About the Justice and Peace Group

For all of us in the Parish, a vitally important part of our Christian witness is to be evangelists for peace and justice – both in the local community, and in the wider world. This may involve prayer, or finance, or direct action – or all three! Each of us is involved in J&P in many different ways, often working as individuals in our places of work, or for our own chosen charities. But it’s also important that we are able to act as one body through our Community. Very often, in this way, the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts!

Working through the Justice & Peace Group is one way in which the community can leverage and coordinate the different J&P activities. We meet once a month (usually the 2nd Sunday) and ALL are very welcome to come to meetings. Since the meeting locations MAY vary, you do need to check the monthly and weekly newsletters to find out where the meeting will take place; - or alternatively contact Sjoerd (sjoerd@vogt.org.uk). Just over two years ago we made the Group an ecumenical J&P group, and we are joined at our meetings by community members from the other churches in Faringdon.

Campaigns

We see education into J&P issues - of ourselves and of the community - as an important ongoing activity. Over the years, we've used a number of very useful resource/study packs to help us in this. Examples are CAFOD's "Just Food" campaign; the "Refugee Campaign"; the "Jubilee 2000 Campaign"; and the Trade Justice Campaign. More recently we have been concentrating our efforts on issues around Climate Change, and resources from organizations such as “Operation Noah” are very useful.

We organise workshop days and vigils on these themes for the community, and where relevant we also organise coaches for national rallies. For Jubilee 2000, the community was well represented at Birmingham in 1998 and in London in 1999. For the Trade Justice Campaign, we went down to London in June 2002 for the world’s largest lobby of parliament; we organised the local lobby of our MP in June 2003; and we went to Brighton at the end of September 2004 to join in the mass TJ rally at the labour party conference that year. For Operation Noah, a number of us attended the launch conference in Coventry, and one member of the J&P group (Reggie Norton) is also a member of the Operation Noah Executive Committee.

One of our more memorable events of recent years was to put a gigantic “Make Poverty History” white band around the top of the Folly Tower on “White Band Day” in 2006 !

Ongoing Major Projects

PIURA Breakfast & Taxi Project

As many of you are aware, we have supported in various ways a community of families in Piura (Northern Peru) for 18 years now. The community consists of approximately 60 families; just over 400 people, and also includes the family of Leo's former housekeeper in Peru. For most of the last sixteen years, Gladys (Leo’s housekeeper’s daughter) was our primary contact. Gladys was suffering from diabetes, and over the past couple of years was finding it increasingly difficult. Her eyesight was going, and her organs were failing. Her daughter Orfa was gradually taking over where Gladys left off - and it was from Orfa that we heard in 2006 that Gladys had died. We as a parish are so privileged to be able to work with and through such good people.

In the early years, we sent $5500 per year in relief aid, and called it "the Breakfast Project". Incredibly, our $100 per week was paying for 400 meals per day! In Piura the community call the group "Comedor Solidaridad".

Then in 1997 we sent approximately $16,000 in one lump sum - which purchased two taxis. These taxis were (and still are - when the weather allows it!) being rented out to the husbands, who then earn a living from using them. Since 1997 the rental income has paid for "the Breakfast Project" and in this way, the two projects together have become largely self-financing.

Then in 1998, El Nino hit Piura badly, and emergency aid was required and requested of us for these very special circumstances. We've also continued to support the community every year at Christmas, and in 2001 we sent an additional $3200 for new engines for the taxis! But – it continues to be a tough business, not only because of the weather. There’s strong competition in the taxi business; the police constantly interfere and pass new laws (in 2002 they had to change the colours of the taxis!) and the fines are harsh. But at least it does continue to give the community a continuing income - and jobs where there would otherwise be none.

But…. in 2002 Peru was again badly hit by flooding and storms. We received an urgent appeal for help from Gladys - particularly for food and medicines. With roads washed away they couldn’t use the taxis, and therefore they were again losing their income. The Parish sent another $4500, and with this they were able to buy supplies of food, galvanized zinc for roofing, and carry out more urgent repairs on the taxis.

In 2003, in spite of the continuing daily hardships, we received relatively positive reports from Gladys about the daily life of the community, and for once the weather did not do the kind of damage that it had done in previous years.

Since then, every Christmas, we’ve sent the equivalent of $1000 to Orfa, not only to make their Christmas celebrations a little special, but also for the maintenance of the taxis, and for bare essentials for food and housing. In return we receive wonderfully colourful photos of the various celebrations and detailed accounts for the taxis and the breakfasts!

"Bonded Labour Liberation Front Project"

Slavery and bonded labour is important issue for the Parish. The key to breaking the bonds of modern-day slavery is education. In 1991 the community also took on the responsibility of paying for the running of one school (including the salary of the one teacher), which costs us £2000 per year. A bargain! These are special schools set up by the "Bonded Labour Liberation Front" in areas of Pakistan where child-labour (in brick kilns, in agriculture, and in carpet-making) is prevalent. This is a long-term process, and we are committed to continue this funding. Over the years, we’ve had lovely visits from Pakistani children on a number of separate occasions, as well as grown-ups involved with the project who have been able to update us. Britt-Marie Lang (in Sweden) is one of the main drivers in this project and sends regular reports that appear in the Community News. Britt-Marie has also visited Faringdon.

Wells for India

Bringing Water and Dignity to the Poorest People of Rajashan

In September 2006, we (as the ECUMENICAL J&P Group) adopted a water harvesting project in Rajasthan, a project that also involves a substantial 5-year financial commitment from all the Churches.

The effectiveness of the simple steps that can be taken to catch and protect precious water is absolutely amazing.

Before applying these measures, villagers may have got just a poor summer crop, but now they can expect a good summer crop and a winter crop as well. Water harvesting replenishes the ground water, and therefore the benefits continue throughout the year, even when all the surface water has gone.

Other benefits include the establishment of orchards and vegetable gardens, which will lead to better nutrition and health. The tribal peoples of this area suffer from lack of vitamins, so fresh vegetables are vital. This can also lead to income generation. The Umla tree for example provides citrus fruit which can be sold. The cost of planting one tree is 25 rupees (40p). After 4 years the crops from this tree can be sold for 500 rupees (£7.00) per year. This is a significant sum to a villager, and can mean the difference between a life of poverty and one with dignity and hope.

Our contacts in the UK are “Wells for India”, and over the past 2 years since we launched the project, WfI staff have come to Faringdon regularly to give us updates on the project - most recently in September of this year, when we also enjoyed a delicious shared Rajasthani lunch.

Faringdon Ecoweek

Earlier this year, the J&P Group organized a whole week of more than thirty ECOEVENTS that took place in Faringdon and the surrounding villages, covering Waste, Food, Energy, and the Environment.

The ECOWEEK kicked off on the opening Saturday with a SWAP SHOP and big ECOFAIR. During the week there were high profile ECOTALKS with celebrity speakers; an ECOTOUR around energy-from-waste facilities in Swindon; Open Days at Friar’s Court and Venn Mill; and an ECOTRAIL that took you around dozens of premises with interesting eco-credentials to show. To round off the week on Saturday 21st, (the Summer Solstice), the ECOBIKES set off around the ECOFARMS (there are a staggering 15 organic farms within just two miles of Faringdon…) stopping off for ECOBURGERs and ended up at Westmill Wind Farm Open Day, where more than 1000 people broke the wind-turbine-hugging world record!

Seasonal Activities

During the year but particularly at Christmas, there are a number of local centres that receive our regular support. Examples include: We buy chocolate-filled stockings for all the people using the Oxford Night Shelter on Christmas day; and for many years in the months leading up to Christmas (we’ve taken a short break in 2008 – since this particular activity does rely heavily on the Newsletter ) we have organised a van-load of sorted gifts for Simon House. The children of the community have also been involved at Christmas – and have been invited to donate one of their toys to a local Womens' refuge.

Fair Trade and Traidcraft

Traidcraft sales are held monthly in the newly refurbished Church Hall and generate significant revenue. These sales are not just important because they promote fair trade, but they also help to make us all more aware of the issues - and directly support The Mustard Seed, our ecumenically-run fair-trade shop in Faringdon. Christmas Hampers are a wonderfully ethical present – let Karen know if you want to order these! The J&P Group are also actively involved in Faringdon Fairtrade Town: Faringdon being the first Fairtrade Town in the South East of England – and we also organize fair-trade-related activities throughout the year – particularly around Fairtrade Fortnight.

Donations to Emergency Appeals & Charities

Approximately 50% of charitable donations from the Parish goes to our ongoing commitments - the projects that we support. The rest is kept as contingency for emergency appeals and then donated quarterly to a range of different local, national and international charities. The J&P Group decides on behalf of the Community where the money should go to, and often receives suggestions and requests from Community members.

How do we Fund these Projects & Donations?

We do not fund-raise. No jumble sales. No cake stalls. All that we do is rely on the donations of many members of the Parish community, amounting to nearly 50% of the Parish income. That's it. And when we need to raise a large sum quickly (such as with the buying of the taxis in Peru) then we explain the details to the community and people commit to what they can. It works.

A Brief Financial History - an Act of Faith…

In the early eighties, the Parish - like most - was in debt. Our Parish priest at the time made the seemingly foolhardy suggestion that we should give away a fixed proportion of our income to charitable concerns. He suggested five percent. As a result of this, Parish income went UP - the whole community clearly wanted to be part of this act of faith. The five percent soon became ten - then twenty - and after just a few short years it climbed to fifty. Every time that the community decided to put up the percentage given away, the covenants and offertory givings increased to match.

Then - in the mid-nineties a more conservative approach to our financial management crept in, and after just two short years the result was clearly in evidence. Income went DOWN- and was no longer able to keep pace with expenditure. Panic! We almost went down the "responsible" materialistic route of reducing our givings to charities.

However - it was a huge relief to the community when in 1998 we again committed ourselves to throw caution to the wind and leave the broader brushstrokes of our financial management to the Holy Spirit.

Then in 2003 - the "facing harsh financial realities" approach again threatened to get a grip. With enormous expenditure looming to keep our Parish buildings maintained (we hadn’t sold Buckland yet!) , the suggestion that we should reduce our charitable givings again seemed the “sensible” thing to do. So each member of the Parish was given the chance to specify how their weekly or monthly donations were to be split between Parish maintenance and charitable giving. But yet again, through an overwhelming majority of the community supporting the 50% split, we continue to allocate nearly 50% of the Parish income to the chosen charities and projects.

Thank You! Sjoerd – Chair J&P Gp