CSAN report on National Justice and Peace Network conference

Dr Raymond Friel

Along with several hundred other people, the CSAN team arrived at the Hayes Conference centre in Derbyshire for the annual National Justice and Peace Network conference on a very warm and muggy Friday evening earlier this month.

This was the third NJPN conference in recent years with a CSAN presence, which this year included a stall at the Just Fair exhibition and a workshop, Do Justice: A Vision for Spiritual and Civic Renewal in England and Wales.

The conference was opened by the NJPN Chair, Anne Peacey, with Sir John Battle, a trustee of CSAN, acting as the indefatigable master of ceremonies. We enjoyed a range of keynote speeches from different Christian denominations, all bringing their perspective and inspiration on social justice.

Fr Chis Hughes, a priest from the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle, spoke with great passion of his experience of working with Citizens Tyne and Wear for justice in local communities. He drew many parallels between Catholic Social Teaching (CST) and the approach of Broad Based Community Organising (BBCO).

At Vatican II, the Church turned to the modern world and dialogue was a major theme of the Council documents. In community organising, the one-to-one conversation is where building of relational power begins, This is in tune with the emphasis of Pope Francis on a culture of encounter as an antidote to a culture of indifference and individualism.

By listening to others, a community can discern the needs of people, what is it that is putting pressure on them? Where is the power and influence in the community, what concrete steps can be taken to do justice? CST and BBCO have much in common.

Perhaps the highlight of the conference was the panel of young people on the Saturday evening. Expertly chaired by Michael Chambers from Million Minutes, the panel shared their hopes and fears for the present and the future. Some key themes to emerge was the lack of humanity in the recent General Election campaign, the real anxiety among young people about the environment, a desire to hear a clearer link between faith and action.

There was one suggestion which dioceses could well consider: a social action day in a diocese for schools when young people can meet all the various charities and organisations active in the diocese. Not a bad way for the charities to look for new recruits and for the young people to be inspired on the path of service.

The CSAN workshop, Do Justice: a Vision for Spiritual and Civic Renewal in England ad Wales, was very well attended. The team went through the range of the work of CSAN, especially this year's Do Justice campaign, more details of which can be found at: https://dojustice.co.uk/

It was a pleasure for the CSAN team to attend the annual NJPN conference. We were made to feel very welcome and enjoyed some very constructive conversations about how we can work together moving forward for the sake of a more just society.

The NJPN conference took place at the Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick, Derbyshire between 19-21 July 2024. Dr Raymond Friel is the CEO of CSAN.

LINK

NJPN: www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/