Columns (May 2009)
Green Links
by Janis Irvine
Last year I reported that there had been a worldwide effort, instigated by the World Wide Fund (for Nature), to get everyone to put off their lights for one hour as a sign to the world’s leaders to take action to tackle climate change. This took place again this year on Saturday, March 28 from 8.30pm, and in Britain was taken up by both individuals and corporate bodies around the country. Our household took part and, apart from my inadvertently sitting on our (very) black cat in the candlelight, we liked the experience so much that we continued to keep the lights off for three hours. The message was a serious one but the deed itself was a pleasant interlude of quiet cosiness that we much valued. It was a bit like camping when you realize that there is another, alternative, way of doing things which can actually be a good experience.
So what have I to report this month? In early January I read that climate change and overfishing are thought to be to blame for the threatened extinction of rockhopper penguins in the South Atlantic. Later that month it was reported that a similar fate awaits the emperor penguin which has declined in numbers from 6,000 breeding pairs in the 1960’s to a projected 400 pairs by the end of the century. The Antarctic sea ice is shrinking at a faster rate than can be accommodated by the penguins through natural evolution. Emperor penguins are long-lived and adapt slowly whereas the climate is changing at a very fast rate.
In March I read that global warming was causing the Alpine glaciers of Italy and Switzerland to shrink dramatically and that this has been so significant that the two countries are having to look at re-drawing the boundaries between their countries. The melting of glaciers and permafrost has created mud and rock slides and in some cases has altered the course of rivers which were often used as territorial boundary markers.
In early April it was reported that the Arctic ocean might be ice-free in summer within the next 30 years, which is three times earlier than scientists had predicted from earlier studies. This would have a devastating effect on polar bears which travel long distances over the Arctic sea ice in order to hunt for seals. In addition, sea ice acts as a reflector of the sun’s rays whereas seawater absorbs the heat from the sun, and this in turn warms the air above the sea. A few days later I read that an ice bridge in the Antarctic had shattered. This ice bridge was twenty-five miles long and was thought to hold a vast ice shelf in place. Temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula have risen by up to 3C and this is thought to have caused the collapse or diminishment of a number of ice shelves around the Peninsula in the past 50 years.
In March, Lord Stern addressed scientists in Copenhagen at a briefing meeting prior to the UN meeting to be held in that same city this coming December when the world’s leaders hope to agree a successor to the Kyoto Protocol climate treaty. Lord Stern produced his Review on the Economics of Climate Change in 2006 which is considered the most influential global warming document yet published and has been studied by governments in most major countries. Lord Stern reported to the scientists in Copenhagen that he had underestimated the risks of global warming in his review of 2006 and he feels that politicians have still not grasped the significance of climate change and the effect that rising temperatures will have on the human populations of the world. Lord Stern said that a global rise of 3C had not been experienced by the Earth for several million years and yet this level of increase was the prediction for the end of the current century, if no meaningful changes were made to our carbon emissions.
Humankind has only lived on Earth for 100,000 years — we don’t know what a rise of 3C would mean, but the effects of such an increase worldwide are likely
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Rural Affairs
by Dagmar Winter
Hunting out our Heroes
As reported in Link last month, the Church of England has teamed up with Country Life magazine to hunt for an elusive species: the unsung hero! Rural churches and chapels are often the thriving hubs of their communities. Together, Country Lifeand the Church of England are looking for the unsung volunteers - of any denomination - who keep them alive.
The competition – launched in the magazine’s Easter edition – will be seeking the volunteers who keep rural churches, chapels and churchyards thriving and at the centre of their communities. The aim is to highlight the wide range of voluntary activities taking place in and around those buildings – from maintaining the fabric against all odds to developing and taking forward an imaginative community use of the building.
As the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, writes in a special Country Life article to launch the competition: “In our countryside, armies of unsung heroes are keeping the circulation going in the community’s body. They are organising community celebrations and simple local services like mothers and toddlers groups or drop-in centres. But they are increasingly stepping into the gaps that have opened up in rural society in the last ten years or so.”
The Easter Country Life includes all the details of the Unsung Heroes competition, an entry form and instructions on how to submit nominations. Groups of church or chapel members can get together to nominate their own special hero.
In previous years, Country Life has run competitions about churches being used to serve the wider community. “This year’s is quite different: it is about people,” says Archbishops’ Council member Anne Sloman. “It is about the volunteers who keep country churches alive. That might be the organist, the flower arranger, the cleaner, the person who keeps the churchyard under control.
“Their heroism might be linked to children's activities or anything else taking place in the building: but it isn't about projectsso much as the heroes who run them.”
The competition aims to highlight the wide range of voluntary activities taking place in and around churches and chapels and their churchyards, ranging from maintaining the historic fabric to developing or managing imaginative community initiatives. And all this in addition to being places of worship and vital oases of calm and reflection in a busy world.
Nominations are sought for volunteers who:
- have initiated and taken forward projects which support the church building directly such as fund-raising activities or rejuvenating the churchyard; or
- help keep the building open as a valuable community resource by organising events such as weekly community lunches or concerts inside the church; or
- manage the setting up of a community shop, farmers’ market or post office, again inside the church or its grounds.
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View from the Lantern
by Canon Sydney Connolly
“The Geordie who saved England from Napoleon”
A little article in the Sunday Times caught my eye a few weeks ago. There is a series on “Unsung Heroes”, and there, in the corner of the page, was a picture of Lord Collingwood. Well, he may be unsung to some, but certainly here in the north east of England, he is well-known, and much loved. Why, there are even pubs named after him! You can find, all over this part of the world, streets bearing his illustrious name. In North Shields there is a handsome building called Collingwood Mansions, overlooking the Tyne, which is quite apt, since originally it was a home for sailors. A plaque on the wall says that it was built by the fourth Duke of Northumberland in 1845 – 6, to house 80 visiting seamen. Now (no surprise) it’s a block of flats.
Cuthbert Collingwood was appointed second in command to Nelson and played a decisive part in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, taking his ship, the Royal Sovereign, right into the heart of the conflict. The Sunday Times article says: “Without Canny old Cuthbert, it’s possible that Napoleon would have invaded England. Though Nelson still bags the Trafalgar glory, Britain may have many anonymous memorials to Collingwood, owing to his habit of planting acorns to grow timber for the Royal Navy”
One very imposing memorial to Collingwood stands inside St Nicholas’ Cathedral. It is certainly not an anonymous one! Telling us that he was “born in this town of an ancient family”, it goes on to pay tribute to his courage in a long and fascinating inscription includes these words:
In the memorable Battle of Trafalgar he led the British squadrons into action and pressed forward with his single ship into the midst of the combined fleets of France and Spain. On that day after the death of his illustrious commander and friend Lord Nelson he completed the most glorious and decisive victory that is recorded in the naval annals of the world. He held the command of the Mediterranean for nearly five years, during which he never quitted his vessel for a single day, displaying unrivalled professional skill and conducting many difficult and important negociations with great political sagacity and address.
This fascinating memorial is at pains to point out that there was more to him than his heroic deeds at sea:
In private life he was generous and affectionate, a pious just and exemplary man. A monument has been raised by Parliament to his memory in the Cathedral Church of St Paul’s where he lies by the side of the hero whom he so worthily succeeded in the Battle of Trafalgar.
The Collingwood memorial to the “Geordie who saved England from Napoleon” in our Cathedral is well worth a visit. Come and read the full inscription. And if people are serious about adding another national holiday in the autumn (it’s a topic that pops up quite frequently) why not Trafalgar Day (October 21st) when we could honour both the great Lord Nelson and our very own Cuthbert Baron Collingwood?
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Domestic Vioence: Expect Respect
by Jean Skinner
Domestic Abuse affects nearly 3 million children a year with 90% being in the same, or in the next, room when assaults, physical or emotional, take place.
The impact on young people growing up plays its part in shaping expectations about relationships, a fact borne out by research which suggests that one in five girls and one in 10 boys believe it is acceptable for a man to hit a woman.
When I worked in School Health and taught sex education in primary schools, I was amazed at how many 10 and 11 year old girls believed they simply had to put up with whatever a boy wanted. This idea had been formed by their experiences and sometimes simply because their mothers had told them that's how it was. It was evident that their belief system needed to be challenged and re-framed so that they might expect more from a relationship, and avoid being abused themselves by future partners.
We spent time considering what makes a good relationship and how to recognise a bad one, and they went away with some very clear messages. They did have a choice. They could say no, and sex was not compulsory. I believed this was important if these young girls were to form loving and respecting relationships. And I did similar exercises with the boys.
As we become more aware of domestic abuse and its impact, it is good to know that many agencies are recognising the importance of preventative education for young people, as well as providing help-lines for children and young people having to live with abuse in their families.
It’s now becoming widely understood that abuse and domestic violence happen when there is a lack of respect for one person in a relationship or within a family. When there is respect both partners feel free to be themselves, and they feel more trusting of each other. It’s about understanding and accepting that other people are different, that they have the right to make their own decisions and say and do what they want - as long as nobody else is harmed.
This is the essence of 'Expect Respect' part of the Body Shop Stop Violence in the home campaign, which has joined forces with Women's Aid. It has a website: www.thehideout.org.uk with free downloads that can be accessed by children and young people. And there is information about what it feels like to be in a family experiencing abuse with stories from young people who have experienced it.
It also helps young people to think about their own relationships, and there is a free downloadable booklet that helps them think through what constitutes a good relationship, with quizzes and check lists on what respect is all about and how it feels when love hurts.
Expect Respect looks at frequently asked questions and directs young people to sources of help and support. If you work with young people in your church, you might like to direct them to this website.
We have a responsibility to teach young people about equality and respect as part of the Christian Gospel - it is not God's will that we be abused. Jesus certainly didn’t expect his disciples to stay in a village that failed to show respect and care for them (Luke9:1-6) so why should we expect people who to stay in an abusive relationship ?
As we approach the season of Easter, helping people in our communities to access information that may save their own life, or the life of a parent, will indeed bring them New Life.
www.thehideout.org.uk
NSPCC & Childline – 0800 1111
Freephone: National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247
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Disability Matters: Offering a welcome to all
A thoroughly updated guide on how to make church buildings as accessible as possible to people with disabilities has been reissued this month.
Widening the eye of the needle helps those responsible for church buildings understand legal principles and the practical steps necessary to comply with all the relevant access and disability-related legislation. The re-publication of the guidance is a timely reminder of the need for churches to consider such issues, particularly if they are planning to reorder their buildings to accommodate more worshippers or extend their use as venues for community services such as art exhibition space or evening classes.
Following a major update to reflect the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, changes to the Building Regulations in 2004 and the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001, the book includes illustrations and a range of forms and checklists to ensure churches are meeting the needs of those who have special needs when attending services and other events. The book includes a pro-forma to assist in conducting a detailed ‘access audit’ of existing church buildings or plans for a new build or extension.
Writing ten years ago, the then Bishop of Hulme, Rt Revd Colin Scott, wrote in his introduction: “One of the striking characteristics of the Gospel narratives is Jesus’ concern for people with disabilities, but sadly the Church has, in the past, given little attention to their needs… Our responsibility as a Christian community, reinforced by our legal obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act, should make us determined that all members of the community can attend and participate in services easily and with dignity. I hope that this publication will assist congregations and their advisers as they seek to make this possible.”
Last month (24 March) the Government and the Church of England published guidelines to help religious groups identify funding and support for faith groups that will enable them to adapt their buildings for community use and build on their capacity to engage at local and regional level.
Janet Gough, Director of the Cathedrals and Church Buildings Division of the Archbishops’ Council, comments: “This book is part of a wider jigsaw that will help give local churches the big picture when they are considering reviewing their physical space. The Church is entrusted with some magnificent architectural gems, and we have to strike a delicate balance between protecting that inheritance for future generations while ensuring that churches’ physical environments are suitable for the diverse range of activities of the modern Christian life. Ensuring that our buildings are as accessible as possible is an essential consideration as part of reaching that balance.”
Widening the eye of the needle, priced £16.99 (ISBN 978-07151-4061-1), is available from Christian bookshops, or by mail order via the web at www.chpublishing.co.uk.
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Christian Aid Column: A Walk with Bishop Tom
Whether it’s a steady stroll or something more energetic, Christian Aid is inviting people from local churches to pull on their walking boots and help raise funds for worldwide educational projects, ensuring a brighter future for young people.
Signing up for Bede’s Way Walk on Saturday 6 June 2009, means you will be joining Bishop of Durham, the Rt RevTom Wright to walk the 12-mile historical trail between the monastic sites of St. Peter’s, Wearmouth, Sunderland and St. Paul’s Jarrow. The twin Anglo-Saxon monastery will be the UK’s nomination for World Heritage Site status in 2010.
Participants will set off in the morning and follow a safe and enjoyable path, offering a journey of rich and varied landscape.
Bishop Tom said: “Walking the Bede’s Way route is a very special and worthwhile way to boost Christian Aid’s fundraising efforts for young people in some of the poorest parts of the world.
"It’s also entirely appropriate to fund educational projects as Bede was a man of vision, known for his learning and creativity.
"I am looking forward to stepping out with local people across a site which next year will be nominated for World Heritage Site recognition. If successful it would rank alongside the Taj Mahal, the Sydney Opera House, and The Great Wall of China.”
Everyone is welcome - ramblers, families, people of all faiths and none, and Christian Aid supporters. And with every step you take you'll be helping to bring hope to some of the world's poorest people.The full walk is expected to take around six hours to complete, however shorter, more accessible routes will also be available in the afternoon. Taking part also means you can sign the Books of Life at each monastery, pledging your support for the World Heritage Site nomination.There is no registration fee, but you are asked to raise a minimum of £40 sponsorship (£60 per family). You can register by calling Christian Aid on 0191 228 0115 or online at www.bedewalk.neast.org.uk. Alternatively you can download a registration form on www.christianaid.org.uk/images/bedes-walk.pdf
After the day's exertions you’ll be able to enjoy free refreshments at Bede's World, collect your goody bag and certificate. And At 5:00pm you are welcome to join a short celebratory service at St. Paul's, Jarrow, with Bishop Tom Wright giving thanks for the work of Christian Aid.
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