What's the campaign all about?
It’s been six months since we launched the Restore campaign – a call on the UK government to take action against greedy lenders and reckless polluters. A rallying cry for Christians to join God’s work to restore our broken world.
Greedy lenders have been taking advantage of developing countries for too long, burdening countries with unsustainable debt that means they can’t invest in hospitals, roads and schools.
Meanwhile reckless polluters are driving the climate crisis with a ‘profit before planet ethos.’ They make billions while they burn fossil fuels that result in storms, floods and droughts.
Together the debt and climate crises are colliding to trap people in poverty. So, what have we been doing about it in the last six months
Let’s begin at the beginning.
The petition we launched in February has been signed 9000 times! That’s amongst our most successful ever. If you’ve not signed it, help us get it to 10,000.
Alongside the petition we ran a marketing campaign showing how debt is costing children their education in Malawi and Nigeria.
Maybe you saw one of our railway posters or newspaper ads?
Workshops and webinars.
Since March we’ve been running workshops which hundreds of you have attended. We’ve examined the nuts and bolts of the campaign and dived deeper into the issues with panels of experts.
Recently we ran this session that explored the campaign from a theological and Biblical perspective. We heard how campaigning to tackle injustice is part of the Christian response to what God is showing us. We reflected on Matthew, Chapter 9 and how Jesus responded to the crowds that were harassed and helpless - with compassion and action. We were challenged to truly look at the crowds today, harassed by the climate crisis, left helpless by the debt crisis - and to respond with the heart of Jesus.
If you missed any, the recordings of all past workshops can be found here. The next one will be happening on Sept 18 and will cover the latest, creative phase of the campaign where you can help us put together our unmissable ‘Restore pot’. You can sign up here.
Christian Aid joins the mass lobby.
In early July Christian Aid was part of Act Now Change Forever - the climate coalition’s mass lobby of parliament with other aid agencies, faith groups and charities. Over 5000 of you travelled from all over the country to lobby your MP to take more action on the climate crisis. Christian Aid supporters were there, ensuring their MPs heard the needs of people living in poverty.
It was a day of hope and action that will live long in the memory.
If you couldn't make it, you can still engage your MP using the tools we’ve put together here.
Image credits and information
Support in Westminster?
All the while support for UK action for climate and debt justice has been building within the UK Parliament – we’ve supported Bambos Charalambous MP to put forward a debt relief bill, and many of you encouraged your MPs to attend a debate earlier in the year.
We need more MPs to be raising these issues, and that means hearing that constituents – like you - want to see action.
So, what's next for the campaign?
At Greenbelt festival we’re launching the latest, creative phase of the campaign. We’re inviting churches to add their prayers, pictures and messages of hope to a massive, unmissable ‘Restore pot’, inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi - restoring broken things and making them even more beautiful.
The corporates, the governments, their power, their dominance, they only look at everything from a business lens, whether it is going to give profit or loss. Human society should not follow the profit loss theory. It has to follow mercy, love, compassion, peace and justice. These are the values we need to have everywhere, and it has to flow like a river.
