Catholic Association for Racial Justice 25th anniversary National Celebration
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Catholic Association for Racial Justice. A programme of local events in every diocese of England & Wales explored the theme of The Changing Face of Britain.
The programme celebrates the ways in which the Church and wider society has changed for the better over the past quarter of a century and set out to read ‘the signs of the times’ to discern the challenges that CARJ will be called to address in the future.
Diocesan groups organised the events that took place throughout the year. This enabled each diocese to reflect on the local situation and to consider the specific initiatives needed to support vulnerable and marginalised groups, encourage dialogue and bring about a fairer and more equal society.
The events themselves were inter-denominational and multi-faith involving local government partners and young people. Crucially there was a strong emphasis on securing the participation of people from the different marginalised communities to enable their voices to be heard.
The programme will culminate in a national celebration at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday, 7 November 2009.
National Celebration to mark 25 years of CARJ
An invitation
CARJ invites you to a National Celebration on Saturday 7th November 2009, 11:00 am.
Westminster Cathedral
Victoria Street
London, SW1
10.30am - 11.00am
Tea/Coffee in Cathedral Hall
11.00am - 12.45pm
National meeting on the CFB programme speakers include:
Rt Hon John Battle
Member of Parliament for Leeds West, Chair of the All Party Group on Poverty, Member of the International Development Select Committee
Revd Rose Hudson-Wilkin
Church of England Vicar at Holy Trinity Dalston and All Saints Haggerston and Chaplain to Her Majesty the Queen
Dr Usama Hasan
Senior Lecturer at Middlesex University and Imam at Al-Tawhid mosque in Leyton
12.45pm - 1.30pm
Lunch in Cathedral Hall
2.00pm - 3.30pm
Mass in Cathedral with Most Rev Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, other Bishops and clergy
3.30pm - 4.00pm
Tea/Coffee in Cathedral Hall
4.00pm - 5.00pm
Event hosted by Young People on the Changing Face of Britain theme, with music, presentations and a debate
All communities are warmly invited to the Celebration including people from parishes, religious communities, other Christian denominations, other Faith communities, schools, civil society, politicians and the media.
Local events
In 2009, local events took place in every diocese of England and Wales exploring the theme of The Changing Face of Britain.
Further details can be found by clicking here.
Celebrating the achievements of the past 25 years
CARJ wants people to acknowledge and to celebrate all that has changed for the better over the past 25 years and the progress that has been made towards a truly diverse Church in a truly diverse society.
The achievements of the past 25 years include:
• overt discrimination being made illegal and largely banned from mainstream society,
• people of different backgrounds living and working together in all sectors of society,
• educational disadvantage being steadily overcome,
• churches and schools becoming communities of every language, nation, colour and culture and
• the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Commission for Racial Equality being replaced by a new Single Equalities Act and a newly formed Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
Addressing the future challenges
CARJ appreciates that many challenges still remain to achieving racial justice. We need to look below the surface, to read the signs of the times and to discern what role each of us is called to play in making society a more just and equal place for people from marginalised communities. CARJ has identified the following issues and groups who may need our support:
• Second and third generation black British people
• Muslims in British society
• New Migrants
• Asylum seekers and refugees
• Dalits
• Gypsies and Travellers
• Disadvantaged white vulnerable and marginalised communities
About the Catholic Association for Racial Justice
CARJ was set up in 1984 as an independent charity and is an Agency of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales. Our mission is to support and empower black and minority ethnic people to give them an effective voice in the Church and in wider society. We work to raise awareness of the issues of racial justice and we organise the annual celebration of Racial Justice Sunday.
Contact
For more information contact:
Rosie Bairwal
Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ)
020 8802 8080
www.carj.org.uk