of injustice and violence, at home and overseas; to assist in the work of reflection on these problems in the light of the Church's social teaching; and to foster and encourage action for justice and peace at every level of diocesan life.
Events
See Pastoral Team Noticeboard for event information by clicking here
Fairtrade
Message from Paul Chandler, Chief Executive of Traidcraft
‘As we mark thirty years of fighting poverty through trade I wanted to send a very special and heartfelt thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to support Traidcraft. Every action – whether it is selling or buying products, donating to the charity, spreading the message or offering prayers – has a positive impact on the lives of our producers…….The passionate commitment, energy and dedication of the Traidcraft network is a real inspiration. On behalf of everyone at Traidcraft and the millions of producers and their families who have a better life because of the support you give, thank you.’
National Justice and Peace Conference
The annual Justice and Peace Conference will be held over the weekend of the 16th to 18th of July, 2010. The theme of the conference will be “Our Daily Bread: Food Security, People and Planet”. The key speakers will be Elizabeth Dowler, Alistair McIntosh, Shay Cullen and Vanda Shiva. Full details have been sent to J&P contacts in each Parish and further information can be found at http://www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/conference.html
Campaigning
Indefinite immigration detention
The UK is one of the only countries in Europe that detains immigrants indefinitely.Immigration detention without time-limits is not new in the UK, but only recently has detention for extreme periods become routine. In April 2006 when, following media criticism of Home Office failures to follow existing policies on the deportation of foreign ex-offenders, a new policy of a presumption of detention was introduced for people due to be deported after serving prison sentences. As a result, detention was no longer used primarily for people about to be removed; instead, the priority became to detain ex-offenders, even where intractable obstacles to removal existed.
The impact on civil liberties of this routine indefinite detention dramatically exceeds that of the proposed 42 day detention of alleged terrorist suspects.Yet indefinite immigration detention has received a fraction of the wider discussion devoted to detention under anti-terror legislation.
The Detained Lives campaign demands that the government sign up to EU law and introduce a time limit on detention.If detention must be used, it should be as a last resort for people who can be deported imminently.The government should follow the example of community-based alternatives to detention that have been successfully used in Sweden and Australia.
Find out more about this issue and how you can help raise awareness of this injustice from the Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group.
http://www.gdwg.org.uk/index.php
General Election
CAFOD have now produced a post election statement and top tips to help you lobby your new MP on climate justice, tackling poverty and making business work for the poor. This can be found at http://www.cafod.org.uk/home/post-election
Climate Change
This is a key justice issue as it hits the world's poorest communities first and hardest. For information on campaigning and acting on Climate Change then visit the following organisations:
CAFOD's Climate Justice Campaign is calling on the rich world to take greater responsibility for tackling climate change. Please visit this CAFOD campaign link for more details.
Operation Noah founded by Christian Ecology Link in 2001 it is a Christian campaigning group that focusses solely on the issue of Climate Change enabling churches and individuals to take action here and now. At a recent ecumenical event in London, speakers chose the subject of: "Climate change both a challenge and a curse for Christians" as their main theme.
Christians need to be prepared for the long haul on climate issues and need the support of each other in the journey ahead. This was the message to a gathering at St Martin-in-the-Fields for a climate vigil from Mark Dowd of Operation Noah. Speaking on the Gospel reading of the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins in St Matthew, Mark Dowd said:
"The central themes have to be patience for the journey ahead and the need for the constancy of witness. Understanding the perils posed to God's creation by our reading of science and theology is both a curse and a blessing. We are blessed by the fact that we have these insights; that we can focus on the long term and the issues of justice for the world's poor and for species that cannot defend themselves. But it is also a curse. As Jesus said, "those who have been given much, much more will be expected”. We are not deniers. We will be judged on how we give witness to others.
Mark Dowd counselled against despair after the failures of Copenhagen. "This is not a message that should induce complacency. But all God wants is that we each do our best. This can, at times, feel a lonely space to be in. But in the end, even if we, collectively, mess it up, the event that is the conquering triumph over death in Jesus, resurrection tells us that God will always have the final word. An eschatological dimension always transcends the temptation to gloom and despair."
The service at St. Martin-in-the-Fields was organized by Christian Ecology Link and began at 11pm on Saturday 15th May as part of an all night climate vigil organized by the Campaign against Climate Change.Revd Richard Carter of St. Martin’s welcomed and concluded the service while Revd Chris Brice led the congregation of approximately 100 people.
Ruth Jarman, a trustee of Christian Ecology Link, said, “Governments lost the plot at last year’s Copenhagen summit, and sceptics have been getting all the airtime recently with some feeble assertions. From the general election campaign you’d think that the problem of dangerous climate change had gone away. But it hasn’t. It’s vital to remember the truth - that we’re still in trouble.We joined the vigil to witness to the reality of climate change and we prayed that the new government makes it a top priority.There is no economy and there are no jobs on a dead planet.”
Deirdre Munro, also a trustee of Christian Ecology Link said, “Many members of the Campaign against Climate Change who attended the service seemed quite struck by the power of the liturgy and the beauty of the music.Maybe the vocabulary of grief, repentance and hope that is so fundamental to our faith is something that we are beginning to be able to share with the wider environmental movement.”
The group rejoined the main vigil at Westminster to hear an Alphorn heralding Zero Carbon Dawn at 5am.
Contact:
Ruth Jarman ruthj@phonecoop.coop or 07970 907784
www.christian-ecology.org.uk/vigil.htmfor more information. For more information including their new GIVE AWAY site for unwanted items then click here
Peace and Justice
Pax Christi is an international Christian peacemaking movement based on the gospel and inspired by faith. They have a number of key current peace campaigns. Click here for a link.
Peace Sunday
In a number of parishes, Peace Sunday (17.1.10) was “cancelled” this year because of the priority of the Haiti Appeal. However, the message of Peace Sunday is not time specific and should be raised by Justice and Peace Groups in parishes whenever convenient. The theme for 43rd World Day of Peace message by Pope Benedict XVI is:
If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation.
In this Pope Benedict aims to raise awareness about the strong bond that exists in our globalized and interconnected world between protecting the creation and cultivating peace. A simple notice in the newsletter or a mention at Mass would be ideal. The prayer cards, or the Pax Christi Peace Sunday leaflet (which are not dated) are available to order from
http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/PeaceSunday.html
The quest for peace by people of good will surely would become easier if all acknowledge the indivisible relationship between God, human beings and the whole of creation.In the light of divine Revelation and in fidelity to the Church’s tradition, Christians have their own contribution to make. Protecting the natural environment in order to build a world of peace is thus a duty incumbent upon each and all. It is an urgent challenge, one to be faced with renewed and concerned commitment; it is also a providential opportunity to hand down to coming generations the prospect of a better future for all. May this be clear to world leaders and to those at every level who are concerned for the future of humanity: the protection of creation and peacemaking are profoundly linked! For this reason, I invite all believers to raise a fervent prayer to God, the all-powerful Creator and the Father of mercies, so that all men and women may take heart to the urgent appeal: If you want to create peace, protect creation.
Poverty in the UK
Housing Justice is a new network for those working with homeless and vulnerable people. They have produced a useful document on current homeless issues called Rough Sleeping: Compassion v Coercion. For a copy of this plus further information on housing justice campaigninig click here
Child Poverty is still a reality for 3.9 million children in UK. The budget did not really tackle this issue and it looks unlikely that the government will meet its own target to halve child poverty by 2010. Why not take action by writing to your MP. For more information on visit www.endchildpoverty.org.uk
"How come it is always the money of the poor that is lost? How come the money of the rich is always saved?...When it comes to alleviating poverty, there are no resources. But when it comes to saving the rich, there are always resources."
Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiga
Racial Justice Sunday was on 13th September 2009. It provided an opportunity for all Christians in Britain and Ireland to focus their worship, prayer and action on racial justice by:
-
Celebrating human diversity.
-
Rejoicing in how far God's people have travelled together.
-
Recognising that there is much further to go both in the Church and in the world.
What are the aims?
-
To raise awareness and deepen understanding of the diversity of culture and experience both in society and in the church.
-
To become more inclusive, outward-looking and welcoming.
-
To encourage all Christians to tackle injustice, not ignore it.
Make sure your church remembers racial justice!
