News

Churches in Scotland are preparing to mark Racial Justice Sunday

September 5, 2006

In the middle of the debate about multiculturalism and integration churches in Scotland are preparing to mark this following Sunday (10 Sept 06) the Racial Justice Sunday. Racial Justice Sunday was set apart for churches to celebrate diversity, pray for unity, understanding and for those that sufferer prejudice and discrimination. The event seeks also to encourage churches and churchgoers to take action in supporting those people that suffer because of racism and discrimination and to stand up with them for justice.

Dr. Richard McCready the convenor of the Scottish Churches Racial Justice Group, a group affiliated to Action of Churches Together in Scotland, says that “Scotland has a long tradition of welcoming people and we need to celebrate that, but also need to go further and make everyone living here feel that Scotland is their home. There are black and minority ethnic people scattered throughout many congregations in Scotland but often they are invisible. We would like to encourage churches to take this opportunity to celebrate diversity and let themselves being enriched by the gifts and richness of people that are of different culture and what is often incorrectly referred to as ‘race’”.

Nelu Balaj, the Scottish Churches Racial Justice Officer adds, “At the heart of our call and mission as the people of God is welcoming the stranger and seeking justice for the marginalised. Racial Justice Sunday gives us an opportunity to declare our commitment to this task”.

Racial Justice Sunday is co-ordinated by the Churches' Commission for Racial Justice (CCRJ) working together with the Scottish Churches Racial Justice Group, the Catholic Association for Racial Justice, the Methodist Racial Justice Committee, the United Reformed Church Racial Justice Office, CYTÛN (Churches Together in Wales), and others.

For more information contact Dr. Nelu Balaj, the Scottish Churches Racial Justice Officer, racialjustice@acts-scotland.org, Tel. 07814544258.