By Carol Burns, Leeds Diocese Pax Christi member Imagine being 19 years old and having to decide whether to agree to be conscripted into the armed forces for your national service. Imagine then if you decided you couldn’t in all conscience agree to be part of an army that supports indeed maintains the occupation of […]
Palestine
11 May – Commission expresses solidarity with the churches in Jerusalem
As a Commission of the Diocese of Leeds we express our solidarity with the local churches in Jerusalem and their anguish and concern at the ongoing violence there. We wholeheartedly support the statement issued on 09 May by the Latin Patriarchate in Jerusalem, as reported on the Bishops’ Conference website. Palestinians are being harassed, evicted […]
27 Nov – Film review: Jews Step Forward
By Anne Tracy, Newman parish, LeedsThis year, as part on the online Leeds Palestinian Film Festival, the Justice and Peace Commission sponsored the film ‘Jews Step Forward’ The panel discussion is available online until the 28th November.It is easy to get the impression from the media that Israel’s occupation of Palestine is regarded by all […]
16 Oct – J&P Sponsors Film and Discussion event as part of Film Festival
The Leeds Palestinian Film Festival provides an opportunity to find out about the Palestine Israel conflict from various angles – and with stories that are rarely told in the mainstream media.Last year we took the step of sponsoring a film called ‘Voices Across the Divide – with voices of Palestinian and Jewish people who had […]
21 Jul – J&P Diocesan Annual Gathering
By John Battle, Commission Chair On the 24th June 2020 we held the annual meeting of our Leeds Diocesan Justice and Peace Commission as an open “gathering” on ” Zoom” to announce the refocussing of our project work; responding as a Diocese to the climate crisis, developing our parish “Poverty in the UK” workshop pack […]
27 Mar – Pilgrimage, Palestine & Acting Justly
Many people hope that one day they can go on pilgrimage to the Holy Land; to see for themselves the places where Jesus walked and where key events in the bible are thought to have taken place. All of us want to be able to identify better with the Gospel stories that we have heard […]
09 Mar – Investing for Peace: Sabeel-Kairos Feb Mtg
At their last meeting, on 19 February, the Yorkshire Friends of Sabeel-Kairos group had a speaker, Chi-Chi Shi, Campaigns Officer at War on Want. Her topic was the campaign for morally responsible investment and how local groups could become involved, especially as it related to the Israel Palestine situation (as that is the focus of […]
31 Jan – A Taste of Palestine-but in Our Lady & St Joseph of the Aire Valley
A personal reflection on a trip to the Holy Land by Annette Mitchell, Moira Smith & John Mazzucchi at a meeting on 17 Jan 2020 About 40 people gathered at St Mary & St Monica’s Church, Cottingley, Bingley, to hear an illustrated talk on the current situation in the occupied West Bank territories and take […]
26 Nov – Voices Across the Divide
The Commission has shown films about Palestine in the past but in a new venture we recently joined forces with the Leeds Pax Christi Group to show a film as part of the Fifth Leeds Palestinian Film Festival.The film was called ‘Voices Across the Divide’ and we showed it at Wheeler Hall at the back […]
28 Oct – Drones and Modern Warfare
This is a precis of the talk given by Chris Cole (Director of Drone Wars UK and Vice Chair of Pax Christi UK) when he spoke at the Yorkshire Sabeel meeting in September. Although this talk focussed on the use of drones, Chris stressed the importance of looking at alternative thinking; to challenge the idea […]
16 Aug – Women in Black Group started in Leeds
By Carol Burns, Leeds Pax Christ group. In Leeds, a group of women (of faith and none) have gathered together to protest against the Occupation of Palestine. The first “Women in Black” Vigil was held on Tuesday 6th August from 1:30 – 2:30pm at Dortmund Square. Following vigils will be held on the first Tuesday […]
09 Apr – Disturbing the Peace
About 30 people turned out on 09 April to a film viewing sponsored by the Commission that took place at Mill Hill Chapel, City Square, in central Leeds. It was a film called “Disturbing the Peace” and it was an event jointly organised with the Leeds Pax Christi group.The film was introduced by Tricia Griffin […]
12 Jan – A Pilgrimage to Palestine
Contributed by Anne Tracy , Newman Parish, Leeds In November I was fortunate enough to be able to take part in a study tour of Palestine and Israel organised by ICAHD, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions. It was particularly focused on discovering what daily life is like for Palestinians today in Israel and the […]
“God has broken Down the Dividing Walls” Conference about Palestine 26 Sep 15
This conference was organised jointly by the Commission and the Leeds Pax Christi group.We are grateful to the Christian Peace Education Fund which provided some financial support to the event. It was organised as part of the World Council of Churches\’ World Week for Peace in Israel and Palestine.It followed the format of our conference […]