Rural Issues. The major parts of north and mid Wales are rural and at the present time the situation for many people is hard. The BSE crisis has hit many farming communities, resulting in bankruptcies, family breakdown, and suicide. Wales has a huge sheep population and the price of sheep is failing rapidly, adding more financial devastation to rural communities. Young people are leaving traditional farming jobs and jobs supporting the farming industry. They leave not only because of the work situation, but because of the poor infrastructure in terms of transport, communications, and housing. There is quite extensive poverty, with banks and shops moving out of smaller communities. The issue of genetically modified foods is becoming an increasingly widespread debate in Wales.

Industry. Wales has traditionally been an agricultural and heavy industry nation. Coal and steel have been its major exports to the world. There is now only one working coal mine in Wales, run as a co-operative by the miners. There are several industries coming into Wales, but they tend to provide low-paid, part-time employment for women. This is having huge spin-offs in terms of family life and young people's expectations. There is a very real sense that jobs are created in WalesÑbut not wealth.

Environment. The toxic waste plant 'Re-Chem' shows no improvement. It continues to process waste at temperatures which are damaging to the environment and the people in the locality. Monsanto is another multi-national corporation in South Wales with a bad record of environmental abuse. It is also producing GM foods and seeds, with built in obsolescence i.e. the 'terminator gene.' It produces seeds which will only develop for one year and cannot be reused. Having offered it to poor countries free for the first year, it then charges them for subsequent years, improving their own profit margins, but impoverishing the buyers even more.

Credit Unions. The church is employing a skilled, experienced person to work with churches in developing and maintaining credit unions throughout Wales. This is a challenge to poverty and a direct contribution to its eventual eradication. Credit unions promise to build a sense of community and of confidence, and to create an economic structure appropriate to, and in the control of local people.

"Training for Transformation". This program, originating from Paulo Friere's work, is slowly being introduced into church communities throughout Wales. It is developing skills, building confidence, and encouraging people to actively challenge the injustices in their communities.

The National Assembly. In May the Welsh nation will elect its first national government. It is 1,000 years since Wales can claim any governmental independence from England. The Assembly will not have tax raising powers, but will have some autonomy over health, education, and some other vital areas.

Jubilee 2000/Ethical Investments. The church has been at the forefront of sponsoring Jubilee 2000. The Church in Wales is also reviewing its investment policy and the Division for Social Responsibility is actively encouraging a rethink of some of the traditional practices of the church.

Raising Awareness of Peace and Justice Issues Elsewhere. We have become increasingly involved in working with Sabeel in Jerusalem and other Palestinian Christian projects. In the year 2000, we will take approximately 100 pilgrims from Wales to Palestine. We will visit some of the traditional sites, but more importantly we will spend time with our friends in Sabeel, in the West Bank and in Gaza.

In Conclusion. We are trying to challenge the injustices of poverty and oppression at local and global levels.