BRIEFING
White poppy campaign launched at time of spiralling conflict
THE Peace Pledge Union has launched its annual white poppy campaign, with the release of a statement in which it says: "When so many people in positions of power are distorting, belittling or dehumanising the suffering of others, it is vital that we remember everyone...
The UK’s Prevent Duty ‘incompatible with human rights’, says Amnesty
THE UK government’s flagship counter-terrorism policy Prevent is “fundamentally incompatible” with the country's international human rights obligations. says Amnesty International It disproportionately violates the human rights of young minoritised people, sweeps up...
BME women nearly 3 times as likely to be on zero-hours as white men
BLACK and minority ethnic (BME) women are now nearly three times as likely to be on zero-hours contracts as white men (6.8 per cent compared to 2.5 per cent), according to new analysis published by the TUC. The analysis shows that BME workers are significantly...
Charity calls for an end to housing benefit freeze
HOMELESSNESS charity Crisis is calling on the Westminster Government to stop the freeze on housing benefit as new statistics reveal rental properties across Wales are out of reach for those on the lowest incomes. New data analysis by Crisis and property website Zoopla...
Patriarchate of Jerusalem condemns Israeli shelling of civilian infrastructure
THE World Council of Churches (WCC) is standing in solidarity with the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which issued a statement on 31 October condemning the Israeli military’s bombardment of the Orthodox Cultural Centre in the Tel Al Hawa neighbourhood of Gaza. In this...
COMMENTARY
Israel, Palestine and the West: international law and human worth
AMIDST an alarming escalation of violence in the Middle East, the legality and morality of actions by governments or quasi-governmental bodies has been a key issue. This includes Western states, especially the USA but also the UK. With deepening tragedy and...
Justice, mercy, humility: a timeless response to the horror of modern war
MICAH the prophet: “Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly.” A focus for this time of renewed war and suffering. It may seem far too inward-looking in such terrible days to be dwelling on the challenge which the situation in Gaza poses to the pacifist/non-violent...
Australia’s ‘no’ vote: grieving with those who grieve
THE Australian Constitution does not recognise or acknowledge the original peoples of the land in any way, shape, or form. It was written during a time in which the driving concern of political leaders of all persuasions was to establish a 'white' Australia. When it...
The Human One: a beautiful marriage of art and faith
THE HUMAN ONE: Paintings that explore the Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus, the Christ is an exhibition of the work of Jeremy Thomas, artist in residence at St. Mary’s Priory in Abergavenny. I was privileged to see this beautiful exhibition at St Anne’s church in...
Fear and loathing in Uxbridge: we can do better than this
ULEZ. The oddly euphonious acronym has shown itself central to the combination of misrepresentation and fear which has come to characterise so much of current political discourse. That the air quality in our capital city is an ongoing cause for concern is well known....
MEDIA
UPDATES
Simone Weil: The spiritual vision in her life and work
OUR director, Simon Barrow, will be chairing an online forum looking at the spiritual vision of the compelling early twentieth century French philosopher, mystic and political activist Simone Weil. This will take place from 19:00 to 21:00 (UK time) on Wednesday 27th...
Solas Festival focuses on ‘Kindling Hope’
KINDLING HOPE is the broad theme of the Solas Festival 2023, which gathers in Errol Park, Perthshire, Scotland, this weekend, running from 4pm on Friday 16 June through to 6pm on Sunday 18 June. Once again, Ekklesia is delighted to be a sponsor of this exciting and...
Exploring intergenerational leadership
EKKLESIA'S DIRECTOR, Simon Barrow, is among the speakers at an online roundtable discussion being hosted tonight (Wednesday 7 June 2023) by the Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace. The full title of the event is 'Intergenerational Leadership:...