 At the Provincial Congregation a number of issues relating to JPIC were put before the province for future consideration by the group members who “attached” themselves to those issues.
Choosing the Millenium Goals as their theme, Group 20 honed their focus to Care of the Earth and they are in process of researching the province for interest and commitment as province. It was held that this Goal underpins all the others. (See www.developmenteducation.ei)
 Group 19 focussed on trafficking in the UK. This issue was based on a
letter received from an inter-congregational group of religious formed after a JPIC Conference in 2004. Thorough research had been done, a Working Party set up and the needs of the project will be brought to our provincial council to see if there is any realistic way in which we can be part of it.
Sister Anne Teresa SSJA, who began the group, writes, “My own Congregation has pledged itself to give any shortfall to the £180,000
it will take to run one house professionally. Each house will need staff
24 hours each day, 7 days a week and 52 weeks a year, and I think it
is important to do this work as professionally as possible from the outset. We will be judged on this first House…” At the recent CoR meeting, provincials were told that currently 5 properties from 4 congregations are offered for Safe Houses, a charitable trust is
being set up, and it is hoped that two houses, one in Southampton and one in London will
be up and running by Eastertide. The project networks widely with CHASTE, the Home Office,
the Churches and RC Bishops’ Conference, and other professional organisations including the Refugee Council, the Police and Safe-Housing. The profile of trafficked women has also been raised in the House of Commons. Two other projects from the PC were  Group 1 A project to explore the possibility of, and any problems involved in providing temporary accommodation in one of our Houses for homeless students. Many students in Manchester SFC are immigrants or refugees, or have very difficult home backgrounds which make it essential they find affordable accommodation for themselves without fear of exploitation.
Groups 9 and 21 both focussed, in different ways, on our multicultural and multi-faith society, and they are looking at ways to develop our communication with other Faiths and Cultures. Many in these groups encounter refugees and migrants in the course of their work. |
