Christian Concern for One World blogs

World AIDS Day 2008: New CCOW Resource

Maranda — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:50:30 +0000

How can we mark World AIDS Day?

CCOW is delighted to offer you a new resource -- "Keep the Promise" -- to help your church mark World AIDS Day. To download the resource, click on the title of this post, then go to the end of the post, and you will find the downloadable pdf file.*

"Keep the Promise" contains some suggestions for marking World AIDS Day -- if your church uses an advent wreath, for example, you could tie a red ribbon around the first candle on Advent Sunday. Or if that's not in your tradition, you might want to light a special AIDS candle, or hand our red ribbons to your congregation.

It also contains prayers. One is from the Baptist Union -- and we are grateful to the Reverend Dr. Rosemary Kidd for her contribution. One is from CAFOD, which has produced a special World AIDS Day liturgy this year. (You can download it at http://www.cafod.org.uk/worship/hiv-and-health ). Two are from clergy in the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman, with which the Anglican Diocese of Oxford is linked. And one is from the United Church of Zambia, with which the Wessex Synod of the United Reformed Church is linked. The latter three prayers were submitted by the linked areas especially for this resource, to enable churches there and here to pray together about this vital issue. Please do take up this opportunity. If you want more worship resources, you can also look on the resources page of the Christian HIV AIDS Alliance.

And finally, the resource offers information about what 12 different agencies are doing to combat HIV and AIDS. There are inspiring stories: Methodist Relief and Development Fund, for example, shares a piece about a Malawian woman whom MRDF partners have helped to farm her land so that she can support her family and even donate to a local orphanage. Strategies for Hope shares comments made by a Zambian group that used SFH resources to change local attitudes towards women's rights in marriage. We can praise God for all that is happening . . . and do think about taking a collection or getting involved in some way.

Going beyond the resource, if you want to find out more about getting involved, there's also a super opportunity coming up in the ACHIVA conference. We mentioned it in our last events bulletin -- wonderful speakers and a chance to see how your church can become involved in community-based responses to AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. The director of the Bishop Simeon Trust -- another wonderful charity working on HIV and AIDS in South Africa -- will be one keynote speaker, as will Basil Eastwood, chair of local charity Cecily's Fund, which educates children affected by AIDS in Zambia. CCOW will be there -- and we'll hope to see you!

There's also an opportunity to support another AIDS charity, I-Themba, which focuses on South Africa, on the 29th of November, when author Chris Mann and actress Janet Suzman give a benefit at St John's College, Oxford. Visit our events page for details.

Please do let us know what you are doing for World AIDS Day . . . and if we can be of help. Any comments on the resource are also welcome!

*We are very grateful to the Miss MF Wright Will Trust for a grant for publications that enabled the production of this resource.

The picture at the top of this post was taken by the Revd Charlotte Bannister-Parker of Friends in Faith/Faith in Action, and shows some of the children involved in a programme that they support. To find out more about FIF/FIA and how to donate to their work, go to p.3 of "Keep the Promise."

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116, 993, 629

Maranda — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 23:17:08 +0000

That's the number of people who "Stood Up" against Poverty between 17 and 19 October according to the UN's "Stand Against Poverty" website -- almost 2% of the world's population. Pray that this enormous show of global concern may inspire world leaders to keep their promises. Pray, too, that churches' participation may inspire Christians worldwide to continue and increase their work for God's Kingdom of justice and love, and may be a witness to God's love.

The financial crisis and its implications (click title for full post)

Maranda — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:08:27 +0000

Many churches recently will have pondered the readings associated with Saint Matthew -- readings which remind us amidst these turbulent times of the joy and the hope that we possess, whatever the financial climate, in Christ . . . and of God's call to us to put our trust in God, rather than silver and gold (or their modern paper equivalents). These are sources of both comfort and challenge. How do we think through them? And through the profound implications of the financial crisis, not only for us in the UK, but for those who suffer in poverty globally? In this blog post over the coming weeks, we'll be posting material about what's happening and what some of the implications are, particularly as they relate to our commitments to combat poverty.

31 October 2008: Luke 12:13ff: Simplicity and freedom

Today's Gospel in the cycle I use for morning and evening prayer.

"And he said to them, 'Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.' Then he told them a parable . . . ."

Reading the parable that I recall my childhood Bibles titling "The Rich Fool" is, as ever, challenging. After all, the man's contented comment, "Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry" could have come out of any of the financial planning brochures that today's banks offer! So Christ's words pose a direct question to us and our systems -- where are we seeking to put our confidence . . . in the building up of "a solid cushion of wealth"? Or in God?

31 October 2008: The Global Financial Crisis -- Which Developing Countries Are at Most Risk?

Dirk Willem te Velde at ODI has written a background paper on this topic, and is also maintaining a blog. He points out that the countries most at risk are those (a) that export directly to crisis-affected countries, (b) those heavily dependent on commodities (where prices are falling) or on tourism (where numbers are falling), (c) those dependent on remittances from crisis-affected countries, on Foreign Direct Investment, or on aid, and (d) those with high current-account or budget deficits.

Those various categories include quite a large number of countries. There are, of course, some counterbalancing factors (Zambia will get less money for its copper as per (b), but is also having to pay less for oil). But what will be the impact of slower growth in the affected countries . . . on poorer households? On the achievement of the MDGs? The paper makes some comments on this, and also some suggestions about policy under the circumstances.

20 October 2008: Meltdown Miscellany from Duncan Green

A very helpful compilation by Duncan Green, Head of Research for Oxfam GB, of stats and soundbites on the development impact of the financial crisis. Brief and very readable . . . and containing a wonderful soundbite from Larry Elliot, the Guardian's veteran economics writer: ‘Strange things have happened during this crisis, not the least of which is that the IMF was last week praising in developed countries all the things it normally excoriates in developing nations. Structural adjustment plans for the poor have involved privatisation, liberalisation and deregulation. Structural adjustment plans for the west, it seems, comprise of nationalisation, subsidisation and re-regulation."

Will this translate into greater policy space for developing countries?

18 October 2008: Sweet and Pungent . . . Advice on Recession-Proofing from the Mustard Seed

A few weeks ago, Tom Sine, co-author of "Mustard Seed versus McWorld" and a passionate exponent of Christian community living visited the new CMS Community House in East Oxford. While there he shared thoughts about how Christian community was going to become ever more essential in a time of economic difficulty, and in view of long-term issues around climate change and energy usage.

This month's "Mustard Seed Associates" bulletin explores those themes -- and more. There's a liturgy for a time of economic downturn, a reflection on "abundance for sharing," ideas on how churches can help the most vulnerable at such times, an account of how one church is celebrating "Lost Domestic Arts" to help members make more of less, and a very powerful reflection on how economic crises are impacting the poor in Cambodia . . .

MSA calls the sharing of good ideas among Christian communities "Seed Sharing" Some very fine seeds here.

18 October 2008: What will the impact be on Africa?

What will the effects of the current economic crisis be on Africa? Author and journalist John Madeley has written an article looking at some of the potential impacts. The article outlines some clear possible negatives: falling demand for the commodities that still underpin some countries' exports, a potential fall in aid both from governments and from NGOs, reduced funding for critical research. But it notes that there are potential positives, too, particularly in the area of agriculture. Read it to find out more.

With reference to the latter, John has also forwarded to us this comment from Bishop Richard Harries' Thought for the Day yesterday, "The Chief Rabbi said to som of us a little while ago that the Hebrew word for crisis also means 'birthing stool.' A crisis is also a time of giving birth to something new." May God grant that this crisis is indeed also a time when we allow the Spirit to renew us and give birth to good new things!

16 October 2008: Sojourners' Economic Crisis Blog, a comment from our latest bulletin . . . and a column in the FT

Just to note that the Sojourners online community has a multi-authored blog dealing with Christians responses to the economic crisis: articles from Tony Campolo, Jim Wallis, Shane Claiborne and others. Well worth a peruse.

A number of people have emailed back their appreciation of the trenchant comment by a senior member of Christian Aid's staff that we quoted in our latest email bulletin: "It indeed is a terrible irony that while the whole country and the wider western world is talking about crisis, we are generally not referring to the billion people who will go hungry today. In Bihar [India] more than 2 million people have lost their homes, their farms and what little else they had, and hundreds of thousands of people in Haiti face an uncertain future with food aid as their only hope for survival . . . ." We thought it was worth posting for those who don't get the bulletin . . . it's a point that can't be made too often.

And it's a point that's being made in some unexpected places. The Mrs. Moneypenny column in last Saturday's Financial Times begins: "Go on, you try. You try to get anyone’s attention for worthy causes while the financial world is collapsing around us. Nearly 600,000 women might die in childbirth each year but if a bank is going bust almost every day, it is tough to get anyone to notice" It's on maternal mortality, and its last sentence hits hard.

Coming Up Soon: When is enough enough?

It's a question that is rightly preoccupying many people these days. . . . and there's a growing sense that we all are looking for a world where there is greater integrity in the way we live. This makes it a good time to visit anew the questions raised by John V. Taylor's "Enough Is Enough" over 30 years ago. How do Christians define -- and live -- "enough"? What are the joys of Christian "enoughness" in a world that often seems to prefer excess?

On the 25th of October, CCOW and CMS are sponsoring a day conference looking at these issues. There's a super line-up of speakers: Rene Padilla, formerly president of Tearfund, will be talking about "A Theology of Enough." Sabina Alkire, director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative will be talking about a "Theology of Flourishing." We'll have seminars looking at "enoughness" in food, transport, and time . . . thinking about "communities of enough" and exploring the way we relate to the rest of Creation in a sustainable fashion.There will be room for discussion, prayer and debate . . . so do come to share your thoughts.

One of the workshop leaders -- Jo Rathbone, coordinator of Eco-Congregations -- offers some reflections below on the conference theme. To book for the conference, email ccowinfo@fish.co.uk or cathy.ross@cms-uk.org. Please note that pre-registration is essential for catering purposes. We hope to see you there!

Jo Rathbone

What does "Enough Is Enough" mean in a Christian context?

it means having to go against the flow... and that means creating community, so that you have the support of others to do it. Churches have community written into their DNA, so we can do this together.
it means resisting the power of advertising which tells us all the time that we don't have enough. Well, that's written into their DNA... another thing we have to learn to support each other in. We have to burst the bubble of corporate-speak!
it means we have to learn to cope with bereavement amongst ourselves.After peak oil, there will be a sense of loss about the things that we won't be able to do anymore (travel abroad, have gadgets galore, have cheap, easy food, travel at whim). Can the church learn to be the place where people can grieve about these losses and move on to create something deeper, richer, fuller? Alastair Macintosh says we will have to be planet hospice carers...
it means a reappraisal of what hope means. Hope will mean the ability to revel in enoughness, to delight in it, and to reach deep into the fund of our community imagination to create new cultures within it. Hope means doing that because we know that this is actually what we are created for, and to do it even when things seem to be falling apart all around us.

15 October 2008

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

1 Timothy 6:17-19

Part of yesterday's lessons from the C of E cycle for morning prayer. . . .

29 September 2008

Ekklesia, which describes itself as a "religion and society" thinktank, has made headlines with its criticism of the Church of England's own investment practices. It noted firstly that, the Archbishops' comments (below) notwithstanding, the Church Commissioners' had inter alia engaged in currency hedging, invested in a hedge-fund that sold short, and loaned stocks through its agents. It then commented:

"the worldwide Christian churches have billions of pounds of assets and investments, and this means they can act as a global community promoting a different model of economic activity based on need not greed. In the case of the Church of England . . . they could invest more in institutions such as cooperatives, friendly societies and housing associations in return for a slightly lower profit.

Simon Barrow, co-director of Ekklesia added:"The Church needs to put its money where its message is. Jesus pointed out that 'where your treasure is, there is your heart also'. Condemning others while playing the system to your own advantage will strike many as lacking the kind of integrity and creative endeavour the churches could be demonstrating."

Ekklesia noted that "many church groups and community initiatives are involved in 'alternative economy' practices - co-ops, credit unions, ethical investment, fair trade, local trade and exchange schemes, micro credit, small loans for development, calls for monetary reform and more. "

"This work is often praised by church leaders," said Barrow. "What we are saying is that they should be investing far more of their resources to match. Now would be an opportune moment for the C of E to re- examine its whole investment system. work with other churches and civic groups to promote economic justice through actions as well as words."

Not surprisingly, most of the media interest in Ekklesia's statement has centred on the Church of England's financial investments, and the word "hypocrisy" has been in frequent use. George Pitcher, for example, in The Telegraph, commented that while the C of E's practices didn't invalidate the Arcbishops' comments, "we might take the Church of England’s piety over grubby dealing a little more to heart were it not, evidently, such a canny dealer itself."Less notice has been taken of Ekklesia's call for an alternative investment strategy.

There are a lot of very real questions here . . . not least about churches' relationship to the obligations of charity trustees to maximise returns on investments. (More on that later)

Certainly Ekklesia's proposals for churches to do more "social investment" are worth further consideration. Such investment is an option under existing charity law. How might we use it?

24 September: The Crisis and the MDGs

The two Church of England archbishops have now shared some of their thoughts on the current situation, its causes and effects. Archbishop John Sentanu drew attention to the contrast between the rapid attempts to mobilise $700 billion to stabilise the financial system and global inaction on the MDGs. He stated:

"Tomorrow morning I will attend a meeting to launch a campaign of 'Education for All' as part of the global effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, including the eradication of global poverty by 2015. Of course for such a target to be achieved there needs to be stable financial systems. There needs to be stable financial systems. Without a solid global economic base to work from, the eradication of world poverty would be an even greater task. But as one columnist recently noted, "the President of the United States recently announced a $700 billion bailout plans for banks and financial institutions. One of the ironies about this financial crisis is that it makes action on poverty look utterly achievable. It would cost $5 billion to save six million children's lives. World leaders could find 140 times that amount for the banking system in a week. How can they now tell us that action for the poorest on the planet is too expensive?"

The columnist the Archbishop quotes is Adrian Lovett, now Director of Campaigns at Save the Children, UK, but familiar to many for his role in the Jubilee campaigns. To read his diary at the UN summit, click here.

24 September: The Crisis and Market Idolatry

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has written an article for The Spectator which has been given the title "Face It: Marx Was Partly Right About Capitalism" (not a title one would inherently associate with a Spectator article, it has to be said!) He makes two essential points. Firstly he states that speculation in borrowing and lending that is almost entirely divorced from productive activity cannot sustain a stable society, and that some form of regulation is needed to prevent those speculative activities "where the social risk is unacceptably high." Secondly he points out that the system which has allowed the disconnect between money -- in the form of speculative paper assets -- and material things to occur is part of a wider "idolatry of the market," which ascribes an "independent reality" to capital and markets, as if they were somehow moral entities with a life of their own, rather than the products of our own choices. He concludes:

"Marx long ago observed the way in which unbridled capitalism became a kind of mythology, ascribing reality, power and agency to things that had no life in themselves; he was right about that, if about little else. And ascribing independent reality to what you have in fact made yourself is a perfect definition of what the Jewish and Christian Scriptures call idolatry. What the present anxieties and disasters should be teaching us is to ‘keep ourselves from idols’, in the biblical phrase. . . .We need to be reacquainted with our own capacity to choose — which means acquiring some skills in discerning true faith from false, and re-learning some of the inescapable face-to-face dimensions of human trust."

If you want to see a (literal) graphic illustration of the divorce between the assets of brokers and traders and more traditional assets, take a look at the first slide in this presentation, entitled "Wall Street Crisis" by economist Hyun Shin. It gives a very clear visual picture of what the Archbishop is discussing.

23 September: We're starting with a sermon given by Sabina Alkire, director of the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, at SS Mary and John's, Cowley, last Sunday. We're very grateful to her for sharing her words.

The sermon begins:

The past week has seen the most chaotic and severe malfunction of the banking system since the 1920s if not in history. By Thursday, billions of pounds had been wiped off stock markets worldwide, and the US Government acknowledged that the financial system was on the verge of total meltdown. Friday the markets rallied, anticipating the buy-out put before Congress last night. The dismay of the media was evident in the intensity of their language. The Wall Street Journal spoke of financial carnage and derivatives as weapons of mass destruction. The Financial Times, of hurricanes and shifting tectonic plates. The Economist wordsmithed gloomily on: "there is no such thing as a free crunch."

Economist Paul Krugman's blog provides key tables on the crash. But more poignant was his sign-off underneath a set of interest rates that had not been seen even in the Great Depression. "Professionally, I'm fascinated," he wrote. "As a citizen, I'm terrified."

Today on the feast of St Matthew, and in the presence of the living God, we reflect on money, and our attitudes towards it as Christians and as a church. And the fundamental point is that we need not be terrified. This is not a terribly innovative point , because as people of faith we need never be terrified, "for nothing can separate us from the love of God." But it is worth remembering for three reasons.

To download the full sermon, click on the link below.

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After Black Gold

Maranda — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:54:34 +0000

Joe Human will be giving a presentation called “After Black Gold” at Chesham High School on October 13^th from 7:45 pm (George Alagiah will also be speaking at the event; full details in our events section). CCOW caught up with him earlier this week for a conversation about his talk, the near-legendary Keswick Fair Trade Group, and what he has learned from his links with coffee farmers in Choche, Ethiopia.

When Joe Human retired from his job at Oxfam to the Lake District, he knew he wanted to keep campaigning for justice. But on what topic? Having arrived in the “incredibly alive and engaged community” of Keswick, he found himself joining an embryonic group that engaged with Fairtrade and wider trade issues. It was the beginning of a Fairtrade exploration that has taken him from local guesthouse dining rooms to the Ethiopian village of Choche.

Amongst Fairtrade Town groups, the Keswick Fairtrade story has semi-legendary status. A large part of this has to do with their work on hospitality and tourism. While Keswick itself is a small place of about 5,000 residents, “we are,” Joe explains, “one of the most densely 'bedded' places in the country.” The 30,000 tourist beds themselves weren't of particular interest to the group, but the breakfasts that go with them are, as were the tourist cafes and restaurants that abound in the area. As part of its Fairtrade Town bid, the group launched a major campaign attempting to persuade local tourism businesses to serve Fairtrade products for breakfast and at other meals. The result? The town now has an astounding 150 tourism businesses that are engaged with Fairtrade.

About four years ago, though, the Keswick group decided to go one step further, and to see if they could develop a relationship with people in a producer community. They decided to seek out a community producing coffee (“There's quite a lot of coffee drunk in Keswick”) and expressed a preference for an African community, so that the link could help counter the negative images of Africa in the media.

An opportunity arose when Tadesse Meskela, the star of the film Black Gold, came to present the town with a Fairtrade award in 2005. Seeds were sown, and it was agreed that some of the Keswick group would go to Ethiopia to see whether they could link to one cooperative in the union Meskela represents. They went, and found Choche.

Choche is the legendary birthplace of coffee. It is a small, Fairtrade-certified cooperative in Southwest Ethiopia, about 200 miles from Addis Ababa, where about 1,000 farming families are growing coffee.

Like all Fairtrade-certified producers, the farmers in Choche are guaranteed access to the Fairtrade market, but they are not guaranteed that they will be able to find buyers. At present, in fact, they are able to sell only a relatively small proportion of their crop under Fairtrade conditions. Nonetheless, the visits which Joe and others have made to Choche over the past three years have shown the benefits of even this limited participation in the Fairtrade market.

Over the past three years, “[the Fairtrade premium] has helped the school to expand,” he notes. “[The community has built] 4 new classrooms, a library and toilet block. They've improved the community water supply through the capping of 3 springs, and they've built a new health post.”

Over time, the hope is that the Choche group will find more Fairtrade buyers, enabling it to follow in the footsteps of another Ethiopian community the Keswick group visited, Afursa Waro in Yirgacheffe, where they sell most of their coffee on the Fairtrade market. There, where there had been no school, “they now have a very smart new school that is transforming the education of the children. It will enable them to have greater choices in life and not to be coffee farmers.” This, Joe notes, is one of the tremendous benefits of Fairtrade – far from locking farmers into a particular crop, it enables farming communities, over time, to expand their options.

The visits from Keswick to Choche were reciprocated this summer, when two of the Choche farmers journeyed to the UK – a critical step given both sides' desire for the link to be “a relationship of mutual exchanges, mutual benefit.” Having people involved in exchanges at both ends has been “enormously powerful”.

For the Keswick community, indeed, the whole experience of linking has been transforming. It has “humanised” Fairtrade, Joe says. And “at another level, it's deepened our understanding of the levels of poverty that are involved and how Fair Trade is one important, very important development process, through which farming communities can be helped out of poverty.”

Joe adds: “We tend to talk about Fairtrade as transforming, or having the potential to transform other people. It also has the potential to transform our lives if we engage with it in more than just a shopping way. . . .I think it enables people to understand that we are players in a global trading system -- the free trade system -- which can have for poor producers, like Ethiopian coffee farmers, a devastating effect of their lives when it works against them.” For the Keswick group, their link has shown quite clearly what happens to the “losers” in the global trading system. “Small producers … can end up starving. And I don't use that word lightly. That is what happened in the coffee crisis in the period 2001 to 2004. People in Ethiopia were starving because the world price of coffee had collapsed. And they had to open feeding stations. It wasn't because there was a shortage of food. It was because there was a shortage of money to buy food.”

By contrast, Joe notes: “[Our link] has helped people to see ... that trade, when it works for people … is a development agency. Trade isn't something that you do independently of your lives. For people who depend on coffee or bananas, it's absolutely vital that they get a decent price for their crop, in order adequately to feed their families, but also in order to facilitate the process of economic and social development for their communities.”

To hear and see more about the Keswick/Choche link and discuss Fairtrade questions, come to the meeting!

"Cautiously optimistic" responses to new accord in Zimbabwe

Maranda — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:00:24 +0000

Cautious optimism, relief, a sense of the fragility of the accord and an awareness of the need for healing and rapid action to help those at risk from famine seem to be some of the predominant responses to the new accord signed between Zanu-PF and the MDC.

Catholic Archbishop of Harare Robert Ndlovu said in an interview with CAFOD staff: "I am cautiously optimistic, I think the differences have been very deep and it will take a lot of courage and a lot of humility on the part of our political leaders, to really turn the situation around.

Obviously it is never too late to change such situations. But one of the worrying things at the moment is that the nation needs a lot of healing. There has been a lot of violence in the last few months and there is a lot of bitterness amongst people."

The Archbishop also called for freedom for NGOs working to relieve the food crisis in the country, and for increased assistance from regional governments.

Christian Aid partners in the area have also called for the beginning of a process of healing and restorative justice, and for work on a new constitution and on famine relief.

In the UK, the Archbishop of York, who has been strongly critical of the Mugabe regime, commented: "This is a step in the right direction on a path that will hopefully lead to a full restoration of justice, democracy and a final end to the brutal regime of Robert Mugabe.

There will be understandable caution amongst the international community who will be concerned that any aid that follows today's announcement will find its way to the poor of Zimbabwe and not to those who have abused power over the past three decades.

Certainly the immediate concerns for many in Zimbabwe will be an end to food shortages and the re-supply of medicine and medical equipment. In Britain there will also be concern amongst those refugees from Zimbabwe that the British Government will not be over hasty in using today's announcement as the basis for any programme of enforced return. We must wait to see how this deal works out in practice.

One of the pre-requisites for Zimbabwe's return to health will be the application of justice in respect of the serious human right violations and abuses that have been committed, not only in recent months but also over the period of office of the Mugabe regime. Justice will require truth, reconciliation and restoration. The path to justice will be long and arduous, but I am praying that today marks a step in the right direction."

In addition to concerns about the power sharing agreement itself (and South Africa's Mail and Guardian offered this analysis of some of the potential weaknesses thereof from the MDC's point of view), local sources are focusing on two external factors that may affect the viability of the accord. The first is the resignation of South African president Thabo Mbeki, who has been the SADC's negotiator (one South African paper has this take on the impact of Mbeki's resignation); the second, the apparent reluctance of Western economies and institutions to commit to significant aid and the difficulty, in the current financial climate, of sourcing credit for the new government.

Please do continue to keep Zimbabwe in your prayers, both of thanksgiving and intercession.

Hope and Inspiration at Greenbelt (click for full story)

Maranda — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 11:11:11 +0000

27 August 2008

As ever, the Greenbelt festival this year offered a wide range of activities, talks, music . . . not to mention the usual combination of beautiful views. . . and lots of mud!

Of all the many things on offer, how do you pick any to feature? It's hard . . . but here are two that stood out. The first was Neema Crafts, a project that offers an opportunity for disabled people in Iringa, Tanzania, to learn new skills and find work with dignity. The project was founded by CMS mission partner Susie Hart, and Neema's activities were featured at the CMS tents. Some of the Neema dancers performed a wonderful interpretation of the parable of the wise man who built his house upon a rock (pictured above). Neema's beautiful crafts were on sale, and the intrepid could even have a go at making the elephant dung paper which forms the basis for some of the crafts. (Andy Hart, Susie's husband, is pictured left holding some of the raw materials . . . .)

Conversation with Andy and a browse through the Neema booklet (available on loan from CCOW) revealed, though, that what we saw was only a fraction of what, by the grace of God, was happening in the area. The Neema projects have given new hope to people who, in many cases, had experienced much rejection. And Andy, who works in the rural development department of the Diocese of Iringa, is involved with several projects that help local communities to purify water, farm bats for fertiliser, and generally improve their health and well being through sustainable, low-cost mechanisms. With all these projects, the Harts and their co-workers have been given several small miracles in terms of people who arrive with particular skills at just the right moment . . . and they are seeing some fine progress. Inspiring stuff.

If you want to find out more, the Neema Crafts team, including the dance group, Andy and Susie, will be in Oxford on the 8th of September, giving a performance and talk at CMS.

Another very moving highlight was a talk and saying of the midday office led by members of the Melanesian Brotherhood. The Melanesian Brotherhood was founded in the Solomon Islands in the 1920s. Members take vows for a five-year period, which can be renewed. They "aim to live the Gospel in a direct and simple way following Christ’s example of prayer, mission and service," and to that end they live "as brothers to the people, respecting their traditions and customs: planting, harvesting, fishing, house building, eating and sharing with the people in all these things."

In 2000, armed conflict broke out in the Solomon Islands between two of the islands and tribal groups. The Brotherhood's chaplain has written:

[The Brothers] took up the role of peacemakers when all else had failed. They went out and camped between enemy lines, facing bullets and danger. Together with the Sisters of the Church and the Sisters of Melanesia they met with the opposing forces and tried to convince them that dialogue and peace was possible.

The Melanesian Brothers and Sisters ferried the wounded to hospital, helped women and children to safety, searched for the lost and those who had been killed and brought their bodies back to safety. Peace eventually came to the South Pacific nation – but at a price …

The price was the murder of seven members of the community -- one brother who had gone to start negotiations for peace with a militant and was taken hostage, and six other brothers who went in search of their lost companion.

In their presentation at Greenbelt, three of the brothers spoke about those who had been killed -- their personalities, their dreams, their faith. They then talked about what the community had learned about peacemaking from their experience in the Solomon Islands conflict.

"Everyone," they commented, "has a choice" about whether or not be a peacemaker. Christians have a calling to provide safe space, "sanctuary" for peacemaking. But to do this, they need themselves to be at peace: "To be reconcilers, we must be a reconciled community. We cannot talk about reconciliation if we are not reconciled."

When peacemaking, they added, it is vital to recognise every member of the group involved, to include all age groups -- especially recognising the potential of young people -- and to remember that "those involved must be the peacemakers themselves."

They spoke movingly of the way in which people seeking reconciliation need a narrative to make sense of their experiences, and noted "the Christian Gospel is the story that contains all stories, and shows the way from death to life." For them, in their shock and sorrow after the death of the seven brothers, the Passion had become a powerful help in understanding and presenting what had transpired.

Finally, the brothers discussed what they felt their experiences had taught them about God and their calling in Christ. "We have learned," they said, "that God is real" and that He calls them to "a vulnerable life for the vulnerable life giver." Whatever may come, "He is not deceiving you," they said. "But you will never know his truth unless you let go."

An Inspiring Evening with Canon Gideon (click for full story)

Maranda — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:46:52 +0000

(Canon Gideon with friends. Photos provided by Alison Williams, John Whitley)

July 2008

Canon Gideon Byamugisha is a man whose ministry on HIV and AIDS has inspired people around the world. He is in the UK now to speak to bishops and their spouses at the Lambeth Conference, where his topic will be The Crucial Witness: The Response of Church Leaders to HIV Stigma and Discrimination.

For many years, Canon Gideon has worked with Oxford-based charity "Strategies for Hope," which produces materials focused on community-based approaches to HIV prevention, care and support, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. What Can I Do?, a SFH book and video based on Canon Gideon's experiences as the first African priest to disclose his HIV+ status, has helped to transform attitudes towards those living with HIV in many countries. Canon Gideon is also linked to Oxford through the long-standing support of his work in Uganda by many local contributors to the Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation's Hope Institute.

Last Tuesday, Canon Gideon updated local friends and supporters on the directions his ministry is taking, and some of the continued challenges faced by people working on HIV and AIDS-related areas.

Two themes stood out: the need to help young people affected by HIV and AIDS to flourish, and the need to combat stigma.

The plight of young people who have lost their parents to AIDS is close to Canon Gideon's heart. For this reason, he and his wife look after numerous orphan children, to the point that he jokes, "If you come to my home, you may think you have entered a primary school!"

In addition, the Friends of Canon Gideon Foundation, which he and his wife founded several years ago, provides funding for older children to receive vocational training that will provide them with livelihoods in the future. Supported by contributions from many sources (if you would like to contribute, contact CCOW for more information), it graduated 30 children in 2007 and currently sponsors 80 children on vocational courses.

The programme has changed over the past few years: in the past, it brought students to the Hope Institute for Transformational Leadership and Development, where there were courses in tailoring, catering and bricklaying. But this restricted participation to local youth, and there were many who wanted qualifications which the Hope Institute could not offer. Canon Gideon came to the realisation that "what Ugandans are lacking is not courses, what they are lacking is money to get into the courses." Instead of bringing students to the Institute, therefore, the Foundation now offers grants that youth can use to apply to the courses that they feel best fitted to undertake, whatever and wherever those courses may be. Students are taking up diverse subjects -- as well as the traditional ones, there are pupils doing work in electrical engineering, plumbing, motor vehicle maintenance . . . "things they feel they treasure, and . . . will be marketable when they graduate."

On the question of fighting stigma, Canon Gideon noted quite simply "stigma kills." A huge percentage of those infected by HIV, he said, do not know their status. The reason is "not because they lack testing services, but because they do not want to find out." "Why," he asked, "do people fear to test . . . and to disclose?" It is because of the stigma of AIDS. That stigma springs from many sources: a fear of contagion, the idea that being positive is an immediate death sentence, an association with promiscuity and immorality, a distrust of the medicines that can help to counteract the virus.

Tackling that stigma involves working at a variety of levels. Individually, Canon Gideon will accompany people to testing centres and teach them skills to deal with a positive test result. Within the community, he runs workshops so that "people understand that a person with HIV can mix very well" and shouldn't be isolated. Within the wider African context, because help was needed to fight "stigma towards a religious leader who is positive, [which] is twice or thrice as much [as the norm]," Canon Gideon was the founding chair of ANERELA+, the African Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS. ANERELA+'s mission is "to equip, empower and engage Religious Leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS to live positively and openly as agents of hope and change in their faith communities and countries"

At a global level, Canon Gideon is working to promote new ways of talking about AIDS that help to reduce stigma, and to make people aware that AIDS "is a collective problem that involves the family and the nation and the global community." In particular, he is concerned that the long-used "ABC" model of prevention -- the letters standing for "Abstain. Be faithful. If necessary, Condomise" -- has unintentionally helped to promote stigma, suggesting that where one is infected, it is because of promiscuity or infidelity. By contrast, he notes, "[infection] could have been from blood; it could have been from injections." Indeed, it could have been from relationships within the context of fidelity; in some countries, marriage is a risk factor for women. To reduce the risk of stigma, therefore, ANERELA+ is promoting a formula for prevention known as "SAVE": Safe(r) practices, Access to treatment and nutrition, Voluntary testing and counselling, and Empowerment.

During his talk, Canon Gideon reflected on the moment when he discovered that he was HIV+. Long-laid plans were destroyed, as support faded away. "People," Canon Gideon reflects, "are so stigmatised. I made a pact with God that I would join the AIDS fight for the remaining part of my life to share that stigma kills and share [my] story." Seventeen years on, he invites all to join in, quoting the words of a popular Ugandan song: "Today is me; tomorrow is someone else . . . it's you and me, we've got to stand up and fight. . . ."

Praying and Acting for Zimbabwe (click here for more)

Maranda — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:12:45 +0000

"Compelling evidence of violence, intimidation and outright terror; the studied harassment of the leadership of the MDC, including its Presidential candidate, by the security organs of the Zimbabwean government; the arrest and detention of the Secretary-General of the MDC; the banning of MDC public meetings; and denial of access to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, all have convinced us that free and fair elections are not possible in the political environment prevalent in Zimbabwe today." (ANC Statement on Zimbabwe, 23 June 2008)

"'You shall love your neighbour as yourself" (Mt.22:39). Electoral processes and outcomes are not an excuse for breaching God's commandments. The sun will still rise on June 28, 2008, well after the elections. May our present conduct help Zimbabwe rise too to assume its rightful place among the nations of the world." (Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference statement, June 2008)

The deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe over the past few weeks has been the subject of immense concern for many. Aware of violent attacks like those described in this article from the New York Times and this video, how can we respond as Christians?

In recent statements, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches and the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops' Conference have requested our prayers.

The Catholic bishops noted: "We renew the call to prayer for all our needs, which include a credible electoral process, food and provisions for our families, education for our children, medicines for the sick and respect for every human life and dignity."

The Church leaders have also requested that the SADC (Southern African Development Community) and African Union "work towards arresting the deteriorating political and security situation in Zimbabwe. " Prayers for the leadership of the SADC. in particular, would be welcome. A security troika of SADC leaders met yesterday in Swaziland to discuss the crisis. They have urged that the elections scheduled for Friday be postponed. The official SADC mediator for the situation, President Mbeki of South Africa, whose "soft" approach to Mugabe has been widely criticised as ineffective (as per this cartoon), was not invited.

Christian Aid partner the Habakkuk Trust have also requested prayers for strength, hope and the "walk to freedom" "I sense a great feeling of helplessness," their director writes, requesting the prayers for hope.

That same feeling of helplessness has been echoed by many here. But for local Church of England vicar Nigel Hawkes, it is precisely that sense that makes prayer so vital. "We have no physical means of influencing events, and what we are left with is prayer. As a Christian, I believe [praying] is a very powerful thing that we can do." We find, he adds, any power we have "in God's power."

Hawkes has been reminding himself and others to pray by wearing a black dog collar. He was inspired by Archbishop of York John Sentamu's cutting up his dog collar, and by a parishioner who came to prayer wearing a black armband on the day after the Archbishop's action. The black -- which serves, he says, "as a visible sign of our concern," is a constant reminder to "offer to God the troubles of the people in Zimbabwe and pray that there will be a resolution."

Hawkes is encouraging others to join in both the symbolic action and prayer. His hope is that if enough people join in, it will "get the whole dea of prayer for Zimbabwe into the common psyche." And, reflecting on he ways in which some previously intractable-looking problems, such as partheid in South Africa, have been relved, he adds: [sometimes there is] o human answer . . . and [after prayer] suddenly a change came about."

Some suggestions:

Find out more, and pray on what you find out. The Guardian has a good section devoted to Zimbabwe, including a blog with links to Zimbabwean activist websites. Or try following the situation -- and the changing Southern African approach to it -- through Southern African media: From South Africa, for example, the official SABC news, the Independent Online (including this reader poll), Mail and Guardian, Sunday Times and Cape Argus all have extensive coverage of Zimbabwe. Pray for the situations and people mentioned. From inside Zimbabwe itself, there are papers (for example, The Herald), which give a sense of the officially sanctioned press; The Zimbabwean is an independent paper printed outside Zimbabwe but for Zimbabweans. Go here for a discussion of the difficulties involved in reporting from Zimbabwe.

CAFOD, Christian Aid and Tearfund all have sections dedicated to the crisis in Zimbabwe, offering news, prayer points/requests, and opportunities to donate for future work. Read . . . pray . . .give . . . .

"Journey to Justice" offers inspiration on debt relief . . .

Maranda — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 14:13:37 +0000

The "Journey to Justice" event sponsored by Jubilee Debt Campaign on 18 May 2008 offered an inspiring reminder of all that has been accomplished on debt relief . . . and the great amount of work that remains to be done.

The message was clear: debt relief has had extraordinary results and transformed millions of lives. Tanzania, for example, has hired 62,000 new teachers. Mozambique has immunised more than a million children. These are very real causes for thanksgiving and rejoicing. But, at the same time, only 20% of unpayable debt has been cancelled. Countries still face a huge burden because of illegitimate debts (including "odious debts" made to previous oppressive regimes). Some countries are re-accumulating debts. . . . There is much more work to be done.

Highlights of the day included:

An interview with Jubilee 2000 Coordinator Ann Pettifor and campaigner Sheenagh Burrell, looking back at the Birmingham Chain in 1998 and the "ballistically motivated" volunteers who made it possible
a showing of Anthony Minghella's "Hole in the Bucket" film clip, made for Jubilee 2000 and still as powerful as when it was first broadcast (to see the clip, go to http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/Hole20in20the20Bucket+3673.twl )
Video messages from UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and former Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu (see the messages at http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/Videos20from20the20day+4404.twl )
A panel of politicians including Caroline Spelman, MP; Andy Reid, MP; and Paul Tilsley re-affirming the "real continuity of commitment" of politicians from all parties to debt relief
A panel on lobbying and campaigning featuring Maria Elena Arana from CAFOD, Muhammad Imran from Islamic Relief, Daleep Mukarji from Christian Aid, and Max Lawson from Oxfam that reaffirmed the importance of grassroots action ("They listen to us . . . because they're effectively listening to you" Max Lawson) and treating "development issues from the perspective of justice" (Daleep Mukarji)
A panel of religious leaders representing the Hindu, Christian, Jewish and Sikh traditions
A panel of Southern debt activists, including Lidy Nacpil from Jubilee South, Zambian MP Given Lubinda, Muyatwa Sitali from Jubilee Zambia, and Latoya Richards from Jamaica, who spoke of the impacts of structural adjustment and debt, the difficulties with conditionality and the need to "stop illegitimate debts from happening" afresh
An address from another former Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, who called for new participatory mechanisms for structuring and managing loans, greater transparency, and the channeling of relief funds into broad-based development
A look towards what needs to happen next -- and the reasoning behind JDC's new "Pick up the Pace" campaign -- with Stephen Rand, Nick Dearden and Sarah Williams of Jubilee Debt Campaign
An address by Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General of Civicus and chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty ("The White Band Campaign"), also available at http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/Videos20from20the20day+4404.twl

To find out more about JDC's "Lift the Lid" campaign on illegitimate debt and its "Pick up the Pace" campaign calling for increased debt forgiveness, go to www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk .

The DEC and Burma

Maranda — Mon, 19 May 2008 11:14:08 +0000

Just a quick note on the situation with the DEC Appeal and Burma. The high-profile difficulties regarding aid for Burma following Cyclone Nargis have discouraged many from giving to the DEC appeal. We have heard from one of the DEC agencies, however, that their aid is getting through. Due to the sensitive nature of work in Burma, the agencies are not able to name their partners on the ground, nor can they offer stories, but they say we can be confident that the aid is being effective.