IN THIS ISSUE: Close the door on sex trafficking and child labour | Take action locally for global justice | Raising THE POVERTY QUESTION this federal election | Eye Care update: Fiji and Vanuatu | Tamils in Sri Lanka seeking asylum: a need no more? | Church in Timor-Leste concerned over proposed asylum plan | New Experience opportunity – InSolidarity: India | Peacemaking update | YAP News 2010 now available
Close the door on sex trafficking and child labour
At just ten years of age, Noha* was forced to drop out of school because her family were unable to pay her fees. Instead, she had to work and contribute money to the household.
When a wealthy family in North Bengal sent a scout to look for a domestic cleaner, they promised good pay and treatment to Noha, together with shelter and sufficient food.
But for the next two years, Noha was rarely even allowed contact with her parents. She toiled long hours from dawn seven days a week to earn less that 50 cents a day. Her body gradually grew weaker as she washed heavy clothes and linen by hand.
The day she refused a task due to exhaustion, she was beaten beyond recognition. After hospitalisation, she was sent home – with only the clothes on her back.
UnitingWorld and the Church of North India are working in partnership to assist boys and girls like Noha who are tricked into slave labour and prostitution.
The Anti-Trafficking Program rescues trafficking survivors, and prevents children from becoming victims through vocational training programs which aim to provide young people with alternative income opportunities in their communities.
Please support this program and help UnitingWorld and the Church of North India to close the door on sex trafficking and child labour in North East India.
Video clips and a Powerpoint presentation are available now to engage your community or group in the issue of human trafficking in North East India. Click here to visit our resources page for this appeal
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Click here to read more about this appeal and the Anti-Trafficking program that donations will support
Click here to make a secure online donation to this appeal
*Noha’s name has been changed to protect her identity
Take action locally for global justice
With the Federal Election fast approaching, UnitingWorld encourages Uniting Church members throughout Australia to take action in their local communities to campaign for poverty alleviation, for justice for developing countries that struggle to adapt to the negative impacts of climate change and for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
UnitingWorld is encouraging people to be a catalyst for policy change to halve poverty by 2015 by engaging their local communities and electoral candidates in issues surrounding sustainable poverty alleviation.
UnitingWorld’s Federal Election 2010 resource page has downloadable papers to become informed, links for information about taking action in your community and links for further information.
Click here to UnitingWorld’s Federal Election 2010 resource page
The Uniting Church National Assembly have produced a range of election-related resources, entitled Building an Economy for Life.
Click here to visit the National Assembly’s Election 2010 website
Raising THE POVERTY QUESTION this federal election
UnitingWorld will be joining Micah Challenge Australia, the coalition of Christian international development agencies, in raising the poverty question with our political leaders as the election approaches, through a coordinated online media blitz.
We’d love you to join in too!
So far this election the global poor don’t seem to be on the leader’s agendas. We want to change that and we need your help.
1. This Monday 9th August use email/ facebook/ twitter to ask all your friends and networks THE POVERTY QUESTION. Details at www.micahchallenge.org.au/thepovertyquestion
2. This Wednesday 11th August, join thousands of others in an online blitz to raise THE POVERTY QUESTION with our nation’s leaders. All you need will be available at www.micahchallenge.org.au/thepovertyquestion
Alternatively, you could send a written letter to your local candidates. Click here to download a form letter to hand-write and post to your candidates and visit http://www.aec.gov.au/election/who-are-the-candidates.htm to find the contact details of your electorate’s candidates.
Follow UnitingWorld on Facebook and Twitter and join in the conversation with us
Visit the Micah Challenge Australia website for more information
Eye Care update: Fiji and Vanuatu
Eye care teams are currently working hard in Fiji and Vanuatu to address the causes and effects of avoidable blindness and help break the cycle of poverty in communities in these countries.
In Fiji, the eye care team are working with local staff at Lautoka Hospital near Suva to restore sight to more than 100 people and increase the capacity of local staff by donating additional equipment and conducting in-service training.
In Vanuatu, the ongoing partnership between the Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu and UnitingWorld has enabled more than 4220 people to receive eye treatment in the last 12 months. More than 210 of these people were referred for surgery, and approximately 2500 pairs of glasses were dispensed.
In our world today, 45 million people are blind. In developing countries, extreme poverty and disadvantage are both a symptom and cause of blindness.
With your generous donations, UnitingWorld is restoring sight – and life – to people affected by avoidable blindness to break the cycle of poverty in these communities.
Learn more about our Eye Care programs in Fiji and Vanuatu
Click here to make a donation to support these projects
Tamils in Sri Lanka seeking asylum: a need no more?
Associate Director for Church Solidarity, Rev. John Barr recently returned from visiting the war-torn north of Sri Lanka in June.
During his trip, he visited a number of detention camps holding thousands of people of Tamil background who are awaiting permission to resettle in the country.
Upon returning, he described his journey as one of the most challenging and confronting trips he has ever experienced.
Click here to read his reflection from this experience
IPTL concerned over proposed regional asylum plan
The Moderator of the Protestant Church in Timor-Leste (IPTL), Rev. Moises A. da Silva, has expressed concern over the proposal by Prime Minister Gillard to establish a regional processing centre for refugees in the country, saying that he cannot understand why refugees attempting to reach Australia must be sent to a country that is already so poor.
As the Australian Government negotiates its plan with the government of Timor- Leste, UnitingWorld asks that Australia takes into consideration the social and economic situation in the country.
“Timor-Leste is one of the poorest countries in the world; half the population live on less than US $1 a day. Access to basic health care and food security is only gradually improving.
“The country is also continuing to establish itself after decades of conflict.
“We want to ensure that the voice of our Church Partner, the Protestant Church in Timor Leste, is taken into consideration as the proposal is developed.”
Click here to read UnitingWorld’s full statement on this proposal
The Uniting Church in Australia has signed a joint statement by several Australian non-government organisations, outlining our views on a genuine regional protection framework.
Click here to read the joint statement: A Regional Refugee Protection Framework
New Experience opportunity – InSolidarity: India
Join UnitingWorld’s InSolidarity: India trip this November to experience firsthand the work our Church Partner in South India.
InSolidarity teams are part of the Experience Programs of UnitingWorld, offering participants the opportunity to visit a Church Partners of UnitingWorld as a team of individuals who are passionate about other cultures.
The next InSolidarity group will travel to India between 20th November 2010 to 3rd December 2010. The trip will have lots of opportunities for participants to immerse themselves in the Indian culture.
There are a total of ten places available on this trip.
Click here to read more about this fantastic opportunity
A complete list of Experience volunteer opportunities for 2011 will be available on the UnitingWorld Experience homepage from September 1st.
For more information about the Experience Programs of UnitingWorld, contact Kathy Pereira on kathyp@unitingworld.org.au
Peacemaking update
In July Associate Director for Peacemkaing, Ms Joy Balazo travelled to Tari in Papua New Guinea to oversee a peace building workshop in the Southern Highlands province. YAP (Young Ambassadors for Peace) Tari is continuning to respond to tension resulting from the resulting from the Exxon-Mobil led Liquefid Natural Gas (LNG) project.
In August Joy will conduct a YAP workshop in Dili, Timor-Leste, the first peacemaking workshop to take place in the country. Dozens of community leaders will travel to Dili from throughout the country to learn how they can stem conflict, increasing their capacity to solve disputes in their own communities.
Click here to learn more about our Peacemaking programs
YAP News 2010 now available
The 2010 edition of YAP (Young Ambassadors for Peace) News is now available. YAP News reports on recent news and highlights of the Peacemaking programs of UnitingWorld in Asia and the Pacific.
Some highlights from the new edition include:
- The upcoming YAP workshop in Dili, Timor-Leste
- How YAP is responding to increased tension in the region surrounding Tari, PNG resulting from the Liquefied Natural Gas project
- Rajah Workshop in Ambon, Indonesia
- Stories from the field: YAP Bougainville
- And more…
Click here to download an electronic version of the latest edition of YAP News
For hard copies of YAP News, please email us at info@unitingworld.org.au or call +61 2 8267 4267 and we’ll post some to you.
