Janet Davies, who has died at age 89, spent most of her adult life engaged in international development work, ecumenical initiatives, and social justice advocacy across multiple continents and faith communities.
From 1968 to 1986, Davies worked for Christian Aid in Merseyside and the north-west, eventually becoming regional organiser based in Liverpool. During this period, she collaborated with religious leaders including Edward Patey, then dean of Liverpool, to build grassroots ecumenical alliances and coordinate Christian Aid Week activities. Her efforts in establishing the Merseyside Churches Ecumenical Council contributed to laying groundwork for collaborative initiatives among different Christian denominations in the region.
Throughout her career with Christian Aid, Davies undertook overseas assignments that profoundly shaped her spiritual outlook. She documented encounters with extreme poverty in Calcutta in 1975 and witnessed racial segregation in South Africa during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Known for her skills as a public speaker, Davies presented at major venues, including a 1985 event at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall where she received funds raised for the Ethiopian famine appeal. She later pursued formal theological education, obtaining a certificate in theology from Birmingham University in 1994.
In subsequent decades, Davies became increasingly focused on Middle East advocacy. She visited Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian Territories beginning in 1982, publishing reflections on these experiences in a 2000 contributed volume about Western Christian perspectives on the Holy Land. She served with the United Society Partners in the Gospel and the United Reformed Church during the 1990s, and in retirement established Sabeel-Kairos UK, an organization working in solidarity with Palestinian Christian communities.
Davies is survived by her brother and nine nieces and nephews. Her husband, Alan Davies, an occupational therapist, predeceased her.
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