Social Justice

Aims

• To promote racial harmony and justice in the Diocese on behalf of the Church, and report to Bishop’s Council.
• To raise awareness of racial justice issues through education and training both in the Church and in society, and to facilitate further minority ethnic participation at all levels of church structures, particularly in the process of decision-making within the Church.
• To raise awareness among young people of the issues of racism in the Diocese, and its harmful effects on those who practice and experience it.
• To promote the marking of Racial Justice Sunday throughout the Diocese.
• To make and strengthen networks with others (including diocesan organisations) involved in promoting good relationships between all ethnic groups, and to advise parishes on matters related to valuing and celebrating the richness of ethnic and cultural diversity in our Church and in our land.

How do we fit into the life of the Diocese?

Members meet regularly to:

1. act as a support group for Diocesan racial justice training officers
2. monitor the Diocesan Agenda for Action
3. monitor the implementation of good practice by Diocesan boards and councils, and initiate action where necessary.

The Committee also reports annually to the Bishop’s Council and triennially to the Diocesan Synod on its work and that of the Racial Justice Archdeaconry Link-Persons.

Agenda for action for the Diocese of Oxford

(based on the Bishop of Stepney’s draft agenda for the Church of England)

Key recommendations:

a    That the Diocese, through the BSR Criminal Justice Forum, should encourage minority ethnic members at parish level to apply for membership of police authorities, in the various categories (magistrate, councillor or independent).

b    That some churches should be available as places where racist incidents and crimes could be reported and where victims can be supported in the follow-up.

c    That some church members could be encouraged to act as local contacts for police and victim support and to provide volunteer visitors for victim support.

d    That the Church should be quite clear that racist language or behaviour of any kind is unacceptable. (Christians should take responsibility for putting down a marker. Training will be made available to assist with empowering people to challenge.)

e    That the Diocesan Board of Education should support amendments to the national curriculum to ensure that ethnic and cultural diversity are properly valued.

f    That the DBE should promote anti-racist policies in all Church of England schools.

g    That the Diocese should encourage church schools to implement the recommendations that schools should report racist incidents and exclusions (so that LEAs can publish statistics), and should provide space for ‘one-to-one learning’ for children who find it difficult to function within schools and learning centres which would be attractive to minority ethnic communities.

h    That STEM should make racism awareness and training in the valuing of cultural diversity integral to all its clergy training programmes.

i    That the monitoring work of DCRJ should be bolstered.

j    That continued emphasis on an understanding of difference; becoming aware of the experience that many minority ethnic people have had and still have; and acknowledging and valuing ethnic and cultural diversity should be made by SAOMC, OLM and LLM courses and colleges who should seek to work towards harmony and a climate in which prejudice and resentment can be queried, mutually shared, and repented of, providing valuable insights for education and action.

k    That effective steps should continue to be taken to increase the percentage of minority ethnic people on boards and councils.

l    That PCCs and clergy in every congregation with minority ethnic members, seek to encourage their full involvement and participation in the life of the Church at all levels.