Our J&P Commission Joins National Conference
29 July 2008
Sue Ingham, the secretary of the Clifton Diocese Justice and Peace Commission, reports from the national conference.
Over 350 of us, adults and children, gathered at Swanwick, Derbyshire, for the 30th annual justice and peace conference. This year's theme was 'Hear my people cry' and Liverpool Diocesan J&P Commission together with the National Justice and Peace Network were the organisers. The flyer advertised this as “a conference that explores the dilemmas and opportunities of living a Christian life in the modern world - exploring what it means to 'live justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God'.”
After registration on Friday there was the chance to meet old and new friends and begin conversations that would continue through the weekend. After supper there was the first of a series of inspiring liturgies with readings, hymns and music provided by Tongues of Fire Music Ministry Team. Father Tom Cullinam presented a short reflection on the Pastoral cycle, which included the need to discern our own particular calling and follow it - an excellent introduction to a weekend which gave so many ideas for action.
The formal session of the evening concluded with a talk by Sister Margaret Scott who has spent 40 years studying the Eucharist and shared with us her findings that the Eucharist is deeply political and potentially subversive.
We were then invited to share a glass of wine at the Fair Trade reception as the Just Fair was opened offering a wide range of stalls with opportunities to buy fairly traded goods, to support small projects, to find information and to sign up to specific campaigns.
Next morning the inspirations presented by Father Tom and Sister Margaret were carried forward in a gentle, quiet celebration of Mass before breakfast. Our next speaker was Dr Pat Riordan SJ, assistant director of Heythrop College where he teaches undergraduate courses on Political Philosophy, Religion and Ethics and on the MA in Christian Ethics. He reviewed recent papal encyclicals in the light of current economic systems which increasingly exclude the poor and protect those who are comfortable.
There followed the first of two workshop sessions of which there was a choice of nearly 20 allowing us to explore in more detail specific areas of concern.
After lunch Ivanete de Araujo, from Apoio (CAFOD partner) with Clare Dixon (Head of CAFOD's Latin America section) as interpreter shared her moving story of the struggle to overcome poverty and homelessness on the streets Sao Paulo. She now works with the housing justice movement to campaign for more housing for the poor in urban Brazil.
During the early afternoon there were fund-raising games on the lawn (all with an environmental justice theme) in the Global Village Fete, time to explore the beautiful grounds, walk the labyrinth or simply enjoy the company of friends. Further workshops followed and then our next speaker John Battle MP for West Leeds arrived hotfoot from a gruelling constituency surgery. John was the national coordinator of Church Action on Poverty from 1983 until he was elected in 1987. His parliamentary interests have included a wide range of social justice issues. His presentation, rooted in his experiences of local communities, called on the Justice and Peace movement to embrace building globalisation from the base upward.
The evening included a ceilidh with the sadly unusual sight of people of all ages enjoying a social evening together.
Running parallel to the above were the separate programmes run for different age groups with a crèche for children under five and a specially designed YKIDS programme for the five to 11 year olds. The 12 to 18 year old group were given a free hand in planning their own programme which explored the theme of the conference. They had used the pastoral cycle to plan a fund-raising exercise, selling fruit kebabs and raising £113, half of which they chose to donate to NJPN funds and the other half to the Apostleship of the Sea. With great aplomb they acted out the gospel reading for the day and a short drama contrasting the lives of city kids with those of children in a remote Indian village - “I wish I had a new computer... I wish I had a pencil.” Clearly they had had a lot of fun and also had a chance to explore issues of social justice.
Sunday began with the morning prayer of the Church. Father Tom Cullinam provided us with a further reflection the essence of which was that when we work for justice the crucified Christ goes before us. He is already there with the poor, the prisoner and the sick.
The formal part of the Conference concluded with Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool celebrating the Mass. This was the bringing together of what we had learnt and felt during the weekend, of the experience of the elderly and the enthusiasm of the young, of words and music, and a sense of our own small community within the wider context of the Eucharist.
Sue Ingham
Sue Ingham, the secretary of the Clifton Diocese Justice and Peace Commission, reports from the national conference.
Over 350 of us, adults and children, gathered at Swanwick, Derbyshire, for the 30th annual justice and peace conference. This year's theme was 'Hear my people cry' and Liverpool Diocesan J&P Commission together with the National Justice and Peace Network were the organisers. The flyer advertised this as “a conference that explores the dilemmas and opportunities of living a Christian life in the modern world - exploring what it means to 'live justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God'.”
After registration on Friday there was the chance to meet old and new friends and begin conversations that would continue through the weekend. After supper there was the first of a series of inspiring liturgies with readings, hymns and music provided by Tongues of Fire Music Ministry Team. Father Tom Cullinam presented a short reflection on the Pastoral cycle, which included the need to discern our own particular calling and follow it - an excellent introduction to a weekend which gave so many ideas for action.
The formal session of the evening concluded with a talk by Sister Margaret Scott who has spent 40 years studying the Eucharist and shared with us her findings that the Eucharist is deeply political and potentially subversive.
We were then invited to share a glass of wine at the Fair Trade reception as the Just Fair was opened offering a wide range of stalls with opportunities to buy fairly traded goods, to support small projects, to find information and to sign up to specific campaigns.
Next morning the inspirations presented by Father Tom and Sister Margaret were carried forward in a gentle, quiet celebration of Mass before breakfast. Our next speaker was Dr Pat Riordan SJ, assistant director of Heythrop College where he teaches undergraduate courses on Political Philosophy, Religion and Ethics and on the MA in Christian Ethics. He reviewed recent papal encyclicals in the light of current economic systems which increasingly exclude the poor and protect those who are comfortable.
There followed the first of two workshop sessions of which there was a choice of nearly 20 allowing us to explore in more detail specific areas of concern.
After lunch Ivanete de Araujo, from Apoio (CAFOD partner) with Clare Dixon (Head of CAFOD's Latin America section) as interpreter shared her moving story of the struggle to overcome poverty and homelessness on the streets Sao Paulo. She now works with the housing justice movement to campaign for more housing for the poor in urban Brazil.
During the early afternoon there were fund-raising games on the lawn (all with an environmental justice theme) in the Global Village Fete, time to explore the beautiful grounds, walk the labyrinth or simply enjoy the company of friends. Further workshops followed and then our next speaker John Battle MP for West Leeds arrived hotfoot from a gruelling constituency surgery. John was the national coordinator of Church Action on Poverty from 1983 until he was elected in 1987. His parliamentary interests have included a wide range of social justice issues. His presentation, rooted in his experiences of local communities, called on the Justice and Peace movement to embrace building globalisation from the base upward.
The evening included a ceilidh with the sadly unusual sight of people of all ages enjoying a social evening together.
Running parallel to the above were the separate programmes run for different age groups with a crèche for children under five and a specially designed YKIDS programme for the five to 11 year olds. The 12 to 18 year old group were given a free hand in planning their own programme which explored the theme of the conference. They had used the pastoral cycle to plan a fund-raising exercise, selling fruit kebabs and raising £113, half of which they chose to donate to NJPN funds and the other half to the Apostleship of the Sea. With great aplomb they acted out the gospel reading for the day and a short drama contrasting the lives of city kids with those of children in a remote Indian village - “I wish I had a new computer... I wish I had a pencil.” Clearly they had had a lot of fun and also had a chance to explore issues of social justice.
Sunday began with the morning prayer of the Church. Father Tom Cullinam provided us with a further reflection the essence of which was that when we work for justice the crucified Christ goes before us. He is already there with the poor, the prisoner and the sick.
The formal part of the Conference concluded with Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool celebrating the Mass. This was the bringing together of what we had learnt and felt during the weekend, of the experience of the elderly and the enthusiasm of the young, of words and music, and a sense of our own small community within the wider context of the Eucharist.
Sue Ingham
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