Northern Ireland’s cold war is smouldering. Everything is political - your name, where you live, the pub you use, your accent, the football team you support, or the passport you hold. Politics are rigid and archaic, deeply rooted in the past, yet continuing to dominate the present; running deep, rooted in divisions prevalent long before the signing of the peace agreement. Brexit and a political vacuum have added a dynamic across the region that is far from peaceful. Although Northern Ireland is no longer be at war, peace cannot be defined by the reduction of armed conflict. Much more is needed for peace to take hold fully. For years, in communities across the land, people have used a gentle, intricate negotiation of difference on a daily basis, using language, humour, silence - or whatever is needed to navigate challenging situations. See

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Place for Hope, a Scottish charity responding to the need for mediators within faith groups and congregations in Scotland. In October they are hosting a three-day event, ‘Gathering in Glasgow on Conflict and Faith’, to explore the nature of conflict faced by churches and faith communities, and ways of working together in conflict transformation. The event, aiming to respond to the hunger for reconciliation and peace in churches and communities, will give delegates the opportunity to network while developing the art of conflict transformation, reconciliation, and peacebuilding across faith communities. Victoria Mason, part of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s reconciliation team, will lead one of the workshops. ‘Knowing how to transform conflict is crucial for following Jesus in a world that is ever more complex and divided,’ she said.

Most British schools reopen on 2 September. During the holidays, three million children were at risk of hunger. One in five children faced food insecurity, one of the highest rates in Europe, because they were no longer receiving a daily school meal. Because of this, a variety of organisations and churches dotted across the nation have been providing free activities and hot and healthy meals to children and families who would otherwise have gone hungry. They have also been supporting and building relationships with the most vulnerable in our communities. Pray for these relationships to continue to grow after the ‘hunger clubs’ close down. Pray for the church volunteers who now have contact with some of the hidden ones in their communities to continue to give families the loving support that a compassionate church can give. Also, 37% of teachers spot malnutrition when children return to school after the holidays. Please pray for sensitive relationships to be built between families in poverty, teachers, social workers, councils, and other agencies able to support the vulnerable. See

Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron sounded semi-enthusiastic last week when Boris Johnson spoke about getting an agreement, even if they were sceptical that there is a different deal to be agreed. This week, they are resisting commenting on the UK suspension of Parliament. It would be difficult for them to get involved. One senior EU official said they do not want to give the impression there is a nicer withdrawal agreement in a drawer somewhere to be pulled out if the UK government's opponents could be vanquished. A French MEP, a close ally of Macron, said, ‘We could see Brexit coming without agreement. Now it’s a Brexit without debate that looms.’ In Brussels, EU officials have vowed not to allow Mr Johnson's latest manoeuvre to cause the bloc to be blamed for a no-deal Brexit. See also