Comment and debate on faith issues in Scotland February 2015 Issue No 246 www.openhousescotland.co.uk £2.50 SCIAF: 50 years of A dignity based approach A Church of England working for justice to development to party with? Editorial Not an optional extra Fifty years ago in the wake of World War II, economic encouraging them to question the political and growth was seen as one of the most effective ways of economic structures which sustain them. achieving lasting peace. US economist Walt Rostow’s This remains one of SCIAF’s biggest challenges today influential book, The Stages of Economic Growth, in a culture where simple solutions are routinely which attempted to systemise the links between peace offered to complex problems – by politicians under and economic growth, was published in 1960. pressure to choose short term fixes for deep seated International development became a cause for concern. problems; by sections of the news media which offer Cardinal Montini, later Pope Paul VI, travelled to little or no analysis; by spontaneous demonstrations of Latin America in 1960 and to Africa in 1962 where he public concern which are over as soon as they have saw the impact of poverty; as Pope he went to India begun. SCIAF needs our money but it also needs between sessions of the Second Vatican Council and support for its education work and its campaigns on was invited to address the United Nations where he the political and economic changes needed to end pled the cause of the poor. The Council called for an poverty. This is not an optional extra, but, as John end to the ‘immense economic inequalities’ which McKee understood, is central to our Christian divided rich and poor nations. Pope Paul’s commitment. postconciliar encyclical letter On the Development of Peoples urged those blessed with abundance to respond Pope Francis tells us in his message for Lent that this to the cry of hungry nations. time of renewal is a favourable time to show concern Glasgow headteacher John McKee’s response was to for others by small yet concrete signs of our belonging found the Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund to one human family. SCIAF has some helpful (SCIAF) in 1965 with Monsignor John Rooney. For 50 suggestions: fill a SCIAF box this Lent; sign and post a years it has been the church’s official aid agency, campaign card on climate change, which is adversely responding to disasters and reaching out with practical affecting poor people in developing countries; think support to some of the poorest people in the world, but about how you can cut your own carbon footprint. also, from the beginning, committed to helping people Perhaps then we could also ask about our parish in Scotland understand the causes of poverty and carbon footprint. The Pope’s examen Open House readers will have been delighted by the Then there are five for the parishioners - vanity, scolding given to the Roman Curia by Pope Francis gossiping, sucking up to the better off. Francis has a before he wished them a happy Christmas. This is couple of striking terms - existential schizophrenia for called schadenfreude, taking pleasure in another’s double standards and spiritual Alzheimer’s for discomfort. It is number six in the Pope’s 15 points for forgetting who we are and where we came from. an examination of conscience. The Financial Times has Anyone come across this in their parish? recommended the list for use in the boardroom. They The last five are the means that parents usually could be used in any office in the country. Open House employ to manage their children. When applied in the readers are invited to apply them to their parishes (see church they suggest not the good ideals of family life the complete list on page 12.) but an undue continuation of adult-child roles: Given the structure of the Catholic Church any parish theatrical severity, playing on divisions, showing off, priest could be forgiven for thinking he is accumulating goods and taking pleasure in the indispensable. Nowadays he is bound to be too busy. discomfort of others. If the cap fits let us put it on. He will also have become a paperwork machine and be Might the list offer a parish programme for Lent - an reduced to operating like an automaton. There is examination of conscience before the annual visit to simply no time for collaboration. That covers the first the confessional at Easter? Imagine for once we forgot five of Pope Francis’s points! Who can save their pastor about sex and started off: Bless me Father for I have from such a fate? sinned - I committed schadenfreude 5 times..... 2 OPEN HOUSE February 2015 Contents International development ALASTAIR DUTTON Page 3 Fifty years of working for justice Alistair Dutton Fifty years of working Page 5 Towards a dignity based approach to development Newman lecture for justice Page 7 A Church of England to party with? As SCIAF marks its 50th anniversary year the Jennifer Stark charity’s Director reflects on its work to create Page 9 Keep the memory alive a more just world for all. Isabel Smyth Page 10 Lent reflection Thomas Chalmers ‘Creating a more just world for all’ is including the 1968 famine in Biafra Page 11 The rabbits in the room the goal that has driven SCIAF’s (now part of Nigeria, a country Anne McKay work for decades. It continues to currently hit by the atrocities of Boko Page 12 The Pope’s examen inspire everything we do today. With Haram) and drought in Bihar in your support, we’ve given millions of India. In 1970 we were able to send Page 13 Theology and film poor families in developing countries vaccines and medical supplies to help Lynn Jolly a better chance in life and hope for survivors of Cyclone Bhola in Page 15 Receptive Ecumenism the future. While extreme poverty Bangladesh which took the lives of Mary Cullen and injustice continue to be so over 500,000 people. Our work Page 17 Notebook widespread in our world, we’ll carry continued through the decades, on our mission to help the poor and helping those in need overseas Page 18 Letters oppressed. including Vietnamese refugees fleeing Page 19 Living Spirit We owe a huge debt of gratitude to their country from the mid-1970s Page 20 Reviews all those who’ve supported our work and Ethiopians hit by the terrible Books, poetry, film over the years and to our founders, famine in the mid-1980s. Monsignor John Rooney and John We’re still reacting to major Page 24 Moments in time McKee, who started SCIAF in 1965 emergencies like these - the Asian from a small classroom in tsunami of 2004, the Haiti Rutherglen, with just £8,000. earthquake, and the current Syrian Flowing from the Second Vatican refugee crisis, to name only a few, Thank you to all those who Council, our founders’ aim was to protecting lives, restoring livelihoods contributed to this edition of help the world’s poor and inspire Open House. and helping people to reduce the risk Scottish Catholics to respond to the of future disasters. However, a major Open House, which was founded Gospel call for a just world. The in Dundee in 1990, is an and vital part of our work is longer- independent journal of comment words of Pope Paul VI, in his term, helping people in countries like and debate on faith issues in encyclical letter Populorum Zambia, Rwanda and Colombia to Scotland. It is rooted in the reforms Progressio (On the Development of grow enough food to eat and earn of the Second Vatican Council Peoples), acted as a rallying cry: ‘The money for essentials like clothes, (1962-65) and committed to the hungry nations of the world cry out medicines and school fees. dialogue which began at the to the peoples blessed with Each year, we give many thousands Council - within the Catholic abundance. And the Church, cut to of people seeds, farm tools and Church, in other churches, and the quick, asks each of us to hear the training so they can grow more food with all those committed to issues plea and respond lovingly’. of justice and peace. on their land. We help many people start up small businesses. In places www.openhousescotland.co.uk Biafra like South Sudan and Nicaragua Cover photo by Thomas Omondi This inspired our early supporters to people with disabilities are setting up reach out to people in emergencies roadside stalls selling salt and oil so February 2015 OPEN HOUSE 3 that they can earn a basic income and work their way out of poverty, contribute to the well-being of their bringing hope for the future to their families. In countries like India and family and their neighbourhood or the Democratic Republic of Congo village. we’ve set up self-help groups so From the start of Lent your people can get small loans, buy a donations to our WEE BOX appeal sewing machine or a few goats to will be doubled. The UK government make a living for themselves, and then this year will match every £1 we repay the loan so someone else can receive before the 17th May. This will benefit too. make a huge difference for more Organisation has shown that by giving people like Mary. More than money small-scale women farmers an equal To make this happen however, we all Right from the start, the work of the share of necessities such as good seeds need to help – by giving, but also by Church and its charities has been and training, developing countries making changes in our own lives.