What is ‘Commitment for Life’?

Commitment for Life is here to help United Reformed Churches work for a fairer world and for peace with justice, recognising that change and response starts with each one of us. We are about raising awareness so that we can bring about change. We long to see the poor empowered so that they may have some control over their destinies. We challenge the powers of governments, international bodies and corporations when their policies are harmful to the poor. Working with Christian Aid and the World Development Movement (WDM) we seek to use our influence to ensure that global policies work to the benefit of the poor – “speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves.” (Proverbs 31:8-9)

Commitment for Life has to speak prophetically - to echo the God of Justice who speaks to our communities as He spoke to the people of Israel of old. We seek to loose the bonds of injustice and let the oppressed go free. Praying ‘forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors’ must provoke us to seek to liberate those who are poor from the controlling force of debt over their lives. We have a part in making the vision of a fairer world into a reality.

Commitment for Life is about more than giving money – though that is important. If poverty is to be eradicated, structural change must accompany charity and aid. Charity can make a difference but it is not enough. Commitment for Life resources people in our churches to understand and address the causes of poverty and give direct help to those most in need.

What participating churches are asked to do:

In short: make justice for the world's poor a part of their life and mission.

To start with:

• Choose one of the four partners to focus on
• Appoint a link person who makes use of the materials provided
• Relay your decision to United Reformed Church House or to the Co-ordinator. You will then receive all the materials you need to be a participating church.

Thereafter, we hope you will, over time:

• Learn more about the partners we support, and the issues that affect the developing world. Appreciate how much our partners matter to us and what we learn from them.
• Pray for our partners and remember them in your worship – make them part of the life of the church
• Continue to campaign for debt relief, for fair rules for trade and other campaigns.
• Continue to promote fair trade and buy fair-traded products. We can make a difference.
• Hold a special Sunday once a year.
• Plan for regular giving. The original 1% appeal asked people to share what they have to benefit the poor of the world.

Support:

Every individual participating church matters to the programme. Our team of Advocates is ready to come to speak in your church. Local churches can get help, advice, and supplies of materials from the Programme Co-ordinator or your local Advocate.

Participating churches receive three updates on their chosen partners, and three campaign newsletters per year. Look at our website: www.cforl.org, which is linked from the U.R.C. website. We work closely with the International Relations office and Belonging to the World Church programme. In 2005 we will have visits from our Jamaica partners.

Co-ordinator Linda Mead
e-mail: lmeadCforL@gmail.com

The Programme Assistant Mrs Alison Blick
Phone: 020 7691 9867
e-mail: alison.blick@urc.org.uk

In each Synod there are Advocates for the programme who can assist the local church. Commitment for Life is directed by a sub-committee, currently chaired by the Melanie Frew .

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The issues we take up are:

Fairtrade – has increasingly become mainstream and every encouragement is given to churches to use only Fairtrade tea and coffee in church, and to move forward in the use of other Fairtrade products such as sugar, biscuits or fruit. Resources include: Church Action Guide, Going Global leaflet 2004 ‘Fairtrade as mission’ and a certificate for churches who meet Fairtrade criteria.

Trade Justice – we are members of the Trade Justice Movement which is supported by 60 leading UK aid agencies and churches. Symbolised by the unbalanced scales, the Trade Justice Movement is about changing the current rules on trade, which are weighted against the poor. Visit the website below to find out more how injustice pervades the world systems of trade and what we are campaigning for. We also recognise the trade rules impact on farmers and on jobs in this country and can seriously damage prospects for some of our communities. For the latest see www.christian-aid.org or www.wdm.org.uk or www.tjm.org.uk

Jubilee Debt Campaign continues to highlight the much unfinished business on the issue of debt, and conditionality, including trade liberalisation, that countries have to accept put up with in order to qualify for debt relief. 16th May – World Debt Day www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk to get good prayers and resources for use in worship.

MakePovertyHistory is the key campaign for 2005, campaigning for: More and Better Aid in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals – the international agreed target of halving global poverty by 2015; Drop the Debt Trade Justice – not free trade.

Israel/Palestine. We produce ‘Moving Stories’ – relaying these stories of hardship and courage every two weeks in an email to all who have expressed interest. We will continue to share information from Christian Aid’s partners, both Israeli and Palestinian, from the Ecumenical Accompaniers who are volunteering to live amongst Palestinians as a witness to peace.

We continue to have a focus on HIV/AIDS, especially around World AIDS day 1st December. The environment/climate change and its impact on the poorest nations will be a focus in 2006. We recognise that global inequality also impacts on our own communities in the UK.