Sacred Space 2018 addresses Hate Crime Awareness Week.
A keynote speaker at the first national cathedrals conference, South African priest and social justice activist Fr Michael Lapsley, is to share a platform with Moss side anti violence campaigner Dr Erinma Bell this week as part of Hate Crime Awareness week.
Fr Michael, who lost both his hands and the sight in one eye in a letter bomb attack, will speak about his experiences in South Africa and his work on healing and reconciliation in the face of violent division.
He is in the UK as a keynote speaker for the first national Cathedrals Conference, Sacred Space: Common Ground which runs in Manchester 17 – 20th Sept.
On Thursday (Sept 13th) Fr Michael will be the keynote speaker at the Challenging Hate forum in Manchester Cathedral from 2.30pm-4.30pm,
And on Friday (Sept 14th) he will share a stage with Erinma Bell at an event in Moss Side from 3-6pm talking about healing our trauma through memories. He founded the Institute for Healing our Memories in 1998 in South Africa to help those disabled, or scarred, either mentally or physically, by trauma.
Mum, Dr Erinma Bell has been hailed for her work against gang violence in south Manchester. Activist Erinma, who grew up in Moss Side, was awarded an MBE in 2010 and has an honorary doctorate from Salford University.
She set up charity Carisma to help Moss Side and Longsight in 2002 after she and her husband Raymond witnessed a shooting.
As well as a keynote speech for the Cathedrals Conference on his experiences in South Africa and his work on healing in the face of violent division; Fr Michael will also lead workshops on spirituality and the saints and peace-making.
