In England and Wales, this day is kept as "Peace Sunday" on Sunday 18th January. New Year's Day is the day in which it is marked world wide. Pax Christi have prepared some materials, endorsed by the Bishops' Conference, for use on 18th January. These materials are related to the Message of Pope Benedict XVI "Fighting poverty to build peace", the full text of which can be found on the Pax Christi page. Though I can see one or two points at which I would want to adapt them, these materials are quite useable.
There seem to me to be four aspects of the Pope's message worthy of particular note:
1. The account of the different types of poverty (n.2), particularly the references to "moral underdevelopment" and to "superdevelopment" - looking up these references to Populorum Progressio and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis is worthwhile to get the real flavour of what Pope Benedict is saying.
2. The section on poverty and moral implications (nn.3-7) addresses issues of demographic change, pandemic diseases, child poverty, the relationship between disarmament and development - clearly expressing the moral boundaries that need to be respected in these areas. Not a section that will play well with some aspects of anti-poverty campaigning.
3. A need for people everywhere to feel personally outraged by the injustices in the world (n.8), and a consequent need for men and women who live in a profoundly fraternal way to accompany those on journeys of authentic human development (n.13).
4. The need for an ethical approach to economics at an international level, the need for an ethical approach by those in public office and the need for an ethical approach to participation to harness the contributions of civil society at local and international levels (n.12). "Civil society in particular plays a key part in every process of development, since development is essentially a cultural phenomenon, and culture is born and develops in the civil sphere."
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