Sarah Teather, Gemma Simmonds, Mary Colwell to speak at J&P conference

Sarah Teather MP, theologian Dr Gemma Simmonds CJ, award-winning broadcaster and film maker Mary Colwell and Claire Dixon, head of CAFOD’s Latin America desk are among the key speakers at this year’s annual conference of the National Justice and Peace Network of England and Wales on the theme: 'Called to Life in All Its Fullness: accepting the responsibility of our baptism' which will be held at the Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, from 18 – 20 July 2014. Revd Ruth Gee, President of the Methodist Conference 2013/2014 will chair the conference.

Among the choice of workshops, there will be: ‘Called to serve those in prison’, led by Fr Patrick Cope, who is the lead on RC issues at the Ministry of Justice HM Prison Service; ‘Joy in Enough: Economics for Planet and People’ led by Paul Bodenham, Chair of Christian Ecology Link; ‘Water’, led by Ashley Ralston and Ellen Teague of the NJPN Environment Working Group; ‘Defending the Safety Net’ run by Alistair Murray of Housing Justice and Liam Purcell of Church Action on Poverty; ‘What is human trafficking?’ led by Hana Waheed of the Medaille Trust; and ‘Palestine: Time for Action’ led by Pat Gaffney of Pax Christi and Ann Farr, who has worked as an Ecumenical Accompanier in Palestine/Israel.

There will be a programme of activities for children and young people, and a Just Fair with information and resources from many organisations. Fr Peter Hughes, for example, will be providing resources from the JPIC team of the Columban missionaries and Bruce Kent will be running a stall on behalf of the Movement for the Abolition of War.

An Eritrean Coffee Ceremony will be held outside on the lawn, hosted by Sheffield's Eritrean community. In Eritrea and Ethiopia, coffee is something of a delicacy and to be asked to take coffee is a special invitation, a symbol of hospitality to honour a guest. The ceremony, which involves roasting the raw beans through to making and drinking the coffee, is an opportunity to reflect and give thanks for the good things in life.

For more information and booking forms see: www.justice-and-peace.org.uk or call 020 7901 4864