LAUNCH EVENT: Wednesday 23 September 2015, 6pm – 8:30pm, at St Mark's Church, Kennington, London SE11 4PW (opposite the Oval tube station).

The Movement for Justice and Reconciliation is a community-based organisation dedicated to drawing public attention to one of the great injustices of our age: the legacy of slavery. We believe that the colonial slave trade and industrial exploitation in Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries is continuing to affect modern society. MJR intends to research the impact of this period of our history on society today, and develop community-led projects to address the needs identified by research.

The charity was formed in 2014 following more than a year of consultations among inner-city community leaders. It brings together representatives of a range of existing churches and organisations, including Micah Community Projects, Street Pastors and Urban Presence. MJR has already formed two partnerships: one with the religious histories department of the Open University to collate and conduct research into the legacy of the slave trade; the other with the Nazarene Theological College in Manchester to establish a study centre providing opportunities for training, community engagement and research.

The official launch of the Movement for Justice and Reconciliation will provide more details about this exciting and innovative new project, together with opportunities to support the future work.

The evening will start at 6pm with a hot buffet (including African and Caribbean food) and a chance to view our exhibition. The formal programme for the evening will include short talks about the work of MJR and responses from Karen Bradley MP, Stephen Timms MP and Bishop Nazir-Ali, plus music from an African-Caribbean choir. There will also be a time for questions and responses at the end of the evening and a more informal chance to talk to those involved.

To register for launch tickets (free), or for further details of the work of MJR, please click here.