Forthcoming gatherings

Our next gathering will be the first week in February, a pub session looking at the question: "What is social justice?" This is going to be a bit more structured than some of our pub chats to date, and I'm sure it will prove an interesting discussion, so do come along to take part. That's 8pm on Weds 6th February at the Bohemia in North Finchley.

Our next gathering at Coffee Republic will be on 20th February, when we will be looking at Fairtrade food ahead of Fairtrade Fortnight (25/02-10/03).

See you on the 6th...

Covered in bees

At our last gathering, Friends of the Earth came to tell us about their Bee Cause campaign.

Bee numbers in Britain have fallen dramatically in recent years. Three bumblebee species are already extinct.

Many factors are causing bees' decline - from habitat loss, to disease, to climate change. There is also growing evidence that some pesticides harm bees.

Bees are essential to our food supply, economy and quality of life:

• They pollinate 75% of our most vital crops and favourite foods. Without bees it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate our crops. That's more than it costs farmers to produce all the milk consumed in the UK every year.
• They're essential to our gardens, parks and countryside. Bees and other insects help pollinate over 75% of our plants, which in turn are vital to our insects, birds and animals.

Friends of the Earth are calling for the Government to adopt a National Bee Action Plan to ensure the way we farm our food, plan our towns and cities, and protect our wildlife, is better for bees. They are also calling each of us to plant bee-friendly flowers, buy local honey or go on a Bee Walk. You can help bees at home, out and about, or in schools.

In response, Justice Matters members spent time constructing bee hotels to make bees welcome in Barnet. Have a look at the photos, sign the petition and maybe make your own bee hotel!

Sing for Water!

Before Christmas, some of us spent a day dressed up a toilets in Brent Cross shopping centre to raise awareness and funds for the water and sanitation charity, WaterAid (who themselves came to speak to Justice Matters in one of our very early gatherings in November 2011). 

In March, Elaine has organised another fantastic opportunity to support this great charity and this important cause. Details in the poster below - we hope to see lots of you there!

Move Your Money

Last year we looked at the idea of ethical consumerism and choosing to spend our money with greater care. 

Where you keep or invest your money is also an important ethical decision. Move Your Money is a resource to help people make informed, ethical banking decisions. We're planning to have Joel from MYM come along to Justice Matters some time this year, but if you can't wait, you can hear him speak at this event hosted by the London Green Party on 4th Feb. 

If you go along, let us know what you learn! 

The British 10K London Run - 14th July 2013

JM member Ann-Marie and her house mate Angela will be running the London 10k in aid of 28 Too Many later this year (just 164 training days to go, girls). They'd love you to come along and cheer, sponsor them (giving page coming soon on www.28toomany.org), or even run with them. You might even get your own snazzy 28 Too Many t-shirt to wear!

Speak to Ann-Marie or visit the website for more details.

Shared from the Justice Matters Facebook Page

Enough Food IF

The world produces enough food for everyone, but not everyone has enough food.

We can change this in 2013. IF we act together, we can make this year the beginning of the end for global hunger.



This year, many of the world’s most powerful leaders will meet in the UK. They must change the future for millions of people who live with the day to day struggle against hunger. But that will only happen IF we get together and make them act.

Justice Matters is proud to be involved in supporting this exciting new multi-agency campaign to bring an end to hunger around the world. Watch this space for opportunities to play your part. In the meantime, here's a video from the launch event...

Food, glorious food!

Food plays a huge role in our society. Eating together is a sign of hospitality and friendship, popular (and sometimes colourful) chefs are celebrated in our media, and programmes like Come Dine With Me and the Great British Bake Off are hugely popular.

Food is something that we love and often take for granted. We learnt this week that vast amounts of food is being wasted by consumers in the developed world. Meanwhile, we know that there are many people around the world - 870 million according to the World Food Programme - who go to bed hungry day in, day out. This inequality is truly shocking.

Over the coming few months, we will be looking at food and how it relates to justice. We will be exploring a range of topics - from hunger in the developing world to grow you own in the UK, from Fairtrade and unjust trade barriers, to Foodbanks and poverty closer to home.

Both the Old and New Testament of the Bible speak regularly about the issue of food justice, including guidelines to benefit those in need at harvest time, to strong words for those who seek to cheat the hungry out of their resources and those who embrace religion but lack a heart of compassion for those in need. We will be looking at some of these verses as we learn about the facts and seeing how faith and justice are inextricably linked.

Other charities are also focussing on the issue of food at this time, so we will be looking to get involved with Tearfund's new campaign, the Live Below the Line challenge and other opportunities to make a practical dent in this injustice.

It all begins this Wednesday at Coffee Republic from 7:30pm. We're kicking off the series with a guest speaker from Friends of the Earth and a practical activity to have a go at. As you can probably tell, we're really excited about this new theme and the gatherings we have planned, so we hope to see you at Coffee Republic or the Bohemia soon.

Oh, and to anyone fasting this week as part of the St Bs week of prayer and fasting, you might think its a little inconsiderate of us to be doing all this talk of food while you're trying to avoid it. But just consider this, as God says through the prophet Isaiah (58 v6-7):

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter — when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?"

So there you go. See you on Wednesday! 

Our Spring/Summer programme is here!

The new year is upon us and with it comes an exciting new theme for Justice Matters: 

Food, glorious food. 

From the joys of urban bee keeping, to the importance of Fairtrade, meat-free Mondays and the Live Below the Line challenge, there's something for everyone to get their teeth into.

Join us every first Wednesday in the month at The Bohemia pub (N12 9QH) from 8pm and every third Wednesday at Coffee Republic in North Finchley (N12 9QR) from 7:30pm. 

Get all the latest information - sign up for email alerts (see how in the column to the right), Like us on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter.

See you at a gathering soon!

Sam and Victoria, Sara, Lizzie and Elaine