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Honor Hania reflects on the relevance today of The Cain Adomnan, a seventh century Irish/Scottish Law that was an early attempt to protect the weak and vulnerable in a time of war or conflict.

In recent times there have been worldwide initiatives such as the Geneva Convention and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, aimed at protecting and helping non-combatants and the vulnerable in times of war. In  2014, the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict agreed on “…practical steps to tackle impunity for the use of rape as a weapon of war.”  Through such an initiative, the international community recognises the devastating impact of this kind of violence on societies already traumatised, and the consequences for those affected.
These initiatives are vital and welcome, and they have a long history - pre-dated on these islands by many hundreds of years in legislation known as the Law of the Innocents or the Cain Adomnan – Law of Adomnan.

Adomnan is probably better known as Abbot of Iona and biographer of Columba. But at the 697 Synod at Birr in County Offaly, Ireland, he was instrumental in the declaration of this law that bears his name. The Cain Adomnan sought to protect innocentes - women, children and clerics - in times of warfare. The Law itself deals mainly with women, their status in society and the effects of conflict and violence.

A number of leading men - mostly Irish but also some from Scotland - kings, bishops, and abbots - were part of this process. These included Fland Febla, Bishop of Armagh, Bishop Curetan of Rosemarkie, and Fiachra Cosalach, King of Picts.  
In addition, along with the law, related punishments were listed. These appear to be mostly fines, a normal form of punishment. However, for the new transgressions instituted by Adomnan, more was charged, and this levy given to the familia of Adomnan - the Monastery at Iona.
If it be making use of women in a massacre or a muster or a raid seven cumals  for every hand involved

The Law also protected women in other ways and all acts of violence against them:
Whoever kills a woman shall be condemned to twofold punishment, that is before death, his right hand and his left foot shall be cut off and after that he shall die…

In addition, boys who were not yet of fighting age and clerics were also protected:
one eighth of everything small land large to the familia of Adomnan for the wounding of clerics and innocent youths

There are 91 people - church men and kings - named as guarantors of the Law, and judges were appointed to ensure compliance.

The Cain Adomnan is part of a long tradition of church teaching which emphasises concern for the innocent victims of conflict and violence. This teaching has been expressed for many centuries.  The “Just War” theory emphasises protection for non-combatants.

It’s interesting to reflect that the Catholic Church also states:
…the right to use force for purposes of legitimate defence is associated with the duty to protect and help innocent victims who are not able to defend themselves from acts of aggression.

Njila Banda, a young Zambian journalist not long out of college, finds the COVID 19 lockdown in his country is disadvantaging students.

In Zambia, as in so many countries affected by COVID 19, schools, colleges and universities are closed. Students have been told to go home and study online, with material sent by teachers.

But the Zambia National Students’ Unions (ZANASU) has submitted a report to President Edgar Lungu after an online survey showed that Zambian students want colleges to reopen.

Of course, they don’t want classes simply to resume. According to the report, 56 per cent of the 13,072 students surveyed wanted the reopening of colleges and universities to be carried out with a mandatory screening of students, lecturers, and all staff involved in conducting classes.

Why do they want to go back to college? In Scotland, perhaps online learning is better provided for than here in Zambia and maybe most people have access to the Internet. But of the surveyed Zambian students, 43 per cent were dissatisfied with online learning programmes offered by colleges and universities during the shutdown period.

In reality, it isn’t so much the programmes as the fact that the majority cannot afford the cost of a reliable Internet connection and not all have smartphones. Online learning platforms have given an advantage to just a few students while the majority are left behind.

Student  Cisanga Mwanza told me, ‘Transition from physical to virtual has been abrupt and perhaps not well coordinated. This may lead to most colleges and universities having a reduced pass rate and more likely it will produce half-baked graduates this year.’

Chipoma Mulenga, a student at Evelyn Hone College, said, ‘During this lockdown, we are doing E-Learning and i find it difficult. The network isn't good in this country and I can’t access everything I need.’

The Zambian President has said that schools will reopen in phases, The first phase will be primary and secondary schools, but only for those in examination classes. There will be consultation on when higher learning institutions will reopen.

Students should be sitting exams soon, but I think it could only be done if students, lecturers and other staff abide by the health guidelines. At the very least, students should be given materials to study for November exams.

I am seeing the news from around the world and it is sad to see how many people are vulnerable to the corona virus outbreak in many different ways. It isn’t just that people get sick, or even the high death toll in some countries.

It is that the pandemic is affecting poorer communities in the UK because poor people live in bad housing and the air is more polluted. And now we are seeing that poorer countries like Zambia are more badly affected because however much we protect ourselves with masks and social distancing, the poor are disadvantaged by lack of technology and infrastructures.

I pray that the inequalities the pandemic has highlighted will be addressed when COVID19 has been conquered.

Jill Kent, Justice and Peace Scotland's new chair, reflects on the possibility of a 'new normal'

Greetings to you all. I am writing to you as the new chair of the Justice and Peace Commission. I stepped into this role at a curious time in our world: a time of contradictions, and whatever the outcome, a time of change.

Perhaps like me, you find yourselves swinging between feelings that should not necessarily belong together. There are moments when I am struck with real sadness for everyone who is struggling with and working to heal this nasty virus.  And then other moments when I feel calmed by being able to live a less hectic lifestyle with more time for prayer and reflection.

Recently I followed some podcasts that pondered, “If we could build society all over again, if we could start from scratch, what would we keep?” At the time I dismissively thought, “But let’s be real, we can’t.  This is the world we built so let’s just think about how we can best move forward.”

And look at us now.  We have all stopped. Every one of us has paused to think about how we can start up again.  Some people can’t wait to get right back to where we left off, but many of us have realised that we can’t carry on with the way we’ve been living.  

Our economy has ground a halt. Emerging from that, we see injustices intensifying: those among us who were already struggling are impacted the most. Those on the edge of society have become even more vulnerable. 

In our own communities, those most affected by COVID 19 live in areas where air pollution is highest and poverty compromises both housing and health. In the developing world, entire populations are struggling to exist. Climate chaos has destroyed their food security and migration seems the only answer. Yet their contribution to the climate emergency has been minimal compared with that of the global north.

We must take the climate emergency seriously. We all knew it, but many of us have found it difficult to commit to the major changes required to make a real difference. Now perhaps we can use the networks and willpower created to tackle the virus to address the climate emergency. 

This past week we’ve been marking the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si encyclical. Many of us across the world have joined together online for a week of events challenging us to reflect, learn and pray about the Care of our Common Home. Five years on, this document has proved to be as prophetic and relevant as ever.  We have been challenged to listen to the cry of the earth, and the cry of the poor, and take serious action to take care of God’s creation.

Both the climate crisis and coronavirus pandemic remind us that we live in an interconnected world where we must work together building on the values we share.  If ever there was a time to work for change, it’s now. Will you join me during this pause in committing to work together to build a better and more just world?