25th to 27th July 2025
The National Justice and Peace Network (NJPN) seeks to encourage work for justice and peace. The ethos is rooted in Catholic Social Teaching, but many groups work ecumenically and with inter-faith partners. Key issues for the membership include poverty and inequality, the movement of people, the environment, peace and non-violence.
Much of the work of the Network links into the campaigns organised by affiliated agencies. As well as working on global issues like the cancellation of third world debt, groups and commissions around the country are involved in national and local issues such as: poverty, inequality, credit unions, housing and homelessness, supporting refugees and asylum seekers, and environmental issues.
SPARK will be sponsoring two people to attend this 2-day conference including reimbursing travel costs. Initial expressions of interest to sparks.jandp@dioceseofleeds.org.uk
Moving from ‘Just Politics’ to a ‘Just Peace’
We live in a world where many believe in the inevitability of violence as a means of resolving conflict. However, as people of faith, we believe that we have been given an alternative model.
We are to put down our swords, and live out the Gospel message of justice, peace and love.
Violence is not inevitable, there is another way. During this Jubilee year, Pope Francis urges us:
‘to become pilgrims of hope, to silence the sound of arms and overcome divisions’
Working in partnership with Pax Christi, Quaker Truth and Integrity Group the Conference will explore how we build a Just Peace globally, nationally and in our own life.’ Keynote speakers to include Archbishop Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury and Joanna Frew, from Rethinking Security. Workshops, Just Fair, as well as optional activities, will provide ideas and resource to help us in developing a culture of peace.
Conference
SHABBAT IFTAR
Last week at my synagogue
the doors were open
I ran in and out of the kitchen and up and down the stairs
I washed apples
I folded prayer sheets
I heard someone say
‘you’ve brought too much fruit’
and ‘no no, we did that on purpose’
and‘ is there anything I can help with?’
and ‘we don’t have as much time as I thought!’
and ‘who brought 100 loaves of challah?’
and ‘are we sure that’s enough?’
and ‘they barely fit in the kitchen!’
and ‘people are arriving!’
and a woman in a hijab
covered in purple flowers and little flecks of yellow
that could be bees darting between them is here
and she takes my hand and says
‘Shalom aleichem’
and I said
‘Salam alaykum’
and I probably said it wrong
but she smiled
and went to get a name tag
and more people began to arrive
and some of them were Jews and
some of them were Muslims and
all of them were chatting
and I could hear
‘Ramadan Mubarak ’
and ‘Shabbat shalom’
and‘ Shalom aleichem ’
and ‘Salam alaykum’
but so many people were talking
the languages merged and
were siblings again
and so were we.
and we go upstairs
slowly side by side
to the sanctuary
with Hebrew across the walls
and the words
‘Wait quietly for God, O my soul
for my hope comes from God’
and we are not being quiet
so God must have arrived
along with our guests
who pray with us while we pray with them
and my hope comes from God
but it comes from this too
from my Jewish family holding open the doors
for my Muslim family to break their fast
without a wait
and from the reminder to
‘sit beside someone you don’t know
Yet’
and hearing one conversation in a mix of
broken Arabic
and broken English
and broken Hebrew
and all I can hear
is ‘shalom aleichem’
and ‘salam alaykum’
and I think in this moment
Peace may be upon us all. – by Cory Rich