Between 19 and 21 July Sr Josephrita and Sr Francesca, from the Twickenham community, attended the Annual Justice and Peace Conference organised by the National Justice and Peace Network, at the Hayes centre in Swanwick. The theme this year was Just Politics.
The Assumption also gave two young women the opportunity to attend the conference, offering them fully sponsored places. Sr Josephrita and Francesca were therefore joined by Bidisha, a current PhD student at the Bakhita Centre for Research on Slavery, Exploitation and Abuse in St. Mary’s University Twickenham, and by Jolanta, a recent graduate in History from St Mary’s University.
Both Bidisha and Jolanta were very thankful for the opportunity offered to them.
Jolanta writes : “The conference was engaging as it delved into the practical application of faith in politics. The weekend program offered me the opportunity to connect with other charity groups in the community and gain valuable insights into their research and findings. I found the sessions with CAFOD and SVP, explaining their work with parishes and young people, particularly intriguing. It is evident we can incorporate their lessons into our daily lives.”
The conference allowed indeed the participants to network with and to hear from very diverse and excellent keynote speakers such Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, the Anglican Bishop of Chelmsford and member of the House of Lords, Dr Molly Scott Cato, Professor Emerita of Green Economics and a former member of the European parliament, Steve Whiting, a peace activist in the Quaker tradition and Fr Chris Hughes with his team from Tyne & Wear Citizens (diocese of Hexham & Newcastle), who shared about their innovative work at the service of the community.
The participants also took part in a series of engaging workshops with themes ranging from ecology and non-violence and their place in politics, to introduction to neo-liberalism and international relations, opening up the reflection to the current political world order.
All in all it was an interesting weekend, with a loaded programme. It will give us and or communities food for thought and hopefully challenge us to more incisive action over the coming months, as we wait for next year conference.
Sr Francesca
