Attendees (14): Diana Betts, Father Bryan (FB), Pauline Fabricatore, Madeleine Howell, Simon Howell, Ted Lams, Angela Martin, David McCabe, Mary O’Mahoney, Kathryn Salter, Roger & Ellen Wright, Ken & Yolande Wright.
Apologies were received from (2): Owen Clutton and Caroline Price.
Yolande Wright – The work of the Department For International Development (DFID)
Yolande works for DFID in Cambodia, having previously lived in South Africa and Bangladesh, and explained to us about her work, and the work of her department. DFID was set up in 1997, headed by a cabinet minister, and made fighting world poverty its top priority. Until then, Britain’s aid programme had been managed by a wing of the Foreign Office, and had mainly involved economic development. The Secretaries of State since inception have been Clare Short, Baroness Amos, Hilary Benn and is currently Douglas Alexander.
In 2007/08 DFID spent £5.3 billion on aid to poorer countries and the government has pledged to increase aid by 2013 to the equivalent of 0.7% of the UK’s gross national income, from 0.36% in 2007/08, thereby reaching the UN target for donor countries set back in 1970 and never previously achieved by the UK, nor by many other countries, with certain exceptions e.g. Denmark.
DFID is also working to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), international targets agreed by the UN to halve world poverty by 2015.
DFID in Cambodia works with both national government and NGOs working in the country. The department encourages closer partnership between the government and the NGOs, and supports reforms to tackle tough governance issues and to strengthen public accountability.
Yolande’s team focuses on natural resources and the environment, and supports sustainable livelihoods through fisheries, forestry and agriculture. Their work tries to bring increasing transparency and accountability to issues such as deforestation and granting of land concessions. They support many communities, including minority indigenous groups, to defend their rights and make a better life for themselves and their children.
The Khmer Rouge genocide, which wiped out a fifth of the population, and three decades of conflict that finally ended in 1997, left a big gap of experience. Cambodia is slowly rebuilding, with the booming younger generation being brought up to speed on education, management skills, etc. However people are still reluctant to move back to some rural areas, with landmines remaining a significant problem for at least the next decade. Average life expectancy is 57.4 years, with a third of the population unable to afford enough food. However Cambodia has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, and as a result of this progress, as well as support from a number of other donors, DFID will close its office in Phnom Penh in 2011.
Yolande stressed that individual letters on important issues, to our local MP or to the relevant Secretary of State, really do have an effect, not least in that they require a response! For more information on the work of DFID, or on volunteering opportunities, visit http://www.dfid.gov.uk/
Ken Wright – The work of the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC)
Ken works for Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), which was created in October 2008, to bring together energy policy (previously with the Department for Business, Energy and Regulatory Reform – now Business, Innovation and Skills), and climate change policy (previously with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), and is headed by Ed Miliband. Ken trained as a climate scientist, and was part of the DECC international negotiations team that recently returned from a UN meeting in Bangkok, where the ante-penultimate round of climate change negotiations took place, ahead of the Copenhagen conference. (There are just 5 days of negotiation left and these will take place in Madrid.)
Copenhagen hosts a major UN climate change conference on 07-18 December 2009, in which the world will come together to negotiate and attempt to create a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in December 1997 and committed the world’s 37 most industrialised nations to reduce their collective greenhouse gas emissions by 5.2% from the 1990 level, by 2012. Unlike many other signatories, the UK is on course to meet its Kyoto emissions commitments.
These emission commitments are designed to limit the overall rise in global temperatures to two degrees centigrade or less above pre-industrial levels, after which the chance of experiencing devastating global impacts, such as crop failures, water shortages, sea-level rises, species extinctions and increased disease, markedly increase.
The UN has said that there are five key elements necessary for a deal at Copenhagen:
1) binding targets for mid-term emissions reductions from developed countries;
2) a long-term global emissions target;
3) actions by developing countries to curb their emissions;
4) a commitment by developed countries to either transfer intellectual property to, or collaborate with, developing countries on new low-carbon technologies;
5) and financing for developing countries to adapt to the effects of global warming.
Away from the negotiating table, in July the Government published an Energy White Paper, entitled The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan. It suggested that by 2020:
For more information on the work of DECC visit http://www.decc.gov.uk/ and for more information about the Copenhagen negotiations visit www.actoncopenhagen.gov.uk .
Review issues from the previous meeting
CAFOD Harvest Fast Day
Last week’s collection raised £2,621. To put this into perspective, the two annual Fast Day collections have raised between £2,200 and £3,500 each year between them over the past four years, so a very generous effort by the Parish.
Justice and Peace weekend 12/13th September
FB was congratulated on his Homily for that weekend incoporoating various J&P themes. To read the Homily visit http://www.stjamespettswood.org/crbst_273.html.
Traidcraft Stall 12/13th September
Linnett sold £315 worth of Traidcraft goods, compared to £271 on the previous weekend in March. She wished to thank the parish again for its generosity.
Environmental Update
It was agreed that the Walk to Mass Weekend had been a success, with some empty car park spaces, and our new bike racks being fully utilised, at all three Masses. It was thought that we should organise the next one in late Spring 2010.
Roger had now received two heating engineers’ quotes for work to make the Church and other buildings more energy efficient, and they differed significantly both in terms of work suggested and in price! He will contact them both to discuss further, before presenting a final quote to the Church Finance Committee.
J&P Theme for 2010
Once Father Arbo returns from Tanzania in mid-October David will contact him to discuss how best to organise the work for his charity You Touch Africa.
National Justice & Peace Network request for feedback
David still had to contact the NJPN with details of what our J&P group had achieved so far, and hope to achieve in the future.
Upcoming Events
David asked if any J&P members might be able to attend the Southwark JPIC Autumn Assembly on 17th October. One member was a possibility but would confirm later.
FB confirmed that there were no special J&P events planned to link in with Archbishop Kevin’s visit to our Parish on the 18th October.
To mark One World Week 18-25th October ( www.oneworldweek.org ) there will be a presentation by the Missionary Aviation Fellowship at Christ Church URC, Willet Way on 18th October at 6.30pm, a Petts Wood Churches Together sponsored event.
On 27th November Baroness Williams of Crosby will give the Pope Paul VI Memorial Lecture on a theme of Capitalism, Catholicism and Community. The event takes place at 7.15pm at the Emmanuel Centre, 9-23Marsham St, SW1P 3DW (Tickets £6 from CAFOD www.cafod.org.uk/PaulVILecture ). It was suggested that we organise a J&P group trip to this, David to organise tickets for those interested in going.
On Saturday 5th December a National Climate March takes place which we might attend also. For Christians the event starts with an ecumenical service in Westminster Central Hall. This will be led by Archbishop Vincent Nichols with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Date of Next Meeting – Tuesday 10th November, 8.00pm in the Hall/Social Centre