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News on poverty, debt and the financial crisis
Download resources for Poverty & Homelessness Action Week 2010
Download free resources to help reflect on the theme of Enough for all, run a church service or event to mark the week.
Poverty & Homelessness Action Week 2010 
St Andrew's Day campaign to cross out child poverty
A Church of Scotland minister is spearheading a St Andrew's Day campaign to give Scottish children affected by poverty the chance of a better future.
Church of Scotland
Leadership in the financial sector: a moral and spiritual challenge?
A private seminar, organised by Archbishop Vincent Nichols, was held at Schroders Bank to explore the relevance of the Pope's encyclical on social teaching, Caritas in Veritate, for the financial sector.
Catholic Church in England and Wales
Christians and Muslims urged to work together to combat poverty
As we approach the end of the Islamic feast of Ramadan, Christians and Muslims are being encouraged by the Vatican's Interreligious Dialogue office to unite to combat poverty.
Catholic Church in England and Wales
The Future of Banking: Ethical and Sustainable?
19 November 2009, London
Open debate organised by Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility, with a panel chaired by Lord Harries of Pentregarth (former Bishop of Oxford) and speakers from Platform/BankTrack, Triodos Bank, the Church Investors Group (invited) and a high-street bank (invited).
ECCR
July 2009
Climate change and tax justice training day
Christian Aid event explaining how to prevent catastrophic climate change and ways to change the international tax system that takes money from poor countries. 10am - 4pm, 12 September 2009, Augustine United Church, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL.
Christian Aid, Glasgow 
ECCR's quarterly bulletin reports on Dublin conference
The latest quarterly bulletin from the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) includes a report from its conference in Dublin - Companies, Communities and Religious Investors - which explored theological and moral aspects of the impact of business on human communities and the natural world, and the contribution of religious investors to corporate responsibility.
ECCR Bulletin
Pope Benedict XVI calls for a profoundly new way of understanding business enterprise
Economic development and globalisation are addressed in Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical Letter, Caritas in Veritate, released by the Vatican.
Catholic Church in England and Wales
Archbishop Vincent Nichols response to Caritas in Veritate (PDF) 
June 2009
Churches speak together on International Development
The economic crisis may well reverse some of the development progress achieved in the past few years, say the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church, Quaker Peace & Social Witness and the United Reformed Church.
Response to the Department of International Development (DFID) consultation document (PDF)
May 2009
Churches' key role in assisting recovery
"It is vital that the European institutions understand that the Churches have a key role to play in assisting recovery from the economic and financial collapse and in relieving suffering caused by it," the Rt Rev Stephen Lowe, Bishop for Urban Life and Faith, told the three EU presidents.
Church of England
April 2009
The Credit Crunch: Making moral sense of the financial crisis
In this new booklet from the Catholic Truth Society (CTS), Catholic author and financial journalist, Edward Hadas, looks at questions relating to morality and the markets.
Catholic Truth Society
Methodist Church welcomes budget measures to help recession victims
The Methodist Church has welcomed the Chancellor's commitment to provide work or training for under 25s who have been jobless for more than a year.
Methodist Church
Online Bible verses give hope to hopeless in current financial situation
Words of hope and specially selected Bible verses have been added to the Church of England's Matter of Life and Debt online initiative
Church of England
March 2009
G20 leaders must not forget promises to the poor
Religious leaders in Britain urged the G20 leaders not to forget their commitments to the world's poorest people in the current economic crisis.
Catholic Communications Network
Church demands justice for redundant workers
A Church of Scotland council has demanded an increase in the level of redundancy pay for workers losing their jobs because of the credit crunch.
Church of Scotland
Transform old churches into affordable homes
Housing Justice has launched a project, Faith in Affordable Housing, to enable churches to create affordable homes from redundant church land and property across England.
Housing Justice
Faith Matters Lectures: Catholicism and Capitalism
At a time when the premises of economic liberalism are being questioned due to the financial and economic crisis, this lecture asks whether Catholics should feel comfortable with capitalism. The speaker, Philip Booth, is Editorial and Programme Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs and Professor of Insurance and Risk Management at Cass Business School, City University. 18 March 2009, 7pm, Westminster Cathedral Hall, London SW1.
Diocese of Westminster
Faith Matters: Catholicism and Public Life
John Battle MP looks at issues of building basic caring communities and the moral responsibility to get involved practically in our own neighbourhood. 1 April 2009, 7.30pm, Westminster Cathedral Hall, London SW1.
Diocese of Westminster
Christian Muslim Forum - Faith in Finance seminar
Muslims and Christians met to discuss the global credit crisis at St Ethelburga's centre for Reconciliation and Peace.
Christian-Muslim Forum
Archbishop of canterbury's response
Archbishop of Canterbury lectures on Ethics, Economics, and Global Justice
The Archbishop of Canterbury called for patience and trust to be re-established in economic processes, and for governments to resist the lure of protectionism which prejudices the growth of developing economies, during a lecture in cardiff.
Archbishop of Canterbury
Scotland's first Poverty Truth Commission
Aims to bring together those who know and understand the struggle against poverty in their lives and those who have the power and influence to change Scotland for the better. Sponsored by the Church of Scotland Priority Areas and Faith in Community Scotland. 21 March 2009, 2-5pm at Glasgow City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow G1 1RX.
Information leaflet
Email 
or tel: 0141 248 2905.
February 2009
Credit unions can beat doorstep lending
Advancing the case for credit unions, a community worker for the United Reformed Church, has highlighted the dangers of so-called ‘doorstep lending' where borrowers may be charged exorbitant interest rates.
The United Reformed Church
Recession may be the jolt that Britain needs
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor gives an interview to The Times about the economic downturn.
Diocese of Westminster
CofE recognises implications of the financial crisis
The Synod of the Church of England has voted to take note of a report into the implications of the financial crisis and the recession.
Church of England
January 2009
New prayers for those affected by redundancy on CofE website
The Church of England has published two new prayers to comfort people made redundant, and those remaining in the workplace following a round of redundancies.
Church of England
December 2008
Recession puts St Vincent de Paul under pressure
The St. Vincent de Paul Society has said it will need an extra €10m this year if it is to meet rising demands for help from embattled families.
ciNews
Drama - Voices from the Edge
Sunday 8 February, 6pm
Traverse Theatre, 10 Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 2ED
Drama written for Poverty & Homelessness Action Week, performed by the Actors for Human Rights theatre company.
Email for booking.
November 2008
Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster reflects on the credit crunch
Our common bond is a fragile global financial system writes Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor in L'Osservatore Romano.
Press release
The financial crisis is a test for the values of European society
The financial crisis has exposed a deeper spiritual crisis and a misguided set of values, according to the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community.
Press release
Welsh Economic Summit: Church in Wales response
The Welsh Assembly Government called an emergency Economic Summit in Cardiff in October to address the implications of the global financial crisis for Wales.
Church in Wales response (PDF)
Helping the Homeless - Killing with Kindness?
18 November, 2 December 6-7pm
Acting out a biblical duty or killing with kindness? Homelessness has always been a central concern for Christians - but do our efforts just make the problem worse? A series of public discussions at Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church to explore questions relating to homelessness and the best way to overcome it. For more information call 020 7240 0544 or email.
October 2008
Thousands turn to online prayer and advice as financial situation worsens
Web users looking for support during the current financial situation have boosted traffic to a Church of England website section focusing on debt advice by over 70 per cent.
Church of England press release
CEC Central Committee expresses concern for economic crisis
The Central Committee of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) urges "governments to be most concerned about protecting the most vulnerable of citizens and that a sense of justice will prevail".
CEC press release
Bishop John attends end child poverty rally
Bishop John Hine, Auxiliary Bishop of Southwark, joined more than 10,000 people from around the country for the largest ever rally to end child poverty in the UK.
Catholic Communications Network press release
Welsh projects shown at United Nations
Welsh projects highlighting world poverty and environmental issues were part of an international Anglican Church video shown to United Nations leaders meeting to discuss the Millennium Development Goals.
Church in Wales press release
Prayers for the current financial situation from the Church of England
Church of England press release
July 2008
Archbishop of Canterbury Welcomes Government Announcement on Credit Unions
