Christian peacemakers bring their message to Greenbelt
Almost 30 UK-based Christian peace organisations will come together over the August bank holiday weekend to spread their message of peace at the Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival.
Anglicans, Baptists, Catholics, Dominicans, Methodists, Quakers and Unitarians will be amongst those represented in the festival’s Peace Zone. The multi-denominational peacemakers will invite Greenbelt visitors to explore a commitment to peace from a Christian perspective and will share their knowledge and experience of working for peace at the local, national and international level.
The Peace Zone, located in the G-Source tent, is a project of the Network of Christian Peace Organisations (NCPO) and a unique part of the Greenbelt festival experience. By encouraging festival-goers to embrace peacemaking as a central part of their Christian faith, NCPO hopes to inspire people to incorporate an active commitment to peace and nonviolence into their Christian practice.
Norman Kember, NCPO member and former Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) representative in Iraq, says: “My commitment to peace and nonviolence is inseparable from my Christian faith, and my involvement with the Network of Christian Peace Organisations reflects this. NCPO’s presence at the Greenbelt festival is especially important as it is the festival goers of today who will become the peacemakers of tomorrow.”
Visitors to the Peace Zone will have the opportunity to paint themselves into an imaginative art installation featuring peacemakers throughout the ages. There will also be resources for campaigning and action, suggestions as to ‘what you can do for peace’ and a team of volunteers to talk to about anything peace-related.
Christian peace organisations will be represented on the main Greenbelt programme – including via a forum theatre performance ‘A Play on Peace’ and a talk by conflict transformation practitioner and Quaker Diana Francis.
Ends
Notes to editor:
- NCPO representatives will be available for interview, contact Chris Cole on 01865 250781 or 07960 811 437
- The Greenbelt Christian Arts Festival takes place over the August Bank Holiday weekend each year at Cheltenham race course. This year’s festival runs from 28 to 31 August.
- The Network of Christian Peace Organisations (NCPO) is an ecumenical network committed to peace as central to the meaning of church community. NCPO consists of a broad group of organisations in the Christian peace tradition committed to furthering peace and encouraging churches to support the peace movement. A full list of member organisations can be found below.
- The Peace Zone is located in the G-Source tent and will be open at the following times:
- Friday: from 12noon – 10pm
- Saturday: 10am – 10pm
- Sunday: 12noon – 10pm
- Monday: 10am – 6pm
- 'A Play on Peace’ will be performed as a piece of forum theatre at 9pm on Sunday 30 August on the stage in the G-Source tent
- Diana Francis will be speaking on Monday 31 August. Check the Greenbelt programme (available onsite) for full details.
- NCPO members include:
- Anglican Pacifist Fellowship
- Baptist Peace Fellowship
- Bruderhof Communities
- Campaign Against Arms Trade Christian Network
- Christian International Peace Service
- Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
- Christian Ecology Link
- Christian Peacemaker Teams (UK)
- Church and Peace
- Clergy Against Nuclear Arms
- Community for Reconciliation
- Congregational Peace Fellowship
- Dominican Peace Action
- Ekklesia
- Fellowship of Reconciliation, England
- London Mennonite Centre
- Methodist Peace Fellowship
- Northern Friends Peace Board
- Pax Christi
- Peace School
- Quaker Peace & Social Witness
- SPEAK
- St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation & Peace
- Student Christian Movement
- Third Order of St Francis
- Unitarian Peace Fellowship
- United Reformed Church Peace Fellowship
- World Disarmament Campaign – Churches Work
- The new-look NCPO website was launched earlier this month and can be found at www.ncpo.org.uk
Media Information
Chris Cole
01865 250781 or 07960 811 437
ncpo@for.org.uk
www.ncpo.org.uk
