University of Glamorgan

We are aware that in the current financial climate a number of people in the University are facing redundancy, whether as a reality that has already happened or as a worrying possibility.

If this is causing you anxiety, and you feel you would like to share your feelings or discuss your situation. we would like to remind you that the Chaplaincy is available for completely confidential support.

We are here to serve the whole University community, and because of our closeness to the community we understand the problems. However, we are an independent body outside the University structure, which means that whatever you say to us or we say to you will not prejudice your position in any way.

If you feel it would be helpful to talk things over, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can phone (65)4060 or e-mail vrees@glam.ac.uk in complete confidence. We also have a 24-hour emergency support service which can be accessed by phoning the main University number, 01443 480480, and asking for a Chaplain.

Posted by chaplaincy | 1 comment | Tagged with chaplaincy, redundancy, staff

The story of Abraham’s spiritual journey is one shared by both Christians and Muslims, and one that continues to inspire and guide us throughout our lives.

The Christian-Muslim Forum is holding a retreat for men, entitled “Following in the Footsteps of Abraham”.

This will be in the beautiful setting of St Deiniol’s Library, Hawarden, North Wales, on 4th -6th June 2010. It will be an opportunity to share our faith and experiences in a safe, relaxed space and to explore what it really means to be men of faith.

The leaders are: Symon Hill, a Quaker Christian, writer and activist, and author of The No-nonsense Guide to Religion Abdullah Trevathan, Senior Lecturer in Religious Education at Roehampton University and leader in the BBC’s television programme ‘The Retreat’.

The cost is £120 per person. Bursaries are available.

To reserve your place or find out more about the retreat please e-mail: mustafa@christianmuslimforum.org

Or call: 0207 820 0444

Posted by chaplaincy | 5 comments | Tagged with chaplaincy, christian, islam, muslim, retreat

Meditation is a practice found in all the great religions. As such, it offers an important common ground for inter-religious dialog and a basis for peace in the world. Many Christians have been helped to recover contact with their own tradition of meditation, or contemplative prayer, because of the work of Father John Main , whose work is continued around the globe by the World Community for Christian Meditation .

On May 15th, the U.R.C. Church in Windsor Place, Cardiff, will host a taster session (11 am – 2pm).  Liz Watson, national UK co-ordinator for the WCCM , will explain the simplicity of Christian meditation and lead a gentle introductory session. There will also be the option of six weekly follow-up sessions, to help launch you on a very enriching focus for whatever your prayer preference is.

John Main became a Benedictine monk after serving with the Foreign Office in Malaysia, where he had learned to meditate in the way practiced by Eastern religions. Under obedience in the monastery, he was told not to continue with the meditation technique he had learnt. He complied.

In his training as a monk, Main discovered the history of John Cassian (AD 360-435). Cassian, who was from Romania, travelled from his homeland along the Mediterranean coast, passing through the Middle East, coming into contact with the desert monks and their prayer methods. He passed across Northern Africa and eventually established monasteries in Gaul — now Southern France. Benedict of Nursia was greatly influenced by Cassian in establishing monastic orders, giving rise to the Rule of Benedict. In this way, Cassian brought an Eastern Christian tradition of meditation into the West. Other Christian traditions, such as the Carmelites, also recognise this contemplative approach to prayer. Common to the ideas of east and west is the importance of daily dedicated times of being still — to make space for God to come into busy lives.

Encouraged by finding that meditation was not alien to the Christian tradition, John Main saw the need for this discipline to be offered as a focal point for lay peoples’ spiritual growth. Father John Main and Father Lawrence Freeman were invited by the Cardinal Archbishop of Montreal to establish a meditation community for lay people in Canada. Since Father John’s death in 1982, Father Lawrence has become international director of the World Community for Christian Meditation. The organisation has spread to North and South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Europe (East and West). A south-east Wales group meets in Roath and can be found on Facebook.

Visiting speaker Liz Watson will be interviewed and appear on Radio Wales’s All Things Considered programme on May 9th.

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In the Christian calendar, Good Friday is the day we remember the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

As an historical event, it is an example of gross injustice and brutality. Jesus preached a message of radical love and trust in God. He exposed much of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his time, their concern with little ritual things instead of the fundamental principles of their religion, and their obsession with their own status and privileges. Because of this the leaders came to hate him.

It was a volatile political situation. The Jewish community was under the rule of the Roman Empire. Because of their unique religious principles – their refusal to worship any other god, their opposition to idols, and their strict rules of purity – the Romans regarded them as an awkward and demanding subject people. There was constant tension and uneasy compromise. Jesus was rocking a boat that was barely managing to stay above water, so it was convenient for a lot of people that he should be out of the way.

In a hasty process that was hardly legal, the religious authorities condemned him for blasphemy, for offences against God, and then persuaded the Roman governor to execute him for treason. The punishment was to be nailed to a cross and bleed to death – one of the many cruel punishments human ingenuity has devised down through the ages.

So what’s good about it? Why is it called ‘Good Friday’? The simple answer is that actually ‘good’ is an old English word for ‘holy’. So what’s holy about it?

Well, if you ask a Christian what God is like the answer will be like Jesus. So the death of Jesus on the cross shows God, in his uncompromising love, pouring out his very lifeblood for the world he has created. It shows his solidarity with all who suffer: because of the cross we have a God who knows from experience the very worst that we can suffer.

In that event of “holy Friday” is the hope of the world. It shows God being prepared to take the very worst that human beings can do to him and to each other. This is very different from the picture we often have of God Almighty sitting on a throne in heaven, judging and controlling. This is the picture that says “God is love” and in such love is the hope of the world.

So after all it really is a Good Friday.

Posted by chaplaincy | 1 comment | Tagged with "good friday", easter

What makes a date, successful? The BBC seem to know…

Television station, BBC Three, is currently running a series called Undercover Princesses. Three genuine princesses, from Germany, Uganda and India, have spent a month living in Essex, trying to find love free from the usual constraints of moving in royal circles.

In Episode 2, broadcast last week, Gabi (a.k.a. Princess Xenia of Saxony) accepted an invitation to spend a weekend at a music festival with local Essex lad, Elliot. After showing the pair enjoying their day together, the BBC’s narrator commented: “Gabi’s first date with Elliot has gone well… but not that well [they hug], as they go to bed in separate tents.” (You can hear this segment 12 min 36s into Episode 2 )

A long time ago, Auntie B.B.C. might have been expected to uphold traditional Christian values which would have frowned upon the idea of any unmarried couple sharing a tent. Today, we live in a different kind of world, and expect the BBC to respect all cultures and values. Instead, what we have is another kind of message – that the only good date, is one which ends up with two people sleeping together. Coming from a narrator in a programme which is otherwise fair in presenting the different cultures involved, this stands out as an unusual moment of bias.

Of course, this is a chaplaincy blog, and “we would say that, wouldn’t we…” – or would we?

Quite apart from the fact that most of the world’s religions have quite specific positions on what should take place before a couple becomes intimate, people of all religious beliefs and none might share a common concern that young people today – like the students under our care at this chaplaincy – might be pressured into sexual encounters before they feel ready.

If the documentary had merely pointed out that Gabi and Elliot were not under one canvas that night and allowed the viewer to reach their own conclusion, fair enough – we expect as much in the multi-valued culture which is Britain today. But by making such an editorial comment, is the BBC not adding to the subtle pressure which erodes the freedom of young dating couples to say “not yet”?

At the Chaplaincy we do not give directive advice to students on what kind of intimacy should be reserved for marriage, unless a student asks for guidance in accord with a particular faith tradition. But we do encourage students not to be rushed into relationships before they are ready, and we are available to offer support to any student who feels pressured to go further than they are comfortable with at present.

Meanwhile, perhaps the same BBC which has put so much effort into keeping this princess undercover, should not be disappointed that she has chosen to stay under the cover of her own tent!

Posted by chaplaincy | 1 comment | Tagged with chaplaincy, dating, morality, television

Maundy Thursday falls on Thursday 1st April this year, and will be marked by a service of Holy Communion at 12.15 pm in the Chaplaincy room, Tramsheds, Glyntaf campus. All students and staff will be welcome.

This annual celebration commemorates the day when Jesus Christ broke bread with his followers, washed their feet, and told them that he was giving them a new commandment – “to love one another”. In Latin, “commandment” became “mandatum”, which passed into English as “Maundy”.

There is no Roman Catholic service on campus for Maundy Thursday. The Chrism Mass with Archbishop Peter Smith is celebrated at 11.30 a.m. in St David’s Cathedral in Cardiff. The evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper takes place at 8.00 p.m. at St Dyfrig’s Church in Treforest.

If you are resident in Cardiff, Pontypridd or Merthyr for Easter and wish to find times of Easter services, you can obtain the contact details of a church near you from glamfaith.org .

Many Christian Churches in Pontypridd join together for a walk of witness through the town centre on Good Friday. Meet at the town museum by the old bridge at 11.45 on Good Friday. A simple lunch is available afterwards at St David’s Uniting Church .

Our Tuesday lunch project, Chewsdays , is closed on 30th March and 6th April, re-opening on Tuesday April 13th.

All the Chaplains wish students and staff a very happy Easter break.

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Thank you for supporting Fairtrade Fortnight. Hope you enjoy our final film

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In the second of our films concerning Fairtrade you are invited to swap your chocolate to a Fairtrade alternative. View the film here

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So the big swap has begun . All over the University people are swapping their regular cuppa for Fairtrade. Over the next few days we will be offering you the opportunity of viewing a number of short films to encourage you to swap some more

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This article about Fairtrade from a marketing perspective has been written by Heather Skinner who is a Principal Lecturer in Marketing at Glamorgan Business School. We are very grateful to her for these thoughts in Fairtrade Fortnight.

As an academic whose subject specialism is marketing, I recognise some interesting paradoxes around the marketing and consumption of Fair Trade products.

Marketers tell companies they should provide what a customer wants. While customers are usually quite effective in expressing what their problems and needs are, they can not always express what they want companies to provide to fulfill these needs. Customers also face the problem of wanting low priced yet good quality products that offer good value for money on the one hand, while also believing companies that supply these products should take on a wider remit for social responsibility, in particular with regard to sourcing, production and supply on the other hand.

Indeed, the American Marketing Association changed its definition of marketing in 2007 to reflect this wider social responsibility – the AMA now defines marketing as:
the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.

There is an alternative perspective such as that proposed by the economist Milton Friedman who famously said that he believed “the business of marketing is business”. Other authors agree, basing their opinion on the argument that, in a democratic society, marketers do not, and should not have the responsibility for deciding what is best for the people – that is the role of politicians who have been elected by the people. Marketing’s social responsibility is therefore to concentrate on meeting customers’ needs profitably and stay away from social responsibility, leaving that to elected government. However, in a marketplace economy it is impossible to separate the social from the economic. Many of the functions of the business world greatly affect society and social well-being and vice versa. What society feels and thinks about business can greatly affect business results, and being socially responsible can bring a company financial rewards. Therefore, while marketing has historically focused on meeting customer needs, a more socially responsible and societally aware view of marketing is that it should not solely focus on meeting the needs of customers if that causes detriment to other stakeholders, including suppliers. Of course, companies may see the benefits of the business case outweighing any intrinsic desire to be good corporate citizens, but does that matter if the end result is the same?

Price sensitivity is also an issue, especially in tough economic times. It is quite usual for innovations to enter the marketplace at a relatively high price, with prices falling as more consumers start to purchase the new products and the product moves from introduction to maturity in the marketplace. When Fair Trade products first entered the marketplace they were generally priced higher than more mature products. As more people move to purchasing Fair Trade over more traditional products, the price has come down. When costs are similar, customers also have less price-based reasons not to purchase goods that are fairly traded, and this allows for more ethical purchasing by consumers. As more consumers choose to purchase fairly traded goods, more products flow into the marketplace to meet this growing need.

There is an element of a ‘chicken and egg’ situation here – are marketers offering fairly traded goods because customers demand them, or are customers demanding more fairly traded goods because they are more widely available? The answer to this question may not matter, but from a marketing perspective, while social responsibility and societal marketing is a concern, companies will continue to offer goods that meet stakeholder concerns. The question that may matter more is whether or not companies will or indeed should cease meeting the need to be socially responsible if and when customers ever stop demanding that companies concern themselves with those issues.

Posted by chaplaincy | 0 comments | Tagged with chaplaincy, Fairtrade, fairtrade

Why Fairtrade ?
The Fairtrade Foundation gives some good reasons why should support Fairtrade. Read all about them here !

The Fairtrade Foundations’ vision is of a world in which justice and sustainable development are at the heart of trade structures and practices so that everyone, through their work, can maintain a decent and dignified livelihood and develop their full potential.
To achieve this vision, Fairtrade seeks to transform trading structures and practices in favour of the poor and disadvantaged. By facilitating trading partnerships based on equity and transparency, Fairtrade contributes to sustainable development for marginalised producers, workers and their communities.
Through demonstration of alternatives to conventional trade and other forms of advocacy, the Fairtrade movement empowers citizens to campaign for an international trade system based on justice and fairness.
The Foundation’s mission is to work with businesses, community groups and individuals to improve the trading position of producer organisations in the South and to deliver sustainable livelihoods for farmers, workers and their communities.

We are part of this

By being a Fairtrade University we are making a contribution to the vision of the Fairtrade Foundation becoming a reality.
So change today and choose Fairtrade !

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Today marks the beginning of Fairtrade Fortnight. There are lots of Fairtrade promotions going on



You are invited to join in the Fairtrade Big Swap by swapping your regular coffee, tea, juice, glass of wine, chocolate, rice for a Fairtrade alternative !

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Fairtrade Fortnight is nearly upon us. It begins on Monday 22nd February. Each year the Fairtrade Foundation has a different theme. This year the theme is the Big Swap.



What is Fairtrade?
Fairtrade is a global alternative trade movement which guarantees fair trading prices for the producers of the consumer goods we enjoy. Fairtrade is about better prices, decent working conditions, local sustainability, and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in the developing world.

By requiring companies to pay sustainable prices (which must never fall lower than the market price), Fairtrade addresses the injustices which can result from conventional trading practices. These practices often discriminate against the poorest, weakest producers. Fairtrade enables producers in developing nations to improve their trading position and have more control over their lives.

There are a number of events happening across the two weeks and we will be keeping you updated on all of these. For now why not watch the film on the Fairtrade Foundation web-site ?

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Now that’s an unusual question. But have you really ever thought of becoming a lion ? Not the animal type but the human type. The Lions are an international organisation that helps others, and you could be part of them.

Lions are individuals who work together to answer the needs that challenge communities around the world.
The 1.3 million members that serve in over 45,000 clubs from over 200 countries make Lions clubs International the worlds largest service club organization.
Lions are best known for preventing blindness, but also participate in different kinds of projects ranging from assisting the underprivileged to providing supplies to victims of natural disasters.

The Lions have always welcomed student involvement in their work. They are currently organising student groups in this area. They offer great opportunities for student volunteering
So if you are interested and would like an initial no obligation chat contact Laurence Pearce on 01656 784528
Look at the Lions site to find out more

Posted by chaplaincy | 0 comments | Tagged with chaplaincy, helping, international organisation, lions

Issues of equality are very complicated, said Ziauddin Sardar at the Chaplaincy Lecture on Monday evening.

Talking of the current controversy about the Equalities Bill and the Pope’s remarks on it, he drew attention to the tension between contradictory points of view that each have their own validity. Freedom of speech and conscience are in a sense absolute: therefore religious bodies should not be forced to employ people whose beliefs and way of life are contrary to what they stand for. But equal rights are also in a sense an absolute: therefore no-one should be subject to discrimination on the ground of their gender or sexual orientation. But when these “absolutes” clash, the issue becomes complicated.

Ziauddin Sardar is a leading Muslim scholar and author. He was delivering the Chaplaincy Lecture on ‘Re-thinking the Contemporary Relevance of Islam’. As a former member of the Equalities Commission, he gave examples of the kind of dilemmas often faced, and stressed that every case must be considered individually in its context, and we need to learn to live with contradictions. He went on to say that faith and belief systems are full of contradictions, including science, which he described as a kind of belief system with its own contradictions.

On Islam, he pointed out the difference between the Qur’an as the supreme authority and the Sharia as the product of tradition in different historical contexts. He likened tradition to a lake – a rich source of refreshment and nourishment for plants, animals and people, but needing to have a constant influx of fresh water or it will become stagnant and a source of disease rather than life.
In answer to a question from the floor Dr Sardar said he felt very positive about future co-operation between faith communities and optimistic about the essential contribution they make to society.

The lecture, which was held at the Glamorgan Conference Centre, was attended by people of different faiths from the University and the local community. Details of further Chaplaincy lectures will be posted on the Chaplaincy web site

Posted by chaplaincy | Tagged with chaplaincy, equality, freedom, islam, lecture