I am appalled that the BNP has won representation in the European Parliament. Their success maybe due to a dishonest campaign including despicable claims to be the only Christian (cit) party, scare tatics and the voice of the white working class communities and feeding off disillusion with mainstream political parties in the midst of an economic recession. Their success though is a stain on our houses so it isesponsibility of all of us to redouble our efforts to campaign and to expose ther true views.I've just received some bad news - the BNP have just won a seat in the European Parliament. It is terrible news for our country.
Please read message below from Nick Lowes of the Hope not Hate campaign.
Or visit: http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/notinmyname
I am disgusted that the BNP have at least one MEP.While the BNP will take a seat in Brussels they will not represent me - they are not going there in my name.
I've just launched a petition saying just that: BNP - not in my name. We will deliver this petition to the European Parliament on the first day that their MEP takes their seat. I'd like you to sign the petition as well - let's show the rest of the EU what we think of this new MEP:
We will deliver our petition to the European Parliament - I want you to add your name and then get your friends to join in as well.
Let's send a deafening message of defiance: NOT IN OUR NAME.
http://action.hopenothate.org.uk/notinmyname
Thank you so much for all that did during the elections - but now our fight for Hope Not Hate must go on.
Nick
Monday, June 08, 2009
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
A call to vote
This week is election week. On Thursday, the people of Norfolk will be electing a new County Council and members of the European Parliament. We do so at a time when the integrity of politicians is under question by many, as a result of the ongoing MP’s expenses scandal and also in the context of a continuing world-wide recession. Turnouts in these elections are often low and there is a temptation for people to reject all parties, stay at home and keep out of politics. This would be a mistake. I believe that Christians in particular are called to participate fully in the political process and that means voting. It was Archbishop Desmond Tutu who remarks that when people tell him that religion and politics shouldn’t mix, he is puzzled as to which Bible they are reading.
Politics is concerned with debate over values, with worldview, with the shaping of society. Surely that wholly coincides with the Church’s mission? And even if its impact ends up muted or ignored, nevertheless the Church is at least being faithful in seeking to connect God with the contemporary world. Theology too must surely be related to the public sphere. For if theology is not about disciplined and applied reflection on the nature and destiny of life, involving an ultimate and absolute frame of reference, what is it? Christians should therefore endorse and model an intimate, interactive relationship between God and the world. Christ himself called them to engage with the world without compromising their faith (John 17). Politics is an essential aspect of human social activity. Because they are human beings participating in everyday relationships, Christians are, by definition, ‘political’. And because knowledge of God necessarily involves concern for justice and love in action, today’s means of offering food to the hungry and water to the thirsty inevitably involves activity of a political nature. We are called to be effective stewards of our environment and community.
Christians in Politics is an umbrella organisation facilitating dialogue and partnerships between Christians in all the major political parties. It strives to encourage engagement with and participation in the political process; to foster civic literacy amongst faith groups and religious literacy amongst government agencies and public sector organisations; and to build partnerships with minority faith groups and the voluntary sector. No one party can ever legitimately claim to be the one true Christian voice and on most issues, Christians find themselves on different sides of debates within and between political parties but do so in an atmosphere of mutual respect and constructive discussion. Each major party has an active Christian group within it (Conservative Christian Fellowship, Christian Socialist Movement and Liberal Democrat Christian Forum) enjoying more influence than any narrow fringe grouping. Contrary to current public perceptions, there is a strong contingent of people of religious faith serving their communities as councillors, MPs and MEPs, doing so for the right reasons, making a real contribution to the common good and putting principles into practise. These people deserve our prayerful support. Public and political should be a noble calling.
The European elections are important. The EU was founded on the Christian principles of international co-operation, social justice, compassion, hospitality, equality, freedom and tolerance and these values should influence our votes on Thursday.
The Rev’d Simon Wilson is Chaplain and Press Officer to the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum. For further information visit: www.christiansinpolitics.org.uk
Politics is concerned with debate over values, with worldview, with the shaping of society. Surely that wholly coincides with the Church’s mission? And even if its impact ends up muted or ignored, nevertheless the Church is at least being faithful in seeking to connect God with the contemporary world. Theology too must surely be related to the public sphere. For if theology is not about disciplined and applied reflection on the nature and destiny of life, involving an ultimate and absolute frame of reference, what is it? Christians should therefore endorse and model an intimate, interactive relationship between God and the world. Christ himself called them to engage with the world without compromising their faith (John 17). Politics is an essential aspect of human social activity. Because they are human beings participating in everyday relationships, Christians are, by definition, ‘political’. And because knowledge of God necessarily involves concern for justice and love in action, today’s means of offering food to the hungry and water to the thirsty inevitably involves activity of a political nature. We are called to be effective stewards of our environment and community.
Christians in Politics is an umbrella organisation facilitating dialogue and partnerships between Christians in all the major political parties. It strives to encourage engagement with and participation in the political process; to foster civic literacy amongst faith groups and religious literacy amongst government agencies and public sector organisations; and to build partnerships with minority faith groups and the voluntary sector. No one party can ever legitimately claim to be the one true Christian voice and on most issues, Christians find themselves on different sides of debates within and between political parties but do so in an atmosphere of mutual respect and constructive discussion. Each major party has an active Christian group within it (Conservative Christian Fellowship, Christian Socialist Movement and Liberal Democrat Christian Forum) enjoying more influence than any narrow fringe grouping. Contrary to current public perceptions, there is a strong contingent of people of religious faith serving their communities as councillors, MPs and MEPs, doing so for the right reasons, making a real contribution to the common good and putting principles into practise. These people deserve our prayerful support. Public and political should be a noble calling.
The European elections are important. The EU was founded on the Christian principles of international co-operation, social justice, compassion, hospitality, equality, freedom and tolerance and these values should influence our votes on Thursday.
The Rev’d Simon Wilson is Chaplain and Press Officer to the Liberal Democrat Christian Forum. For further information visit: www.christiansinpolitics.org.uk
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Making Connections-Fire and Rescue Service Chaplaincy
MAKING CONNECTIONS: FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE CHAPLAINCY AND WIDER MINISTRY
by the Rev’d Simon Wilson,
Chaplain to Norfolk Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service
Social and Community Concerns Co-ordinator, Diocese of Norwich
One of the advantages of having a dual role (in my case it is as Diocesan Social and Community Concerns Co-ordinator as well as chaplain to police and fire and rescue services) is that it forces us to make connections between our chaplaincy work and the Church’s wider mission and ministry. In recent months, I have had the privilege of being involved in three conferences which have encouraged me to nurture, develop and broaden these connections and networks and reminded me of the opportunities that arise when stories shared and real partnerships forged.
Firstly, I co-led a CME weekend encouraging curates to reflect on the place of the church and priest in wider community in ministry beyond the Church door. One request was that the fire & rescue service chaplaincy team provide some resources to equip ministry to fire stations and fire-fighters in their parish.
Secondly was our annual multi-disciplinary inter-faith chaplaincy conference. An opportunity to share the pleasures and pains of chaplaincy, to counter the feelings of isolation, to make sense of how chaplaincy works in a multi-faith context and find ways of working together in training, major incident working etc. Next year, we shall tackle the challenge of secularism and the notion of institutional spirituality.
Thirdly, was participation in a regional conference exploring voluntary and public sector/faith community partnerships. It was great to hear how valued chaplaincy programmes and faith participation were. Regional co-operation is important; in the East of England, we are exploring how to develop and co-ordinate chaplaincy to the ambulance service and will see if any lessons for fire and rescue service chaplains emerge.
Emergency incidents do not respect county or diocesan boundaries so collaboration is a must.
This article was first published in "Burning Issues" (Vol 1 no 3 May 2009)
by the Rev’d Simon Wilson,
Chaplain to Norfolk Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Service
Social and Community Concerns Co-ordinator, Diocese of Norwich
One of the advantages of having a dual role (in my case it is as Diocesan Social and Community Concerns Co-ordinator as well as chaplain to police and fire and rescue services) is that it forces us to make connections between our chaplaincy work and the Church’s wider mission and ministry. In recent months, I have had the privilege of being involved in three conferences which have encouraged me to nurture, develop and broaden these connections and networks and reminded me of the opportunities that arise when stories shared and real partnerships forged.
Firstly, I co-led a CME weekend encouraging curates to reflect on the place of the church and priest in wider community in ministry beyond the Church door. One request was that the fire & rescue service chaplaincy team provide some resources to equip ministry to fire stations and fire-fighters in their parish.
Secondly was our annual multi-disciplinary inter-faith chaplaincy conference. An opportunity to share the pleasures and pains of chaplaincy, to counter the feelings of isolation, to make sense of how chaplaincy works in a multi-faith context and find ways of working together in training, major incident working etc. Next year, we shall tackle the challenge of secularism and the notion of institutional spirituality.
Thirdly, was participation in a regional conference exploring voluntary and public sector/faith community partnerships. It was great to hear how valued chaplaincy programmes and faith participation were. Regional co-operation is important; in the East of England, we are exploring how to develop and co-ordinate chaplaincy to the ambulance service and will see if any lessons for fire and rescue service chaplains emerge.
Emergency incidents do not respect county or diocesan boundaries so collaboration is a must.
This article was first published in "Burning Issues" (Vol 1 no 3 May 2009)
Saturday, May 09, 2009
I am saddened and frustrated that Dr McKee has written a factually inaccurate and politically and theologically incoherent article. We are in an election period and it is a shame that the author has chosen to air these opinions in public rather than be involved in the ongoing and relevant debate inside and outside the Liberal Democrats about the place of religious faith in the public sphere. It should be pointed out that, the recent party conference in Harrogate saw those calling for the closure of faith schools defeated. Instead, the party voted to improve faith schools by making them more inclusive and open working with groups such as Accord a coalition of progressive religious minded people rather than militant secularists.
Dr Mckee may see Evan Harris as some sort of "political anti-Christ" yet many Roman Catholic commentators and leaders have applauded his recent private members bill to overturn the Act of Settlement which since 1701 has discriminated against Catholics.
The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum enjoys the support of many leading Liberal Democrat MPs, peers, councillors and members and has been involved in debates with the humanists and secularists minority within the party striving to increase religious literacy and affirm the valuable role played by people of religious faith in party and community. Surely,constructive debate should come before public diatribe and misinformation. Political and theological credibility is hard to come by and easy to lose. This article may prove very unhelpful to all Liberal Democrats, Christian or secularist alike.
Dr Mckee may see Evan Harris as some sort of "political anti-Christ" yet many Roman Catholic commentators and leaders have applauded his recent private members bill to overturn the Act of Settlement which since 1701 has discriminated against Catholics.
The Liberal Democrat Christian Forum enjoys the support of many leading Liberal Democrat MPs, peers, councillors and members and has been involved in debates with the humanists and secularists minority within the party striving to increase religious literacy and affirm the valuable role played by people of religious faith in party and community. Surely,constructive debate should come before public diatribe and misinformation. Political and theological credibility is hard to come by and easy to lose. This article may prove very unhelpful to all Liberal Democrats, Christian or secularist alike.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Bishop of Norwich on Jade Goody
Bishop of Norwich,Rt Revd Graham James used his Easter message to explore some of the issues arising from the life and death of Jade Goody and to suggest what it all mean for the rest of us. Article originally published in Eastern Daily Press Good Friday 10/04/2009
A few people die very publicly. John Paul II was one. Jade Goody was another. The Vatican managed the Pope's death with dignity. Max Clifford managed the media for Jade in the final weeks of her life. To his credit, he brought dignity and order to the task.
I can't say I'd taken much notice of Jade Goody until then. I don't think bishops were her target audience. Her marriage to Jack Tweed seemed to me a bit like a media circus. Then something happened which surprised me. Her two boys were christened. And Jade was christened too. Unlike her wedding, conducted by the leader of a fringe church, it was the local curate who baptised Jade and her children without any great razzamatazz. Apparently she said to Max Clifford: “I want to get christened. I want the boys to be christened. I want them to know Jesus; that's how we'll stay in touch.”
I'm sure plenty of people were cynical about Jade's christening. They may have thought it was one more event to excite the tabloids. But the tabloids seemed to be more puzzled by it than excited. Jade didn't get christened in order to be cured. She was well past that. She didn't talk about fear of hell as if baptism might prevent some awful judgment on her. It was more to do with Jesus defeating death. She got that right.
Most people don't associate christening with death. With infants it seems like a celebration of life. But Christians have always talked about those who are baptised “being made one with Christ in his death and in his resurrection”.
I had a very vivid experience of this a few years ago at Center Parcs. Our children were then teenagers. We stayed with another family at Longleat, paying rather a lot of money to exhaust ourselves with endless sporting activities. I needed a rest when I got home.
Thanks to my children I found myself sitting at the top of a huge water chute. It dawned on me that I was rather old for hurtling down a long wet tube, but there was no going back on it. Down I went. I plunged into the pool below with arms and legs flying in the air. I thought I was drowning. Then I realised I was only in about two feet of water, so stood up thankful still to be alive.
Then I had a theological experience. It's an occupational habit for bishops. I thought this was just like being plunged into the waters of Christ's death in baptism and rising to new life with him in triumph.
Of course, some of our churches - Anglican ones included - do practise total immersion baptism. It's a vivid symbol of dying with Christ to rise with him. We can't live without water. It's the very basis of life. Yet too much water drowns us. Water can be the means of death. What gives life also takes it away.
On Good Friday, Christians believe the life taken away from Jesus was given by God again as a promise of new life for us all. Even in a society like ours Jade Goody, an icon of secular celebrity, embraced this faith. That she did so when she was dying comes as no surprise.
Hospices and palliative care units are often places of life and hope. Where the reality of death is acknowledged, people seem more keenly alive. But dying can be hard work. The Christian Church refers to Christ's suffering and death as his 'Passion'. In origin that word relates to sacrifice. Yet we use 'passion' to speak of love as well. Love and sacrifice go together. If someone loves you they'll want to bear your suffering.
Some years ago a young man of great promise and talent had a serious accident. There didn't seem much hope for him. He was brought to London and eventually underwent a very complicated brain operation performed for the very first time. The whole procedure took seven hours. It required uninterrupted concentration on the part of the surgeon. A small error might have proved fatal.
The operation turned out to be a triumph. Afterwards, though, the surgeon had to be led out of the operating theatre held and supported by a nurse almost as if he was a little child guided on the way. He was exhausted. Utterly spent. Emptied by the experience.
That's what Christians believe the love of God is like. Jesus on the Cross exhausts himself to the point of death for love of humankind. Jade Goody seems to have been one of countless millions to have glimpsed this truth. It lies at the heart of the Easter story.
A very happy Easter to you all.
A few people die very publicly. John Paul II was one. Jade Goody was another. The Vatican managed the Pope's death with dignity. Max Clifford managed the media for Jade in the final weeks of her life. To his credit, he brought dignity and order to the task.
I can't say I'd taken much notice of Jade Goody until then. I don't think bishops were her target audience. Her marriage to Jack Tweed seemed to me a bit like a media circus. Then something happened which surprised me. Her two boys were christened. And Jade was christened too. Unlike her wedding, conducted by the leader of a fringe church, it was the local curate who baptised Jade and her children without any great razzamatazz. Apparently she said to Max Clifford: “I want to get christened. I want the boys to be christened. I want them to know Jesus; that's how we'll stay in touch.”
I'm sure plenty of people were cynical about Jade's christening. They may have thought it was one more event to excite the tabloids. But the tabloids seemed to be more puzzled by it than excited. Jade didn't get christened in order to be cured. She was well past that. She didn't talk about fear of hell as if baptism might prevent some awful judgment on her. It was more to do with Jesus defeating death. She got that right.
Most people don't associate christening with death. With infants it seems like a celebration of life. But Christians have always talked about those who are baptised “being made one with Christ in his death and in his resurrection”.
I had a very vivid experience of this a few years ago at Center Parcs. Our children were then teenagers. We stayed with another family at Longleat, paying rather a lot of money to exhaust ourselves with endless sporting activities. I needed a rest when I got home.
Thanks to my children I found myself sitting at the top of a huge water chute. It dawned on me that I was rather old for hurtling down a long wet tube, but there was no going back on it. Down I went. I plunged into the pool below with arms and legs flying in the air. I thought I was drowning. Then I realised I was only in about two feet of water, so stood up thankful still to be alive.
Then I had a theological experience. It's an occupational habit for bishops. I thought this was just like being plunged into the waters of Christ's death in baptism and rising to new life with him in triumph.
Of course, some of our churches - Anglican ones included - do practise total immersion baptism. It's a vivid symbol of dying with Christ to rise with him. We can't live without water. It's the very basis of life. Yet too much water drowns us. Water can be the means of death. What gives life also takes it away.
On Good Friday, Christians believe the life taken away from Jesus was given by God again as a promise of new life for us all. Even in a society like ours Jade Goody, an icon of secular celebrity, embraced this faith. That she did so when she was dying comes as no surprise.
Hospices and palliative care units are often places of life and hope. Where the reality of death is acknowledged, people seem more keenly alive. But dying can be hard work. The Christian Church refers to Christ's suffering and death as his 'Passion'. In origin that word relates to sacrifice. Yet we use 'passion' to speak of love as well. Love and sacrifice go together. If someone loves you they'll want to bear your suffering.
Some years ago a young man of great promise and talent had a serious accident. There didn't seem much hope for him. He was brought to London and eventually underwent a very complicated brain operation performed for the very first time. The whole procedure took seven hours. It required uninterrupted concentration on the part of the surgeon. A small error might have proved fatal.
The operation turned out to be a triumph. Afterwards, though, the surgeon had to be led out of the operating theatre held and supported by a nurse almost as if he was a little child guided on the way. He was exhausted. Utterly spent. Emptied by the experience.
That's what Christians believe the love of God is like. Jesus on the Cross exhausts himself to the point of death for love of humankind. Jade Goody seems to have been one of countless millions to have glimpsed this truth. It lies at the heart of the Easter story.
A very happy Easter to you all.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Jade Goody
The illness and death of Jade Goody has been culturally significant and the huge media interest has enabled people to journey with her and engage what our own priorities would be had we been diagnosed with a terminal condition.
Though having never been her greatest fan, I have been really impressed and challenged, both individually and in community,about how nearing end she put things right in her life-in terms of spirituality, marriage, baptism and the welfare and future of her sons.
Jade proved that it is possible to have a "good death" but that does not diminish the pain and suffering her family will be going through. All her life she craved affection and fame-it is slightly ironic that that finally came through her brave struggle by being as much as doing.
Though having never been her greatest fan, I have been really impressed and challenged, both individually and in community,about how nearing end she put things right in her life-in terms of spirituality, marriage, baptism and the welfare and future of her sons.
Jade proved that it is possible to have a "good death" but that does not diminish the pain and suffering her family will be going through. All her life she craved affection and fame-it is slightly ironic that that finally came through her brave struggle by being as much as doing.
Making Faith Schools even better
Letter published in Church Times 21/03/09
Dear Editor
I was surprised to see the report in last week's edition in which Jan Ainsworth accused the Liberal Democrats of adopting a "confusing" policy on faith schools.
The party's spring conference in Harrogate saw a detailed and informed debate over education policy, which included discussion of faith schools and their place in the development of cohesive communities. Conference overwhelmingly rejected calls to close faith schools, instead affirming the quality of teaching and the positive ethos which make them so popular and effective and calling for improvements in terms of inclusivity and openness which will enable more pupils, parents, teachers and communities to benefit from them. The new policy has been welcomed by the respected Christian think-tank Ekklesia as a crucial development in the public debate about how to make faith schools better and by Accord as the first political party policy to put the national good above sectarian interests
The Liberal Democrats are proud to be the only major party who trust their members to make policy and whether on conference floor or at fringe meetings, many people from a range of religious faith perspectives or none were able to contribute to this important debate and make policy that is relevant and realistic.
Yours faithfully
Revd Simon Wilson
Chaplain and Press Officer
Liberal Democrat Christian Forum
Dear Editor
I was surprised to see the report in last week's edition in which Jan Ainsworth accused the Liberal Democrats of adopting a "confusing" policy on faith schools.
The party's spring conference in Harrogate saw a detailed and informed debate over education policy, which included discussion of faith schools and their place in the development of cohesive communities. Conference overwhelmingly rejected calls to close faith schools, instead affirming the quality of teaching and the positive ethos which make them so popular and effective and calling for improvements in terms of inclusivity and openness which will enable more pupils, parents, teachers and communities to benefit from them. The new policy has been welcomed by the respected Christian think-tank Ekklesia as a crucial development in the public debate about how to make faith schools better and by Accord as the first political party policy to put the national good above sectarian interests
The Liberal Democrats are proud to be the only major party who trust their members to make policy and whether on conference floor or at fringe meetings, many people from a range of religious faith perspectives or none were able to contribute to this important debate and make policy that is relevant and realistic.
Yours faithfully
Revd Simon Wilson
Chaplain and Press Officer
Liberal Democrat Christian Forum
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Faith in Affordable Housing
A new website called 'Faith in Affordable Housing' is being launched today at Church House Westminster, headquarters of the Church of England.
WWW.FIAH.ORG.UK
Under the cooperative banner of churches' campaign Housing Justice, it offers practical and technical information to help local churches of all traditions offer their land or property for housing aimed at those in social and economic need.
Converting existing church buildings into affordable housing provides a win-win situation, argues the website.
Not only does it provide a much needed resource for the local community but also brings in an often urgently needed revenue stream to the church.
The guide presents nine case studies from different Christian denominations in both urban and rural areas of England.
One example is St James's Church Centre in Northumberland (United Reformed Church). It was in desperate need of renovation. Now it hosts nine affordable homes plus a thoroughly modernised century church, including facilities that meet the needs of diverse groups within the town.
The worship area is also adaptable and can be used for conferences and concerts.
Meanwhile at St Paul's in Plymouth (Church of England), the old church and hall was demolished and a new 40-flat extra care scheme for older people built in its place.
A new community building, complete with a dedicated smaller worship space for the church to use, was built on the site of the local library. In turn a new library was developed as part of the extra care building.
The supply of affordable housing needs to be increased dramatically, say the churches. Faith in Affordable Housing offers ways in which churches across all denominations can contribute to the supply, as well as generating income.
Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, President of Housing Justice, said: "I am delighted to commend this initiative to all faith communities who are seeking to respond to the needs of the homeless or poorly housed. In both urban and rural areas there is evidence of spiralling hardship which can lead to the loss of a basic requisite of human dignity shelter."
Faith in Affordable Housing sas: "Although churches often support the principle of the redevelopment of church land and property for social housing, many are concerned about meeting other objectives they have staff to pay, buildings to maintain and a mission to fulfil. Yet there is great potential for churches to use surplus assets for those in housing need and still fulfil these aims.
"This guide offers the ideas, information and inspiration to help churches provide affordable housing wherever possible", said James Derounian from the University of Gloucestershire.
To see Faith in Affordable Housing visit: www.fiah.org.uk
WWW.FIAH.ORG.UK
Under the cooperative banner of churches' campaign Housing Justice, it offers practical and technical information to help local churches of all traditions offer their land or property for housing aimed at those in social and economic need.
Converting existing church buildings into affordable housing provides a win-win situation, argues the website.
Not only does it provide a much needed resource for the local community but also brings in an often urgently needed revenue stream to the church.
The guide presents nine case studies from different Christian denominations in both urban and rural areas of England.
One example is St James's Church Centre in Northumberland (United Reformed Church). It was in desperate need of renovation. Now it hosts nine affordable homes plus a thoroughly modernised century church, including facilities that meet the needs of diverse groups within the town.
The worship area is also adaptable and can be used for conferences and concerts.
Meanwhile at St Paul's in Plymouth (Church of England), the old church and hall was demolished and a new 40-flat extra care scheme for older people built in its place.
A new community building, complete with a dedicated smaller worship space for the church to use, was built on the site of the local library. In turn a new library was developed as part of the extra care building.
The supply of affordable housing needs to be increased dramatically, say the churches. Faith in Affordable Housing offers ways in which churches across all denominations can contribute to the supply, as well as generating income.
Catholic Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, President of Housing Justice, said: "I am delighted to commend this initiative to all faith communities who are seeking to respond to the needs of the homeless or poorly housed. In both urban and rural areas there is evidence of spiralling hardship which can lead to the loss of a basic requisite of human dignity shelter."
Faith in Affordable Housing sas: "Although churches often support the principle of the redevelopment of church land and property for social housing, many are concerned about meeting other objectives they have staff to pay, buildings to maintain and a mission to fulfil. Yet there is great potential for churches to use surplus assets for those in housing need and still fulfil these aims.
"This guide offers the ideas, information and inspiration to help churches provide affordable housing wherever possible", said James Derounian from the University of Gloucestershire.
To see Faith in Affordable Housing visit: www.fiah.org.uk
PASTORAL MINISTRY MINISTRY IN AN ECONOMIC CRISIS
“Arguably, the global economic crisis will turn out to be more significant for us and other developed economies than the collapse of communism. A New Capitalism is likely to emerge from the rubble. For many, the New Capitalism may well seem fairer and less alienating than the model of the past 30 years, in that the system’s salvation may require it to be kinder, gentler, less divisive, less of a casino in which the winner takes all.” Robert Preston
“Impossible to ignore and reminding us all of our vulnerability, the crisis that threatens us seems to be us; we are simultaneously menaced by the wave, and exist as elements of that wave. After all, that is what an economic crisis actually is: the sum of all the individual actions of billions of people around the world, deciding whether to lend or hoard, borrow or save, sell or buy, move or stay, hire or fire, study or look for work, be pessimistic or optimistic.”
NUMBERS
£135m daily increase in UK debt
£59,702 average household debt
£242 amount of interest paid in the UK daily
Every 10 minutes a property is repossessed
2,466 people made redundant every day
1 person every 4.8 minutes declared bankrupt or insolvent
£102 average daily decrease in house prices in 2008
SYMPTOMS
Poverty, virtually no interest for savers; poor investment returns for individuals and organisations, fuel poverty
Increased unemployment, reduced income, hours; manufacturing meltdown;
Mental and physical health (60% more family GP visits when main wage earner made redundant),
Family breakdown, domestic violence, separation and divorce
Crime (vehicle, street, deception),
Civic unrest (nationalist sentiments + racism to migrant workers etc; rise of the BNP), A
Alcohol , gambling, drug abuse, domestic violence,
House repossessions & homelessness/unsuitable housing (affordable housing);
Bailiffs, threats and loan sharks,
Bankruptcy; fuel poverty; money lenders/loan sharks= exploitation;
Voluntary sector funding and giving; bankers bonuses;
UNCERTAINTY-HOW BAD WILL IT GET? WHERE CAN WE FIND HOPE?
WHAT CAN CHURCH DO?
MAKE a fresh and distinctive contribution to an emerging public debate about the heart of a ‘new capitalism’ which marries wealth creation and social justice, drawing upon the deep wells of Christian principles and historic traditions of social thinking.
EXPLORE how the local church can offer practical, pastoral support to both congregations and local communities; seeking to address indebtedness, financial capability, responsible sustainable consumption, and the creation of a generous, neighbourly society; and then to seek to put this into action.
STANDING alongside people in empathy
CHALLENGE Christian attitudes to wealth and possessions as a part of personal discipleship, thereby encouraging godly aspiration, contentment, restraint, gratitude and generosity.
LISTEN TO VOICES FROM THE MARGINS
There is reason to believe that the moral consensus is capable of revival. One way for the Church to explore and promote this is by appealing to widely-held notions of fairness, generosity and sustainability:
Is it FAIR? Does it give priority to the vulnerable-the young struggling to enter the labour market, and the elderly living on fixed incomes; people in poverty within UK and globally? Financial inclusion? Credit Unions?
Is it GENEROUS? Does it embody the obligation to give and share our resources with others? Does it embody fair trade and global aid?
Is it SUSTAINABLE? Long-term thinking not quick fixes
WHERE TO GET HELP, RESOURCES AND PRAYERS
• Voluntary Norfolk www.voluntarynorfolk.org.uk
• CAB www.citizensadvice.org.uk
• Church Action Poverty www.church-poverty.org.uk
• Life 4 Seekers www.life4seekers.co.uk
• Christians Against Poverty www.capuk.org
• Samaritans www.samaritans.org
• West Norfolk VCA www.westnorfolkvca.org
“Impossible to ignore and reminding us all of our vulnerability, the crisis that threatens us seems to be us; we are simultaneously menaced by the wave, and exist as elements of that wave. After all, that is what an economic crisis actually is: the sum of all the individual actions of billions of people around the world, deciding whether to lend or hoard, borrow or save, sell or buy, move or stay, hire or fire, study or look for work, be pessimistic or optimistic.”
NUMBERS
£135m daily increase in UK debt
£59,702 average household debt
£242 amount of interest paid in the UK daily
Every 10 minutes a property is repossessed
2,466 people made redundant every day
1 person every 4.8 minutes declared bankrupt or insolvent
£102 average daily decrease in house prices in 2008
SYMPTOMS
Poverty, virtually no interest for savers; poor investment returns for individuals and organisations, fuel poverty
Increased unemployment, reduced income, hours; manufacturing meltdown;
Mental and physical health (60% more family GP visits when main wage earner made redundant),
Family breakdown, domestic violence, separation and divorce
Crime (vehicle, street, deception),
Civic unrest (nationalist sentiments + racism to migrant workers etc; rise of the BNP), A
Alcohol , gambling, drug abuse, domestic violence,
House repossessions & homelessness/unsuitable housing (affordable housing);
Bailiffs, threats and loan sharks,
Bankruptcy; fuel poverty; money lenders/loan sharks= exploitation;
Voluntary sector funding and giving; bankers bonuses;
UNCERTAINTY-HOW BAD WILL IT GET? WHERE CAN WE FIND HOPE?
WHAT CAN CHURCH DO?
MAKE a fresh and distinctive contribution to an emerging public debate about the heart of a ‘new capitalism’ which marries wealth creation and social justice, drawing upon the deep wells of Christian principles and historic traditions of social thinking.
EXPLORE how the local church can offer practical, pastoral support to both congregations and local communities; seeking to address indebtedness, financial capability, responsible sustainable consumption, and the creation of a generous, neighbourly society; and then to seek to put this into action.
STANDING alongside people in empathy
CHALLENGE Christian attitudes to wealth and possessions as a part of personal discipleship, thereby encouraging godly aspiration, contentment, restraint, gratitude and generosity.
LISTEN TO VOICES FROM THE MARGINS
There is reason to believe that the moral consensus is capable of revival. One way for the Church to explore and promote this is by appealing to widely-held notions of fairness, generosity and sustainability:
Is it FAIR? Does it give priority to the vulnerable-the young struggling to enter the labour market, and the elderly living on fixed incomes; people in poverty within UK and globally? Financial inclusion? Credit Unions?
Is it GENEROUS? Does it embody the obligation to give and share our resources with others? Does it embody fair trade and global aid?
Is it SUSTAINABLE? Long-term thinking not quick fixes
WHERE TO GET HELP, RESOURCES AND PRAYERS
• Voluntary Norfolk www.voluntarynorfolk.org.uk
• CAB www.citizensadvice.org.uk
• Church Action Poverty www.church-poverty.org.uk
• Life 4 Seekers www.life4seekers.co.uk
• Christians Against Poverty www.capuk.org
• Samaritans www.samaritans.org
• West Norfolk VCA www.westnorfolkvca.org
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Holocaust Memorial Day-stand up to hatred
Will we ever learn the lessons of history?
Speak up for the oppressed and the victims;
Give a voice to the powerless;
Stop ethnic cleansing;
Do not stand by and watch genocide and ethnic cleansing
Let us pray for God’s ancient people, the Jews, the first to hear his word – for greater understanding between Christian and Jew
for the removal of our blindness and bitterness of heart
that God will grant us grace to be faithful to his covenant and to grow in the love of his name.
Lord, remember not only the men and women of goodwill, but also those of ill will. Do not remember all the sufferings they have inflicted upon us; remember the fruits we bear, thanks to this suffering – our comradeship, our loyalty, our humanity, courage, generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.
(A prayer found on a scrap of paper beside the body of a girl who died at Ravensbruck)
God, you created us all in your own likeness.
We thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in your world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellow feeling and understanding;
show us your presence in those most different from us, so that in all our relationships,
both by what we have in common and by things in which we differ,
we may come to know you more fully in your creation;
for you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever. Amen
Judge eternal, bringer of justice,
hear the cry of those who suffer under the lash of heartless political oppression;
those who languish in prisons and labour camps, untried or falsely condemned;
those whose bodies are shattered,
or whose minds are unhinged by torture or deprivation.
Meet them in their anguish and despair,
and kindle in them the light of hope,
that they may find rest in your love,
healing I your compassion
and faith in your mercy.
In the name of him who suffered, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
(Prayers said on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Anne Frank: Reproduced with kind permission of the Anne Frank Educational Trust and the Council of Christians and Jews)
LIGHT A VIRTUAL CANDLE AT: www.hmd.org.uk
STAND UP TO HATRED
Speak up for the oppressed and the victims;
Give a voice to the powerless;
Stop ethnic cleansing;
Do not stand by and watch genocide and ethnic cleansing
Let us pray for God’s ancient people, the Jews, the first to hear his word – for greater understanding between Christian and Jew
for the removal of our blindness and bitterness of heart
that God will grant us grace to be faithful to his covenant and to grow in the love of his name.
Lord, remember not only the men and women of goodwill, but also those of ill will. Do not remember all the sufferings they have inflicted upon us; remember the fruits we bear, thanks to this suffering – our comradeship, our loyalty, our humanity, courage, generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.
(A prayer found on a scrap of paper beside the body of a girl who died at Ravensbruck)
God, you created us all in your own likeness.
We thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in your world.
Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellow feeling and understanding;
show us your presence in those most different from us, so that in all our relationships,
both by what we have in common and by things in which we differ,
we may come to know you more fully in your creation;
for you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever. Amen
Judge eternal, bringer of justice,
hear the cry of those who suffer under the lash of heartless political oppression;
those who languish in prisons and labour camps, untried or falsely condemned;
those whose bodies are shattered,
or whose minds are unhinged by torture or deprivation.
Meet them in their anguish and despair,
and kindle in them the light of hope,
that they may find rest in your love,
healing I your compassion
and faith in your mercy.
In the name of him who suffered, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
(Prayers said on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Anne Frank: Reproduced with kind permission of the Anne Frank Educational Trust and the Council of Christians and Jews)
LIGHT A VIRTUAL CANDLE AT: www.hmd.org.uk
STAND UP TO HATRED
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Inauguration of Barack Obama 20 January 2009 Prayers
Inauguration of Barack Obama 20 January 2009
Prayers
Bishop Gene Robinson: Invocation
O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will...
Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.
Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of colour, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.
Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.
Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.
Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.
Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.
And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.
Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.
Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.
Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.
Make him colour-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.
Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.
Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.
And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace. Amen
Rev. Rick Warren: Prayer
Let us pray.
Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can't see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story.
The Scripture tells us Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.
Now today we rejoice not only in America's peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.
We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.
And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.
When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.
And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.
May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.
We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS), who taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Rev. Joseph Lowery: Benediction
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.
Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land.
We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day.
We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration.
He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national, and indeed the global, fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.
Our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.
For we know that, Lord, you are able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor, of the least of these, and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.
We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union.
And while we have sown the seeds of greed - the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.
And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.
And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.
Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia.
We go now to walk together as children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone.
With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.
Prayers
Bishop Gene Robinson: Invocation
O God of our many understandings, we pray that you will...
Bless us with tears – for a world in which over a billion people exist on less than a dollar a day, where young women from many lands are beaten and raped for wanting an education, and thousands die daily from malnutrition, malaria, and AIDS.
Bless us with anger – at discrimination, at home and abroad, against refugees and immigrants, women, people of colour, gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
Bless us with discomfort – at the easy, simplistic “answers” we’ve preferred to hear from our politicians, instead of the truth, about ourselves and the world, which we need to face if we are going to rise to the challenges of the future.
Bless us with patience – and the knowledge that none of what ails us will be “fixed” anytime soon, and the understanding that our new president is a human being, not a messiah.
Bless us with humility – open to understanding that our own needs must always be balanced with those of the world.
Bless us with freedom from mere tolerance – replacing it with a genuine respect and warm embrace of our differences, and an understanding that in our diversity, we are stronger.
Bless us with compassion and generosity – remembering that every religion’s God judges us by the way we care for the most vulnerable in the human community, whether across town or across the world.
And God, we give you thanks for your child Barack, as he assumes the office of President of the United States.
Give him wisdom beyond his years, and inspire him with Lincoln’s reconciling leadership style, President Kennedy’s ability to enlist our best efforts, and Dr King’s dream of a nation for ALL the people.
Give him a quiet heart, for our Ship of State needs a steady, calm captain in these times.
Give him stirring words, for we will need to be inspired and motivated to make the personal and common sacrifices necessary to facing the challenges ahead.
Make him colour-blind, reminding him of his own words that under his leadership, there will be neither red nor blue states, but the United States.
Help him remember his own oppression as a minority, drawing on that experience of discrimination, that he might seek to change the lives of those who are still its victims.
Give him the strength to find family time and privacy, and help him remember that even though he is president, a father only gets one shot at his daughters’ childhoods.
And please, God, keep him safe. We know we ask too much of our presidents, and we’re asking FAR too much of this one. We know the risk he and his wife are taking for all of us, and we implore you, O good and great God, to keep him safe. Hold him in the palm of your hand – that he might do the work we have called him to do, that he might find joy in this impossible calling, and that in the end, he might lead us as a nation to a place of integrity, prosperity and peace. Amen
Rev. Rick Warren: Prayer
Let us pray.
Almighty God, our father, everything we see and everything we can't see exists because of you alone. It all comes from you, it all belongs to you. It all exists for your glory. History is your story.
The Scripture tells us Hear, oh Israel, the Lord is our God; the Lord is one. And you are the compassionate and merciful one. And you are loving to everyone you have made.
Now today we rejoice not only in America's peaceful transfer of power for the 44th time. We celebrate a hinge-point of history with the inauguration of our first African-American president of the United States.
We are so grateful to live in this land, a land of unequaled possibility, where the son of an African immigrant can rise to the highest level of our leadership.
And we know today that Dr. King and a great cloud of witnesses are shouting in Heaven.
Give to our new president, Barack Obama, the wisdom to lead us with humility, the courage to lead us with integrity, the compassion to lead us with generosity. Bless and protect him, his family, Vice President Biden, the Cabinet, and every one of our freely elected leaders.
Help us, oh God, to remember that we are Americans, united not by race or religion or blood, but to our commitment to freedom and justice for all.
When we focus on ourselves, when we fight each other, when we forget you, forgive us. When we presume that our greatness and our prosperity is ours alone, forgive us. When we fail to treat our fellow human beings and all the Earth with the respect that they deserve, forgive us.
And as we face these difficult days ahead, may we have a new birth of clarity in our aims, responsibility in our actions, humility in our approaches, and civility in our attitudes, even when we differ.
Help us to share, to serve and to seek the common good of all.
May all people of good will today join together to work for a more just, a more healthy and a more prosperous nation and a peaceful planet. And may we never forget that one day all nations and all people will stand accountable before you.
We now commit our new president and his wife, Michelle, and his daughters, Malia and Sasha, into your loving care.
I humbly ask this in the name of the one who changed my life, Yeshua, Isa, Jesus, Jesus (hay-SOOS), who taught us to pray, Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
Rev. Joseph Lowery: Benediction
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, thou, who has brought us thus far along the way, thou, who has by thy might led us into the light, keep us forever in the path we pray, lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee, lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee.
Shadowed beneath thy hand, may we forever stand true to thee, oh God, and true to our native land.
We truly give thanks for the glorious experience we've shared this day.
We pray now, oh Lord, for your blessing upon thy servant Barack Obama, the 44th president of these United States, his family and his administration.
He has come to this high office at a low moment in the national, and indeed the global, fiscal climate. But because we know you got the whole world in your hands, we pray for not only our nation, but for the community of nations.
Our faith does not shrink though pressed by the flood of mortal ills.
For we know that, Lord, you are able and you're willing to work through faithful leadership to restore stability, mend our brokenness, heal our wounds, and deliver us from the exploitation of the poor, of the least of these, and from favoritism toward the rich, the elite of these.
We thank you for the empowering of thy servant, our 44th president, to inspire our nation to believe that yes we can work together to achieve a more perfect union.
And while we have sown the seeds of greed - the wind of greed and corruption, and even as we reap the whirlwind of social and economic disruption, we seek forgiveness and we come in a spirit of unity and solidarity to commit our support to our president by our willingness to make sacrifices, to respect your creation, to turn to each other and not on each other.
And now, Lord, in the complex arena of human relations, help us to make choices on the side of love, not hate; on the side of inclusion, not exclusion; tolerance, not intolerance.
And as we leave this mountain top, help us to hold on to the spirit of fellowship and the oneness of our family. Let us take that power back to our homes, our workplaces, our churches, our temples, our mosques, or wherever we seek your will.
Bless President Barack, First Lady Michelle. Look over our little angelic Sasha and Malia.
We go now to walk together as children, pledging that we won't get weary in the difficult days ahead. We know you will not leave us alone.
With your hands of power and your heart of love, help us then, now, Lord, to work for that day when nations shall not lift up sword against nation, when tanks will be beaten into tractors, when every man and every woman shall sit under his or her own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid, when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.
Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in back, when brown can stick around ... when yellow will be mellow ... when the red man can get ahead, man; and when white will embrace what is right. That all those who do justice and love mercy say Amen.
A new dawn
It was impossible to watch yeterday's inauguration without sensing that history was being made. Seeing those proud older African Americans see a sight they would never have believed possible cannot fail to have brought a tear to the eye. Truly, anything can happen.
We live in interesting times. The burden of global expectation will lie heavy on Barack Obama'a shoulders. I pray he is encouraged and strengthened by the strong team he has appointed around him, his inspirational family and his firm and radical faith.
At a meeting last week, the Church of England’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns discussed the impact of the election of the new American President. In the light of that discussion, the Chair of the Committee, the Revd Rose Hudson Wilkin, has today issued the following statement which I feel is an accurate and prophetic reflection which we all can echoe:
“The election last November of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the USA, culminating in his inauguration today, is a most momentous occasion.
“His election was a truly redemptive moment and one of pride and aspiration for many people. It was a particularly redemptive moment in terms of the legacy that African Americans have endured for over two centuries - and this was not lost on the President elect, Barack Hussein Obama.
“It is totally right that there was joy inside the tears of many for the whole of the United States. But the moment also gave the world a new iconography – a first family that is not defined by any one ethnic group. This is a symbol of immense significance to millions of people, not just in America but across the world.
“The Church of England has a significant number of minority ethnic people among its regular worshippers, and of course among those within its pastoral care. As a Church we must decide on how we will respond in the light of this truly transformative moment. Despite the contentious issues around the world-wide Communion, the election of Obama is a prophetic pointer to the possibilities which open up if hearts and minds have the confidence to change by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury has used the term ‘Kairos Time’. This is truly a ‘Kairos Time’ when we urge the Church to begin to nurture a leadership that can engage and function at all levels within it – across all ethnicities – but this must be done intentionally. This affects us as individuals, locally, nationally and internationally through the Anglican Communion. All could reflect on their key aspirations concerning Hope and Transformation in Christ but we call on the Church of England to renew its commitment tangibly to minority ethnic people. This is what Obama's Presidential Campaign was all about, but it is unfinished business in the Church. Can we ever have "business as usual" in our Church again?
“God Bless Barack Hussein Obama, America and our own nation as well.”
We live in interesting times. The burden of global expectation will lie heavy on Barack Obama'a shoulders. I pray he is encouraged and strengthened by the strong team he has appointed around him, his inspirational family and his firm and radical faith.
At a meeting last week, the Church of England’s Committee for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns discussed the impact of the election of the new American President. In the light of that discussion, the Chair of the Committee, the Revd Rose Hudson Wilkin, has today issued the following statement which I feel is an accurate and prophetic reflection which we all can echoe:
“The election last November of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the USA, culminating in his inauguration today, is a most momentous occasion.
“His election was a truly redemptive moment and one of pride and aspiration for many people. It was a particularly redemptive moment in terms of the legacy that African Americans have endured for over two centuries - and this was not lost on the President elect, Barack Hussein Obama.
“It is totally right that there was joy inside the tears of many for the whole of the United States. But the moment also gave the world a new iconography – a first family that is not defined by any one ethnic group. This is a symbol of immense significance to millions of people, not just in America but across the world.
“The Church of England has a significant number of minority ethnic people among its regular worshippers, and of course among those within its pastoral care. As a Church we must decide on how we will respond in the light of this truly transformative moment. Despite the contentious issues around the world-wide Communion, the election of Obama is a prophetic pointer to the possibilities which open up if hearts and minds have the confidence to change by the power of the Holy Spirit.
“The Archbishop of Canterbury has used the term ‘Kairos Time’. This is truly a ‘Kairos Time’ when we urge the Church to begin to nurture a leadership that can engage and function at all levels within it – across all ethnicities – but this must be done intentionally. This affects us as individuals, locally, nationally and internationally through the Anglican Communion. All could reflect on their key aspirations concerning Hope and Transformation in Christ but we call on the Church of England to renew its commitment tangibly to minority ethnic people. This is what Obama's Presidential Campaign was all about, but it is unfinished business in the Church. Can we ever have "business as usual" in our Church again?
“God Bless Barack Hussein Obama, America and our own nation as well.”
Thursday, January 08, 2009
2009: A year of social responsibility
2009
A year of social responsibility
6 January Epiphany
11 January Plough Sunday www.farmcrisisnetwork.org.uk
16 January Martin Luther King Day (US)
18 - 25 January Week of Prayer for Christian Unity www.ctbi.org.uk
18 January Peace Sunday www.paxchristi.org.uk
18 January World Religion Day www.worldreligionday.org
25 January World Leprosy Day www.leprosymission.org.uk
27 January Holocaust Memorial Day www.holocaustmemorialday.gov.uk
1 - 8 February Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
'Voices from the Edge' www.homelessness-Sunday.org.uk; www.church-poverty.org.uk
2 February Candlemas
6 February UNICEF Day for Change www.unicef.org.uk
8 February Education Sunday www.educationsunday.org
23 February - 8 March Fair Trade Fortnight www.fairtrade.org.uk
25 February Ash Wednesday
1 March Tear Fund Sunday www.tearfund.org
6 March Women's World Day of Prayer www.wwdp-natcomm.org
22 March Mothering Sunday
24 March Oscar Romero, Archbishop, Martyr
29 March Passiontide begins
5 April Palm Sunday
7 April World Health Day www.who.int
9 April Deir Yasin Day www.sabeel.org
10 April Good Friday
12 April Easter Day
28 April Workers Memorial Day www.tuc.org.uk
1 May Day of Prayer for Police Service www.cpauk.net
6-11 May Week of Prayer for Parliament www.christiansinparliament.org.uk
9 May Europe Day www.eurunion.org
10 May Josephine Butler, social reformer
10 - 16 May Christian Aid Week www.christianaid.org.uk
16 May Caroline Chisholm, social reformer
17 May Not for Sale Sunday www.chaste.org.uk
21 May Ascension Day
25-31 May National Family Week www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk
31 May Pentecost
7 June Trinity Sunday
7 June Environment Sunday www.arocha.org.uk
15 - 21 June Refugee Week www.refugeeweek.org.uk
17 June Samuel and Henrietta Barnett, social reformers
21 June Fathers Day
21 June World Peace and Prayer Day www.worldpeaceandprayerday.org
26 June Int Day in Support of Victims of Torture www.fiacat.org/en/spip.php?rubrique21
6 July George Edwards Memorial Day www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
12 July Sea Sunday www.biss.org.uk
30 July William Wilberforce, social reformer
6 August Hiroshima Day www.creni.org
11 August Claire of Assisi
13 August Octavia Hill, social reformer
13 August Florence Nightingale
20 August William & Catherine Booth, Salvation Army
23 August Slavery Memorial Day
13 September Racial Justice Sunday www.ctbi.org.uk
13 September Int Day of Remembrance for Firefighters www.firefightersmemorial.co.uk
21 September International Day of Prayer for Peace www.overcomingviolence.org
26 September Wilson Carlile, Church Army
1 October Earl of Shaftesbury, social reformer
1 October Older People’s Day www. campaigns.direct.gov.uk/fulloflife/older-peoples-day.html
4 October Disability Sunday www.throughtheroof.org
4 October Animal Welfare Sunday www.aswa.org.uk
12 October Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer
18 October Healthcare Sunday www.healthcaresunday.org.uk
18 October Micah Sunday www.micahchallenge.org.uk
18 - 25 October One World Week www.oneworldweek.org
24 October UN Day www.un.org
31 October Martin Luther King (UK)
1 November All Saints day
6 November Nat day Prayer for armed forces www.afcu.org.uk
6 November William Temple, archbishop
8 November Remembrance Sunday www.britishlegion.org.uk
15 November Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians www.csw.org.uk
15 November RoadPeace day of remembrance www.roadpeace.org
15 - 21 November Prisons Week www.prisonsweek.org
25 November White Ribbon Day domestic violence www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk
29 November Advent Sunday
30 November St Andrew, int mission
1 December World Aids Day www.worldaidsday.org
10 December Human Rights Day www.un.org/events/humanrights
17 December Eglantine Jebb, founder “Save the Children”
18 December International Migrants Day www.december18.net
25 December Christmas Day
28 December Holy Innocents Day
Please note that a multi-faith calendar is available via: www.interfaithcalendar.org
Please contact me with any omissions or errors.
Rev Simon Wilson
Diocese of Norwich
Simon.wilson@norwich.anglican.org
January 2009
A year of social responsibility
6 January Epiphany
11 January Plough Sunday www.farmcrisisnetwork.org.uk
16 January Martin Luther King Day (US)
18 - 25 January Week of Prayer for Christian Unity www.ctbi.org.uk
18 January Peace Sunday www.paxchristi.org.uk
18 January World Religion Day www.worldreligionday.org
25 January World Leprosy Day www.leprosymission.org.uk
27 January Holocaust Memorial Day www.holocaustmemorialday.gov.uk
1 - 8 February Poverty and Homelessness Action Week
'Voices from the Edge' www.homelessness-Sunday.org.uk; www.church-poverty.org.uk
2 February Candlemas
6 February UNICEF Day for Change www.unicef.org.uk
8 February Education Sunday www.educationsunday.org
23 February - 8 March Fair Trade Fortnight www.fairtrade.org.uk
25 February Ash Wednesday
1 March Tear Fund Sunday www.tearfund.org
6 March Women's World Day of Prayer www.wwdp-natcomm.org
22 March Mothering Sunday
24 March Oscar Romero, Archbishop, Martyr
29 March Passiontide begins
5 April Palm Sunday
7 April World Health Day www.who.int
9 April Deir Yasin Day www.sabeel.org
10 April Good Friday
12 April Easter Day
28 April Workers Memorial Day www.tuc.org.uk
1 May Day of Prayer for Police Service www.cpauk.net
6-11 May Week of Prayer for Parliament www.christiansinparliament.org.uk
9 May Europe Day www.eurunion.org
10 May Josephine Butler, social reformer
10 - 16 May Christian Aid Week www.christianaid.org.uk
16 May Caroline Chisholm, social reformer
17 May Not for Sale Sunday www.chaste.org.uk
21 May Ascension Day
25-31 May National Family Week www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk
31 May Pentecost
7 June Trinity Sunday
7 June Environment Sunday www.arocha.org.uk
15 - 21 June Refugee Week www.refugeeweek.org.uk
17 June Samuel and Henrietta Barnett, social reformers
21 June Fathers Day
21 June World Peace and Prayer Day www.worldpeaceandprayerday.org
26 June Int Day in Support of Victims of Torture www.fiacat.org/en/spip.php?rubrique21
6 July George Edwards Memorial Day www.museums.norfolk.gov.uk
12 July Sea Sunday www.biss.org.uk
30 July William Wilberforce, social reformer
6 August Hiroshima Day www.creni.org
11 August Claire of Assisi
13 August Octavia Hill, social reformer
13 August Florence Nightingale
20 August William & Catherine Booth, Salvation Army
23 August Slavery Memorial Day
13 September Racial Justice Sunday www.ctbi.org.uk
13 September Int Day of Remembrance for Firefighters www.firefightersmemorial.co.uk
21 September International Day of Prayer for Peace www.overcomingviolence.org
26 September Wilson Carlile, Church Army
1 October Earl of Shaftesbury, social reformer
1 October Older People’s Day www. campaigns.direct.gov.uk/fulloflife/older-peoples-day.html
4 October Disability Sunday www.throughtheroof.org
4 October Animal Welfare Sunday www.aswa.org.uk
12 October Elizabeth Fry, prison reformer
18 October Healthcare Sunday www.healthcaresunday.org.uk
18 October Micah Sunday www.micahchallenge.org.uk
18 - 25 October One World Week www.oneworldweek.org
24 October UN Day www.un.org
31 October Martin Luther King (UK)
1 November All Saints day
6 November Nat day Prayer for armed forces www.afcu.org.uk
6 November William Temple, archbishop
8 November Remembrance Sunday www.britishlegion.org.uk
15 November Day of Prayer for Persecuted Christians www.csw.org.uk
15 November RoadPeace day of remembrance www.roadpeace.org
15 - 21 November Prisons Week www.prisonsweek.org
25 November White Ribbon Day domestic violence www.whiteribboncampaign.co.uk
29 November Advent Sunday
30 November St Andrew, int mission
1 December World Aids Day www.worldaidsday.org
10 December Human Rights Day www.un.org/events/humanrights
17 December Eglantine Jebb, founder “Save the Children”
18 December International Migrants Day www.december18.net
25 December Christmas Day
28 December Holy Innocents Day
Please note that a multi-faith calendar is available via: www.interfaithcalendar.org
Please contact me with any omissions or errors.
Rev Simon Wilson
Diocese of Norwich
Simon.wilson@norwich.anglican.org
January 2009
Monday, December 15, 2008
Faith Schools
The issues of faith bschools is a complex one which raises difficult question for all Liberal/liberal people.
The recent report from the Runneymede Trust, "Right to Divide" (available at: www.runnymedetrust.org) is this:“Faith schools should be for the benefit of all in society rather than just some. If faith schools are convinced of their relevance for society, then that should apply equally for all children. With state funding comes an obligation to be relevant and open to all citizens.”
Some faith schools are very good, inclusive institutions which play an important part in promoting community cohesion. In Oldham, there is a church of england primary school which is 99% Muslim. In Norfolk, there are church schools which are far more welcoming of children from traveller or migrant worker fmilies than other schools. There are other faith schools who do have admission policies that are dubious. Not every Faith School is the same-some are progressive others less so.
The recent report from the Runneymede Trust, "Right to Divide" (available at: www.runnymedetrust.org) is this:“Faith schools should be for the benefit of all in society rather than just some. If faith schools are convinced of their relevance for society, then that should apply equally for all children. With state funding comes an obligation to be relevant and open to all citizens.”
Some faith schools are very good, inclusive institutions which play an important part in promoting community cohesion. In Oldham, there is a church of england primary school which is 99% Muslim. In Norfolk, there are church schools which are far more welcoming of children from traveller or migrant worker fmilies than other schools. There are other faith schools who do have admission policies that are dubious. Not every Faith School is the same-some are progressive others less so.
For me, an important question emerges- If all faith schools are proved to be fully inclusive and follow the principles behind the Accord coalition (www.accordcoalition.org.uk) which include:
- Operating admissions policies that take no account of pupils’ – or their parents’ – religion or beliefs.
- Operating recruitment and employment policies that do not discriminate on the grounds of religion or belief.
- Following an objective, fair and balanced syllabus for education about religious and non-religious beliefs – whether determined by their local authority or by any future national syllabus or curriculum for RE.
- Being made accountable under a single inspection regime for RE, Personal, Social & Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship.
- Providing their pupils with inclusive, inspiring and stimulating assemblies in place of compulsory acts of worship.
If these principles were put in place, would opponents of faith schools still want them closed down?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Tackling the DR Congo crisis
I am supporting Amnesty International's call for action to avert the continuing crisis facing the DR Congo.
That means welcoming the commitment that Gordon Brown has made to support a request put to the UN Security Council by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to add a further 3,000 soldiers to the 17,000 strong force currently stationed in the DRC.
It also means urging the UK to encourage other members of the UN Security Council to also offer their support by the time they next meet to discuss the deployment of peacekeepers later this month.
In particular it means urging the UK and other Security Council members to act and agree to:
1. Urgently reinforce MONUC peacekeeping contingents in North-Kivu province and in the Ituri and Haut-Uélé districts of Orientale province· Urge all parties to the conflict to ensure that humanitarian aid agencies are not hindered in their work to provide aid to displaced people,
2.Press the governments of the DRC and Rwanda to refrain from providing moral or material support to armed groups operating in eastern DRC. · Assert that justice and an end to impunity must now have a central place in the search for durable peace in the Great Lakes Region.
Please join the campaign and encourage Government action on this by visiting: www.amnesty.org.uk
That means welcoming the commitment that Gordon Brown has made to support a request put to the UN Security Council by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to add a further 3,000 soldiers to the 17,000 strong force currently stationed in the DRC.
It also means urging the UK to encourage other members of the UN Security Council to also offer their support by the time they next meet to discuss the deployment of peacekeepers later this month.
In particular it means urging the UK and other Security Council members to act and agree to:
1. Urgently reinforce MONUC peacekeeping contingents in North-Kivu province and in the Ituri and Haut-Uélé districts of Orientale province· Urge all parties to the conflict to ensure that humanitarian aid agencies are not hindered in their work to provide aid to displaced people,
2.Press the governments of the DRC and Rwanda to refrain from providing moral or material support to armed groups operating in eastern DRC. · Assert that justice and an end to impunity must now have a central place in the search for durable peace in the Great Lakes Region.
Please join the campaign and encourage Government action on this by visiting: www.amnesty.org.uk
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Today the regime sentenced 14 leading democracy activists in Burma to 65 years in prison. If they are forced to serve their full terms, they will die in jail. The sentences were handed down at around 1pm, behind closed doors in Insein prison special court in Rangoon. Family members were not allowed to attend the hearing. The sentences today relate to only five charges. They are all charged with a total of 21 charges and face further sentences as their trials continue. Those sentenced are all prominent members of the 88 Generation Students group, which led the peaceful demonstrations last September.In a separate hearing held in Insein prison special court, labour activist Su Su Nwe was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months. Take action.
Please send an email to the UN Security Council urging Ban Ki-moon to visit Burma and make the release of political prisoners his top priority: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/un_action.html
Only yesterday EU foreign ministers met and called for the release of all political prisoners. The EU promised to increase pressure on the regime if there was no progress to reform, but despite the situation getting worse they have taken no action. The UN must act. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is due to visit Burma in December, but there are fears he may back out of the visit because of the difficulties in negotiating with the regime. These sentences make it all the more important that Ban Ki-moon goes ahead with his visit. Despite 37 visits to Burma by UN envoys, things have only got worse. His personal engagement on Burma is needed.
Take action.Send an email to the UN Security Council urging Ban Ki-moon to visit Burma and make the release of political prisoners his top priority. Take action here: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/un_action.html
Thank you for your support.
Please send an email to the UN Security Council urging Ban Ki-moon to visit Burma and make the release of political prisoners his top priority: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/un_action.html
Only yesterday EU foreign ministers met and called for the release of all political prisoners. The EU promised to increase pressure on the regime if there was no progress to reform, but despite the situation getting worse they have taken no action. The UN must act. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is due to visit Burma in December, but there are fears he may back out of the visit because of the difficulties in negotiating with the regime. These sentences make it all the more important that Ban Ki-moon goes ahead with his visit. Despite 37 visits to Burma by UN envoys, things have only got worse. His personal engagement on Burma is needed.
Take action.Send an email to the UN Security Council urging Ban Ki-moon to visit Burma and make the release of political prisoners his top priority. Take action here: http://www.burmacampaign.org.uk/un_action.html
Thank you for your support.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo has gone from being the world’s bloodiest forgotten conflict since the Second World War to headline news around the globe in a matter of days.
A flare-up in fighting between rebel and government forces has left the east of the country in a calamitous condition.
Despite a ceasefire holding, Tearfund partner HEAL Africa describes the situation as a tinderbox.
HEAL Africa runs a hospital in Goma, the capital of conflict-hit North Kivu province, and has seen evidence of rapes and torture.
Staff are treating all manner of wounds and injuries inflicted on people from both rebel and government forces as well as bandits. They are showing the compassion of the local church in a situation where many aid agencies have had to halt their work.
The conflict goes back many years but reignited in August with the breakdown of a peace agreement. According to who you ask, it has its roots in Hutu-Tutsi ethnic tensions or stems from a desire to control the country’s abundant natural resources.
Please use the following points to guide your prayers
• Please pray for lasting peace in North Kivu and that international pressure is effective in stopping the fighting and suffering. Pray that the UN peacekeeping force is able to play a more involved role.
• Please pray that the hearts of rebel leaders, the DRC president and government and Rwandan president and government are softened, so that they see the suffering of conflict-affected people and look for a peaceful solution instead of being dominated by their political, economic and military interests.
• Pray that the security situation improves quickly so aid agencies and Tearfund partners can help more civilians caught up in the conflict.
The Democratic Republic of Congo has gone from being the world’s bloodiest forgotten conflict since the Second World War to headline news around the globe in a matter of days.
A flare-up in fighting between rebel and government forces has left the east of the country in a calamitous condition.
Despite a ceasefire holding, Tearfund partner HEAL Africa describes the situation as a tinderbox.
HEAL Africa runs a hospital in Goma, the capital of conflict-hit North Kivu province, and has seen evidence of rapes and torture.
Staff are treating all manner of wounds and injuries inflicted on people from both rebel and government forces as well as bandits. They are showing the compassion of the local church in a situation where many aid agencies have had to halt their work.
The conflict goes back many years but reignited in August with the breakdown of a peace agreement. According to who you ask, it has its roots in Hutu-Tutsi ethnic tensions or stems from a desire to control the country’s abundant natural resources.
Please use the following points to guide your prayers
• Please pray for lasting peace in North Kivu and that international pressure is effective in stopping the fighting and suffering. Pray that the UN peacekeeping force is able to play a more involved role.
• Please pray that the hearts of rebel leaders, the DRC president and government and Rwandan president and government are softened, so that they see the suffering of conflict-affected people and look for a peaceful solution instead of being dominated by their political, economic and military interests.
• Pray that the security situation improves quickly so aid agencies and Tearfund partners can help more civilians caught up in the conflict.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
a new dawn
Barack Obama has succeeded in bringing together a broad-based movement for change (not just hoping for change but being the change) . Focusing on the issues of the day including economic downturn, the war on terror and wider social justice issues such as access to heath-care and education, Obama has given the Democrats confidence and purpose- 2 vital elements in any political campaign. Added to that, his inspiring rhetoric, a clear narrative and a well-funded, hyper-efficient, organised grassroots operation have mobilised millions of people across the world to join him in his journey. Many politicians attract support, few genuinely inspire people.
Like others across the globe, I was moved by the momentous scenes played out across the US-the queues of people to vote, the sheer enthusiasm of the voters (not always evident in UK elections!) and unbridled joy of his victory. In particular, the reactions of the older generations of african-americans who still bear the scars of the civil rights struggle will remain in my memory for ever.
Realising the uncertainty and pain caused by recession, the Democrats have rightly called for celebrations to be principled and brief and rightly expectations need to be managed but today is a day for celebration and optimism. An American peace worker has declared: "Before, we said 'yes we can.' Yesterday, we cried 'yes we did.' Today, it's 'now we will." In politics winning elections is often seen as the triumphant culmination of a campaign when it is actually the beginning. Gaining power is one thing, using it positively can be harder.
My prayer is that I will look back in years to come and remember where I was the night Barack Obama made hope for change a reality.
Like others across the globe, I was moved by the momentous scenes played out across the US-the queues of people to vote, the sheer enthusiasm of the voters (not always evident in UK elections!) and unbridled joy of his victory. In particular, the reactions of the older generations of african-americans who still bear the scars of the civil rights struggle will remain in my memory for ever.
Realising the uncertainty and pain caused by recession, the Democrats have rightly called for celebrations to be principled and brief and rightly expectations need to be managed but today is a day for celebration and optimism. An American peace worker has declared: "Before, we said 'yes we can.' Yesterday, we cried 'yes we did.' Today, it's 'now we will." In politics winning elections is often seen as the triumphant culmination of a campaign when it is actually the beginning. Gaining power is one thing, using it positively can be harder.
My prayer is that I will look back in years to come and remember where I was the night Barack Obama made hope for change a reality.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Climate Change Bill Campaign Victory
Climate Change Bill campaign victory
Tearfund and the Stop Climate Chaos coalition today celebrated victory in their campaign to cut UK greenhouse gas emissions.
Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has announced that the UK will set a 2050 emissions reduction target of 80 per cent in the Climate Change Bill.
Tearfund, along with the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, has been pushing for the target that had been set at 60 per cent to be increased to 80 per cent.
Over the past two years, thousands of Tearfund supporters have prayed and lobbied and written to MPs and Ministers to raise concern about the impact climate change is having on the world’s poorest people.
Tearfund Advocacy Director Paul Cook said, `This is a victory for the coalition of campaigners who’ve done a sterling job making their MPs aware of the issues.
`We are pleased the government has announced a target that matches the science and gives the UK integrity on the international stage. This signals justice for people in the poorest countries who contribute least to carbon emissions, but are bearing the brunt of climate change.'
Push for more progress
But the failure to include the UK’s share of international aviation and shipping emissions in the Climate Change Bill in today’s announcement, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee, is disappointing. The burden now rests with MPs to make sure that these highly polluting industries are not let off the hook.
Tearfund is also worried that the government may undermine these targets by seeking to buy in at least half their emissions cuts in the form of carbon credits from overseas.
Paul Cook said, `The science makes it clear that emissions cuts must take place at home in the UK, and that we must make bold decisions now on new green energy infrastructure.'
Tearfund also has major concerns about the government’s on-going plans to develop new unabated coal-fired power plants starting with Kingsnorth in Kent, which alone would emit as much C02 as the world’s 24 lowest emitting countries combined.
These plants are incompatible with today’s announcement - any decisions around the UK’s energy infrastructure must support investment in renewable power and energy efficiency and not undermine an 80 per cent target.
We need to urge MPs who will be voting on the Climate Change Bill in coming weeks to ensure that the vast bulk of emissions cuts are made in the UK – take action here.
But despite these shortcomings, we can still celebrate the 80 per cent target – a reward for over two years’ campaigning.
Tearfund and the Stop Climate Chaos coalition today celebrated victory in their campaign to cut UK greenhouse gas emissions.
Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has announced that the UK will set a 2050 emissions reduction target of 80 per cent in the Climate Change Bill.
Tearfund, along with the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, has been pushing for the target that had been set at 60 per cent to be increased to 80 per cent.
Over the past two years, thousands of Tearfund supporters have prayed and lobbied and written to MPs and Ministers to raise concern about the impact climate change is having on the world’s poorest people.
Tearfund Advocacy Director Paul Cook said, `This is a victory for the coalition of campaigners who’ve done a sterling job making their MPs aware of the issues.
`We are pleased the government has announced a target that matches the science and gives the UK integrity on the international stage. This signals justice for people in the poorest countries who contribute least to carbon emissions, but are bearing the brunt of climate change.'
Push for more progress
But the failure to include the UK’s share of international aviation and shipping emissions in the Climate Change Bill in today’s announcement, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee, is disappointing. The burden now rests with MPs to make sure that these highly polluting industries are not let off the hook.
Tearfund is also worried that the government may undermine these targets by seeking to buy in at least half their emissions cuts in the form of carbon credits from overseas.
Paul Cook said, `The science makes it clear that emissions cuts must take place at home in the UK, and that we must make bold decisions now on new green energy infrastructure.'
Tearfund also has major concerns about the government’s on-going plans to develop new unabated coal-fired power plants starting with Kingsnorth in Kent, which alone would emit as much C02 as the world’s 24 lowest emitting countries combined.
These plants are incompatible with today’s announcement - any decisions around the UK’s energy infrastructure must support investment in renewable power and energy efficiency and not undermine an 80 per cent target.
We need to urge MPs who will be voting on the Climate Change Bill in coming weeks to ensure that the vast bulk of emissions cuts are made in the UK – take action here.
But despite these shortcomings, we can still celebrate the 80 per cent target – a reward for over two years’ campaigning.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
BURMA
The death toll from Cyclone Nargis continues to rise and over 1.5 millionpeople are now at risk. We know that diseases, such as cholera, dysenteryand malaria, are spreading. If the world does not intervene soon, the deathtoll could rise by thousands every day.No country could cope with a disaster of this scale alone, yet Burma¹sGenerals are shunning the world¹s offers of help; they¹d rather see theircitizens die than accept help from overseas.If any country can make the generals change their mind, it is China. We havewitnessed the recent terrible loss of life in China following thedevastating earthquake. However, the response to the two natural disasterscould not be more different. While the Chinese government responded quickly,dispatching 50,000 troops, and Premier Wen Jiabao immediately flying to thedisaster area, the Burmese regime continues to block aid efforts.China has a very close relationship with Burma¹s generals, supplying themwith weapons, economic assistance and protecting them at the UN SecurityCouncil. This weekend China blocked moves at the UN for a Security Councilresolution telling the generals to let aid in. Every hour China protectsBurma, more people will die.
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