Truth to Power

This is the much-anticipated follow-up to our Black and Blue webinar from last year. It explores the police’s engagement with local communities and young people in Wales, Ireland, Scotland and England, and concerns of racism, “stop and search” and related law and order issues.It brings together the likes of Andy George, President of the National Black Police Association, who is based in Northern Ireland; Jeff Boothe, Chief Superintendent in the Metropolitan Police Service who leads the Crime Prevention, Inclusion and Engagement Team (CPIE) at New Scotland Yard; and PC Bharat ‘Baz’ Narbad, Chair of South Wales Black Police Association.It also features Amie Buhari, who heads the Hebe Foundation that works with young people; Lian Jacobs, who has over 13 years’ experience of working with young people across London; and Pastor Dare Adetuberu, Lead Pastor at RCCG Kingdom Connections, Tyrrelstown.

The UK Government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Sewell) Report has generated a great deal of debate within society and the Church since aspects of it were launched on 31 March 2021.This webinar, first live streamed on 14 April 2021, was a fantastic opportunity to hear from some of the keenest minds in Church and society on this report, and for participants to share their opinions on these issues.The expert panel consisted of:Dr Robert BeckfordSir Simon WoolleyVen. Dr. Rosemarie MallettEleasah LouisClare WilliamsDr R. David MuirRevd Wale Hudson-RobertsThis was a joint event hosted in partnership with the Racial Justice Advocacy Forum, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI).

Listen to the recording of this webinar first streamed live on Wednesday 10 February 2021. It discussed what steps need to be put in place to turn all the conversations we heard last year into palpable, significant action toward justice, equity and inclusion. It featured some of the keenest minds in our churches, exploring what racial justice looks like in Church and society.It was shown in advance of Racial Justice Sunday (RJS) on Sunday 14 February 2021. This is a day for everyone in British and Irish churches to Remember, Reflect and Respond to racial justice matters:Remember the importance of racial justice.Reflect on human diversity and thank God for it.Respond by working to end injustice, racism and ignorance through prayer and action.

This is the recording of the much-anticipated webinar, streamed live on Wednesday 2 December 2020, which featured present and former serving black police officers about their views on the Black Lives Matter movement, institutional racism, ‘stop and search’ and related law and order issues.Contributors included:Dr Leroy Logan MBE, former superintendent in the Metropolitan police and a former chair of the Black Police Association. Leroy is also the author of Closing Ranks: My Life as a Cop.Janet Hills, a Detective Sergeant in the Metropolitan Police Service. Janet is the first Female Chair of the Metropolitan Black Police Association and was also the National Black Police Association President from 2015-2017.Bevan Powell MBE, the former chair of the Black Police Association and current Methodist Secretary for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.The session was chaired by the Venerable Dr Rosemarie Mallett, Archdeacon of Croydon and Revd Les Isaac OBE, CEO of the Ascension Trust.PartnersThis webinar was produced in partnership with:Ascension TrustChurches Together in Britain and IrelandThe Diocese of SouthwarkThe Methodist ChurchThe National Black Police Association

Discover the latest about EAPPI, an international programme coordinated by the World Council of Churches (WCC), in a recording of the webinar which took place on 13 October 2020.The EAPPI programme brings people from around the world to the West Bank to serve for three months as human rights monitors, known as Ecumenical Accompaniers.In the UK and Ireland, EAPPI is administered by the Quakers on behalf of the churches across the four nations and is an important witness to the churches commitment to justice and peace for those who live in Israel and Palestine: Jew, Christian and Muslim.The original webinar was hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine-Israel (EAPPI).Moderator:Bob Fyffe, General Secretary, CTBI.Speakers:Jack Munayer, Local Program Coordinator, EAPPI.Matt Cowling, Previous EAPPI Ecumenical Accompanier.

An estimated six million people in the UK have fallen behind on one or more household bills as a result of Covid-19, and those trapped in poverty have been hit the hardest. This is an urgent problem that demands a solution. It is not right that those with the fewest resources should bear the heaviest burden of the lockdown, potentially for years to come.The Baptist Union of Great Britain, Church of Scotland, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church, together with Church Action on Poverty, have launched a new campaign to respond to the household debt crisis.They’re calling on the Chancellor to create a Jubilee Fund, that would provide grants to pay off and cancel unavoidable debt accrued by households during the lockdown period, giving them a more stable platform from which to face the future.ChairChair: Diane Watts, Interim Team Leader, Faith and Society, Baptists Together.SpeakersThe Rt Revd Dr Joanne Grenfell, The Bishop of Stepney and chair of Capital Mass.Cassius Francis, Transforming Communities Together.Paul Morrison, Policy Advisor for the Methodist Church.Hannah Brown, Campaigns and Church Engagement Officer, JPIT.

This webinar, originally streamed live on 8 September 2020, discussed the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy and the ongoing struggle for justice.It was chaired by Revd Dr Kevin Snyman, with Bevin Powell and Revd Mike Long on the panel, who have both worked to support the survivors.On 14th June 2017, a massive fire broke out at Grenfell Tower in North Kensington, West London, which resulted in the deaths of 72 people. It was the worst British residential fire since the Second World War. Many of those who lost their lives, or were affected by this fire, were from minority ethnic communities.The webinar was hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

This episode, which was originally streamed as a live webinar on 21 July 2020, explores the Windrush scandal, and how a plethora of Black Britons, who had lived and worked in Britain for decades, were threatened with deportation because they did not appear to have the right papers.It was moderated by Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed, with Patrick Vernon OBE as the main speaker.This webinar was hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and the Baptist Union of Great Britain.

Explore how the COVID-19 crisis has changed the narrative of immigration issues in Britain and Ireland. The webinar was originally streamed live on 15 July 2020.SpeakersScotland: Olivia Ndoti – a Zambian national, studying at the University of Glasgow (BA Community Development).Wales: Revd Aled Edwards OBE – Chief Executive, Cytûn (Churches Together in Wales).Ireland: Dr Ebun Joseph – Lecturer & Module Coordinator (Black Studies) in University College, Dublin.England: Jonathan Ellis – Project Director, The Detention Forum.This webinar was hosted by CTBI’s Churches’ Refugee Network (CRN), Chaired by the Bishop of Bradwell and Moderated by Revd Sally Thomas, Minister with St Paul’s Bayswater and Kensington United Reformed Churches.

This discussion explored how the policy of the Hostile Environment created distrust and increased discrimination and deprivation among those with an unsecure immigration status in this country.This was the second of five webinars focusing on racial justice in Britain and Ireland. It was originally streamed live on 7 July 2020. It was hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI) and the Baptist Union of Great Britain.Moderator: Eleasah Phoenix Louis is a PhD candidate at Canterbury Christ Church University and founder/ developer of the Black Consciousness and Christian Faith programme.Speaker:Professor Robert Beckford is Professor of Black Theology at The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham.