St Pius InPrint
  • NEWS
  • 5-Minute Reflection
    • Stations of the Cross
    • Bishop Richard on the Refugee Crisis
    • Prayer for Refugees
    • Materials from NJPN Conference 2017
    • Pope Francis' Five-Finger Prayer
  • CALENDAR
  • LINKS
    • Catholic Parish of Guildford
    • Our Catholic Schools
    • Catholic Resources
    • Christian Activities and Resources
    • Some of our Charities

St. Pius InPrint
​Magazine

National Justice & Peace Network - 40th Annual Conference

26/7/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
An oak tree was planted by members of the NJPN's Executive Committee to commemorate its 40th anniversary. Left to right: Annette Brindle, Anne Peacey (Chair), Kevin Burr (Guildford Parish), Sue Ingham and Ann Kelly.
The seemingly relentless Friday afternoon traffic eventually gave way to the welcome calmness of the Hayes Conference Centre, just north of Derby, where we were to join the 40th NJPN Conference for a weekend of challenging talks, workshops and the company of others from around the country.

The official Press Release below describes what took place, and further down there are links to videos of the talks.

​N.F.
MEDIA RELEASE
NATIONAL JUSTICE AND PEACE NETWORK OF ENGLAND AND WALES
40th NJPN Conference   20-22 July 2018
 
‘Justice is not high enough up the political agenda’ MP tells conference
“Justice is not high enough up the political agenda” a Catholic Labour MP told the annual gathering of the National Justice and Peace Network of England and Wales at the weekend.  John Grogan of the Keighley Constituency in Yorkshire singled out benefit sanctions as a key area for advocacy work.  He praised his local SVP for supporting disabled and vulnerable people suffering because of the cutting or withholding of benefits, and urged his audience of around 200 J&P activists to stay engaged with poverty issues and “don’t give up on democracy”.
 
The 40th conference of the National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) in Derbyshire took the theme, ‘In the shelter of each other the people live’ and explored building a Church and a society with the marginalised, the excluded and the most vulnerable at its heart.

John Grogan’s session was chaired by Fr Colum Kelly of Apostleship of the Sea who ministers to seafarers at the port of Immingham and officiated at the conference Mass.  He lives at the docks and feels that, “if we are to minister to those in need we need to go to where the hurt is”.  Many seafarers are away from home for nine months or 12 months at a time.  "A lot of what we do for the seafarers are small gestures - by coming on to the ship or giving them some phone cards, Sim cards, or something that can give them wi-fi access," says Fr Colum.  He hoped the Church will fully embrace the inspiration of Pope Francis and his call for the Church to be a “field hospital”, outgoing and responsive to the needy.

Sally Ruane’s workshop on ‘The Importance of Public Services’ highlighted the lack of Church political action on saving the National Health Service and on controversial social security reform.  The longstanding NHS campaigner from a Leicester parish felt the Church should challenge “the transfer of resources away from poor people” and that “we mustn't go back to a hotchpotch of healthcare”. Church leaders should be more attuned to the impact of austerity measures, she said, but laity too should “take more social responsibility”.

Other keynote speakers also highlighted to plight of vulnerable groups in Britain today.   Sarah Teather of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) spoke of asylum seekers getting more destitute in a UK asylum system that is “profoundly flawed” and marked by “deliberate cruelty”.  JRS has seen the criminalisation of those seeking work and reduced access to legal aid, but she said that “amidst the uncertainty they have the certainty that we are with them”.  JRS accompaniment includes giving money for bus passes, hot meals, visiting people in detention, and the friendship of simply listening to people’s stories, something Cardinal Vincent Nichols did last weekend at a JRS Centre.

Theologian David McLoughlin of Newman College in Birmingham called for the Church to see its mission as tackling injustice and endorsed the inspirational leadership of Pope Francis in calling for “a poor Church committed to the poor”.  Rev Al Barrett, a Church of England Vicar in a Birmingham parish, spoke energetically about being transformed by community-building and empowerment work in a poor area.  He worked to shift the language from stories of deficits and lacks to stories about unearthing and connecting the diverse and abundant gifts of the neighbourhood.  He called for justice rather than charity, and said he admired Brazilian bishop Dom Helder Camara who spoke of this in his Latin American context.
 
Beautiful liturgies, incorporating Justice, Peace and Ecology were led by the Marshall family of Chesterfield.  The opening hymn on the Friday was the Marty Haugen hymn with the opening line, “Let us build a house where love can dwell and all can safely live”, encompassing the vision of the conference.  On a hot Saturday afternoon 45 people set off on a ‘Share the Journey’ walk, led by Maria Elena Arana of CAFOD.  Saturday evening saw  a showing of a film about Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, called ‘The Claim’.  The Archbishop, who showed extraordinary compassion for the poor and was martyred in 1980, will be canonised later this year and is a patron of NJPN.
 
Around 30 organisations had stalls in the Just Fair.  At the Christian CND stall participants wrote messages on white paper doves to be sent to Prime Minister Theresa May about the new Nuclear Ban Treaty.  One said, “We are waiting for your response to the UN Treaty on the Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.  Don’t disappoint us!”.  Drinks at the conference were taken from reusable cups and food provided followed the LOAF principles – food that is Locally sourced, Organically produced, Animal friendly and Fairly traded.  Vegetarian sausages for breakfast are particularly popular!
 
The conference was organised in partnership with Church Action on Poverty, Housing Justice, the Prison Advice and Care Trust and Apostleship of the Sea.  As well as J&P representatives from around England and Wales, J&P Scotland and Missionary groups - such as the Columbans, Mill Hill Missionaries and Assumption Sisters - were there.
 
Actions identified at the end were generated in 15 workshops.  The Pax Christi workshop on violence, led by Pat Gaffney, prompted a challenge to the culture of militarism and to the British government selling arms to Saudi Arabia.  It also called for letters to the Foreign Secretary urging speaking out against the destruction of Bedouin communities in the West Bank.  A workshop on interfaith outreach, led by Columban Jim Fleming who worked for several decades in Pakistan, called for a valuing of differences and building community collaboratively.  Fr Dan Mason, the National Chaplain for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, led a discussion on ways the Church could be more supportive and welcoming of travelling people.  The Medaille Trust suggested ways of tackling slavery in our society.  Catholic environmentalist Mary Colwell highlighted how ‘home’ is changing for wildlife due to climate change and distributed copies of her latest book on curlews. 
 
Young people handed out pebbles to participants at the concluding liturgy, urging them to make ripples and build God’s kingdom back in their dioceses.  Adults joined them in singing ‘We build God’s kingdom action by action’.  Anne Peacey, NJPN Chair from Hallam J&P, concluded the conference by saying: “We seek a place to be Church, to be positive and joyous, and for all, not just the many.” 
 
An NJPN 40th anniversary oak tree was planted in the conference grounds and then participants perused of the 25th anniversary tree which is now 20 feet tall!

​[End of Media Release]


Follow these links for videos of the talks:

Al Barrett: "Can anybody hear me?"

David McLaughlin: "Living with Others in the presence of our strange God"

Sarah Teather: "Hospitality: receiving gifts from refugees"

John Grogan MP: "An inclusive Britain"
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    10% Collection
    A&B Crisis Fund (Catholic Children's Society)
    A & B ENewsletter
    Aberfan Disaster 1966
    A&B Lourdes Pilgrimage
    ACAT Action By Christians Against Torture
    ACAT - Action By Christians Against Torture
    Activities
    Advent Reconcilliation
    Advent Reflection
    Alpha Course
    Altar Servers
    Ann
    Announcements
    Announcement Slides
    Antwerp
    Arms Trade
    Baptism
    Bereavement
    Big 'O' Party
    Bishop Moth
    Bishop's Diocesan Migrant Fund
    CAFOD
    Calais
    Canon Brian O'Sullivan
    Canon Colin Wolczak
    CAP Money Course
    Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor
    Car Free - Care Share Weekend
    Carols On The Green
    Catholic Association For Racial Justice
    Cherry Trees Respite Home
    Christians In The Middle East
    Christmas Greetings Campaign
    Christmas Party
    Churches Together In England
    Clergy Moves
    Climate Change
    Concert
    Confession
    Craft Group
    David Allen
    Day For Life
    Day Of Reflection
    Depaul International Charity
    Diocesan Plan
    Easter Basket
    Easter Triduum
    Ecumenism
    Edu-Care Cameroon Charity
    Ellie Carter
    Emergency Appeal
    Fairtrade
    Family Day
    Film Night
    First Holy Communion
    Floral Ministry
    Footsteps Charity
    Formation
    Fr Alan Sharpe
    Fr. Roy
    Gift Aid
    Gill Woodrow
    Groups
    Guildford
    Guildford Youth Ministry
    Harvest Fast Day
    HCPT Group 2
    HMP Send Catholic Chaplaincy
    HMP Send - Catholic Chaplaincy
    Holy Saturday
    Homily
    Housing Justice Charity
    Human Rights Day
    Human Trafficking
    Humour
    Iraqi Christians In Need Charity
    Justice & Peace
    Knights Of St. Columba
    Lace Making
    Ladies' Lunch
    Lent
    Lenten Lunch
    Lent Fast Day
    Lent Groups
    Life Group
    Lourdes Pilgrimage Trust
    Macmillan Big Coffee Morning
    Magnificat Magazine
    Mary's Meals
    Men's Walking Group
    Merrow Lunch Club
    Migrants
    Missio
    Musicians
    National Youth Sunday
    Nativity Play
    Number Five Shelter
    Oakleaf Mental Illness Charity
    OFS
    Oxfam
    Palestine
    Parish Day
    Pax Christi
    Peace Sunday
    Pentecost
    Peru
    Philip Kenny
    Phyllis Tuckwell Hospice
    Pope Francis
    Prayer
    "Prayer For The Day"
    Prayer Vigil
    Project Francis
    Project Peru
    Q & A
    Quiz Night
    Racial Justice Sunday
    Rambling/Walking
    RCIA
    Recipes
    Reconciliation
    Reformation
    Refugees
    Requiem/Funeral
    Review Of 2017
    RIP
    Rohingya People
    Roles
    Sainsbury's
    Saint Oscar Romero
    Secular Fanciscan Order
    Shared Lunch
    Shelter Box Charity
    Social Events
    St. Peter's School
    St. Pius InPrint
    St. Pius Pastoral Council
    Sunday Coffee
    Syria
    Terrorism
    The Universe
    Together In Christ
    Ukriane
    Vatican
    Vision For Mission
    Vocations
    Week Of Prayer For Christian Unity
    Wintershall
    Women At The Well Charity
    Womens-world-day-of-prayer
    World-day-of-migrants-and-refugees
    World-day-of-peace
    World Day Of Prayer
    World Day Of Prayer For Creation
    World Day Of The Poor
    World Fair Frade Day
    World War I
    World War II
    Write For Rights Campaign
    Yara Eid

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • NEWS
  • 5-Minute Reflection
    • Stations of the Cross
    • Bishop Richard on the Refugee Crisis
    • Prayer for Refugees
    • Materials from NJPN Conference 2017
    • Pope Francis' Five-Finger Prayer
  • CALENDAR
  • LINKS
    • Catholic Parish of Guildford
    • Our Catholic Schools
    • Catholic Resources
    • Christian Activities and Resources
    • Some of our Charities