We are the ones (we have been waiting for)

Protecting our Humanity

2008-12-11T04:04:00.000-08:00

The Church has always seemed to me to have a fairly ambivalent relationship with the idea of human rights. For Christians who believe in the inherent God-given dignity of human-kind, there is clearly a firm basis for what we call 'natural rights' but in spite of this, there has been a tendency to view the 'human rights agenda' with some suspicion. But perhaps the tide is turning... in recent months I attended a seminar hosted by CARE which was a fascinating insight into the historical origins of the Universal Declaration and yesterday, the 60th anniversary since the UDHR, Nick Sagovsky of Westminster Abbey used the opportunity to highlight the plight of people seeking sanctuary in the UK, calling for a more humanitarian approach to asylum policy. Instead of casting doubt over the validity of human rights, which seems rather in vogue amongst some politicians, this is an opportunity for people of faith and of no faith to work together, speaking up for and protecting our common humanity. But we cannot pick and choose - these are human rights for all, not just for those who believe as we do. Everyone for example, has the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution. Similarly, the freedom, enshrined in the UDHR to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, remains as relevant today as it did in 1948.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad

2008-10-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

So I'm a student again :-) which means plenty of time for blogging and for film-watching. On a bit of a whim, I went along to the ICA to see Heavy Metal in Baghdad, a documentary charting the lives of 5 young Iraqis who make up Acrassicauda, a Metallica-inspired heavy metal band who formed in 2001. This is an incredible film, and it took a huge amount of courage to get it made - both on behalf of the film-makers and the band members. Watching the band in their early days dedicating a song out of obligation to Saddam is almost comical but we soon see their hopes of a better future dashed in the aftermath of invasion. Having lost friends, family and unable to meet with one another safely in Baghdad, nearly all the band end up living as 'heavy-metal refugees' in Damascus, without status, the right to work and ultimately, without their music - forced to sell their guitars to pay the rent. I hear that the band are now in Turkey so things move on and the band are continuing to post on a blog.... here's the latest published in May:

"Every day brings new challenge that you are not up to with out your power sources. Your music, your home, your friends and so much more living of the broken hopes and dreams of the day that you will be able to gain all of them back. The only thing you got in your pocket to rely on is your belief. This is the only thing that keeps us all going forward and not look back."

At this time of intense political debate, both in this country and in the US, this film is a timely reminder of the power of politics and the devastating impact of war on young people who are just trying to get on with their lives - young people who have the same hopes and dreams as you and me.

Faith in politics?

2008-04-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

This is old news now but still relevant - especially in light of the recent speech by Tony Blair. CSM held the Tawney dialogue a week or so ago, exploring the links between faith, politics and the quest for social justice. Apart from the dull AGM bit where I had to present the strategic plan (!) I think it was a really stimulating evening with Canon Nick Sagovsky and Welfare Reform Minister Stephen Timms MP, reflecting on Tawney (and particularly his approach to capitalism and the accumulation of wealth), how politicans and clergy can mutually support one another, and considering how in each of their different capacities, they can contribute to working for a just society. Nick Sagovsky put forward four principles which he proposed should underpin our quest for social justice:

1. The maximisation of liberty (or opportunity)
2. Promotion of a system of law that commands popular assent, including at an international level
3. Meeting of needs and the promotion of well-being
4. Exercise of responsible judgement

He ended with a 'defence of politics' a la Bernard Crick, reminding us all that the alternative to democratic politics is discord, violence and ultimately, war - a timely reminder, just several weeks before elections in this country, that whilst voting may seem irrelevant to many, it is ultimately part of a process that allows us all the get on with our lives and we all have a duty to participate.

As well as a pic of the event (courtesy of my co-Vice-Chair Kerron Cross), I've also posted an event of a visit that CSM Officers (including myself, Andrew Bradstock and CSM Chair Alun Michael MP) made to City Gateway, a faith-based project in East London that is working with young people to give them the confidence and skills they need to get on in life - a wonderfully inspiring afternoon and great to see (contrary to the myth that the Tories keep peddling) that organisations motivated by their Christian faith have been able to access public funding.

Passion

2008-03-04T15:17:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd return to blogging with a good post title :-)
It's been a long while.... still no comments though so perhaps the need to say something controversial?
I thought I would share some thoughts about the recent screening of the BBC One 'Passion' which is going to be shown across Easter week. In itself, this is a fantastic production and I hope that people watch it, are impressed by what it accomplishes and are challenged by the message of the film. Essentially this is a 'story' packed full of drama and complexity and Joseph Mawle gives a compelling performance as Jesus, managing to be both tender, particularly with women and children, and determined - especially in his encounters with the religious leaders. In the panel discussion that followed I was struck by the team behind this film, talking about their desire to tell a story that was accessible to all, regardless of their faith background, and above all to create a deep sense of 'unconditional love' - their words not mine and I hope it succeeds! There was one thing that was troubling me throughout the screening - I wasn't sure how to articulate it during the Q&A but then the penny dropped on the way home - wasn't it slightly ironic to pack the room full of Church leaders (or blaggers such as myself) who are part of the establishment, responsible for much good but also subject to much privilege, to watch a film about the subversion of authority. What the BBC should have done was to have a free party for those who don't get treated to free wine on a regular basis - now that would have been good PR!

Zero Degrees

2007-10-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

I was absolutely bowled over this week by a dance production that I saw at Sadlers Wells. A collaboration between Akram Khan, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (both dancers), Nitin Sawhney and Antony Gormley. The programme says that 'zero degrees explores borders - between countries, cultures and, most importantly, between life and death'. It may sound a little pretentious but it REALLY worked and the story-telling, beautiful music, incredible athleticism from the dancers and their interaction with the Gormley life-size casts, made for a mesmerising evening. If you ever get this see these guys collaborating again, you must go!

Conference Blues

2007-10-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

The observant among you will notice that I forgot to blog about the party conference this year. This is in part due to laziness but I was also pretty fed up with all the coverage. There was some pretty sensible debate on the fringe (although most of the meetings are run and taken over by professionals - like me - and everything seemed a bit sanitised and lacking conviction) but the only story the media were interested in was the non-election. At Lib-Dems, there could have been some good public debate around the regularisation of migrants (scroll down) but the journalists only seemed to care about Ming - there might be a story now but there wasn't one in mid-September. So I'm pretty fed-up - yes the Prime Minister could have killed the election speculation and must take some responsibility but the media have driven the political agenda over the last month and I find it depressing.

CSM stuff went really well - we had a well-attended conference service, with Leslie Griffiths speaking on the Beatitudes (GB did the reading) and some great songs from Andy Flan. Because of work (not lie-ins!), I didn't get to all the breakfast meetings, but I was able to make it along to the event with Jack Straw focusing on inequality and the wide-ranging social consequences of unequal societies. Definitely food for thought and it was encouraging the see the Secretary of State so engaged in the dicussion. And yes, I made my conference debut - no photos I'm afraid, but I really enjoyed the opportunity to speak alongside Ed Miliband and to think about how values drive our voluntary action.

On the subject of voluntary action, I've been thinking a bit about whether it is appropriate for charities to speak on the main stage at conference. There seems to be a trend (particularly noticeable at Conservative Conference) for celebrities and charities to address conference, and I'm not really convinced that this is the right place for them. At the very least, there is a certain political naivety I think - in appearing to endorse a party agenda. Don't know what anyone else thinks...

So I have THREE questions that came out of conference:
1. Who is holding the media to account in this country?
2. How can CSM push Government to take inequality, not just poverty, seriously
3. Should charities accept invitations to speak on main stage at any party conference?

Supporting the monks in Burma

2007-09-27T10:04:00.000-07:00

Events are unfolding in Burma with a strange sense of inevitability and it all feels a bit voyeuristic. In 1988 thousands of protestors were killed in Rangoon as they protested against the military dictatorship and noone heard about it but this time is different and I am hoping and praying that there will be a peaceful transition to democracy in the country - the Junta know that the world is watching and decisive action must be taken by the global community. This throws up a whole number of issues for democratic socialists who are pro-peace and anti-fascism. I've had some thoughts on this going around my mind ever since I read What's Left by Nick Cohen - fundamentally, Nick Cohen argues, the Left should be defined by their determination to stand in solidarity alongside our brothers and sisters fighting fascism, wherever they may be in the world. I was first introduced to the tragedy of military rule in Burma when I spent a university summer working in Northern Thailand amongst Karen refugees. We could only stare at Burmese border, unable to cross because of the severe fighting - at the time the Burmese Junta had stepped up their campaign in Karen state, burning villages and raping women. Whilst we were there, our hosts told us the most horrendous stories of rape and murder, and we met children who had been orphaned, some of whom had seen their parents killed. At the time it was too much for me to cope with and returning to England I didn't really know what to do with the knowledge. I found out about some of the advocacy work that Christian Solidarity Worldwide were undertaking (www.csw.org.uk) and started writing letters to Total, a French oil company who have been major investors in Burma and making use of the Yadana pipeline that has been constructed using forced and child labour. I also spoke to an old school friend who had started an educational charity working with the Karenni following a gap-year experience that had transformed her life. Steph tragically died in Thailand but the work of her charity, the Karenni Student Development Programme continues and an article appeared in the Telegraph a few years back:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/global/main.jhtml?xml=/global/2003/03/04/elsteph04.xml

I don't really know what the answer is but we need to support and pray for those protesting in Burma, stand in solidarity and don't whatever you do, fill your car up at a Total petrol station.

CSM Youth Residential: On Earth as it is in Heaven

2007-09-21T15:36:00.000-07:00

Am taking a bit of a break from packing for party conference and realised that I hadn't blogged for a while. Wanted to write a bit about the CSM Youth Residential that took place a couple of weekends ago now but also thought I'd draw your attention to this article written by Tristram Hunt in the New Statesman about the contribution of Protestantism to the Labour movement. He ends the article by urging a return to Christian Socialist principles and is well worth a read: http://www.newstatesman.com/200709060025

So onto the residential - I really enjoyed this weekend, probably even more than last year and a wide-range of people bringing quite different perspectives to our discussions. We had several key-note speakers, including Skills Minister David Lammy. Sorry to bring up Jon Cruddas again but Jon also joined us and I was impressed by the way in which he was able to engage everyone there, particularly those who were Christians on the Left, but not members of either CSM or the Labour Party. Jon talked about churches in his consituency being 'on the frontline of political action' and drew on the work of London Citizens in addressing the issue of migrant workers who need to have their immigration status regularised in order to work legally. The Lib-Dems have actually just agreed to a one-off regularisation for people who have been here for more than ten years. This is laudable but is really too long. We're not talking about people on benefits - we're talking about people who want to work, often with children who have been born in this country, who cannot earn a living legally. Ten years is too long to live in limbo - for more info visit the Strangers into Citizens campaign website: www.strangersintocitizens.org.uk

Greenbelt 07: Heaven in Ordinary

2007-08-28T14:39:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Greenbelt and felt that a quick blog was in order. As always, there is loads to think and write about (so more to come) but thought I would give a quick mention to Douglas Alexander and to some of the CSM activity at the festival. This year, we took Gordon Brown to Greenbelt (see the pic) and even smuggled him into the Organic Beer Tent (without a wristband!) - the Greenbelters were very ready to engage with the cardboard PM at the CSM stand and the overall tone of debate and discussion was really constructive. Douglas Alexander was also there (with a wristband) in conversation with Simon Mayo and I was genuinely surprised by the enthusiastic response that he received from the large crowd who were there - while there were some challenging questions including on Iraq and Afghanistan (as there should be at Greenbelt!), the overall atmosphere was much less confrontational to previous years and there really did seem to be a willingness to engage with the 'new' administration. Interesting times....

Economically Left, Socially Conservative?

2007-08-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

At the recent CSM hustings, someone asked Jon Cruddas whether there was room in the Labour Party for those who were "socially conservative". He somehow managed to get away with a throw-away line about the party being a broad church - for all his thoughtfulness on subjects such as housing and migration, he was unable and unprepared to give a serious answer. So what do we mean by social conservatism and is it desirable? If the term social conservatism is just a cover for discriminatory attitudes, then I want nothing to do with it - not everyone will agree with me but Desmond Tutu expresses my thinking when he says that, "to discriminate against our sisters and brothers who are lesbian or gay on grounds of their sexual orientation for me is as totally unacceptable and unjust as Apartheid ever was". But I think that social conservatism is about more than sexuality - it's about family (in all its varied forms), belonging, and an awareness that some of the social trends in Britain are not at all 'progressive'. The Prime Minister has tried to distance himself from the 'puritan' image that the sketch-writers are so desperate to pin on him and at a recent press conference he compared himself the Mark Twain - Mr Twain, he noted, had had a very Puritan background. “He arrived in Nevada and he found drinking and gambling and womanising. And he said: ‘This was no place for a Puritan and I did not long remain one!’ ” However the evidence so far suggests that Gordon Brown is approaching social issues from a different perspective to his predecessor - a u-turn on supercasinos, the possible re-classification of cannabis and a fresh look at the licensing laws... The cynic might argue that this is all an attempt to win over Daily Mail readers in his first 100 days. This remains to be seen but I think that the time is ripe for Christians on the Left to rediscover their roots a little and to use their resources to help the Party tackle some our most significant social challenges.

It's fun to stay...

2007-06-14T04:29:00.000-07:00

Haven't written anything for a while as I've been busy going on holiday and changing jobs etc... After nearly 3 years have left my job at the YMCA which feels very odd. It was the right thing for me to do but I feel now like I've left a big worldwide family and am a little bereaved :-( I have such a lot of affection for the YMCA and it is after-all the inventor of basketball...

During my time at the Y, it got me thinking about what it means to be inclusive and Christian and how we involve those in the movement who may be at a different point in their spiritual journey. There will always be endless debates about the 'C' in the YMCA but something someone once said really struck me - she said that the YMCA is actually what Church should be like and I think in many cases I agree with that... We can have discussions about the importance of 'inclusive Christianity' but in practice, this is really hard to work out - a lot of organisations and churches have got better at accepting and serving those who may have a different faith or lifestyle but inclusion is about more than service. To be genuinely inclusive, you have to be responsive and empower, giving those who are different to you the possibility of managing, directing and influencing. This throws up loads of sticky questions but ultimately, it's the only way forward... The YMCA at its best is trying to work this out and this is why I will miss it. Here's a little photo from World Council in South Africa last year - a vigil that we held for victims of violence in the Middle East and the bombings in Mumbai.

CSM Hustings Event

2007-05-24T14:39:00.000-07:00

In my capacity as Vice-Chair of the Christian Socialist Movement (CSM) I helped to organise a hustings event on Tuesday for all the candidates standing for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party. Everything went incredibly well (much to my surprise) - blu-tac on the signage failed only once (!) and there was a good turnout - I just wish more people could have been there to witness the debate. We rarely hear politicians talking positively about the values that drive them as they are so often on the defensive, responding to a media agenda driven by conflict. I am all for challenging politicians and holding them accountable, but we just don't get the space for this kind of discussion. CSM wanted to hold this event to engage in a constructive way with the candidates, to allow them to talk about faith and values, and to see what issues of social justice they would prioritise as deputy leader. All of them were positive about the contribution of faith in society - some certainly more comfortable with the idea - and all acknowledged how important Christian Socialism has been in the history of the Labour Party. If you had asked me yesterday who I was going to be voting for, I would still have been non-commital but after a thorough lunch-time chat with my Dad today, I have decided that I will be voting for Jon Cruddas. Part of me would like a woman to work with Brown, but I find Harriet Harman unconvincing and Hazel, despite performing excellently at the hustings, still doesn't do it for me. Another part of me is worried that Jon Cruddas would harm the Labour Party's 'electability' (despite his claim at the hustings that New Labour isn't 'new' enough)... so I was thinking of voting for Hilary Benn although would prefer him in the Foreign Office. But I thought about it today and I would be betraying myself if I didn't vote for Jon - he is honest about the challenges facing the country - he recognises that unregularised migrants are some of the most vulnerable in our society, he has been quick to criticise 'racialisation' of the housing debate, he thinks renewal of trident is a big mistake and wants to revive party democracy. This is why I joined the Labour Party and at the end of the day, if we lose the next election, I don't think it will be down to our choice for deputy leader.... and one of his heroes is Oscar Romero.

Left or Right?

2007-05-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

If anyone is reading this, apologies for being so quiet, especially with all the election excitement. I won't say very much about the local, Scottish and Welsh elections as it is soooo last week now - especially with Tony Blair's resignation expected tomorrow morning. But what it does underline is the need for the Labour Party to really renew itself locally, at the grassroots. I haven't yet made up my mind about the contest for deputy leadership, but I will be listening very carefully to the ideas that are presented at the CSM hustings event... And we have also had election fever across the channel. Depite being won over by their electoral system (c'est magnifique non?) I am unlikely to be convinced anytime soon by Nicholas Sarkozy. Having labelled delinquent youths as 'scum' and having used highly inflammatory language against immigrant communities, he is now attacking the 35-hour week. This is a bit of a pet issue of mine - despite the need to maintain economic competitiveness, I am convinced that our long hours culture has led to a whole host of other problems - relationship breakdown in families, children not seeing their parents and a massive increase in stress-related illness. Do the French really want this?

In praise of David Mitchell

2007-04-21T10:57:00.000-07:00

One of my most proud recent achievements has been finishing David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. After 3 months of carrying it around with me with a vague hope of getting through a couple of pages on the bus, I discovered that it was actually rated in the top 10 most unfinished books, coming higher than Crime & Punishment and just below Ulysses. Not wanting to be defeated, this spurred me on a bit and, although it has taken a while, it turned out to be one of the most interesting and exciting books that I've read in a long time - am pretty convinced that David Mitchell is a genius. The beginning does put you off a bit - fact - and a sample sentence from the middle 'tale' that took approx a month to read, "You'll mem'ry I, Zachry, was curled in my hideynick in the Icon'ry, list'nin' to Naples tellin' that mildewy yarn to my unwelcome dwellin'-guest an' showin' Meronym his fam'ly icons o' dead lifes." So the language is difficult but one of the points of the book is that ideas transcends language and time. There are 6 stories, connected by a stark analysis of human greed, a clear warning for the future but with a clear offer of redemption - it is a useful critique of the idea that we have to plump for an idea of human beings as essentially evil or essentially good and in the same vein as a book like 1984, suggests that an overly controlled society will ultimately self-destruct. We are introduced to a whole array of characters and across all the stories is the idea of the 'small man' fighting against the system. This is most clearly played out in An Orison of Somni where we learn about a future but worryingly familiar world, governed by a ruthless corporation, reliant on human clones and where certain 'brands' have been incorporated into everyday parlance - However Sloosha's Crossin' does point towards renewal, towards another world, and if anyone thinks that David Mitchell is too pessimistic about humanity, they should focus on the book's last sentence, a word of advice from Adam Ewing's father-in-law, "Yet what is any ocean but a multitude of drops?", lifted straight from Mother Theresa. Very challenging but very satisfying :-)

Jesus the Radical

2007-04-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

On recommendation from my brother, I watched Pier Paulo Pasolini's film The Gospel According to St Matthew over the Easter Weekend... all the blood, gore and aramaic in the Passion of the Christ didn't really appeal! Rather than focusing on Jesus' death, the emphasis is on Jesus' life and teaching, portraying him as a political radical who was intent on challenging authority. Pasolini I don't think was a Christian although he was a communist and admitted after making the film, that this 1964 interpretation reflected his own politics. I have always viewed Jesus as a social activist and it was a delight to watch a film that brought out the revolutionary nature of Jesus' words and actions. But I did feel that Pasolini's Jesus is a bit of an enigma, always entrancing but rarely relational. And he barely smiles the whole way through the film! But it is beautiful - go watch and see what you think!

Art for All

2007-04-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

I stumbled into the Gilbert & George exhibition at the Tate Modern yesterday and it has been really interesting reflecting on some of the pieces, especially in light of Good Friday. The exhibition is of course irreverent and deliberately shocking, but also bursting full of ideas and energy. I especially liked (although maybe 'like' is the wrong word) The Dirty Words Pictures, created in 1977 out of graffiti and images of social degradation. The pictures that really got me thinking are those works that combine sacred religious imagery, particularly the cross, with the sexually explicit and with graphic pictures of bodily discharge... I don't think it's coincidental that this was the emptiest room! In the exhibition guide, the duo are quoted as saying, "We consist of the stuff. It's our nourishment, it belongs to us, we're part of it, and we show this in a positive light". It is of course uncomfortable to look at but the point they are making is very democratic and a real manifestation of "Art for All". At the end of the day, when status and wealth are stripped away, this is the stuff of humanity - a great leveller! The later work does become much more aggressive towards religion, especially religious fundamentalism and the cross becomes the focal point for all of this anger. Sometimes I think that we are too encouraged to be 'unshockable'. These pictures are shocking and Christians shouldn't just accept them. However the true blasphemy lies not in the pictures themselves, but in any teaching that has allowed the cross to be interpreted as a symbol of oppression, rather than the greatest symbol of freedom.

Maiden Blog

2007-04-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

So I have decided to become a blogger despite my fears that it is:
i) far too technical for me
ii) wholly self-indulgent
iii) only for self-publicists and/or those trying to make friends and influence

Despite all of this and the possibility that point iii) does actually apply to me, I have taken the plunge and maybe one day someone will find this site and read my ramblings. The main reason for starting a blog is to give space to some thinking around faith and politics. The title of this blog "we are the ones (we have been waiting for)" came initally from a speech I heard Jim Wallis, www.sojo.net give last year and the phrase stuck in my mind. I love the urgency and the immediacy - our generation is so apathetic and this statement is counter-cultural - it's a call to action. While checking it out on the web, it turns out that it was originally from a South African poet called June Jordan and then also used by Alice Walker as the title of a fairly recent collection of essays focusing on spirituality and political activism. Aside from really enjoying the faith-politics-feminisim combo, have a read of these words as I think this is beautiful:

And who will join this standing up
and the ones who stood without sweet company
will sing and sing
back into the mountains and
if necessary
even under the sea:

we are the ones we have been waiting for.