From 10th till 13th November, the Justice and Peace Commission within the Church in Malta will be hosting the International Workshop and General Assembly of the Commissions of Justice and Peace Europe. Around 50 delegates from all over Europe are expected to attend this meeting, which is held annually in one of the 32 countries forming part of the Justice and Peace Europe network. The theme chosen for this year is ‘The changing world of work – a transversal justice issue’. 

The conference starts on Friday, 10th November at 7:30pm, with a keynote speech by Sr Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary at the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, at the Oratory of the Jesuits’ Church in Valletta. This will be followed by a speech by Archbishop Charles Scicluna.  

On Saturday, 11th of November, the public is invited to attend a workshop about work, from 9:30am onwards at the Gran Salon at the Archaeological Museum in Valletta. The workshop  will seek to analyse the different ways in which the world of work is changing and explore the social and economic consequences of these rapid changes. The risk to workers’ rights, magnified by the evolving nature of work, will be discussed during this meeting. 

Another event open to the public is the lecture ‘Written in Blood’. This lecture will be held on Sunday 12th November at 6:30pm in the Oratory of St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta. Among other masterpieces, this oratory hosts the painting depicting the beheading of St John the Baptist by Caravaggio, who signed his name in the blood of the Baptist. The lecture sheds light on how even today, there are people whose stories are written in blood. The martyrs of justice are those who, in the face of opposition, oppression and indifference, offer witness to a hope-filled future of solidarity and fraternity. The lecture will be delivered by Jenny Sinclair, who is the founder and director of Together for the Common Good, an NGO dedicated to spiritual and civic renewal.

Those interested in attending are requested to register via jp.church.mt by not later than Thursday, 9th of November 2023.