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I Introduction 1.1 The Committee for Racial Justice takes great pleasure in making its first report to the General Assembly this year. > It affirms strongly the significance with which the Assembly has placed Racial Justice Ministry on the United Reformed Church's agenda; > It rejoices in the Assembly's unwavering resolve to equip all the people of the United Reformed Church to challenge all forms of racism within themselves, within the church and society, and for devoting resources to this task. 1.2 The Committee for Racial Justice had its inaugural meeting in early December 2001. The Committee prayerfully considered its work priorities for the future. Knowing that it is charged with heavy responsibilities amidst an environment of very limited resources, the Committee resolved to be realistic about its achievable goals in the immediate future and about its approaches to achieving those goals. For the purposes of this report, the Committee remit serves as the framework within which to highlight and affirm what has been done, and celebrate the vision of what is yet to be achieved. 1.3 The events of September 11, 2001 and their aftermath have forced many of us in the West to acknowledge the reality that injustices rooted in racism are far more pervasive than we like to admit. The Committee's keen awareness of this reality is a determining factor in its resolve to be resolute in the pursuit of justice, as it strives to build a foundation for its work that is deeply rooted in God's Word and in the ways of Christ. As the Revd Wilf Bahadur who led our worship urged: 'Your agenda must be God's, your examples must follow Jesus', and your manifesto must be Christ's!' Embracing the multi-racial/multi-cultural nature of our church and society 2 Raising Awareness 2.1 Racial justice awareness training programmes are crucial to helping the United Reformed Church in its congregations and councils to understand and welcome more readily, the racial and cultural diversity that exists in our church and society. The Revd Marjorie-Lewis Cooper, in her three years as the Multi-racial/Multi-cultural Programme Development Officer, helped the URC to begin to engage more deeply with some of the issues involved. However, the Committee is under no illusion as to the work that remains to be done in this area. 2.2 Many members of the URC continue to grapple with the question of why racism should be an issue for them when there are no 'Blacks' and/or 'Asians' in their neighbourhood! Disturbing events of 2001 (i.e. the summer riots and September 11th) have helped many to gain some understanding. The Committee recognizes, however, that it is not easy to move beyond abstract and intellectual conversion. 2.3 Perception and understanding are key concepts to address. For the immediate future the Committee aims to focus on two central themes: a) Institutional Racism - Helping people to see that racism also exists in invisible systems which confer dominance on one group; and, b) Preserving Difference - Finding ways to see difference as enriching rather than threatening. The Committee plans to have training packs under these headings available to the wider church by the end of 2002. In addition, it will enable further training of the Racial Justice Advocates to support the Secretary in carrying out effective racial awareness training across the church. 2.4 In the long term, the Committee is committed to encouraging the councils, committees, and other structures of the URC to make use of available racial awareness training resources from the Racial Justice office. The former URC General Secretary and the present Deputy General Secretary, who early last year called all staff at Church House to attend a one day racial awareness training, set an example that the Committee would wish to encourage for Synods, District Councils and Assembly Committees. 2.5 The Committee looks forward to using the services offered by Reform and the internet to promote anti-racism workshops and writings. Updating the Racial Justice website is urgent, and the Committee is excited about the creative possibilities presented here for raising awareness and reaching a wider audience. Mission in our Multi-cultural society 3 Relevant Mission 3.1 The Committee subscribes to the view that mission thinking must be relevant to current social realities. It believes that a church's mission must not only be connected to the struggles of humanity, but also encourage the creation and fostering of a culture of mutual equipping within the church and society. The Committee is inspired by the Assembly's continuing solidarity with those in our church and society who struggle to overcome racial injustices. The Committee is committed to supporting those for whom racism is an obstacle to their faith journeys, and offering appropriate help to those for whom racial consciousness appears irrelevant to their lives. 3.2 The Committee is concerned that the URC is equipped to cope with the fact that as societies grow more diverse, churches become more multicultural. A key feature of mission thinking in the last decade has been the growing concern for what is now known as multicultural ministry. This term is no longer confined to mission in relation to new migrants and the presence of ethnic minorities in a church congregation. It is mission in relation to the nurturing of a whole church community where members respect and welcome their diverse histories and origins. 3.3 The multicultural experience for many is synonymous with the negative realities of racial oppression, violence and fear. Thinking multi-culturally, then, involves embracing the richness of diverse cultural expressions of faith, as well as an awareness of our own preconceived (and misconceived) notions and need for self-preservation. 3.4 The Racial Justice Committee looks forward to working with the Ecumenical Committee in seeking ways forward on this issue. The Committee affirms that this is a key area of growth in the mission of our church, and it is therefore keen to bring to the discussions on multicultural ministry sensitivity to the often hidden power-plays and arrogance that can dominate people's behaviour. The Committee urges the Assembly to encourage relationships based on a common belonging to Christ, and rooted in true acceptance of one another. 3.5 The Committee hopes to produce a paper on 'Racial Justice and Multicultural Ministry' this year as an added resource to existing training materials on racial justice issues. It will also be made available to the Ecumenical and Training Committees to assist in the ongoing dialogues, and as a resource for those in training for ministry. 4 Priorities 4.1 The Committee draws attention to Racial Justice issues on the 'domestic front' which demand urgent consideration. These include: Refugee and Asylum Seekers; Deaths in Custody; Racism towards Travellers and Roma People; Anti-Semitism; Ethnocentricity; White Ethnicities and Privilege Awareness; Religious & Racial Prejudice. The Committee's agenda for the immediate future shall give urgent attention to these issues. 4.2 Racial Justice issues on the 'world stage' include: Globalisation & Economic Racism; Israel-Palestine; Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights; The Dalits; Slavery, Colonialism & the Debate on Reparation and Compensation, to name a few. 4.3 The 2001 UN World Conference against Racism (WCAR) in Durban, South Africa, was attended by more than sixty different UK organisations. The Secretary was part of the Churches' Commission for Racial Justice (CCRJ) delegation. The non-governmental (NGO) part of the conference was especially informative. WCAR put racism on the top of the international agenda and highlighted the urgent need to overcome the evil of racism in all its forms - in the local, national and global setting. Within its human rights agenda, the conference affirmed that racism is among the root causes of many domestic and international conflicts, and that it prevents friendly and peaceful relations among peoples and nations. (Declaration, para.24) The world conference against racism in post-apartheid South Africa brought sharply (and distressingly so) into focus the utter deprivation caused by racism. Racial Justice and Policy 5 Connections 5.1 The Committee looks forward to making its contribution to the thinking and policy on racial justice issues within the URC and ecumenically. It appreciates Mission Council's initiative in encouraging Secretaries at Church House actively to seek out the connections and overlapping areas in their work. This would not only foster effective teamwork, but should also inform and inspire thinking and policy in the URC in ways that are dynamic, insightful and relevant. In addition, many synods have boldly launched strategy documents outlining policies and practices to help their members engage with racial justice issues. The Committee looks forward to producing a full account of such initiatives to help inspire and empower the rest of the church to follow these examples. Strategies for Overcoming Racism 6 Advocacy 6.1 A key strategy for overcoming racism in the URC has been the development of the racial justice advocacy work in the synods. Currently, we have over eighty volunteer Advocates throughout the UK. The Advocates involve themselves in various initiatives for racial justice. These range from: > assisting whole congregations to offer friendship and hospitality to asylum seekers; > empowering Roma people to claim their human rights with dignity; > developing closer inter-faith relations with people of other World Faiths; to > leading racial awareness training with local elders' groups, and so on. The Advocates meet twice annually - one residential meeting, in addition to a one-day forum. Since the inception of the advocacy scheme in 1999, the Advocates have had six successful meetings. These meetings underlined the urgent need for Advocates to have better support systems established within the synods. Advocates commonly articulate a sense of disconnection from their own synods. The Secretary has made it a priority to visit synods, and begin dialogues with the synod Moderators and other key leaders on how to address this issue. In addition to setting up synod task groups to explore strategies for Racial Justice, synods may also enable their own Advocates to form Synod Racial Justice Groups to consider work strategies, to devise a synod advocate profile, and to offer moral support to each other. The Committee encourages the synods' continuing active ownership and support of the advocacy work. 6.2 The Committee is committed to supporting the Advocates, and to the development and maintenance of the advocacy network. Further, it is keen to help co-ordinate the work of the Advocates so that the scheme may operate more effectively. A national Racial Justice Advocate profile is also on the agenda. 7 Racial Justice Sunday 7.1 Observing Racial Justice Sunday (2nd Sunday September) raises awareness and also deepens understanding and respect for one another, whatever our cultural and racial background. It is an opportunity to end misunderstanding and challenge racial injustice. It is a day to focus (prayerfully) on racial justice and give thanks for human diversity. 7.2 The Churches' Commission for Racial Justice produces a pack as a resource for congregations on this particular Sunday. These packs are available from both the Racial Justice office and CCRJ. Further inquiries may be directed to the Racial Justice office. The Committee urges all URC congregations to observe this special Sunday. In the past year, participation in the URC was rather patchy. This year the Committee intends to promote Racial Justice Sunday widely. 8 Ecumenical & Other Networks 8.1 Working together with ecumenical partners and colleagues is important. The Secretary is a Commissioner on CCRJ, and she works very closely with her counterparts in the ecumenical network. The Committee affirms the continuing development and maintenance of this network to inform and challenge the work of Racial Justice in the URC. Further, governmental bodies like the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) are resources that the Committee needs. Such bodies keep the Committee abreast of developments in the law, in addition to giving relevant updates on key reports like the Stephen Lawrence (McPherson) Report. The Committee is committed to maintaining this network. Empowerment for Minority Ethnic Members 9 Black & Asian Annual Conference 9.1 Representation and participation at all levels of the life of the URC continue to be an issue. Crucial to any empowerment strategy are the concepts of identity and belonging. The purpose of this annual event is to affirm identity and to provide a sense of belonging. It is to encourage minority ethnic members to take responsibility for making a difference in their own lives, their congregations and communities. With belonging comes the confidence to stand up and be heard. This year will be the third conference and the Committee looks forward to a most inspiring and energy-filled forum. 9.2 The Committee needs to develop further initiatives in this area of its work. Experiences of alienation may be alleviated by finding creative approaches to sharing and accessing information. The Committee is keen to develop strategies not only for empowering the growing numbers of multi-cultural/multi-ethnic congregations, but also for supporting the mission and vision of vibrant and growing black-majority churches. 9.3 Young people from minority ethnic backgrounds need appropriate attention in terms of coping with conflicting cultural values and world outlook. Last year saw the first URC National Black Youth Forum. The Committee aims to develop its work in this area urgently and appropriately in consultation with the relevant Committees. Appreciation 10 Thank you! 10.1 The Committee wishes to thank the Deputy General Secretary, Revd John Waller, to whom it owes a great debt for his tireless commitment to the work of Racial Justice. John convened the Management Committee for the Multi-racial/Multi-cultural Development Programme. He continues to inform and guide, with great patience, the work of the new Committee. |
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