London: Priest working with refugees in Syria to address Pax Christi AGM

Participants at Pax Christi AGM in London on 6th June look forward to a packed programme that will include hearing from Ziad Hilal SJ, a Syrian national who works with Jesuit Refugee Service speaking of his work in Homs. Fr Ziad was a colleague of Frans Van der Lught who was killed in Homs in 2014. Last year, Jesuit Refugee Service in Syria were given the Pax Christi International Peace Award. Pax Christi's International Secretary, José Henriqué, who was recently refused entry into Israel for the movements 70 Anniversary Assembly in Bethlehem, will also speak.

Pax Christi members and supporters from around the country will gather in London to celebrate 70 years of the movement which was founded in France in 1945. At its recent World Assembly in Bethlehem 160 delegates from around the world affirmed the role and mission of Pax Christi.

"Forged in the broken relationships of a brutal war, Pax Christi began its journey 70 years ago with a vision based on the gospel - love your enemies - and rooted in a deep belief that reconciliation was possible. Shaped over the years by people of faith struggling to make peace in the midst of injustice and war, violence and repression, our movement brings to this moment in history a renewed commitment to make real in our lives and in our work for peace the values we claim to hold."

Pax Christi's national president Archbishop Malcolm McMahon will be present and will give the bi-annual Pax Christi Peace Award to three women : * Sheila Gallagher from Westminster Diocese, Sue Scott from Birmingham Diocese and Anna Kobayashi from Brentwood Diocese. The Award goes to grass-roots peacemakers who quietly and persistently work in issues of social justice and peace at local level. The Award is a beautiful medal which reflects the work of Neve Shalom-Wahat al Salaam village in Israel for Israeli's and Arabs to live together, established by the late Fr Bruno Hassar.

Reports on the work of the Pax Christi in England and Wales will be given by the chair, Anne Dodd and members of the Pax Christi national team.

The meeting will be held on Saturday 6th June, in Holy Apostles Church Hall, Cumberland Street, Pimlico, London SW1V 4LY. The business meeting will be held between 10.45 - 1.00pm. The talks and award ceremony take place between 2 - 4 pm

See a video of the work of JRS Homs here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvNpow_D8R4&feature=youtu.be

* Sheila Gallagher was nominated for the Peace Award because she has been involved with peace and justice issues since the early 80's. She was a founder member of the North London J+P Network, for some years as its Co-ordinator. The Network lobbied for a J+P Commission for the Westminster Diocese and was a member of this when it was founded. A few years ago she became aware of the need for food banks and decided that Barnet needed one. She founded the Chipping Barnet Food Bank together with her ecumenical contacts in the area. Sheila planned and established a Peace Garden in the grounds of St.Peter's church, acknowledging the financial support from the Christian Peace Education Fund. Sheila is usually part of marches and demonstrations for peace and justice related issues and takes part in the Ash Wednesday witness in Whitehall, London. Her example is, to many people, the embodiment of Christ's message to 'do unto others as we wish done to ourselves.'

Sue Scott has been a Pax Christi member for a good number of years. She was also a founding member of the Midlands branch of the Neve Shalom -
Wahat al Salam support group. She has been a supporter of the Palestinian cause as well as the beatification of Franz Jaegerstaetter. Sue has made two exposure visits to Palestine with Pax Christi, most recently the 2015 World Assembly in Bethlehem She keeps in contact with a group of people similarly concerned with peace issues, informing them of news of conferences, lectures etc. by email. Sue has been part of the Birmingham Circle of the Newman Association and a local choir performing at charity fund raising events

Anna Kobayashi has campaigned for many years against the arms trade, joining the blockade at AWE Aldermaston in prayerful witness at the
Tadley Gate.

She is an active member of Pax Christi, CND and CCND, Trident Ploughshares, the Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp and supporter of Catholic Worker groups. Anna takes part in the Pax Christi Ash Wednesday witness at the MOD in London.

In her parish in Wickford in Essex she was a prominent supporter of the Traveller community at Dale Farm, next door to the Catholic Church and she has been instrumental in dispelling the unjust and prejudicial feelings towards travellers and promoting peace in that respect.

Anna is a central character in the organisation preparing and celebrating the annual peace service on the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.