Catholics urged to 'shout out about government caps and cuts'

Cardinal Turkson with Anne Peacey

Members of the National Justice and Peace Network of England and Wales (NJPN) were told on Saturday to “shout out about government caps and cuts”, which are harming low income families in Britain, by the Chairman of the Zacchaeus 2000 Trust - an ecumenical charity addressing poverty issues caused by unfairness in the law, legal and benefits system.

“I suggest that an unjust law is one the imposes disproportionate burdens on poor and powerless people” said Rev Paul Nicholson; “that is where we are now with the caps and cuts and it is surely the job of all our parishes to acquaint themselves with the misery they are causing and shout about it to the media”. The growth in foodbanks are a “judgement of our society”, he told around 30 Justice and Peace activists from dioceses, missionary groups and agencies gathered for their quarterly meeting and AGM at CAFOD.

Elsewhere in the meeting, it was noted that places are still available for NJPN’s groundbreaking annual conference in Derbyshire 20-22 July, which is taking the theme, ‘A New World Order? – China Today and our Response’. Keynote speakers include Xinran, a Chinese writer whose books focus on stories of Chinese women who have been forced to abandon their children or have forced abortions; Martin Palmer, Secretary General of the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, which has worked on environmental protection with religious groups in China; and Geoffrey Chongo, a CAFOD partner from Zambia who will look at Chinese investment in Africa. Fifteen workshops will cover a range of issues including ‘What the Church in China is doing about HIV/AIDS’, ‘Chinese Migration to the UK’ and ‘Youth Mission and the Catholic Church in Mainland China’.

The conference has been organised by NJPN in collaboration with Leeds Justice and Peace Commission and Cultural Exchange with China.

NJPN chair Anne Peacey reported that three issues of the NJPN newsletter have been published over the past year, distributed by the Columban JPIC office. It was thanked for this support and the Mill Hill Missionaries Justice and Peace Desk for their financial support of the NJPN website. Gratitude was also expressed to CAFOD and to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales for provision of office and meeting space. Religious orders support and encourage the network through their donations and sharing their expertise.

Administrator Ann Kelly was thanked for the email news she sends out every Friday to all who wish to receive it. Anne Peacey reported on-going NJPN support for campaigns including ‘Living Wage’, ‘Robin Hood Tax’, ‘Stamp Out Poverty’ and ‘Occupy London’. She also announced the new NJPN Facebook page ‘Justice Peace’.

NJPN’s Environment Working Group is finalising a statement and briefing on Rio+20, the 22-22 June Earth Summit in Brazil, which will mark progress on sustainable development since the first Earth Summit in 1992. The Statement will urge more prominence for action on climate change and for the effective enforcement of legislation against illegal logging.

There was encouragement to sign the ‘Future we want’ cards which were sent to every parish by Progressio. NJPN’s Ethical Investment Group alerted the network to the ‘Greenwash Gold’ campaign which is exposing the record of environmental destruction and human rights abuses of the companies BP, Rio Tinto and Dow, which are all major sponsors of the 2012 London Olympics. Rio Tinto is producing the medals using minerals from mines where serious human and environmental abuses are taking place, particularly in Mongolia and in Utah, the United States. However, the ‘100 days of Peace’ initiative around the Olympic period has the full support of network members.

Anne Peacey noted the deaths in recent months of NJPN activists Elizabeth Rendall and Rosemary Read as, “two much loved women who will be greatly missed”.

See the National Justice and Peace network website + Conference 2012 booking form here:
www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/