Dear Friends,
It has been a busy term at the Pax Christi youth desk. Alongside our regular schools workshops – demand for which is at an all-time high – we held a successful study day exploring the life of Blessed Franz Jägerstätter, a school outreach training day for Pax Christi members, and a retreat for our young adult members.
A particular highlight of this term was a day I spent last month working with a group of students who were tasked with re-writing their school’s anti-bullying policy putting the values of nonviolence at the heart of it. A great day which also served as a reminder that there are many ways in which Pax Christi can support schools in their effort to be outstanding.
We are currently taking bookings for school input next term. Details of our workshops are available online here or if you are interested in exploring other ways in which Pax Christi can support the mission of the school then give me a call in the office 020 8203 4884
Sunday 19 January is Peace Sunday. This is a great opportunity for schools to use the weeks either side of this date to put prayer for peace at the heart of the prayer life of the school. Liturgy resources for Peace Sunday are available on our website www.paxchristi.org.uk
The Student Christian Movement and the Fellowship of Reconciliation are jointly hosting a conference, Peace, Power, and Protest: Prophets for a New World, over the weekend 14-16 February 2014. I am leading a workshop during this event and our Icon of Peace will be a particular prayer focus during the weekend. http://movement.org.uk/events
There is an International Youth Camp being planned in Sarajevo in June 2014. This is one of several peace events being held in the city to mark the centenary of the beginning of World War One and a renewed commitment to building a global culture of peace http://tinyurl.com/Sarajevo-Camp
Pax Christi and the Peace Education Network are both amongst the supporters of a new petition calling for an end the recruitment of under-18s into the UK armed forces. http://you.38degrees.org.uk/p/stop-recruiting-16s
2014 is of course the start of four years of commemorations marking the centenary of World War One. Our latest members newsletter highlights some of the resources and ideas to support peace initiatives during this period. https://paxchristi.org.uk/wp/resources/newsletter/
With every good wish for a peaceful advent,
Matt
