CARJ During the Pandemic
Report of CARJ Activities (Jan 2020 – Dec 2021)
Covid 19 has been with us for the past two years. During that time, CARJ has been very busy, and this Report is meant to briefly outline some of the main activities in which CARJ has been engaged during that time.
Ethnic Minorities and the Corona Virus
In April 2020, CARJ received an email from Rev Alfred Banya, Head of Chaplaincy at Kings College Hospital in London. He asked CARJ to raise the issue of the disproportionate number of BAME people dying from the Corona Virus On 24 April 2020, CARJ published a Briefing – Ethnic Minorities and the Corona Virus. The Briefing outlined the key issues, pointed to sources of information and welcomed the Government Inquiry and the Labour Party Review.
Information from the CARJ Briefing was included in an article by Ellen Teague in the Tablet 9 May 2020. Rev Alfred was interviewed on the Sunday Programme on 17 May and he has offered to help us take this matter forward. Rev Alfred produced a short paper on ‘The Impact of Covid-19 on the Black and Ethnic Minority (BAME); the social teaching of the Church and enabling the voice of the voiceless.’
Yogi Sutton prepared a letter which was circulated to Catholic MPs and Peers and then more widely. The letter asked ‘Friends and Fellow Citizens’ to do what they could to ensure that these issues were taken seriously by government and others.
Just as the effects of the pandemic were beginning to emerge, we heard from the USA of the killing of George Floyd on 25 May 2020. Protests, under the banner of ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘Stand Up to Racism’, started in the USA and quickly came to the UK. On 3 June 2020 CARJ published a Briefing – Police, Black People and Racial Justice – which traced the 40 year history of these issues in the UK and included a lengthy statement by Yogi Sutton.
Schools, Universities, Seminaries and Young People
CARJ has always worked with schools and young people, but as the pandemic took root, we responded to a number of new suggestions and requests.
With support from CAFOD, we offered a series of six Workshops for teachers and school Chaplains. The series was entitled: Diversity, Inequality and Racism in the UK: a Challenge for Catholic Education. The Workshops took place every few weeks between September 2020 and January 2021.
In addition we offered a number of Sessions for individual schools, education services, universities and seminaries.
- Nicole Moore gave presentations for St Philomena’s in Carshalton on 16 and 21 September and 20 October 2020.
- Nicole did a zoom presentations for students at Wimbledon College on 2 November 2020.
- Fr. Phil Sumner gave a workshop via Google to Sixth Form students from St. Robert of Newminster Catholic School and Sixth Form College, Sunderland on ‘Multiculturalism and working across different faith communities”.
- Nicole gave a series of presentations to students at St Aloysius College Highgate on 25 and 26 March 2021
- We also organised Zoom Sessions with Newhall School and with Westminster Education Service’s BAME Working Party.
- Nicole did two Sessions for Wimbledon College Students on 22 June 2021 and a Session for St Stevens Bexley on 25 June 2021
- 2 September – CARJ delivered a training session for an INSET day at Salesian College in Farnborough. .
- On 5 October 2021. Nicole made Presentations to Assemblies at St Josephs Primary in Bexley
- On 13 October 2021 Asha Sidhu and Fr Phil Sumner presented a CARJ Zoom Session on ‘School Exclusions and Alternative Provision’.
- Margaret Ann Fisken and Richard Zipfel made three presentations to students at Neston High in the Wirral on 25 and 30 November and 7 December 2021.
We had been planning a Racial Justice Ambassadors/Champions Project to train and involve young people in work for racial justice. Paulina Tamborrel Sigmore (Citizens UK) led five training sessions (as a pilot) on Saturdays 8, 15,22, 29 May and 5 June.. Feedback was very positive.
Helen Kilburn, Assistant Rector at University of Notre Dame London is preparing a new course on Colonialism for University students from the USA. The course will take place in the first semester of 2022. She has asked CARJ to participate and provide mentors for the students.
Fr Phil Sumner, Melvin Lyons, Margaret Ann Fisken and Yogi Sutton led in-person workshops for seminarians at Oscott on 27 May. They offered a second day of similar workshops at Allen Hall on 3 June 2021.
CARJ Urban Network
The Urban Network was due to meet on 25 March 2020, but the lockdown meant the meeting at Newman House had to be cancelled. Instead we organised a zoom session. The Session was led by Ed Cox, Director of Public Services and Communities at the RSA. He addressed the issues of ‘Northern Towns, Cities, regions and the North South Divide’. A Note of the session was circulated afterwards.
The Urban Network held another Zoom Session on 29 July 2020. The two main items discussed were: the call for a ‘race equality strategy for the UK’ and the proposed ‘Review of Catholic organisations and institutions’ in England and Wales.
On 3 August 2021, we held an Urban Network Zoom Session on ‘Critical Race Theory’. Fr Phil Sumner Chaired, and Richard Zipfel and Margaret Ann Fisken made Presentations. Following this event, we prepared and circulated a Briefing on ‘Critical Race Theory’.
CARJ Traveller Support Network
The Traveller Support Network met on 2 March, 22 June, 21 September and 7 December 2020 – also on 1 March, 7 June, 13 September and 13 December 2021 These meetings of the Network were an opportunity to share issues and concerns arising from the mission and ministry to Travellers. They were also an opportunity to discuss issues arising in the public realm. The following are a few of the key issues discussed at the meetings:
- a National Strategy to improve the lives of GRT Communities
- a Home Office Consultation on ‘Unauthorised Encampments’.
- concerns relating to Travellers under Covid-19.
- The 2021 Census
- The EU Settlement Scheme
- The proposed Royal Commission on Criminal Justice
- GRT Communities and Catholic Schools
- Matters relating to the ministry of chaplaincy to GRT communities.
During the pandemic, a few members of the CARJ Network have been participating in zoom meetings of the Churches Network for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers (CNGTR). CNGTR is an ecumenical network with similar aims.
Christian Network Against Caste Discrimination (CNACD)
Supported by CARJ and VODI, CNACD met regularly (usually bi-monthly), throughout the pandemic. CNACD is chaired by Fr Gerard Mitchell SJ from St Anselms Parish in Southall. CNACD held a Webinar on 9 June 2021 CNACD is trying to raise funds for a UK Dalit Desk.
Liverpool Project
Since 2013, CARJ has been supporting a satellite Project in Liverpool with Dale Bradshaw working with young people in the area.. The Liverpool Project has developed a Circle of Voices Gospel Choir with pupils from local primary schools. Another major initiative has been two after school homework clubs at Belvidere and Yates Court Homeless Shelters. Other developments have included an instrumental music initiative at St Vincent de Paul’s Catholic school, and an African Elephants Art Project and a Drama Project at four schools. During the pandemic some of this had to be put on hold, but Dale continued to work remotely with young people to support pupils in the Shelters with their home work.
Training and Talks
CARJ has been offering training to individuals and organisations throughout he pandemic.
- CARJ led a Session for the CSAN Network on 13 October 2020 on ‘Advancing Racial Justice.’
- CARJ offered an awareness raising session for the National Board of Catholic Women (NBCW) on 12 February.2021
- On 4 March 2021 CARJ led an evening Session on Racism for FaithJustice
- On 4 and 5 May 2021, CARJ offered a training-the-trainers session on ‘Working with Difference’ for its own members and friends.
- On Thursday 24 June 2021, CARJ organised a Zoom Session for members of the Editorial Staff and Board of the Tablet.
- On 25 October 2021, Yogi and Richard gave a talk at the London Jesuit Centre for Black History Month. The topic was ‘Catholics in the Struggle for Racial Justice in the UK (1970 – 2021)’
Articles for The Tablet and Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice
CARJ have had a few Tablet articles in the past two years and two articles appeared on blogs organised by the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice in Durham – one on Covid-19 and one on Fratelli Tutti.
Runnymede Trust
The Runnymede CERD Report was launched on 15 July 2021 The Report was prepared by the Runnymede Trust after consultation with over 100 civil society organisations CARJ is a signatory to the Report Later, CARJ marked Human Rights Day on 10 December by circulating a bulletin highlighting the Runnymede Report.
Black History
Through Barbara Kentish and Beverley Prevatt Goldstein, CARJ has been in touch with the African Lives in Northern England Project. In 2020 they produced a calendar. More recently, they produced a booklet – African Lives in Northern England from Roman Times to the 21St Century. CARJ supported production of the booklet and purchased 100 copies which we are giving away free of charge..
Institutional Racism in the Church – AGM 2020
CARJ held its AGM on 7 November 2020. Having often raised the issue of institutional racism, we were very happy to get as our main speaker Fr Azariah France-Williams, author of Ghost Ship: Institutional Racism and the Church of England. A rich discussion followed his presentation.
Glossary – AGM 2021
After months of work by Margaret Ann Fisken and an internal CARJ working group, the Racial Justice Glossary was launched at the CARJ AGM on 7 November 2021. The Glossary, which is intended to be ‘instructive not prescriptive.’ has definitions and descriptions of some 80 words and phrases relating to racial justice.
Synodality – CARJ Listening Sessions
Pope Francis has invited Catholics and the entire world to enter into a conversation on the theme of ‘Participation, Communion and Mission’. In response to this, and the invitation from the Bishops of England and Wales, CARJ ran two listening sessions on the 20th and 27th November from 10am-1pm. We considered the theme of ‘Participation, Communion and Mission’, through our distinct lens of racial justice and inclusion. Nalini Nathan planned and facilitated the Sessions. We will be preparing a Report from the feedback from these listening sessions.
Ecumenical Cooperation
Over the past few years, CARJ has worked with Richard Reddie, the Director of Justice and Inclusion at CTBI, on a number of matters. We contributed a chapter for a book to mark the 25th Anniversary of Racial Justice Sunday. We participated in their Racial Justice Advocacy Forum, We contributed to their Racial Justice Champions Project. And we have helped to plan Racial Justice Sunday 2022.
Fr. Phil Sumner also wrote a sermon for use on Racial Justice Sunday 2022 that was chosen as part of the material for publication
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Bibliography – CARJ Briefings and Other Publications
The following were prepared and published by CARJ or endorsed, promoted and used by CARJ over the past two years.
Recent Government Action on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Communities –
A new National Strategy and a new Consultation (CARJ Briefing, February 2020)
Ethnic Minorities and Corona Virus. (CARJ Briefing, 24 April, 2020)
The Effect of Covid-19 on Black and Minority Ethnic Communities. {A letter from Yogi Sutton to ‘Friends and Fellow Citizens’, 16 May 2020}
Impact of COVID-19 on the Black and Ethnic Minority): the social teaching of the Church and enabling the voice of the voiceless. Revd. Alfred Banya (21 May 2020)
Police, Black People and Racial Justice (CARJ Briefing, 3 June 2020)
The Winding Road to Racial Justice. Richard Zipfel (CARJ, July 2020) For the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice (CCSTP)
Fratelli Tutti and the Struggle for Racial Justice. Richard Zipfel (CARJ, 6 January 2021) For the Centre for Catholic Social Thought and Practice (CCSTP)
Report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (CARJ Briefing, 7 April, 2021)
Critical Race Theory (CARJ Briefing, 25 September 2021)
New book praises Bishops of England & Wales for their recognition of Institutional Racism in the Church (CARJ Briefing, 28 October 2021)
Racial Justice Glossary (CARJ, 7 November 2021)
African Lives in Northern England from Roman Times to the 21st Century (New Writing North, 2021)
Ethnicity, Race and Inequality in the UK – State of the Nation. Bridget Byrne, Claire Alexander, Omar Khan, James Nazroo and William Shankley (Policy Press, 2020)
England Civil Society Submission to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Runnymede Trust, July 2021)