Category: Armed Conflict

Church Leaders United Appeal to the PM for a Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza

Source: Independent Catholic News

CAFOD, Christian Aid and other humanitarian agencies and Christian church leaders from around the world have signed a joint letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak MP appealing for peace in Gaza. They say: “enough is enough” as Palestinian families in Gaza are being “wiped out.”

They also condemn the vitriolic “crimes of hate” against Jews and Muslims which are “straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts”.

The church leaders say: “We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma.

“The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end. We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape.”

Since 7 October, more than 15,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. 1,200 Israelis have also been killed. During the seven-day pause last week more than 100 Israeli hostages were exchanged for 240 Palestinian detainees and some humanitarian aid delivered.

Along with church leaders and other relief agencies, CAFOD is calling on all world leaders to press for a full and permanent ceasefire to come into effect immediately. The charity says this is the only serious option to stop further loss of civilian life and deepening the humanitarian catastrophe.

See the full letter and signatories below:

Rt Hon Rishi Sunak

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

No 10 Downing Street, London, SW1P 2AB

November 29, 2023

“My eyes fail from weeping,

I am in torment within;

my heart is poured out on the ground

because my people are destroyed,

because children and infants faint

in the streets of the city.”

Lamentations 2:11

Dear Prime Minister,

We have watched in horror and sadness at the devastation unfolding in Palestine and Israel since October 7th. As leaders of Christian communities throughout the world, we join in grief for the Israelis and Palestinians who are mourning loved ones who have died.

Our faith compels us to speak out. To make clear that we oppose violence, whether directed toward Israelis or Palestinians. Even the loss of one more life is one too many. International humanitarian law must be respected and adhered to by all sides.

We welcome the recent announcement about the release of dozens of hostages and a parallel prisoner exchange, in addition to the desperately needed few days of a cessation of violence. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to insist that a long-standing bilateral ceasefire comes to fruition.

We acknowledge the profound and existential grief experienced as a result of the actions of Hamas on October 7 as a tragedy for Jewish people in Israel and around the world. We weep with those who have loved ones held hostage, and we pray for their immediate release.

Like the author of Lamentations, our broken hearts weep as we hear of Palestinian babies in Gaza dying and of the thousands of children who have lost their lives. More than eleven thousand Palestinians have been killed, tens of thousands have been wounded, and 1.6 million have been displaced from their homes and communities.

It is unacceptable that millions of people are in desperate need of clean water, adequate food, fuel for electricity, and urgently needed medical supplies. Without safe drinking water and proper medical supplies, poor hygiene conditions have already led to more preventable deaths, especially among children.

We weep with broken hearts as we hear of hospitals, mosques, churches, and schools damaged and destroyed by this war. In Gaza, there is no safe place. There is no refuge. There is no escape.

The escalation of war cannot be adequately understood without acknowledging the conflict’s broader backdrop – ongoing Israeli occupation and the disenfranchisement of Palestinians for more than 70 years. Three-quarters of Palestinian residents of Gaza are refugees dating back to 1948. Before 7 October 2023 had already been on track to be the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the Second Intifada in 2000.

Under the current Israeli government, there has been a significant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank, emboldening Israeli settlers to act with impunity as they attack Palestinians and force them from their homes.

Settler violence has brutally intensified since 7th October, while there has been an increase in abuse, harassment, and discrimination of Palestinian Israeli citizens in Israel. A future where all human dignity in the region is respected looks distant if these realities are not acknowledged.

We stand up ardently against the vitriolic hatred that is being expressed around the world toward Jews, Muslims, and others because of firmly held convictions about the war. We condemn crimes of hate and uphold that all people should be able to live without fear, with security, and with equally protected human rights. We lament how this conflict is straining community cohesion and interreligious efforts.

We write as religious leaders to say enough is enough. We cannot remain silent as generations of families in Gaza are wiped out in an instant. World leaders cannot sit by while Palestinian civilians in Gaza experience such catastrophic destruction and trauma. The relentless and unrestrained bombing campaign with horrific indiscriminate effects and the ground invasion by Israel must end.

We are deeply grieved by the complicity of the United States and several other Western countries in the continued violence through efforts to actively oppose a ceasefire, including by vetoing multiple United Nations Resolutions.

Instead, we call on governments worldwide to do everything possible to secure a bilateral ceasefire, one that will stop all violence from Hamas and Israel, allow for the safe release of civilian hostages held in Gaza, and give immediate and adequate access to desperately needed humanitarian aid to be delivered, including through crossings to Israel.

Without an agreed upon end to violence from all parties – there is no path forward. We call on all governments to show support for the protection of all human life, advocating for a just and durable resolution to this crisis in which all Israelis and Palestinians might realize a vision of a just peace, illuminating human dignity, advancing security and self-determination for all.

Yours sincerely,

Christine Allen
Director, CAFOD

Dr Nicola Brady
General Secretary, Churches Together in Britain and Ireland

The Rt Rev Christopher Chessun
The Lord Bishop of Southwark, Church of England

Rt Rev Michael Doe
Assistant Bishop and Preacher to Gray’s Inn (London)

Anglican Diocese of Southwark Trustee
The Balfour Project

Rt Rev Sally Foster-Fulton
Moderator of the General Assembly, Church of Scotland

Rev Dr Tessa Henry-Robinson
Moderator of the General Assembly, United Reformed Church

John Hill
Interim General Secretary, The United Methodist Church – General Board of Church and Society

The Most Rev Dr Michael Jackson
Archbishop of Dublin, Church of Ireland

Rt Rev Dr Michael Langrish
Former Bishop of Exeter

Tim Livesey
Chief Executive, Embrace the Middle East

Very Rev Andrew RC McLellan, CBE
Former Moderator, General Assembly of the Church of Scotland

Rev Gill Newton
President, Conference of the Methodist Church in Britain

Paul Parker
Recording Clerk, Quakers in Britain

Father Timothy Radcliffe, OP
Former Master of the Order of Preachers

Rev Chris Rose
Director, Amos Trust

Patrick Watts
Director, Christian Aid

The R. Rev Dr Jo Bailey Wells
Deputy Secretary General, Anglican Communion, London

Joyce Ajlouny
General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)

Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
Ecumenical Director and Diocesan Legate Diocese, Armenian Church of America (Eastern)

Rev David E Bennett
President, Moravian Church Provincial Elders’ Conference

Rev Bronwen Boswell
Acting Stated Clerk, General Assembly Presbyterian Church (USA)

Bishop Susan J Briner
Southwestern Texas Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev LaMarco Antonio Cable
Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)

Bishop Laurie Larson Caesar
Oregon Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Dr Mae Elise Cannon
Executive Director, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP)

The Rt. Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler
Episcopal Bishop of Wyoming, Founding President of CARAVAN

Stassi Cramm
President, Community of Christ

Rev Dr Rob Dalrymple
Leadership Board, Network of Evangelicals for the Middle East (NEME)

Bishop DeDe Duncan-Probe
Diocese of Central New York, The Episcopal Church

The Rev Elizabeth A Eaton
Presiding Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Pastor Ps L Elliott
General Secretary, Rhema Family Churches

Bishop Paul D Erickson
Greater Milwaukee Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Wesley Granberg-Michaelson
General Secretary Emeritus, Reformed Church in America (RCA)

Susan Gunn
Director, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Andrew S Hamilton
District Executive, Southeastern District Church of the Brethren

Lisa Sharon Harper
President and Founder, Freedom Road

The Rev Deborah Hutterer
Bishop of the Grand Canyon Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)

Bishop Richard Jaech
Southwestern Washington Synod, Evangelical Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Kevin T Jones
Bishop of Northeastern Iowa Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Nicolas Kazarian
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Dr Peter Makari
Co-Executive, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ (UCC)

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba
Anglican Church of Southern Africa

Rev Felix Malpica
Bishop of the La Crosse Area Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

The Rev Lee M Miller II
Bishop of the Upstate NY Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Professor Leepo Modise
University of South Africa

Bridget Moix
General Secretary, Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

Bishop Joy Mortensen-Wiebe
South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Dr Lungile Mpetsheni
General Secretary, The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa

Bishop Malusi Mpumlwana
General Secretary, South African Council of Churches

Scott Murphy
President, Community of Christ

Rev Siphiwe Ndebele
Evangelical Alliance of South Africa

Rev. David M. Neuhaus, SJ
Superior of Holy Land Jesuits

Rev. Amy J Odgren
Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev. Teresa “Terri” Hord Owens
General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the US and Canada

Rev Dr Tyrone S. Pitts
General Secretary Emeritus/Ecumenical Office , Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc.

The Rt Rev Bavi Rivera
Bishop of Eastern Oregon, The Episcopal Church

Richard L. Santos
President and CEO, Church World Service (CWS)

Bishop GS Seane
Central Diocese, Evangelical Lutheran Church of South Africa (ELCSA)

Bishop Sithembele Sipuka
Catholic Bishop of Umtata, South Africa

Andrea Smith
Founding Board Member, Evangelicals4Justice

Rev Jason Smith
Executive Director, BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz

Bishop Kevin L. Strickland
outhwestern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Bishop Pedro M Suarez
Florida-Bahamas Synod. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)

Rev Adam Taylor
President, Sojourners

Rev Dr Karen Georgia Thompson
General Minister and President. United Church of Christ (UCC)

Rev N Tyokolwana
Moravian Church, South Africa

Nikki Toyama-Szeto
Executive Director. Christians for Social Action (CSA)

Rev Sandra María Van Opstal
Founder, Chasing Justice

Father Thomas Zain
Vicar General, Antiochian Orthodox Church

Pax Christi Daily Prayer During the DSEI Arms Fair

Pax Christi has sent the following message: Following our online prayer event on Wednesday and the ‘No Faith in War Day’ protests at the entrance to the ExCeL Centre in London yesterday, we are committing ourselves to praying this prayer daily until Saturday 16th September when the Fair has closed and all those exhibiting will be packing up. We’d love you to join us.

Disarm our hearts, God of Peace;
Help us to renounce the fear that takes the form of weapons.
Help us to choose the fierce love that moves your human family to dialogue, not destruction.

Disarm our hearts, God of Peace
Our children are fragile, as is our Earth.
Give us the wisdom to cherish these gifts
By voicing our support for a world free of weapons.

Disarm our hearts God of Peace;
Help us to embrace your wisdom and your will
Challenge us to choose life, solidarity and hope.

Disarm our hearts, God of Peace
Give us a voice that is heard for those who have no voice and are not heard
For those who know there is no tomorrow in war
For those who know that the violence of weapons destroys the beauty of creation and the joy of life.

God of Peace
We pray for authentic and lasting peace
We pray for the will to bring this about so we may be called peacemakers, the children of God.
In your name we pray for an end to arms fairs, the arms trade and the weapons of war

Amen

“It’s our responsibility to help eradicate hatred & violence from human hearts. Let’s encourage arms to be set aside, that there be a reduction in military spending so that humanitarian needs can be provided for & so that instruments of death be turned into instruments of life.”

Pope Francis, World Humanitarian Day 2023

Pax Christi joins No Faith in War Day protests at UK’s largest Arms Fair

Pacifism in the face of aggression – the Christian response?

By Maggie Beirne, West London Justice and Peace Network Co-ordinator

We have all watched our TV screens with horror since the 24th February when Ukraine was invaded.  Russia’s unprovoked attack, and the nature of its assault – indiscriminate bombing and killing of civilians leading to the internal displacement and mass exodus of refugees, and the apparent threat to use biological/chemical and even nuclear weapons – has left most of us shocked.  And who has not felt a strong sense of solidarity with the plight of the Ukrainians?  We empathise with their plight; we pray as individuals or in community for their survival; and we try to help practically with financial or other donations.  We feel one with their cause. 

The West London Justice and Peace Network reflected at a recent meeting on the challenge of pacifism in times like this. How would we as individuals respond in similar circumstances?  Would we start training to use Kalashnikovs or insist on suing for peace at whatever cost?  When we experience a sense almost of pride in seeing these ‘plucky’ Ukrainians giving their all to defend their freedom, do we become part of the problem; and what is the Christian response to these challenges?   

Martin Birdseye, member of the Network and long-time peace activist, helped us reflect on some of the difficult issues involved. 

We were reminded of the fact that history is full of examples where in time of conflict, pacifism gets swept away on a tide of solidarity.  We have certainly seen our own elected politicians rush to bolster arms supplies, talking up the importance of ‘hard power’’ and the strength of our military alliances, while unsaid but very apparent, is the increased risk of nuclear war.  Our very human instinct for personal and human security can lead us into an aggressive response, but is this so different from the desire of Russians for security following their terrible experience of WW2 and their fears of NATO ‘expansionism’?

In Britain, our taxes are spent on maintaining a nuclear arsenal, supposedly for our defence.  But is this arsenal keeping us safe, or does it not lend a false justification for both NATO and Russia to vie for control of their respective ‘spheres of influence’?  Instead of nuclear weapons strengthening our security, have they rendered the world a more unsafe place?  Would our taxes have been much better spent on tackling injustices in our own society and actively building peace globally – via aid, tackling government corruption, support for refugees, or fighting climate insecurity.

In the longer term, we also need as Christian peacemakers to examine the role of Britain as probably the world’s second largest arms exporter.  Arms companies and suppliers may be the only ones to gain from the current tragedy in Ukraine.  Most local West London residents were unaware of the international arms fair that was recently held this year in Twickenham, yet such gatherings feed and fuel the violence that we then subsequently deplore around the world (whether in Ukraine, Yemen, or the Horn of Africa). This trade is taking place in our name as the UK government provides export licenses for ‘suitable’ arms manufacturers but claims to bear no responsibility for the resultant human rights abuses.

The network noted that the Ukrainians, like all of us, have a right to self-defence and that pacifism is not ‘passivity’.  But nor can we ignore the fact that the violence perpetrated by one side tends only to beget violence from the opposition, in a never-ending cycle of retribution.  Or, as better said by Mahatma Gandhi, “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”.  So, the real challenge is to find out how we can turn to God and help others do so in these times of turmoil.

In our discussion, the network noted that concepts such as ‘justice’ and ‘peace’ can at times like this appear to be in tension but are instead totally inter-dependent.  “No justice, no peace”, albeit a slogan, is accurate. As Christians we have to be active peace makers.  Peace groups have organised zoom prayer meetings; had a spontaneous turn-out of people on the day of the invasion to a prayer gathering; and Religions for Peace UK have submitted a letter to the Chiswick-based Bishop of the Russian Orthodox church, to be sent to the Moscow Patriarch asking him directly to appeal to Putin.  What should we be doing practically all year around to promote the educational efforts of groups such as Pax Christi and the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament?

When time permits, events in Ukraine may also encourage more reflection on the Catholic teaching around the ‘just war theory’.  This theory sets out some of the principles that will determine if the cause of any war be ‘just’, and if the tactics used in warfare can also be considered ‘just’.  But there is now much debate as to whether the idea of a ‘just war’ has become an obsolete concept given that the massive predominance of civilian casualties in modern warfare undercuts the moral ground for conceiving of almost any war as just. 

So, whilst we need to focus over the longer term on eliminating the underlying causes of violence and war and re-introduce the power of non-violent action, what can be done in the short term?  Right now, Ukraine is being destroyed and its people scattered.   Alongside all the practicalities (of sending humanitarian assistance and being welcoming to refugees), Pope Francis, pleaded: “Let the weapons fall silent. God is with those who seek peace, not those resorting to violence.”

As Christians, we have to join him in condemning those who “trust in the diabolic and perverse logic of weapons” and pray for guidance on how to engage ever more effectively in the search for peace.

Links

Pax Christi: www.paxchristi.org.uk

Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: www.christiancnd.org.uk

Westminster Catholics represented in Trafalgar Square at Rally for Ukraine

l-r: Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Archbishop Anba Angaelos

l-r: Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, Archbishop Anba Angaelos

An estimated 2,000 people, gathered in Trafalgar Square on Saturday, 5 March, for a peace rally organised by the main Ukrainian community groups in the UK.

The Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, told those gathered: “Today we are all Ukrainian.” He brought a message from Pope Francis assuring everyone present and all those who have family and friends in Ukraine that the Holy Father is remembering them in his prayers.

Bishop Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop for Ukrainian, Belarusian and Slovak Eastern Catholics in Great Britain also attended with Coptic Orthodox Archbishop Anba Angaelos, the Archbishop of Birmingham, Most Rev Bernard Longley, Mgr Keith Newton from the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, head of Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace Commission, who represented Cardinal Vincent Nichols and a group of priests and seminarians from the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of the Holy Family.

There were calls from several speakers for the EU to provide a ‘no fly zone’ over Ukraine.

In a speech, journalist and author Paul Mason appealed for the British parliament to pass emergency legislation confiscating property and fortunes of the billionaire Russian oligarchs living in the UK. “They made their fortunes by stealing from the Russian people” he said. Mason proposed that this money could be used to help provide medical care, food and shelter for the more than one million refugees who have been forced to flee their homes by invading Russian forces.

A Russian couple attending the rally, Anna and George from Moscow, told ICN: “We came here to show our support for the Ukrainian people. Our family and friends do not support Putin. We feel this invasion was a savage act. We are concerned for the safety of our own families and very worried about the situation in Ukraine. This is a tragedy.” Anna said: “I have hardly slept since this began..”

Two Ukrainian sisters from a town near Lviv who are working as nurses here, said: “We have family near the Russian border. On the first day of the invasion we were able to speak with our parents. Our mother has diabetes so she needs regular medication. They said if things looked dangerous they would go to another place but since then we have heard nothing. We are desperately worried and praying for their safety.”

The day was organised by Euro-Maidan, The Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain, the Ukrainian Women’s Organisations in Great Britain, the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and the Ukrainian Orthodox Churches in Great Britain, among others.

If you would like to support organisations working with Ukrainian refugees see: www.gofundme.com/f/helpukraine

Watch a clip from the day: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEmzlh8h3J0&t=8s

Ukrainian Churches in the Time of War; Round Table Discussion. Friday March 4th, 4-5.30pm

Organised by Institute of Ecumenical Studies of the Ukrainian Catholic University in partnership with the Libertas Centre for Interreligious Dialogue

The war in Ukraine is heavily affecting the entire population of the country, churches included. We gathered an ecumenical cohort of representatives from Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant churches, as well as religious observers to examine how Ukrainian churches are reacting to the Russian military invasion and assisting the population. We will also examine the religious narratives being formulated and how religious organizations abroad can help in this critical moment.

Friday, March 4, 4-5.30pm GMT
18:00-19:30 Kyiv time
[17:00-18:30 CET; 11:00am-12.30pm EST]

Registration is required
http://www.ecumenicalstudies.org.ua/eng/announcements/6436

For additional information contact Rev. Roman Fihas at romano@ucu.edu.ua

Justice and Peace Europe calls for peace and an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine

After the invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops on 24 February 2022, the Executive Committee of Justice and Peace Europe has condemned the Russian aggression as “a serious violation to international law and as a threat to peace in Europe.”

In a statement, Justice and Peace Europe made the following points:

  • We express our support and solidarity with Ukraine and its suffering people, we request all European governments to support the neighbouring countries of Ukraine in their efforts to welcome and accommodate refugees.
  • We ask the European Union, its member states and all European governments to stay united and to put in place an even harsher sanctions regime against the Russian authorities.
  • We admire the courage of Russian citizens who despite all sorts of repressions bravely take to the streets to protest against their government in the name of peace.
  • We implore His Holiness Patriarch Kirill and all Orthodox authorities in Russia to intervene with the political leadership in order to obtain an immediate ceasefire and the withdrawal of all Russian troops from the Ukraine territory.
  • We support the call of Pope Francis for a day of fasting and prayer for peace in Ukraine on Ash Wednesday (2 March).
  • We hope and work for a new culture of peace in Europe, remembering in our prayers all civilian and military victims and their families.

Friday, 25 February 2022

The Executive Committee of Justice and Peace Europe

Contact: Stefan Lunte, General Secretary of Justice and Peace Europe,
tel: 0033680179422, e-mail: secretary@jupax-europa.org , www.jupax-europa.org

An Appeal for Prayer for Peace in Ukraine – Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, Duke Street, London, 26 January 2022, 4.30pm

His Holiness Pope Francis and His Beatitude Patriarch Sviatoslav, head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, have appealed to everyone of good will to participate in prayer for peace in Ukraine on Wednesday 26 January. 

Holy Family Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral on Duke Street and Weighhouse Street in London W1K 5BQ will be holding a special prayer service for peace in Ukraine at 4:30 pm on 26 January. 

Everyone is welcome to join us.  It is part of a 12-hour marathon of prayer in Ukrainian Catholic Cathedrals and parishes throughout the world.  The marathon of prayer for peace in Ukraine will be live broadcast beginning at 07:00 – on the Ukrainian Catholic TV YouTube channel (above).

Crisis in Yemen – International Day of Action 25th January 2021

BBC Documentary

The BBC has highlighted the on-going disaster in Yemen in a programme on 18 January 2021 which is now available on iPlayer

BBC iPlayer – Yemen: Coronavirus in a War Zone

Justice & Peace Scotland – Crisis in Yemen Event – Sunday 24th January 4.30pm

The conflict in Yemen is one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, their suffering driven by UK made weapons.

Ahead of the International Day of Action for Yemen (Monday 25th January) Justice and Peace Scotland invites you to hear more about the devastating links between arms manufactures here and the devastating conflict in Yemen on Sunday 24 January 2021 at 4.30pm.

Speakers include:

Emma Cockburn is the Scotland Coordinator at Campaign Against Arms Trade and is responsible for highlighting Scotland’s contribution to the UK’s arms trade. Emma is currently working on supporting defence diversification projects and arms divestment opportunities across the country. Coming from an anti-nuclear and trade union background, Emma is passionate about empowering activists to create lasting change and is currently involved in creating a reporting detailing the arms industry’s influence in Scotland.”

Rev Daniel Woodhouse a Methodist minister currently serving in the Brighton and Hove Methodist Circuit. Over the past 15 years has been involved in many different forms of anti-arms activism, including a break in at BAE-Systems Warton over the sale of Jets to Saudi Arabia and their use in Yemen.

To book tickets to attend Crisis in Yemen click here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crisis-in-yemen-tickets-135651732985

Peace Groups tell government: We need medical supplies not weapons

First we pause… we stop… so that we can think…and judge properly… what will keep us safe from harm?

Justice & Peace in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster also welcomes this pause of the government’s Integrated Review and urges them to listen to the voices of peace campaigners before they establish new national priorities for Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.

Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) and Pax Christi are among the organisations approving this decision and urging the government to change track completely. Read full report on Independent Catholic News

Pax Christi International joins Pope Francis and UN in call for global ceasefire

“We are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat… are all of us. Just like those disciples … so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this.” Pope Francis, 27 March 2020

Responding to the words of Pope Francis, Pax Christi International has joined the United Nations in calling for a Global Ceasefire. More…

An international peace-building process is now in place to arrange truces in every conflict zone.

A notable milestone was reached on 9th April 2020 when Pax Christi and 59 other organisations issued a statement in response to the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in Yemen. The cessation of hostilities is only a first step and the statement called for an immediate end to restrictions and interference to humanitarian aid to provide urgent medical care and measures to prevent the spread of COVID19.

yemen-ceasefire-statement-9-april-2020Download

The Westminster Justice & Peace Commission encourage you to add your voice by signing the Avaaz petition for a Global Ceasefire