News Media

Opinion – 24 February 2021

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 11:00:53 +0000

Charlie Bell ViaMedia.News It’s Time to Talk About…Sex! Stephen Parsons Surviving Church Some Reflections on Vocation and the Ravi Zacharias story

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Archbishops’ Commission on Housing, Church and Community

Sun, 21 Feb 2021 15:21:15 +0000

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have today released Coming Home: Tackling the housing crisis together, a report from the Archbishops’ Commission on Housing, Church and Community. There is a lengthy press release, which is copied below. The Church Commissioners have also issued a press release welcoming the report. The report and an executive summary […]

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MOSAIC coalition launches

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 17:53:28 +0000

A new coalition, named MOSAIC, which is an acronym for Movement Of Supporting Anglicans for An Inclusive Church, has been launched. The website is at https://mosaic-anglicans.org. The press release (copied in full below the fold) explains: SENIOR CHURCH OF ENGLAND LEADERS UNITE TO CAMPAIGN FOR “A CHURCH FOR ALL ENGLAND”. Leaders from across the full breadth […]

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Opinion – 20 February 2021

Sat, 20 Feb 2021 11:00:51 +0000

The Guardian Ash Wednesday under Covid restrictions – in pictures Ben Phillips All Things Lawful And Honest Super Bishops & Simpler Structures “Ben Phillips reflects on the increasingly top-heavy structures of the Church of England and commends a radical rethinking of diocesan boundaries which would enable bishops to be both real pastors on the ground […]

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Christ Church to Commission Independent Review

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 07:42:06 +0000

Our last update on this subject was on 8 February: Christ Church Oxford: further developments. Now comes this, from the website of Christ Church, Oxford: Christ Church to Commission Independent Review 17 February 2021 Christ Church’s Governing Body has voted to carry out an independent review regarding the handling of a serious sexual harassment complaint, in […]

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Opinion – 17 February 2021 – Ash Wednesday

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 11:00:25 +0000

Sarah James Earth & Altar Memento Mori: Christian Forms of Death Contemplation for Lent Augustine Tanner-Ihm ViaMedia.News When You are Not Invited to the Table Charlotte Gauthier All Things Lawful And Honest Middle Management Malaise “Charlotte Gauthier speaks from her experience of middle management in the secular world – how it works well, and where […]

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Opinion – 13 February 2021

Sat, 13 Feb 2021 11:00:13 +0000

Savitri Hensman ViaMedia.News What place for minorities? Church, Status and Power Barry Orford All Things Lawful And Honest Back to Basics Bishops “Fr Barry Orford asks important questions about how the Church of England goes about appointing bishops and what a bishop is. Has an obsession with managerialism prompted us to lose sight of the […]

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Archbishops respond to “rascally voices”

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 14:45:34 +0000

Following on from our earlier article, Financial threats to Church of England plans, there has been a response from the two archbishops, which you can read either here in the Spectator itself, A defence of the Churchof England (includes a cartoon) or here: Archbishops: the Church in changing times (without the cartoon). We linked earlier to one […]

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Bishop Tim Thornton to retire as Bishop at Lambeth

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 20:47:52 +0000

Press release from the Archbishop of Canterbury Bishop Tim Thornton to retire as Bishop at Lambeth 10/02/2021 The Rt Revd Tim Thornton is to retire as Bishop at Lambeth after four years in the role. Bishop Tim has been Bishop at Lambeth since 2017. Previously he was Bishop of Truro, and Bishop of Sherborne before […]

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Opinion – 10 February 2021

Wed, 10 Feb 2021 11:00:48 +0000

Colin Coward Unadulterated Love The necessity for radical LGBTIQ+ activism in the Church of England Jarel Robinson-Brown Church Times Can rage be holy? “From Old Testament prophets to the present day, it can be” Dexter Bracey All Things Lawful And Honest Change and Clerical Decay “Dexter Bracey asks if the current agenda for change in […]

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House of Bishops Meeting 9 February 2021

Tue, 09 Feb 2021 15:34:30 +0000

Press release from the Church of England House of Bishops Meeting, 9th February 2021 09/02/2021 The February meeting of the House of Bishops was held on Tuesday 9 February via Zoom. The meeting was an opportunity for the House to engage with key aspects of the Emerging Church workstreams, specifically the work of the subgroups […]

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Christ Church Oxford: further developments

Mon, 08 Feb 2021 15:54:50 +0000

Following the Charity Commission intervention made public on 28 January, there have been further developments: Stephen Parsons at Surviving Church made comments on that letter and the Christ Church response: The Charity Commissioners intervene in the Christ Church bullying of the Dean. Gabriella Swerling at the Telegraph disclosed on 29 January further details about the Christ […]

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Jarel Robinson-Brown and the Diocese of London

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 16:41:48 +0000

There have been numerous news reports and comment articles in both mainstream and social media concerning a tweet posted last Wednesday. On Thursday the Church Times reported this story under the headline Cleric apologises for ‘White Nationalism’ remark. A LONDON clergyman, the Revd Jarel Robinson-Brown, has apologised for posting on social media that the clap for […]

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Opinion – 6 February 2021

Sat, 06 Feb 2021 11:00:13 +0000

Philip Jones Ecclesiastical Law The Constitution of Marriage: Consensus-Copula Ed Henderson Church Times CDM reform must reduce harm to clergy mental health “Some who are subject to complaints become suicidal… A new disciplinary process should prioritise their well-being” Simon Dawson has written two articles about the Living in Love and Faith process Learning from the […]

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Informal Meeting of General Synod members – 27 February 2021

Fri, 05 Feb 2021 14:48:51 +0000

As we published earlier the February meeting of the Church of England’s General Synod has been postponed to April, but there will be an informal meeting on Saturday 27 February. The timetable for this has been published today, and is copied below. There will be no question time in February, but the Business Committee has […]

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Finance Statistics 2019

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 21:54:41 +0000

The Church of England has recently published its Finance Statistics 2019. These provide the latest financial information, including: Income Expenditure Giving Tables showing parish finances aggregated to diocese level are available as an excel file. Finance statistics for previous years, and other publications of the Research and Statistics Unit can be found on the resources, publications, and data page.

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Financial threats to Church of England plans

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 17:21:05 +0000

The Sunday Times published a news story with the headline: Church to cut paid clergy as a fifth of flock wanders off which is based on a report circulating among diocesan secretaries etc. The damage inflicted on the Church of England by the pandemic is revealed in a leaked internal document which warns up to 20 […]

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Opinion – 3 February 2021

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 11:00:09 +0000

Simon Butler ViaMedia.News Who Are The Prophets in Charismatic Churches? Colin Coward Unadulterated Love Forty LGBTIQ+ people and allies write a second letter to thirty five bishops David Brown Surviving Church The Problem is not CDM, but a significant Relational Deficit

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Bishop of Salisbury to retire in July 2021

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 12:02:07 +0000

The Bishop of Salisbury, the Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam, will retire on 3 July 2021, a month short of his 67th birthday. He will have been Bishop of Salisbury for 10 years. There are more details in the diocesan press release.

The post Bishop of Salisbury to retire in July 2021 first appeared on Thinking Anglicans.

Bishop of Lincoln to resume ministry

Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:21:59 +0000

The Church of England has issued this: Statement on resolution of disciplinary process regarding Bishop of Lincoln …The Bishop of Lincoln, Christopher Lowson, has accepted a penalty for misconduct in relation to the management of one safeguarding issue. At their meeting the Archbishop apologised to the Bishop for the long process that he has endured. The […]

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Call to halt UK police training programmes for repressive states

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 14:30:23 +0000

The College of Policing has provided training for at least 12 countries that are listed as 'human rights priority countries' by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Campaigners have called for the UK Government to halt police training programmes for repressive state forces and conduct a review of all international training offered by the College of Policing.

Since its founding in 2012, the College of Policing has provided training and assistance to at least 78 countries, including many forces that have been accused of torture and other abuses.

The College has provided training for at least 12 countries that are listed as 'human rights priority countries' by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO): those countries are Afghanistan, Bahrain, China, Colombia, Egypt, Libya, Pakistan, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Sudan.

There are also a number of countries listed that have police forces that have been accused of torture but are not on the FCO list: those countries include Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and USA. All of these countries are also buyers of UK arms.

The College does not publish details of the training that it has provided. However, a recent Freedom of Information request by Campaign Against Arms Trade found that training for forces in Bahrain, Hong Kong, Nigeria and Oman happened as recently as 2019.

Andrew Smith of Campaign Against Arms Trade said: "Many of these police forces have been accused of torture and other abuses. They use their power to uphold brutal and repressive laws. The UK should not be collaborating with them or strengthening their authoritarian rule.

"The killing of George Floyd and the repression that followed drew international attention to state violence. But it is not just an issue in the United States, it is happening all across the world. There must be an end to the hypocrisy and a full review of which police units the UK has trained and if they have been responsible for human rights abuses."

* Camapaign Against Arms Trade https://caat.org.uk/

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Amnesty letter to 3,500 mayors and governors calls for tighter security ahead of inauguration

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 14:25:55 +0000

Amnesty International has called upon US mayors and governors to protect people from armed groups and to denounce white supremacy ahead of next week's Presidential Inauguration.

In response to the events of last week and in anticipation of more gatherings by white supremacists ahead of the inauguration, Amnesty International USA has sent a letter to 3,500 US mayors and governors calling on them to protect people from armed groups and to denounce white supremacy.

Amnesty USA’s calls on mayors and governors includes requests that they:

Publicly condemn and demand accountability for incitement to violence and the enabling and abetting of white supremacy at the highest levels of government, including by President Trump and other government officials
Publicly condemn armed groups and individuals as a threat to public safety and human rights, and speak out against white supremacy, discrimination, xenophobic rhetoric and incitement to violence by such groups and individuals
Issue executive orders, emergency orders or other temporary special measures to prevent armed white supremacist individuals or groups from intimidating or threatening people
Temporarily prohibit the open and “concealed carry” of firearms in Capitol buildings and in public - including parks, recreational areas, religious institutions and schools
Direct police departments to adopt and follow Amnesty’s best practice guidelines on the policing of demonstrations, and ensure that all law-enforcement agencies facilitate freedom of peaceful assembly - without discrimination - particularly in the context of volatile counter-protest situations, with commitments to ensuring transparent investigation and prosecution of unlawful use of force, and vigilantism by armed groups

A lack of restriction on guns, combined with the embrace of white supremacists by Donald Trump and other government officials, continues to put the country at risk of further violence.

* Read the letter here

* Amnesty's best practice guidelines are here

Amnesty International https://www.amnesty.org.uk/

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Royal College of Paediatrics calls for urgent review of children's meal packages

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 06:19:18 +0000

The examples shared are an insult to the dignity of people who rely on this support, says Dr Max Davie of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) has responded to reports and pictures appearing on social media of packages sent to families who rely on the free school meals programme.

Dr Max Davie, Officer for Health Improvement at RCPCH said: "In the last 24 hours, we've seen multiple examples of food parcels provided to families through the free school meals programme. As a paediatrician I can say the contents are not nutritionally sufficient for children and young people.

"Children who rely on free school meals have worse health outcomes than their peers and deserve proper help. The examples shared are an insult to the dignity of people who rely on this support.

"We call on government to urgently review its supplier list, and to provide the resource needed for local authorities to provide flexibility for families in how they want to receive this vital support. Some local authorities offer vouchers or cash payments. Not every family is the same, but every family deserves to be treated with respect."

The College has also written to the Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson, asking for the Department for Education to:

Urgently review the approved supplier list
Provide the resource needed by schools and local authorities so they are equipped to provide flexibility for families in how they want to receive support
Get the national voucher scheme up and running in the coming days

* Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/

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A global stockpile of the Ebola vaccine has been established

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 06:12:33 +0000

Ebola vaccines have made one of the most feared diseases on earth preventable, says the World Health Organisation.

The four leading international health and humanitarian organisations have announced the establishment of a global Ebola vaccine stockpile to ensure outbreak response.

The effort to establish the stockpile was led by the International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Vaccine Provision, which includes the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), with financial support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The stockpile will allow countries, with the support of humanitarian organisations, to contain future Ebola epidemics by ensuring timely access to vaccines for populations at risk during outbreaks.

The injectable single-dose Ebola vaccine (rVSV?G-ZEBOV-GP, live) is manufactured by Merck, Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Corp. and developed with financial support from the from the government of the United States of America (USA). The European Medicines Agency licensed the Ebola vaccine in November 2019, and the vaccine is now prequalified by WHO, and licensed by the US Food and Drug Administration as well as in eight African countries.

Before achieving licensure, the vaccine was administered to more than 350,000 people in Guinea and in the 2018-2020 Ebola outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo under a protocol for “compassionate use”.

The vaccine, which is recommended by the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) on Immunisation for use in Ebola outbreaks as part of a broader set of Ebola outbreak response tools, protects against the Zaire ebolavirus species which is most commonly known to cause outbreaks.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is reminding us of the incredible power of vaccines to save lives from deadly viruses,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Ebola vaccines have made one of the most feared diseases on earth preventable. This new stockpile is an excellent example of solidarity, science and cooperation between international organisations and the private sector to save lives.”

UNICEF manages the stockpile on behalf of the ICG which, as with stockpiles of cholera, meningitis and yellow fever vaccines, will be the decision-making body for its allocation and release.

The stockpile is stored in Switzerland and ready to be shipped to countries for emergency response. The decision to allocate the vaccine will be made within 48 hours of receiving a request from a country; vaccines will be made available together with ultra-cold chain packaging by the manufacturer for shipment to countries within 48 hours of the decision. The targeted overall delivery time from the stockpile to countries is seven days.

“We are proud to be part of this unprecedented effort to help bring potential Ebola outbreaks quickly under control,” said Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director. “We know that when it comes to disease outbreaks, preparedness is key. This Ebola vaccine stockpile is a remarkable achievement – one that will allow us to deliver vaccines to those who need them the most as quickly as possible.”

As Ebola outbreaks are relatively rare and unpredictable, there is no natural market for the vaccine. Vaccines are only secured through the establishment of the stockpile and are available in limited quantities. The Ebola vaccine is reserved for outbreak response to protect people at the highest risk of contracting Ebola – including healthcare and frontline workers.

“This is an important milestone. Over the past decade alone we have seen Ebola devastate communities in West and Central Africa, always hitting the poorest and most vulnerable the hardest”, said IFRC Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain. “Through each outbreak, our volunteers have risked their lives to save lives. With this stockpile, it is my hope that the impact of this terrible disease will be dramatically reduced.”

“The creation of an Ebola vaccine stockpile under the ICG is a positive step”, said Dr Natalie Roberts, Programme Manager, MSF Foundation. “Vaccination is one of the most effective measures to respond to outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases, and Ebola is no exception. An Ebola vaccine stockpile can increase transparency in the management of existing global stocks and the timely deployment of the vaccine where it’s most needed, something MSF has called for during recent outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of Congo.”

An initial 6890 doses are now available for outbreak response with further quantities to be delivered into the stockpile this month and throughout 2021 and beyond. Depending on the rate of vaccine deployment, it could take two to three years to reach the SAGE-recommended level of 500,000 doses for the emergency stockpile of Ebola vaccines. WHO, UNICEF, Gavi and vaccine manufacturers are continuously assessing options to increase vaccine supply should global demand increase.

* World Health Organisation https://www.who.int/

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Majority of carbon capture plants used to extract more fossil fuels

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 06:11:48 +0000

New research finds that the world cannot meet climate targets by relying on carbon capture and storage.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) cannot be relied on to deliver global 2030 emissions reductions, whilst the majority of CCS that exists is being used to extract more oil, according to a new report by climate scientists. Achieving ambitious emissions reductions over the next decade is critical to meeting the Paris Agreement target of limiting global warming to 1.5C.

CCS involves separating and capturing carbon dioxide from other gases before it enters the atmosphere, converting the gas into a liquid form for transport by pipeline or tanker. The carbon dioxide is then to be pumped deep underground with monitoring essential to ensure long-term storage

Commissioned by Global Witness and Friends of the Earth Scotland, and carried out by the world-renowned climate change research centre, Tyndall Manchester, the research found:

There are just 26 CCS plants in operation globally, which are only able to capture 0.1 per cent of annual global emissions from fossil fuels. There is no operational CCS capacity in the UK or the European Union at all.
81 per cent of carbon captured to date has been used to extract more oil via the process of Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) and between now and 2030, planned CCS will continue to be dominated by EOR. This means CCS is being predominantly used for carbon emitting oil extraction that would not have otherwise been possible.
Current CCS capacity in the energy sector is just 2.4 million tonnes of carbon per year (Mtpa), despite at least 310Mtpa projected by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency – a 129-fold increase over the next 10 years.

This new report comes as governments and the fossil fuel industry consistently talk up CCS as a way of combating climate change. In the UK Government’s recent climate plan, the Prime Minister pledged £200 million investment into CCS initiatives and an Energy White Paper published in December said the Government wanted four CCS clusters by 2030. The European Commission's revised key energy infrastructure policy – TEN-E – allows a major role for hydrogen made using CCS, potentially locking it in for years to come.

Ken Penton, Climate Campaigner at Global Witness, said: “This important new research should well and truly put to bed any claims by the fossil fuel industry that CCS is a way for them to carry on with the same climate-wrecking policies they always have. It is perverse that the world's biggest polluters are in fact using CCS to extract more fossil fuels, creating more emissions.”

“CCS has been discussed for over four decades and never matched the lofty promises made by its proponents. Time is against us, and even if there were an astronomical acceleration in CCS deployment, the world’s 2030 climate targets still could not be met relying on CCS.”

“Tackling climate change requires transformational change of our economies and societies, with rich and powerful fossil fuel companies certainly no exception. The time has now come for governments to stop chasing the CCS unicorn and instead build vibrant renewable energy sectors and massively increase energy efficiency of homes and businesses. The best and most proven way to stop climate change is to keep fossil fuels in the ground.”

The report findings warn of carbon and methane emissions associated with CCS plants themselves, whilst there are ongoing question marks over where responsibility would lie to ensure the upkeep, regulation and safety of CCS transport and storage sites.

Instead of pursuing CCS, Global Witness and Friends of the Earth Scotland is calling on governments, in particular major CCS proponents such as the UK and EU, to focus rapidly increasing renewable energy generation and improving energy efficiency to decrease demand.

* The full report and a summary are available to download here

* Tyndall Centre https://www.tyndall.manchester.ac.uk/

* Global Witness https://www.globalwitness.org/en/

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Jersey islanders invited to join citizens' jury on assisted dying

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 06:05:33 +0000

Jury members will be selected to demographically represent the Island’s population.

Jersey islanders are being invited to take part in a Citizens' Jury that will consider whether assisted dying should be permitted in Jersey and if so, under what circumstances.

Invitations will be sent to a random sample of 4,600 Island households asking anyone aged 16 or over who is living in that household to register their interest in joining the Citizens’ Jury.

Jury members will then be selected at random from those who registered their interest. Those selected will demographically represent the Island’s population. The Jury will take place via online sessions in Spring 2021 and will make recommendations for consideration by the States Assembly before the end of 2021.

Deputy Richard Renouf, Minister for Health and Social Services said: “I committed to establishing a Citizens' Jury last year to consider the sensitive issue of assisted dying. This unfortunately, had to be delayed due to COVID-19, but I’m glad we can start this process this year.

“Every member of the Jury will have a pivotal role in helping ensure that the States Assembly, and other key stakeholders, benefit from an in-depth understanding of our community’s response to assisted dying ahead of a debate later this year.

“I hope that Islanders will register their interest in participating. This is a real opportunity to influence and inform future policy and legislation in Jersey.”

An independent advisory panel has been set up in Jersey to ensure the integrity and robustness of the process, with UK based experts engaged to [ensure] adherence to best practice in participatory democracy.

Michael De La Haye, a member of the independent advisory panel, said: “The Minister has tasked us as Panel members with overseeing the integrity of the Citizens' Jury process, both in terms of its design and content. We will work with independent organisations, who are leaders in participatory democracy, to ensure that the make-up of the Jury represents our Island, and that the evidence presented to Jury members is balanced, accurate and comprehensive.”

* Government of Jersey https://www.gov.je/Pages/default.aspx

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Councils call for Ofsted school inspections not to be resumed

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 06:16:22 +0000

Councils are urging Ofsted to postpone the resumption of monitoring inspections for schools, to avoid adding to the considerable burden of school leaders and staff.

Ofsted has announced that from 18 January, it will start making monitoring inspections to primary, secondary and special schools and colleges graded inadequate or requiring improvement. These will not result in a grade. Ofsted says: "We will continue to risk assess monitoring visits carefully. Some aspects of a visit can only be done on site, so we will continue to visit in person where we can."

Responding to the announcement, Cllr Judith Blake, Chair of the Local Government Association’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Schools, supported by councils, have gone above and beyond to keep them open to vulnerable children since term restarted, making necessary changes in line with updated guidance at very short notice.

“Many schools have seen a significant increase in demand for places during this latest lockdown and are struggling to provide both virtual and actual teaching to children and young people amid huge pressure on their workloads and responsibilities.

“Schools and councils need to focus on providing education during the pandemic, without any unnecessary distractions. This is why we are urging Ofsted to postpone the resumption of monitoring inspections for schools, either in-person or virtual, until after February half-term at the earliest.

“Clearly there will always be a need for inspection where serious issues are identified, but all routine inspection activity was suspended during the last national lockdown, and this should be repeated during this latest lockdown to avoid adding to the considerable burden of school leaders and staff who are already exhausted due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

“Councils would also like confirmation that Ofsted has no plans to resume inspections of children’s services during the pandemic.”

* Local Government Association https://www.local.gov.uk/

* Ofsted https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Catholic bishops call on UK to 'forsake its nuclear arsenal'

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 06:11:53 +0000

The Bishops call on the government to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which comes into force on 22 January 2021.

A joint statement from the Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland, England and Wales has called on the UK Government to “forsake its nuclear arsenal” and to support the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which comes into force on Friday 22 January 2021.

The statement quotes from a message from Pope Francis’ to the UN calling the complete elimination of nuclear weapons a “moral and humanitarian imperative”. It also urges the UK to “strengthen its arms control regulations, tackling the manufacture and sale of other weaponry, which continues to destroy so many lives throughout the world.”

On Friday 22 January 2021 the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons comes into force. This is an historic milestone on the path to nuclear disarmament and an opportunity to refocus on genuine peacebuilding rooted in dialogue, justice, respect for human dignity, and care for our planet.

In setting out the “moral and humanitarian imperative” for complete elimination of nuclear weapons, Pope Francis reminded us that “international peace and stability cannot be based on a false sense of security, on the threat of mutual destruction or total annihilation.”

We urge support for the Treaty and repeat our call for the UK to forsake its nuclear arsenal. The resources spent on manufacturing, maintaining and upgrading these weapons of mass destruction, should be reinvested to alleviate the suffering of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society, for the Common Good of all peoples.

At the same time, we implore the government to strengthen its arms control regulations, tackling the manufacture and sale of other weaponry, which continues to destroy so many lives throughout the world.

Above all we pray: “Lord, Father of our human family, you created all human beings equal in dignity; pour forth into our hearts a fraternal spirit.

Move us to create healthier societies and a more dignified world, a world without hunger, poverty, violence and war.”

+Declan Lang Bishop of Clifton, Chair, International Affairs Department, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

+William Nolan Bishop of Galloway, Commission for Justice and Peace, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Scotland

+William Kenney Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham

* Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales https://www.cbcew.org.uk/

* Bishops Conference of Scotland https://www.bcos.org.uk/Home/tabid/76/Default.aspx

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Biden must close Guantánamo, says new Amnesty report

Tue, 12 Jan 2021 06:05:59 +0000

Eleven years ago Vice-President Joe Biden said the Obama adminstration would close the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay.

US President-elect Joe Biden should close the US military detention centre at Guantánamo Bay when he assumes the presidency later this month, said Amnesty International, as the organisation published a new report marking the 19th anniversary of the notorious facility.

Eleven years ago, speaking as Vice President at an event in Germany, Biden said the Obama presidency would “uphold the rights of those who we bring to justice. And we will close the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay” – a pledge which remains unfulfilled.

Amnesty’s 62-page report documents a catalogue of human rights violations perpetrated against those detained at the camp where victims of torture are held indefinitely and without fair trials. Transfers out of the facility have stalled and those cleared for release remain incarcerated.

Detentions at Guantánamo began out of a decision taken by the Bush administration to frame the USA’s response to the 9/11 attacks as a “global war on terror,” bypassing human rights protections. Amongst numerous human rights violations, crimes under international law such as torture and enforced disappearance were committed against detainees held at secret facilities operated by the CIA.

Amnesty’s report calls for renewed urgency on the issue of closing Guantánamo and resolving the plight of the 40 people still held there. Daphne Eviatar, Director of Amnesty International USA’s Security with Human Rights Programme, said: “This is about more than just the 40 people still held at Guantánamo – it is also about the crimes under international law committed over the past 19 years and the continuing lack of accountability for them. It is about the future, too, as we move towards the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks and strive for enduring justice.

“These are detentions that are inescapably bound up with multiple layers of unlawful government conduct over the years – secret transfers, incommunicado interrogations, forced feeding of hunger strikers, torture, enforced disappearance and a complete lack of due process.”

* Read USA: Right the Wrong. Decision Time on Guantánamo here

* Amnesty International https://www.amnesty.org.uk/

Court case regarding Errol Graham to be heard

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 06:14:50 +0000

Mr Graham, who suffered severe mental ill-health, was found starved to death eight months after his ESA payments and housing benefit payments were halted.

On 12 and 13 January 2021, a judicial review hearing will be heard at the High Court to consider the case of Errol Graham who starved to death in June 2018 after his Employment Support Allowance (ESA) payments were terminated by the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) eight months earlier.

The claim, brought on behalf of the family by Alison Turner (the fiancée of Mr Graham’s son), alleges that the decision to halt Mr Graham’s benefits in 2017 was unlawful and that the DWP’s ESA safeguarding policy on the termination of benefits is still unlawful, despite revisions that were belatedly made following the issuing of these proceedings.

Mr Graham, who suffered severe mental ill-health, was found starved to death aged 57, eight months after his ESA payments and housing benefit payments were halted. He had missed a fitness for work assessment and had not responded when the DWP tried to contact him by phone and in person. The payments were terminated in line with DWP policy, without any effort to contact next of kin or other support services and without considering whether Mr Graham’s known mental health issues could have been the reason for his lack of communication.

When Mr Graham was found dead, he weighed just four and a half stone, there was no food in his flat and no credit on his gas or electricity meters. An unsent letter to the DWP was found which pleaded “please judge me fairly”.

Following the issue of court proceedings by Ms Turner the DWP has made several changes to the safeguarding policy that was applied in Errol Graham's case and it has published new internal guidance.

Whilst welcoming the improvements made, Ms Turner says the ESA safeguarding policy remains unlawful in key respects:

It puts the onus on vulnerable benefits claimants to prove to the DWP that they had “good cause” for failing to attend a meeting or not responding to communication. This is contrary to Regulation 24 of the Employment and Support Allowance Regulations 2008 and s149 of the Equality Act 2010.
It fails to make clear that the DWP has a duty (not a discretion) to make inquiries, including where necessary from external individuals and bodies, to obtain sufficient information about the state of the Claimant’s health so they can properly assess whether they had good cause for missing an appointment or not responding to communication. That is a rigorous duty in part because many such claimants (in the same way Mr Graham was) will be at serious risk of harm or death if their benefits are terminated.

At the inquest into Mr Graham’s death, the coroner said more detail about his condition could have been sought from his GP and noted that there is no guidance for DWP staff following “failed safeguarding visits” as had occurred in his case, and no requirement in those cases to seek more information before a decision to cease benefits is made.

The coroner called for “robust policy and guidance…that ensures all evidence that can reasonably be gathered is put together about a client, before a benefit is ceased”.

Ms Turner is asking the court to give a declaration that the DWP’s decision to disallow Mr Graham’s benefits in October 2017 was unlawful because it was in breach of s.149 Equality Act 2010 and Regulation 24 of Employment Support Allowance Regulations 2008. She says there were strong indicators that his mental health or disability may have given him good cause for not responding and he was known to have long term depression, and the DWP’s policy should ensure such indicators are identified and considered.

Mind, the leading national mental health charity in England And Wales has submitted evidence in support of Ms Turner’s case and the Equality and Human Rights Commission are formally intervening in support.

Alison Turner is represented by Tessa Gregory and Carolin Ott of Leigh Day solicitors and Adam Straw and Jesse Nicholls of Doughty Street Chambers.

Alison Turner said: “The DWP decision to stop paying Errol’s benefits meant that, without money to buy food and to pay for heating and lighting, in the end, he starved to death. Although at first the DWP maintained that their safeguarding policy was lawful, faced with a court case, they have made some changes to the policy.

“But these changes are not enough. It still falls to the vulnerable claimant to make sure the DWP knows why they have good cause not to respond to DWP enquiries. That makes no sense when vulnerable claimants might be too mentally ill to respond. For Errol’s sake, I have to challenge this policy so that other people don’t suffer in the way that he and our family did.”

Leigh Day partner Tessa Gregory, who represents Alison Turner in her claim, said: “Errol’s family have always made clear that their one goal in bringing this litigation is to try to ensure that no other families live through the same horrors they have. The DWP provide support to many others like Errol, who due to their significant mental health issues may miss appointments and may have difficulty responding to correspondence.

“It cannot be right that it falls to such vulnerable individuals to prove that they had a good cause for not responding and the DWP must require their staff where necessary to make further enquiries before taking the momentous decision of cutting off what is often a person’s only source of income. Unless and until the DWP changes its policies other vulnerable individuals will remain at risk of serious harm or death.”

Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of Mind, said: “Mind has heard from many other people who have lost loved ones in similar horrendous circumstances. Mind provided expert testimony to the hearing based on the views of people with mental health problems who we’re in touch with who have had to endure awful experiences at the hands of a benefits system, which is made needlessly complicated and stressful.

“Change can’t come soon enough. The pandemic has caused devastating financial insecurity, with more people than ever relying on the benefits system to keep them afloat through this difficult period. We want to see a fair and compassionate benefits system.”

* Leigh Day https://www.leighday.co.uk/

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UN concern at violations of civil and political rights in Viet Nam

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 06:09:34 +0000

An increasing number of independent journalists, bloggers, online commentators and human rights defenders are being arbitrarily detained.

Ravina Shamdasani, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has released the following statement about events in Viet Nam.

"On Tuesday, 5 January, three independent journalists in Viet Nam received severe sentences of between 11 and 15 years’ imprisonment after being found guilty of national security offences – a disturbing development that appears to be part of an increasing clampdown on the freedom of expression in the country.

"Pham Chi Dung, Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan, respectively chairperson, the vice chairperson and a young member of the Independent Journalists Association of Viet Nam, were convicted by the People’s Court in Ho Chi Minh City of 'making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the State' under Article 117 of the Criminal Code. Pham Chi Dung was sentenced to 15 years in prison and three years on probation. Nguyen Tuong Thuy and Le Huu Minh Tuan were each sentenced to 11 years in prison and three years on probation. All three individuals were held in lengthy pre-trial detention, and despite assurances given by the Government that due process was followed, there are serious concerns about whether their rights to a fair trial were fully respected.

"We are deeply concerned by the use of vaguely-defined laws to arbitrarily detain an increasing number of independent journalists, bloggers, online commentators and human rights defenders – in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). They are then frequently held incommunicado for long periods in pre-trial detention, with regular reports of violations of the right to a fair trial and concerns about their treatment in detention. Several of them have received lengthy sentences following their conviction for crimes against national security.

"The High Commissioner for Human Rights and a number of UN human rights mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Committee which oversees implementation of the ICCPR, have repeatedly called on Viet Nam to refrain from using restrictive legislation to curtail fundamental freedoms and to uphold its international human rights obligations. We also have serious concerns that individuals who try to cooperate with the UN’s human rights bodies are subjected to intimidation and reprisals, potentially inhibiting others from sharing information about human rights issues with the UN.

"We continue to raise these cases with the Government of Viet Nam, to call on them to stop the repeated use of such serious criminal charges against individuals for exercising their fundamental rights, especially to freedom of expression – and to unconditionally release all those who have been detained in such cases.

"We also urge them to revise and amend the relevant provisions of the Criminal Code to bring them in line with Viet Nam’s obligations under Article 19 of the ICCPR relating to the freedom of expression. People should be able to exercise these rights without fear of reprisals."

* Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/Home.aspx

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Government allows Cumbrian coal mine to go ahead

Mon, 11 Jan 2021 06:04:27 +0000

The decision undermines the government claims of global leadership on the climate crisis, says Friends of the Earth.

Secretary of State Robert Jenrick’s decision to allow a controversial new coal mine in Cumbria to go-ahead hugely undermines UK government claims of global leadership on the climate crisis, says Friends of the Earth.

Campaigners had hoped that the government would ‘call in’ Cumbria County Council’s decision in October to give planning permission to the controversial new coal mine – leading to a public inquiry.

In September 2020, Mr Jenrick rejected plans for an opencast coal mine at Druridge Bay in Northumberland, saying there is “limited objective evidence that the demand for coal for industrial purposes will remain at current levels beyond the very short term”.

Friends of the Earth coal campaigner Tony Bosworth said: “Mr Jenrick’s refusal to ‘call in’ this unnecessary and climate-wrecking coal mine shows jaw-dropping inconsistency.

“Only a few short months ago, the government cast real doubts over industry’s demand for coal, beyond the short-term, when rejecting an opencast mine at Druridge Bay in Northumberland. And last month the government said it would no longer support fossil fuel projects overseas.

“Allowing coal to be extracted from this proposed mine for over a quarter of a century completely undermines the government’s credibility on the climate crisis – especially ahead of the crucial UN summit later this year, which the UK is hosting. Global leadership on the climate emergency means leaving coal in the ground, where it belongs.”

Dr Ruth Balogh of West Cumbria & North Lakes Friends of the Earth said: “It’s astonishing and desperately disappointing that the government isn’t calling in this damaging coal mine. West Cumbia badly needs local jobs – but these should be generated by investing in clean energy and building a greener future, not industries that threaten the planet. The region has already experienced the effects of the climate crisis from recent flooding. Unless we say no to fossil fuels this will only get worse.”

Friends of the Earth says there are numerous reasons why a new, deep, coal mine off the coast at St Bees in Cumbria should be rejected, including:

Coal must be left in the ground to help the UK play its part in avoiding catastrophic climate change
A new coal mine means more climate-wrecking emissions
There are huge doubts over a market for the mine’s coal beyond the very short-term, despite the 29-year life span proposed for the mine. These doubts were echoed by Mr Jenrick in September, when rejecting an opencast coal mine in Northumberland
Cumbria should invest in long-term, green jobs for the future

Crucial UN climate talks are taking place in Glasgow later this year, hosted by the UK government.

* Friends of the Earth https://friendsoftheearth.uk/

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Far-right violence in USA: faith, nationalism, love and justice

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 18:07:05 +0000

Far-right violence in USA: faith, nationalism, love and justice

Brexit deal leaves workers’ rights and environmental protections at risk, warns IPPR

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 06:09:41 +0000

Under the agreement, commitments on workers’ rights and environmental standards to maintain fair competition are considerably weaker than expected, says the IPPR.

The new process agreed for safeguarding a 'level playing field' between UK and EU businesses after Brexit sets such a high bar for proof that key elements are likely to be enforced only rarely, according to detailed new analysis by IPPR published today.

The delicate compromise, designed to secure UK sovereignty while also meeting the key requirements for tariff-free trade, will be especially difficult to enforce if the UK fails to keep pace with improved EU levels of labour or environmental protection, the think tank finds.

Over all, IPPR highlights three important benefits among the gains made by agreeing the deal: tariff-free and quota-free trade in goods, continued social security coordination between the UK and the EU, including healthcare coverage, and continued data-sharing for security purposes. All these make it preferable to a no-deal outcome, the paper says, even though the UK economy is still expected to take a hit.

But under the agreement, commitments on workers’ rights and environmental standards to maintain fair competition are considerably weaker than expected. There is only a commitment not to lower current levels of protection in a way that affects trade or investment - which would be difficult to prove.

On the UK keeping up with any future strengthening of such rights and protections by the EU, the agreement is even weaker, IPPR says, making it more difficult to prevent differing standards over time. Any assessment of the impact of divergence must be based on “reliable evidence” and not mere “conjecture or remote possibility”, the agreement states. Even then, proposed “rebalancing measures” - sanctions in the form of tariffs, designed to compensate one side for an unfair disadvantage - face being referred to a complex arbitration system before they can be introduced.

This makes the prospect of such a sanction even more remote. As a result, the IPPR paper says, “rebalancing measures are only likely to be used in a rare number of scenarios”.

Marley Morris, IPPR Associate Director for Immigration, Trade and EU Relations, said: “This thin deal is better than no deal at all, but still creates major trade barriers with our closest neighbour, which will inhibit growth and slow the economic recovery.

“The protections it offers on labour and environmental standards are also surprisingly weak and appear to leave considerable scope for a UK government to weaken EU-derived protections. This leaves protections for workers, climate and the environment at serious risk of being eroded.”

*Read The Brexit EU-UK trade deal: A first analysis by Marley Morris here

* Institute for Public Policy Research https://www.ippr.org/

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Call for 'clear, unambiguous standards' to protect aircraft over conflict zones

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 06:03:12 +0000

The call from a UN expert came on the first-year anniversary of the strike against Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752, which killed all 176 people on board.

On the occasion of the first-year anniversary of the strike against Ukraine International Airlines (UIA) Flight PS752, which killed all 176 persons on board, a UN human rights expert called for urgent measures to protect civilian aircraft flying in conflict zones or areas of high military tensions.

“The downing of Flight PS752 sadly highlights the insufficiencies of the international conventions related to air safety, both in preventing military actions against civilian planes, and in ensuring proper investigations should they occur”, said Agnès Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

On 8 January 2020, 176 individuals lost their lives when their Ukraine International Airlines flight from Tehran to Kiev was struck by two Iranian missiles. The targeting of the Flight PS752 occurred in the context of heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States.

“This preventable tragedy requires urgent action from all stakeholders including States and airlines”, she said in a statement presenting a range of recommendations to strengthen the protection of the right to life of passengers on board civilian airlines.

Callamard said that in situations of military tensions, whether or not they are recognised as armed conflicts, the most effective means to prevent attacks on civil aviation is closing the airspace. All other options are secondary and may subject civil aircraft to risk. Yet, too often, States fail to do so for commercial or political reasons, she said.

“The international community must establish clear, explicit and unambiguous standards on when States should close airspace under their jurisdiction,” Callamard said. “If States are not acting responsibly to close the airspace under their jurisdiction, or restrict flights, then it is incumbent upon other States and airlines to take immediate action to restrict carriers from flying over or near a conflict zone.”

The expert also called on airlines to make their flight paths available to the public and to strengthen their capacity for risk assessment, including by following the highest standards and checking all information sources when planning flights routes.

“The many failings of the existing international system and institutions demonstrates the urgent need for a completely independent body (from both States and airlines) to monitor air safety in relation to conflicts, and to compile and disseminate information about risks to civil aviation related to flying over conflict zones,” Callamard said. “Such information should be made available to the public at large.

“Passengers and flight crew cannot be left at the mercy of States and airlines who put revenue and other motives ahead of safety. In a world of heightened military and political tensions, with a resurgence of conflicts and access to a multiplication of military grade weapons, the current international system responsible for civilian air safety is not fit for purpose. We must act now to prevent future incidents and save lives.”

The Special Rapporteur has written to the Iranian Government regarding the shooting down of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752.

Ms Agnès Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions has a distinguished career in human rights and humanitarian work globally. Ms Callamard is the Director of Columbia Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University and has previously worked with Article 19 and Amnesty International. She has advised multilateral organisations and governments around the world, has led human rights investigations in more than 30 countries, and has published extensively on human rights and related fields.

* Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Pages/Home.aspx

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Lovers and labels in coverage of same-sex marriage ruling (updated)

Thu, 09 Feb 2017 06:03:08 +0000

Update: Yikes! One of the drawbacks of media-criticism-on-the-go is the possibility of writing a post that, in retrospect, makes you sound really stupid. Such is the case with this one, which prompted reader Sarah Morriss to comment: You do know that “Virginia is for lovers” is the tourism and travel slogan used by the Commonwealth […]

Dak Prescott's unlikely rise continues: He's taken a dead-end position for Cowboys and given it life

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