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In a 2016 presentation to the UN Working group that explored the processes for  eliminating and prohibiting nuclear weapons, the Vatican made it clear that peace cannot be achieved through a balance of power between enemies, but requires a profound respect for strengthening mutual trust amongst all nations. Pope Paul VI said that “Development is the new name for peace.”

 

The Vatican was in line with the overwhelming majority of UN member states, and supported them when they voted for the most significant resolution for nuclear disarmament in decades.

 

The vote at the UN for a Conference to devise a Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty was achieved despite the efforts of nuclear-armed states like the UK and the US.

The negotiating conference will be held at the United Nations in New York on 27-31 March 2017 and 14 June-7 July 2017. All governments, international organisations and civil society are invited to participate in these historic negotiations.

 

Any detonation of a nuclear weapon would cause catastrophic humanitarian harm. The blast, the firestorm, the immediate fallout and the long-term impact of radiation would cause unspeakable suffering for civilians.  Nuclear weapons are the only weapons of mass destruction that are not banned per se, and now things can be put right, by banning them specifically, and for good.

 

By speaking about the humanitarian effects of nuclear weapons and by including the perspective of states which do not have nuclear weapons, the ban treaty will address the shortcomings of previous treaties.

 

While the UK Government and the nuclear armed states oppose the treaty, Scotland is left in democratic deficit again. Our elected representatives will not be able to represent Scotland's view, despite the UK siting its nuclear weapons in this country.

It is imperative that civil society attends the negotiations, to support the states that want to ensure  the ban goes ahead, and to hold the powerful minority of the nuclear weapons states to account.  India, China and Pakistan abstained from the vote, showing a willingness to participate in discussions. With each achievement, the movement for elimination and prohibition grows, and with it the courage of governments who can make the change happen.

 

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons (ICAN) has been the leading civil society coalition advocating for a treaty to prohibit this inhumane and unacceptable weapon of mass destruction.

 

The UK Government takes the position that it supports multilateral disarmament through the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The NPT does prohibit nations from acquiring nuclear weapons if they did not already have them at the time that the NPT was negotiated, (1968) and it also requires all of its parties to pursue negotiations in good faith for nuclear disarmament. New legal instruments to advance the objective of nuclear disarmament are specifically required by the treaty. The nuclear weapon ban treaty will fulfil that requirement, and complement and reinforce the NPT. It will neither replace nor undermine it, and the NPT will remain in force after the ban treaty has been concluded.

 

A statement submitted to the 2016 UN General Assembly First Committee by Faith Communities Concerned about the Humanitarian Consequences of Nuclear Weapons on October 12, 2016, New York urged “… all governments to support the resolution mandating a conference in 2017 to negotiate a new legally binding treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons and leading to their elimination. Civil society organisations, including faith-based organisations, have a vital role to play in such negotiations, and we call for their full inclusion in the conference and negotiation process.”

Flame?  The event is, of course, inspired by St. Paul’s writing to “let our faith fan into a flame”, and the message of St. Catherine of Sienna to “be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire”, and on March 11  the Salesians of Don Bosco took a group of 560 people from their schools, parishes, and youth centres, including 30 students from schools across central Scotland connected with URSpace; the retreat community run by the Salesian Sisters from their base in Glasgow.

 

My connection with URSpace goes back to Sr Gill – who I first met at a Salesian retreat centre 10 years ago, and it was Sr Gill and Sr Bernie who gave me a place to stay for my first two weeks north of the border working with Justice and Peace Scotland. So of course, I was going to join students from St Maurice’s (Cumbernauld), St Ninian’s (Eastwood), John Paul Academy (Glasgow), St Andrews and St. Bride’s (East Kilbride), and Cardinal Newman (Bellshill)  travelling down to London on the Friday.

For some of the Scottish young people it was their first time in London, and after navigating the Underground we made camp at The Bosco Centre, a vocational college in Bermondsey, before setting out to see the Thames at night, walking down to Tower Bridge.

The following morning we were up early and on the tube to Wembley. Being the only Scottish group attending we broke out the face-paint, and arrived well decorated in both Saltires and the Salesian family logo. The event started with Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster reading a message from Pope Francis. Music-led by worship leader Matt Redman (back after appearing at Flame 2 in 2015) helped to focus on the theme. His song “10,000 reasons”, reflecting the 10,000 of us gathered there, all of us a blessing to the church, each other, and, in the words of Don Bosco, “loved, and lovable” to God.

Cardinal Charles Bo of Burma addressed us, speaking about the church in his country under persecution for so many years, now finding its place in an emerging democracy, and leaving us with the message that all of us “are made for greater things. Let hope put fire into your hearts and make you a great human being”.
The lunchtime activities were the original reason for my attendance, and along with colleagues from Bosco Volunteer Action, the Columbans, and Assumptionist volunteers we delivered “Imagine” – challenging young people, their leaders, and a few bishops to imagine they were threatened, and having to flee to safety, what would they pack, how would they feel, and how do they imagine they would be received in a strange country? This led into the afternoon, where an unapologetic focus was placed on refugees and asylum seekers. Present in the arena was T06411, a boat that had crossed from Libya to Lampedusa. Volunteers from CAFOD spoke about their experiences of visiting partner organisations in Lebanon, and staff from Jesuit Refugee Service shared the experience of their work here in the UK.

 

The afternoon ended in prayer, with the whole of Wembley arena silent in Adoration, before singing and dancing our way out of the arena. A late night trip to Piccadilly Circus, and an early start for Mass at Westminster Cathedral left all of us tired, as we sat, slept, or (in my case) wrote this blog, on the train back to Glasgow.

 

The speakers, videos, and drama at Flame are a real inspiration. But even more powerful was to travel with our young people visiting London, and taking part in Flame for the first time. While walking on the Friday, several were speaking to me about how they lived their faith in little acts of service; volunteering in soup kitchens, and as peer mentors in their schools. I have never accepted the despairing remarks that “young people don’t get involved in the church”, and the stories they shared were always described as “it’s just something I know I should do” – no fanfare, no praise sought - makes me feel as sure of our young people, as standing amongst 10,000 in worship on the Saturday did. I know that I would have been at Flame this year either way – but the experience is multiplied thousands of times by sharing the journey with such amazing young people.

Danny Sweeney is Justice and Peace Scotland’s Social Justice Co-ordinator, a Salesian lay-volunteer, and (at the time of writing) hasn’t slept in 2 days!
For more information about the work of URSpace in schools across Scotland, see their Facebook page (search for URSpace).

For photos and videos from Flame see our Twitter feed (@JandPScot), and also Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for @FlameCongress, and #Flame2017.

I'll be honest. It's not an easy time to be an American Catholic committed to social justice and environmental protection. The difficulty started to build last year when candidate Trump began to be taken seriously. I joined so many here in the UK looking across the Atlantic and wondering how so many of my fellow citizens could hear and see what we were witnessing, and somehow come to the conclusion that the lack of empathy and vitriolic speech was alright.

 

This new era in American politics has become a reality. Since January we have all watched as cabinet selections were made and ill-thought executive orders were issued.
 
Now I would like to share how it feels to have an American accent and be myself an immigrant (albeit to the UK). Until recently I was a bit like the Ugly Duckling. I forgot that I was different from everyone around me.  My husband and children are Scots, most of my friends are Scots and I'm the only "outsider" in my place of work. Now with the reality of President Trump it is the thing that many people turn to me and ask me about. And the answers aren't easy.

 

There is so much that I disagree with.. And there is even more that I find repulsive. Trump’s attitude towards Muslims and his edicts on immigration have had a very unsettling affect on people around the world. What has happened to the proud melting pot of America?  I worry that the fear and hate that is being incited in America will give confidence to others here in the UK, across Europe and around the world. I cannot understand how the facts about immigrants and the contribution they make to society are ignored.

 

But really I am broken hearted. I am deeply shaken by the negative tone and direction of these early days of the Trump administration. And most importantly I feel frustrated that people who disagree on issues are losing the ability to have civil discussions about differences. I worry that treaties and peaceful dialogue that took so many years to put together can so easily be disregarded

 

The Paris Climate agreement finally brought America into the fold to commit to reducing our greenhouse gases. Now there is a real chance that with the stroke of a pen the US will withdraw from the treaty or simply not enforce the agreed environmental protections. The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) took years of negotiations to give basic healthcare to everyone. If it is repealed, the very people most in need of decent health care will be unable to afford it, or simply be excluded from it due to pre-existing conditions. As someone who has enjoyed the benefits of the NHS, I cannot fathom why the country would want to return to leaving those most in need of health care without any way of accessing it.

 

The one thing that heartens me is the way so many people across the country and across the world have spoken back. My sister was able to attend the large march in Washington DC the day after the inauguration. She phoned me as soon as she got home to tell me of the solidarity of the (mainly) women in the streets with all their hand made signs, building each other up. The crowd was so large that the subway wasn't able to stop at any of the central stations because there was nowhere on the streets above to hold any more people.

 

Her elation at the response sounded in her voice.

 

And so I remember that when I am starting to despair. America is a democracy and we, the people, have many ways to speak up. It's now up to us to do our part. It is more important than ever.