by | May 16, 2013 · 3:52 pm

IF campaign: Laughter at the Religious lobby

Enough Food for Everyone IF relgious lobby of parliament. Credit: Geoff Caddick/PA

Credit: Geoff Caddick/PA

There was a lot of laughing – cheerful teasing between old friends, cries of delight when someone recognises a familiar face, patient good humour from nuns posing for photographs.

It’s the Enough Food for Everyone IF Religious lobby of parliament. The positive atmosphere is so infectious that even a policy expert – a profession not normally known for its light-heartedness – starts cracking jokes in his pre-lobby briefing: “The last time I stood up in front of this many nuns … I was 12 years old and at school.” He’s rewarded with gales of laughter.

The briefing over, clutching their papers and waving their placards, the merry band of campaigners go to parliament to meet their MPs.

Near the front of the group, a head or so taller than the others, is Sister Karen with her long stride, flowing white habit and unstoppable laugh. Alongside her is the much shorter Sister Erica from Zimbabwe, chanting and waving her arms in the air, holding her ‘Enough Food for Everyone IF we act and pray’ placard high. Two hundred or so more nuns, friars and priests follow on.

More photos and quotes from the Enough Food for Everyone IF lobby >> Continue reading →

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by | · 10:31 am

IF campaign: Hunger shouldn’t be a habit

Enough Food for Everyone IF Religious lobby of parliament [credit: Geoff Caddick/PA]

credit: Geoff Caddick/PA

Clare Lyons, CAFOD’s Head of Campaigns reflects on yesterday’s Enough Food for Everyone IF lobby of parliament.

A Japanese tourist stopped taking photos of Westminster Abbey to stare at the 200 monks, nuns, bishops and priests walking down the road.

The crowd was chanting and waving placards, one of which read “Hunger shouldn’t be a Habit”. The tourist nudged her friend. There was no discussion – this was clearly much more interesting than one of Britain’s most historic buildings.

The religious protestors were on their way to lobby Parliament, calling for action on global hunger. Many of these monks and nuns had lived in developing countries and seen the devastating impact of hunger.

They’d witnessed parents go without so their children could eat, and watched families sell everything they owned to put food on the table.

Hunger is the greatest scandal of our age, because the problem isn’t a shortage of food. Inequalities in the system that controls production and distribution mean that hungry people don’t get what they need. Put simply, there is enough food for everyone, but not everyone gets enough food.

It’s this message that’s at the heart of the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, of which CAFOD is a founder member. Along with 200 other organisations, we’re calling for concrete action by the wealthiest nations to start bringing an end to global hunger.

Religious communities have an incredibly important role to play in the campaign. That’s why monks, nuns, priests and vicars in training came to Westminster to make their voices heard.

More quotes and photos from the Enough Food for Everyone IF Religious lobby >>

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by | May 13, 2013 · 3:25 pm

Great generation: 12 months with CAFOD

Tom with members of the CAFOD North Wales team

Tom with members of the CAFOD North Wales team

My name is Tom and I’ve been invited to be this month’s guest editor. I’ve been volunteering in CAFOD’s North Wales office for 12 months, performing a wide range of tasks, from something as simple as putting a new contact into the database to preparing resources for an important event. It is safe to say each time I go into the office there is a new challenge waiting to be tackled.

Tom is this month’s guest editor for the Great generation enews. Sign up to receive it and follow us on Facebook.

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by | May 10, 2013 · 11:19 am

Myanmar: Archbishop condemns violece

A personal statement by his Grace Archbishop Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, made in response to recent religious violence in Myanmar:

To my brothers and sisters of all religions and none,

It breaks my heart to see the rising hatred and religious intolerance in Myanmar, and even more so to see waves of horrific violence and destruction. I am therefore writing this personal appeal to my Buddhist and Muslim brothers and sisters, to call for voices of peace and harmony to speak out loudly, to urge the Government to take urgent action to protect vulnerable communities and stop those who incite or perpetrate hatred and violence, and to urge all communities to unite to build a nation in which people of all religions and ethnicities can live with respect for each other, in peace and dignity. Continue reading →

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by | May 4, 2013 · 10:58 am

What’s changed in Zimbabwe: Reap what you sow

Chivi-Mapaike

Chivi Mapaike

by Nana Anto-Awuakye

Chivi Mapaike is a 65 kilometre drive from Masvingo town. The tarmac soon runs out and the rest of the journey is a bumpy dirt-track ride. The Masvingo boulders now seem to loom out from behind every cluster of trees or foliage. The landscape has turned a dry, sandy colour, and I’m told that over the last few years the area has suffered droughts because of shorter than usual rainfalls.

The dirt-track finally leads us to a small village that is effectively built on top of one of the boulders.  As we climb up, there is no hiding place from the sun’s rays, which bounce off the smooth surface of the rock. Jacob, 57, is at the top, waiting to greet us.

Jacob has just finished doing some work on one of his plots of land. He has a furrowed brow and a serious expression on his face, but as he sweeps his arm out in front of him, pointing out his plots of land and his cows, his expression breaks into a smile. He is proud of what he has achieved over the last few years. He says: “I have been able to buy these cows because of the benefits conservation farming has brought me, my family and the community.” Continue reading →

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