Our mission is to energise the work of Justice and Peace in our diocese.

Please Note: The JPIC Office will be closed until 9th February

FORTHCOMING EVENTS
18th to 25th January - Week of Prayer for Christian Unity
This year's theme is "You are Witnesses" www.ctbi.org.uk
or phone 020 7564 7254 for information.

Poverty and Homeless Action Week
30th January to 7th February

To organise an event in your parish to promote Homelessness Sunday on 30th January or Poverty Action Sunday on 7th February please download resources from www.actionweek.org

19th January 7.30 pm ‘Human rights and liberty’.
Organised by UNA-UK at the riverside premises of Hurlingham Yacht Club, 43a Deodar Road, Putney, London SW15 2NB.
Speakers will include Jeremy Corbyn MP, Vijay Mehta, and Sir Brian Barder. Refreshments and bar will also be available.
Contact: Rob Storey (chair) on 07776 356 334 or StoreyRW@aol.com

23rd January 10.30 to 4pm CARJ AGM
Catholic Association for Racial Justice AGM is being held at Mount St Jesuit Centre, W1K 3AH. Mass in Farm St Church at 11 then AGM, lunch and a screening of the Changing Face of Britain DVD followed by discussion. To book a place e-mail info@carj.org.uk or phone 020 8802 8080.

30th January 2 - 5 pm World Development Movement teach-in.
66 Offley Road, Oval, SW9 a great opportunity to get up to speed on WDM's campaigns and a chance to meet and mingle.
Bring and share lunch from 12.30
contact Katherine Talbot 020 7820 4900 or katherine@wdm.org.uk

"If You Want To Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation" is the theme of Pope Benedict’s message for the celebration of the forty-third World Day of Peace.
To download the Holy Father's message 14th December 2009

The Wave - climate change protest.

On 5^th December more than 50,000 came together in London to demand action on climate change at The Wave, the biggest ever UK climate change march. Not only did Ed Miliband (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) hear us, but Gordon Brown invited 24 Wave supporters to 10 Downing Street after the event to hear their demands.

ready to start

Some started from Grosvenor Square and walked a 3 mile route passing the Houses of Parliament and crossing Lambeth Bridge to come back over Westminster Bridge. Others started at the ecumenical service in Westminster Central Hall led by Archbishops Vincent Nichols and Rowan Williams.

Passing Piccadilly Circus 7th December 2009

Our Autumn Assembly

	The main topic of our Autumn Assembly, held at St Peter's, Woolwich“ on 17th October was "The Changing Face of Britain” celebrating 25 years of CARJ (Catholic Association for Racial Justice). The pictures show Bishop Howard Tripp with Haynes Baptiste, one of the speakers from CARJ and Bishop Pat Lynch with
	Margaret Ann Fisken, the Chair of CARJ, Tony Lobo and Richard Zipfel. Other speakers were Mr Pat Winston, head teacher from St Paul's Academy and Petra Kjell, Environment Policy and Advocacy officer from Progressio who spoke on "Water, Climate Change and Copenhagen.

2nd November 2009

Report from National Justice & Peace Network conference 2009
On the Road Together: A~Mazed by Migration
A summary of the report on the Open Space debate from the conference is now available to download please click

Also Bishop Pat's homily "Our mission to, with and for migrants today: the context, the principles and the pastoral strategy" and the views of all the keynote speakers .

If you have difficulty downloading or printing any of the above we are happy to post copies from the office. 14th October 2009

Holy Father’s Video Message to Climate Change Summit
Pope Benedict sent a video message to participants in the UN summit on climate change, which was held in New York on 22 September.
Speaking in English his message started: "I wish to reflect today upon the relationship between the Creator and ourselves as guardians of His creation. In so doing I also wish to offer my support to leaders of governments and international agencies who are meeting at the United Nations to discuss the urgent issue of climate change….” 28th September 2009

Tobin Tax developments
Foreign minister David Miliband was named by his French counterpart as a supporter of a Tobin tax on financial transactions in a move designed to show growing support for a clampdown on excessive bank profits.
Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, said in an interview that Miliband agreed on the need for a new tax on financial transactions to fund development.

For more information follow this link to The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/sep/17/miliband-tobin-tax-french
see also our September 21st 2009

Pope Benedict urges leaders to be responsible stewards of creation

World leaders should address global environmental issues "with generous courage", that Man is called to responsible governance of creation and the current model of global development needs transformation, Pope Benedict said yesterday.

August 27th 2009

Government slashes support to asylum seekers awaiting a decision.

The government has announced that it is cutting its cash support to destitute asylum seekers waiting for a decision. Currently, single asylum seekers over the age of 25 receive £42.16 a week, which is 30% less than a single person over the age of 25 who is resident in the UK. The government is planning to reduce this to £35.15 per week from October, leaving asylum seekers with only £5 per day to live on.

Donna Covey, Chief Executive of the Refugee Council said:
“ These changes mean asylum seekers will receive a little over half of what the government says is the minimum people need to live on.... Surely a more practical solution would be to allow those that can to work and contribute to the growth of our economy, rather than penalising the poorest and most vulnerable?” www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/stopcuts for more information and a draft letter to send to the Home Secretary. August 24th 2009

August 19th 2009

Bruce Kent leads a peaceful demonstration outside the American Embassy calling for health care provision for the 50 million Americans who have inadequate cover.