Agenda for Change: The Catholic Association for Racial Justice and the ongoing struggle for racial justice.
On Saturday 25 May 2024, the Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ) held its 40th anniversary celebrations at Amigo Hall, next door to St George’s Cathedral in Southwark, London. Over 100 people attended this gathering, one of whom was Richard Reddie, CTBI’s Director of Justice and Inclusion. CARJ had invited Richard to be one of the speakers at this auspicious gathering, which was an opportunity for the organisation to discuss its work over the last 40 years, and to unveil ‘Agenda for Change’, its new strategy for effecting racial justice in Church and society.
CARJ has been a longtime contributor to CTBI’s racial justice work, especially its Racial Justice Sunday resources. Key CARJ stalwarts such as Yogi Sutton, Richard Zipfel and Father Phil Sumner, among others, have contributed to CTBI activities such as the ‘Stephen Lawrence conversations’, the book ‘Race for Justice’ and the annual ‘Racial Justice Sunday’ material.
In his address, which explored ‘The Church today: Migrants and Citizens of Colour’, Richard Reddie noted that CARJ was one of the few existing Church-based organisations still tackling racism: 40 years ago, when CARJ first began, there were well over half a dozen. He added that it was vital that organisations such as CARJ continued their work as the issues that plagued Church and society 40 years ago, are still prevalent today. He mentioned CARJ’s sterling work among asylum seekers and refugees, as well as Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, and highlighted the way many of the issues linked to these groups had been weaponised by opportunistic politicians and cynical commentators and journalists. He pointed out that CARJ had a key role to play, alongside CTBI and others, in challenging these damaging narratives, while ensuring that there is real justice and equality for some of the most marginalised and vulnerable communities in society.
The final portion of the meeting saw Father Phil Sumner unveil CARJ’s ‘Agenda for Change’, which can be read here:
