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The Justice Conference 2020

  • Judy Ann Masters

The Justice Conference was held at the Drum in Wembley on 21-22 February. Hosted by Tearfund, in partnership with other charities and organisations, the Conference describes itself as "a global movement encouraging Christ followers to live out the message of Jesus and transform their communities by making justice a way of life." It takes place in seven countries around the world, each engaging with issues relevant to its location. There were speakers from the United States, South Africa, New Zealand, Eritrea and the UK leading discussions, panels, breakout sessions, prayer, exhibitions and music. Approximately 1,300 people attended.

The Book of Amos was the theme, emphasizing being called to action, in particular to prevailing systems of injustice. The 'hot topic' was white racism introduced by Rene August from South Africa. That happened mid-way through the first day of the Conference.

Before Rene spoke, Micah Bournes poet, rapper and songwriter from Long Beach California, gave a riveting account of the injustices that still prevail in the US today. One of the most damning pieces of evidence he cited was the Colour of Wealth, a report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, Duke University, and the New School in 2015. It states that the net worth for non-immigrant African-American households in the Greater Boston region is $8, with its white counterpoint being $247,500. There is more to the study, of course, and there's no denying the racial aspect. (see reference below)

When Rene August began her story, she started with how her family acquired their last name-that was the month her family was bought and started working on the plantation in South Africa. Her account of what is still going on in South Africa today was dire. Then she challenged the attendees: "…if you really want to fight for justice, start by halving your income and giving it to whatever charity or organization is fighting for justice, and you live on the half that remains." The audience was silent. She continued to speak and about five minutes later said: "…well, how about doing the challenge for Lent?" Again silence. And just as she was finishing she asked: "…what about just for one month?" Still silence, but she got a full applause when finished.

For the next day and a half, most all events at least touched the topic. And all events and speakers called for change, a few mentioned 'revolution and didn't fully unpack that thought. Though Eugene Cho, from Seattle, underlined that justice: reflects the heart of God; that justice is a heart issue as well as a structural issue; it creates culture and it needs to change; and change takes courage.

There was talk about business practices that need to change. One suggestion was to revisit the Biblical model of Jubilee Celebration, where every seven Sabbatical years and according to regulation debts might be forgiven, land ownership was examined, and generally it was a time for liberty, restitution and simple living. Also discussed was that the "system" is broken; wealth and power go hand in hand (often white); shareholders (often white) benefit but take no responsibility for the 'cost' of profits because it's "not their problem"; ills of a disposable culture and addressing the various resistances.

There was also the recommendation to hold multinationals to account. Tearfund described its new campaign This Campaign is Rubbish calling for Coca-Cola, Nestle, PepsiCo and Unilever to be accountable and responsible for the plastics disposal and employee dignity amongst other things in the developing countries where they've got factories and emerging markets. For more information and to sign the petition see the link below.

Open Doors had a huge display entitled 'I See You.' It was a handmade petition calling for the UK government to recognize and act on the hidden vulnerability of Christian women. Each handmade square was created to say I See You and the artwork was engaging. For more information regarding the handmade petition see below.

Commentary: I don't know if I was the only Catholic there-I hope not. I did hear one leader reference the Franciscans who "strongly influenced my views on justice when I was a child" at one of the Breakout Sessions. But that was it. There wasn't even any common music that I recognized. Scripture, our basic faith and the desire for justice would be a common area-plus of course, the dedicated volunteers.


The Catholic Annual National Justice and Peace Conference 2020 will be happening this July. The world has moved on since I was at the Conference a few years ago. Things seem to be more critical now. Many feel a sense of urgency: "we must be doing something, look at earth, look at governments, look at humankind…" Perhaps we should be using our collective resources more efficiently. Why is there a Catholic Justice & Peace Conference and a Christian Justice Conference? How does anyone think we can actually achieve Justice if even our Conferences are separate instead of inclusive? Let alone the wisdom of inviting the Jewish and Islamic contingencies…The ten years I spent in Citizens UK taught me a lot about passionate people of faith (and no faith) addressing issues together. People can indeed be who they are AND work together more efficiently, cost effectively and successfully for the common good. If the "baddies" can do it for profit, surely we can do it for Justice.

LINKS

The Justice Conference 2020 www.thejusticeconference.co.uk/about/the-justice-conference

National Justice and Peace Network Conference 2020 www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/conference/

Laudato Si

https://cafod.org.uk/Pray/Laudato-Si-encyclical?gclid=Cj0KCQiA1-3yBRCmARIsAN7B4H3U8z99QGV4mGn6D9W-PTws0G1G7bN_ZglkXtR559VkXMfn7yla3ZYaAv2SEALw_wcB


The Color of Wealth in Boston - www.researchgate.net/publication/315337328_The_Color_of_Wealth_in_Boston

Wealth Inequalities in Greater Boston: Do Race and Ethnicity Matter? Federal Reserve Bank of Boston 2016 https://socialequity.duke.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Wealth-Inequalites-in-Greater-Boston.pdf

Newsweek: The Median Net Worth of African-Americans in Boston 2017 www.newsweek.com/boston-african-americans-poverty-wealth-inequality-744108

Tearfund: This is a Rubbish Campaign www.tearfund.org/en/about_you/action/rubbish/

Open Doors: I See you exhibit. Each square in the handmade petition was created to say "I see you" to women persecuted … www.opendoorsuk.org/news/stories/handmade-petition-birmingham/










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