 English province July 2007 This Ring of Fire
contribution contains material relating to the annual JPIC Links Conference
held in May, extracts from a magazine produced by students from Loreto Sixth
Form College, Manchester and an extract from Pat Robb CJ’s June newsletter.
Conference
This year’s topic was “Poverty on our Doorstep” and was organised
jointly by JPIC Links
and Church Action on Poverty (CAP). Input was given by Niall Cooper,
National Director of CAP,UK who explored the reality
of poverty in the UK using video clips, stories and personal
experience. His material covered both inner city and rural poverty, the
latter
being generally unconsidered by city dwellers, though as real as that
of the
cities and towns.
The structure of
the weekend was based on a method of working used by the National Justice and Peace Network.
According to
Niall Cooper, a living wage today in
UK is £10 per hour; compare this with the minimum wage of £5.35. Workers in
church organisations and schools were singled out as a particular example. The
URC, however, have signed up to paying all its employees a living wage.
The impact of
globalisation has made asylum seekers an underclass of migrants. The Home
Office is seen as “the baddie” but the reality is very complex. In some ways it
is easier to support situations 6000 miles away than on one’s doorstep. The
churches can give voice to the poor.
Politicians are inevitably influenced by which way the wind blows. The churches
can change the direction of that wind.
James Sweeney CP took up the theme through an analysis of the
theology of poverty, citing Paul VI’s great encyclical “Populorum Progressio”. Economic progress without social progress
is not valid. Concern with the material as well as with the spiritual leads to
action on behalf of justice and is a major constituent of the Gospel. The
junction between the material and the spiritual is more important than ever
before in our society, social action leading to development of our own
spirituality. “Poverty is a denial of
the reality of God”.
Love is the key. The erotic and the self-sacrificing are not
separate; love is included in social justice. The trap is that we conform
ourselves to society, becoming purely political. Our deep reality is a world
founded on God, his Presence. This reality is the basis of our life and action
in the here and now.
Saturday, after coffee, was spent at one’s choice
of workshop, the choices
being
- Child and Family Poverty &
Homelessness
- Debt
and Credit
- Sustainable
urban and rural livelihoods
- Older
people
- Migrant
workers
and the afternoon with the panel of presenters for general
input and questions. I attended the workshop on Debt and Credit and gained some insight into the reality of this
aspect of poverty, and information on the aim and organisation of Credit
Unions.
 Throughout the Conference, prayer and the liturgy of the Ascension
sustained us. We reflected on a number of sculptured images by Anthony Gormley
which, with Saturday morning’s closing hymn, moved us deeply into the theme of
the Conference.
(Field for the British Isles by Anthony
Gormley)
Jesus Christ is waiting, waiting in
the streets
No one is his neighbour all alone he
eats.
Listen Lord Jesus I am lonely too
Make me friend or stranger, fit to
wait on you.
Jesus Christ is raging, raging in the streets
Where injustice spirals and real hope
retreats..
Listen
Lord Jesus I am angry too
In
the Kingdom’s causes let me rage with you.
Jesus Christ is healing, healing in
the streets
Curing those who suffer, touching
those he greets.
Listen Lord Jesus I have pity too
Let my care be active healing just
like you.
Jesus
Christ is dancing, dancing in the streets
Where
each sign of hatred He with love defeats.
Listen
Lord Jesus I should triumph too
On
suspicion’s graveyard let me dance with you.
Jesus Christ is calling, calling in
the streets
Who will join my journey?
I will
guide their feet.
Listen Lord Jesus let my fears be
few
Walk one step before me I will
follow
you.
(CD: Kendrick Collection Live: ISBN 5 028519 00 8527)
Evenings were spent in relaxation and the option of videos
related to the theme, all very useful and sensitive.
Sunday was Action Day
and Niall led us through. Three areas were offered
-
sustainable
livelihood : migrants, debt, social analysis, campaigning;
- voice of the
people: go beyond the statistics to real voices, the experts are the poor;
- mobilising
churches: how, as a congregation, do we see poverty? CAP is
producing a resource pack “Just Church” for 2008
campaign.
Some snippets from the Debt
and Credit workshop
Britain’s personal debt is increasing by - £1 million every 4 minutes
Today in the UK:
- consumers will borrow an additional £318m today
- The average household debt will increase by over £13 today
- 300 people today will be declared insolvent or bankrupt
- Bank and Building Societies will hand out £1bn in mortgages
today
- Citizen Advice Bureau will deal with 5,300 debt problems
today
- The average car will cost £15 to run today
-
The average home will cost £30 to run today
- Raising a child to the age of 21 will now set you back
£23.50 daily
- The price of a typical house will increase by £46 today
- 24.3m transactions worth £1.3bn will be spent on plastic
cards today
- £82m will be spent on line today
- 1/3 of all groceries we buy today will end up in the
dustbin.
“Today” is 4th May 2007.
“Do not
honour Jesus here in church clothed in silk vestments and then pass him by
unclothed and frozen outside” St.John Chrysostom
Loreto
College
Journalism Workshop
Material for this item was
sent in by Kath Keigher. CAFOD sponsored a national Competition for Schools and
Colleges in which students had to produce a newspaper during one day in
which they were to respond to the news of that day. The newspapers were to have
a JPIC flavour. Here are some of their contributions (the students are 16+),
and staff were also involved, including Kath and Ewa Bem. Their newspaper won the competition and a prize of
£1,000 for the College!!
Congratulations!.
One student,
Farah Ahmed, wrote of the work for orphans and linked it with the province’s
mission in Albania and with the work of the wider Institute.
“NO,
ORPHANS ARE NOT THE LATEST ACCESSORY”
Having
many links with orphanages based in disadvantaged countries, Loreto College, Manchester has provided vast
support for the many orphans that live in hope for a better future.
There are 119 Loreto schools in 12
countries on 6 continents with 70,000 Loreto students worldwide. This allows
many orphans to be helped immensely with fundamental issues such as education
and poverty. Loreto students have been involved in many projects to help
disadvantaged children in their towns and villages.
Many
projects have helped to raise money for an Albanian orphanage. Before
Christmas, two Show Cases and a staff aid took place raising £865.09.
Furthermore the ‘Lenten Penny Collection’ collected 1p and 2p coins during Lent
to help fund a school in Albania. Last year this
collection raised £60. Albania is a country with a
history of suppression and despair. The consequences of invasion by the
Italians and the Turks, as well as the Communist Rule have resulted in mass
poverty, corruption, illegal economy and constant mobility. Being dependent on
corruption and an illegal economy that focuses on the trafficking of drugs,
women and children, there is an overall loss of dignity within the country.
There is little investment in Albania to develop a stable
economy which leaves many innocent children without homes, parents or basic
security. (Farah goes on to look at the Institute’s global work for orphans).
 no orphans are not the latest accessory
Many
members of the English Province came from Manchester originally, so this
article by Rachel Delphine will
touch memories
TROUBLE UP NORTH Rachel
Delphine stands up for a much maligned city
“People around here aren’t scared of terrorists or Bin
Laden - they ’re scared of being jumped by 10-year-olds when they go to
buy their paper. ”Living in Manchester, it ’s been hard to
escape the vast coverage over the present ‘gang
warfare ’ taking place in a city that has been wracked by bad press
since the mass publication of newspapers began.”
The above quote was taken
from the current Tory leader, David Cameron. It’s very easy to forget his
not-so-humble roots in the mean streets of Oxfordshire, educated in Eton public school, beloved
grandson to Sir William Malcolm Mount, 2nd Baronet. How is it that broadsheet
columnists, informed only by recent Coronation Street storylines, feel that
they are able to write entire editorials on the
‘crisis’ from behind a laptop in
their £500,000 London penthouse apartment? Is it really an adequate reflection
of what it is like to be living in the city in 2007?It seems that with
each derogatory headline another piece of Manchester ’s history is pushed
further to the public ’s mind. Its vital importance in shaping the democratic
and cultural landscape of 21st century Britain should not be forgotten by those of us who
know that being Northern isn’t synonymous
with being dysfunctional.
If we’re being true historians
then it seems only reasonable to go right back to the beginning.
It’s1787 and
abolitionist campaigner Thomas Clarkson, having been attacked in
Liverpool for his controversial stance on a booming
industry, is welcomed into Manchester for the first mass meeting
opposing the slave trade. After a speech renowned for its compassionate
and
inspirational vitality, a petition was
drawn up which was signed by a fifth of the city ’s popu -lation
and had
such an impact and influence on one
young William Wilberforce that he
continued to harass parliament for 18
years, regularly introducing anti –
slavery motions throughout that time.
Mancunians constantly appear
to be illustrated as an apathetic, disinterested lot. We work, we eat, we
sleep, we vote Labour, we watch Shameless. The robotic, uniform working class
who blindly follow where others lead. It’ probably relatively easy to
overlook the progress of civil liberties that occurred here and the hard fight
we put up to attain them. 1838 saw the first Trade Union Congress (TTUC), held at
the Mechanics’ Institute on Princess Street which was originally
opened to offer adult education to those with little means to acquire it
elsewhere.
This development was all
the more brilliant when we consider that the
Peterloo massacre had taken
place not 20 years before The
slaughter of 11 innocent people at the
hands of an incompetent and threatened government was a result of the
peaceful campaigning against the repeal of the corn laws. Many of the crowd
had dressed in their Sunday best and simply came along to
rally support for a cause they felt worthy to voice.
Jane Austen talks of
fitting suitors and unrequited love, Fitzgerald of the dangers of the
hedonistic lifestyle. All beautifully written and tastefully conveyed
but
difficult to comprehend as you sit dripping wet on a crowded tram
after
missing your bus into college. Shelagh Delaney, a
Salfordian
playwright, gave a new perspective on growing up and existence in
general with
her writing which was heavily influenced by her industrial
North-West roots. Many of her works, such as A Taste of
Honey, centred on
the grimy, mundane labour on the
docks and highlighted her interest
in the irrationality and
individuality of seemingly ordinary people. Others
went out of their way to make more broad
points on the functioning
society, most notably, Anthony Burghess. The acclaimed author was born
and lived most of his life in Manchester where he received
massive widespread praise for his
disturbing novel A Clockwork Orange.
As I wish to get
a full night’s sleep and feel the ease of having a (nearly) clear
conscience when I die then I can go no further without mentioning the Manchester music scene, past
and present. From my own personal
perspective the three bands that have fashioned my musical predilections all heralded
from, well… here. They all emerged from the 1980 ’s underground scene and expanded
to become voices of a generation, a silent majority in the
world of music. The Fall, The Smiths
and Joy Division spoke of all the things that made Manchester fantastic as well as
brutal to live in. They sang of sexual promiscuity,
drugs, violence and rainy days set to the backdrop of bridges, streets and
landmarks we all knew well, giving volume and life to our mark on the
map.
Although the image
projected by the media is generally negative
and brimming with news of a terrorised city, it is clear to those
of us that love and appreciate
where we
come from that this is a shallow
misrepresentation.
And isn’t that all that
matters?
Trouble up North
Finally, Martin Fraeil investigated the
College’s efforts for FairTrade.
Does Loreto
support Fairtrade?
Yes.
It has a Fairtrade vending machine, where Fairtrade products are available to
purchase. Loreto has … celebrated Fairtrade fortnight, which promotes Fairtrade
products and informs people of the difference Fairtrade makes. Loreto had a
Fairtrade chocolate fountain and other products available to help raise
awareness of these products. The Loreto Justice and Peace Group works hard to
ensure the staff and students are kept aware and don’t lose focus on such
important global issues.
Fair Trade:The ins and outs
From Pat Robb
CJ’s June newsletter just received:
Imelda has been travelling in UK and Ireland talking about Albania and the needs of her work
there. Sinead and Jen have been to
see for themselves, and we have recently had a very insightful article from Mary Walmsley, CJ who also recently
spent time in Albania with Imelda.
Kath Keigher has taken on the organization of
students/staff who want to volunteer for a time in one of our needier
provinces, working through Mary Ward
International.
Recycling
play a big part in most of our lives these day, paper, glass, tin cans, plastic
and garden waste being favoured. It’s something everyone can do.
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