St Bedes's Way, in solidarity with the landless of India!

My feet are still aching - but it was worth it. A hundred or so people walked the 'St Bede's Way - to raise cash for Christian Aid and awareness for marchers in India who are walking for land rights in their country.

The walk is great, starting out at the Angle-Saxon tower of St Peter's Church in Sunderland, ambling down the coast to Whitburn, before heading over the Cleadon hills towards Jarrow. There was good company, and beautiful views of the sea and the local landscape.

At 'Bede's World' in Jarrow we were welcomed by singers performing traditional medieval plainsong. As much fun as it all was, it had a deep and powerful point. The blow is taken from the Christian Aid website:

This week saw 50-60,000 Indians, mainly dalits and tribal people, start the Jan Satyagraha march for land rights.
The march, which will cover 300km from Gwalior to Delhi, is the culmination of four years of planning and preparation by Christian Aid partner Ekta Parishad. Thousands more marchers are expected to join over the coming days and weeks as the march approaches Delhi.

The people's search for truth

Jan Satyagraha means 'the people's search for truth' and the march aims to give a voice to the poorest communities of India.
The main demands of this huge non-violent action are a new land reform policy, which would guarantee access to land and livelihood resources for all, regardless of wealth or caste, and a law establishing the right to shelter.

A government U-turn

It was hoped that the march was going to succeed even before its departure. In final two weeks of September, Ekta Parishad had numerous positive meetings with government officials and the Minister of Rural Development came to address the marchers on 2 October 2012 at the Mela Exhibition Ground in Gwalior.
As the minister left the stage, Ekta Parishad invited leaders and representatives from the different districts, tribes and social movements, to come together to discuss the government’s response. This discussion was broadcast live to the tens of thousands of marchers gathered so they could listen.
The general consensus was that the Minister's response fell short of expectations and was trying to buy the government more time. Therefore it was decided that the march should go ahead to keep the pressure on the government.

All aboard the Tax Justice Bus!

The Tax Justice bus reaches Sunderland today, and will be outside the Minster from 11.30-2pm - if you are in the area, you must pop in.

This campaign, run jointly by Christian Aid and Church Action on Poverty is clearly the most crucial of our age.

As companies and individuals increasingly find ways to 'legitimately' avoid paying taxes, aided by their rich friends in government, it is the poor who are hit hardest. From the streets of the Philippines to the estates of Pennywell, it is those who have least who are suffer when healthcare and education services are cut because the rich do not pay there share.

As Osbourne boasts another £10 billion in benefits cuts to come in the UK, this is nothing compared to the hundreds of billions of lost income due to tax evasion. Globally, the rich are in power, and they want to spend as little as they can on the rest of us.

The tax justice movement is about rebuilding the case for the redistribution of wealth. It is about saying that rich companies can no longer make huge profits in poor nations, and fail to contribute something back to those societies. Tax justice means that those of us who have gained the most from our economies must be willing to make sure that everyone benefits from the wealth of a society, not just the few.

Most of my readers are thankfully not religious, but I hope all can appreciate the wisdom found in ancient scripture: 'Let those who have two coats share one with the person who has none, and those who have bread, share with the person who has none'

Tax Justice, the redistribution of wealth, is the hall mark of the fair and compassionate world that we all have a hand in building up. 

Victory in Venezuela

Great news for the left, as Hugo Chavez wins his fourth term as Venezuela president. Chavez has won after defeating right wing opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

Mr Chavez won 54% of the vote, the country's electoral council announced. Yet more proof that the majority of people of Venezuela support policies that are designed to reduce poverty and inequality.

When I was in South America this summer, an international report showed that Venezuela, Uruguay and Cuba had the most 'equal' economies in the region. The gap between the rich and poor has been heavily reduced by the social reforms of Chavez, and almost 8 million people have been lifted out of poverty by investments in healthcare, housing, job creation and education.

This socialist revolution has been fiercely attacked by the United States, not least by the short lived military coup backed by President Bush 10 years ago.

But the people have prevailed, and democracy has been resilient, despite US attempts to destroy the economy and portray Chavez as a dictator. Whilst there are still many issues to resolve, we should recognise this election as a sign of hope, not just for the people in Venezuela, but for an alternative model of development that brings greater equality to us all.

The first 10 years...

It started with a bang. 10 years ago, we were in our new house, with several friends staying over, and getting ready for my ordination the next day. At midnight, a huge explosion sounded somewhere on the estate. The next day, as I walked round the corner to the entrance to St Christopher's, the cause of the noise was clear. A burnt out car stood in the car park, surrounded by melted tarmac and blackened bricks. When the Bishop arrived, the only place left for him to park his BMW was beside the shell of the former vehicle. The look on his face was a picture.

The Holmewood estate was my first testing ground as a deacon and then priest, and it was a wonderful time.  Yes, there was poverty, break ins, concrete blocks through the windows and many other adventures, but there was also true community spirit and generosity of hearts. I learnt so much from Rev Gordon Dey, the saintly vicar of Tong and Holmewood parish - the worship was warm and relevant. The church truly served the community, and the congregation modelled sacrificial discipleship.

From that first curacy, great fun followed, and my next seven years as city centre priest in Bradford was extraordinary. The formation of SoulSpace, a church based on the principles of liberation theology was a huge breakthrough in the fresh expressions movement. The people I worked with over those years inspired me and gave me great hope for the church and for humanity.

There have been disappointments, not least the failure amongst some in the church hierarchy to value the achievements of Desmond Tutu House. However, on the whole, I look back on the last ten years with real thankfulness that the church is in good shape, and the holy spirit continues to be at work in the world.

In the next 10 years - lets see the wider church recognise the love in Gay marriages; let us see Christians rise up against global injustices such as the gap between rich and poor and the wastefulness of the arms trade. Let people of faith lead the way in challenging environmental destruction. Lets see the churches embracing co-operatism rather than competition. I want to play my part in these and other struggles over the coming decade. How about you?

Dear John Dear! Peace Activist extraodinaire!

Fr John Dear appeared in Sunderland last Thursday, part of his national tour following on from his successful Greenbelt talks.

It was great to meet him, as I had been following his writings and direct actions for many years. he has been such a personal source of inspiration - and here he was, speaking in my new city.

A Jesuit Priest from the US, Fr John Dear has known what costly discipleship is all about. Arrested 75 times for opposing war and nuclear weapons, he has faced horrific persecutions from both the state and from even inside his own church.

In 1992 he even spent 9 months in a tiny cell for striking a US Bomber with a hammer, and has been forbidden to teach at many Catholic colleges. He used to work on prisons with those on death row, but now, as a convicted felon, he cannot even do that anymore. (he tells a great story of getting Mother Theresa to ring up state governors about to approve capital punishment!)

Now he goes around the world and reminds people of the truth. We have a 'gospel of non-violence'. As Christians, we have a duty to share the news of a God who wants peace, not war. We must work with people of all faiths and none, to ensure the safety of people and planet.

His 5 points to live non-violently are now inspired on the front page of my diary:

1) Live contemplatively
2) Live non-violently, forgiving and loving all - friends and enemies, both near and far.
3) We must be students and teachers of non-violence, learning from Jesus, King, Gandhi.
4) We must be activists, being courageous in the face of a war-mongering and self destructive world
5) We must be prophets and visionaries of peace - believing that a better world is achievable

Liberating the Chaplains

I attended a fantastic conference of Higher Education chaplains last week, down at the High Leighs Centre in Broxbourne, and was pleased by the character of many of my fellow chaplains.

When faced with the 'new model' of higher education - which is basically the commodification and marketisation of Universities, there was universal resistance.

Some one presented the new perspective from a Uni which had begun to follow the model. He quoted how the Uni had invested in the chaplaincy provision because he could demonstrate to the managers figures showing that it cost £65 per student to visit the counselling dept, but only £3.50 per person to see the chaplaincy.

If the chaplains had been a less polite bunch, he would have been booed of the stage!

Education is not a privilege, it is a human right. Its value to a society is immense, and cannot be so easily costed in terms of pounds and pence. Chaplains in general oppose the cuts to education services, and in particular, refuse models that call on us to be in competition with other HE institutions. Students are not simply 'customers'.

Chaplains are there to help the University value human worth, and continue the great tradition of education being a service to the local and wider society.

Chaplaincy is part of a liberating tradition, which encouraged students, staff and institutions to think far beyond commercial interests, and instead to help work for the common good and continually strive for a better world.

The first day in Sunderland!

Amid the madness of unpacking boxes (there is a lot to be said for Buddhist and Christian philosophies of simplicity!) I managed to find time to do go and do two important things. The first was to find the local Credit Union offices, and register for joining.

It is of the utmost importance that we support a more just financial system. Put simply, our banking sector is corrupt and probably irredeemable in it its present form. Those of us who want to see a different way of life must find ways of putting our money where our mouths are. I bank with the co-op as the best and easiest 'ethical' option, but they are far from perfect. Much better to link up with Credit Unions, Shared Interest (providing credit for fairtrade and workers co-ops), Triodos bank and the Ecology Building Society.

The second important thing was to find a newsagent who was prepared to order the 'Morning Star' newspaper. The paper nearly closed last year due to financial pressures - most shops have to be pushed to get it, even though it is a normal 'sale or return' paper, and it doesn't cost them anything to stock it.

Just as in Bradford seven years ago, I traipsed round the newsagents and found that none stocked it, and some even wanted me to buy a months worth upfront before they would consider it! (that wouldn't happen for any other daily paper)

The Morning Star has stood for peace and socialism since the 1930's, and is now the only reliable way of finding out what is happening on the left in the UK and the world. It is small but perfectly formed - and I will endeavour to make sure it is on the shelves of shops in Sunderland! 

Now, back to unpacking, oh the joys of moving...