{
  "id": 760868,
  "title": "An Open Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury: A Call for Consistency Between Historical Repentance and Present-Day Justice",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/an-open-letter-to-the-archbishop-of-canterbury-a-call-for-consistency",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-13T11:29:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IOL",
    "slug": "iol",
    "url": "https://iol.co.za/opinion/letters/2026-08-13-an-open-letter-to-the-archbishop-of-canterbury-a-call-for-consistency-between-historical-repentance-and-present-day-justice/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "I write to the Archbishop of Canterbury regarding the Church of England's stance on historical repentance and modern justice. Your recent visits to Ghana and Cameroon have affirmed the Church’s commitment to addressing the legacy of slavery and support for a £100 million Fund for Healing, Repair and Justice. It is crucial, however, that repentance goes beyond acknowledging past injustices; it must also address ongoing exploitation. My investigations into child labor and exploitation in global supply chains reveal that many corporations, investors, and institutions have not adequately addressed these issues. The Church of England, as a major institutional investor and member of the Church Investors Group, must ensure its investments, partnerships, and purchasing decisions align with its Christian obligation to defend human dignity and protect the vulnerable. The Church's continued promotion of Fairtrade-certified products, such as coffee, tea, and cocoa, raises concerns. While Fairtrade is often presented as an ethical guarantee, it has failed to deliver living incomes or protect producers from exploitation. When churches promote Fairtrade products, they create a false sense of reassurance, as these certifications often do not eliminate child labor or ensure dignified livelihoods. Studies by Reuters correspondent Ange Aboa have described Fairtrade as \"the biggest scam of the century,\" a claim that warrants serious examination. The Church's past support for Fairtrade campaigns, such as the 2019 call for a \"living income\" for cocoa farmers, raises questions about the adequacy of the £1.86 daily figure as a measure of a living income. Slavery wages should not become the definition of fairness endorsed by the Church. Instead, the Church must ask whether the language of \"fairness\" is genuinely transforming conditions for farmers, workers, and children or normalizing unacceptable levels of poverty. Furthermore, I am concerned that current efforts to ban imports linked to forced labor in the United Kingdom may have unintended consequences if not accompanied by measures addressing poverty and workers' incomes. These measures should focus on transforming conditions that allow exploitation to exist: providing living incomes, decent wages, education, and effective protection for children. Repentance is most meaningful when it leads to present-day action. The children working today in cocoa, coffee, tea farms, mines, factories, and other agricultural fields deserve the same protection and compassion we extend to victims of historical slavery. To demonstrate the Church of England's commitment to justice, it must conduct an independent and transparent review of investments to ensure they are not linked to forced labor or child labor. Additionally, it should review the promotion of Fairtrade products and publish evidence of their real impact on farmers, workers, and communities. The Church must commit to a zero-tolerance policy on child labor and forced labor throughout its investments and supply chains. Finally, the £100 million commitment to healing historical injustice should be matched with decisive action against modern exploitation.",
  "summary": "An open letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury highlights the need for consistency in historical repentance and present-day justice",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}