IN THIS EDITION: Transform $1 into as much as $6 | Increasing engagement with Zimbabwe | Australian students challenge refugee stereotypes | Annual Report now available | Making peace in Mindanao | Church Partners in South Korea speak out on Cheonan sinking | 10 000 Walk for Peace in Indonesia | InSolidarity group visits Church Partners in Bali and Timor Leste | Experience volunteer in Focus – Julie Grieg
You can transform $1 into as much as $6
The financial year will soon come to a close on June 30th, but there is still time to make a tax deductible donation to the overseas work of the Relief and Development Unit of UnitingWorld and have your donation multiplied by as much as six times.
The Australian Government is reforming how the approved overseas projects of fully accredited international development organisations – like the Relief and Development Unit of UnitingWorld – are co-funded.
For every dollar donated to the Matching gift Fund we can seek up to an additional five dollars through an Australian Government Grant, multiplying your donation as much as six times.
In 2010-11, the Matching Gift Fund will assist people involved with the vital work of our church partners in South India and Papua New Guinea.
Your donation will enable 500 children to attend school daily and receive regular medical check-ups. 7500 people will be connected to a reliable source of clean water, and workshops will be run on the importance of hygiene and sanitation.
So as the financial year comes to a close on June 30th, you still have time to play a more effective role than ever in standing with and supporting our trusted global Church Partners.
Click here to read more about this appeal
Click here to donate to this appeal and have your tax-deductible donation multiplied by as much as six times
Increasing engagement with Church Partner in Zimbabwe
UnitingWorld has been further collaborating and standing in solidarity with our Church Partner in Zimbabwe, the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe.
In May, the Relief and Development Unit commenced funding for a new project to tackle HIV/AIDS and protect orphans and vulnerable children. Working in partnership with the Methodist Development and Relief Agency (MeDRA), women and men will receive vocational training, and educational workshops will teach children about HIV/AIDS prevention. Click here to learn more about this project
Throughout June, Rev. Dr Levee Kadenge, a lecturer and expert in social justice, will visit Australia for the first time to engage several church communities on the array of development issues Zimbabwe currently faces. Click here to download a full profile about Dr Kadenge
In July, Mr Astonishment Mapurisa, Director of the Matthew Rusike Children’s Home in Harare, Zimbabwe, a will speak to several groups and communities in New South Wales and Queensland about the growing relationship between the Uniting Church and the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe. Click here to download a full profile about Mr Mapurisa
Click here to read more about the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe
UnitingWorld joins a coalition of Australia Christian international development agencies in June to engage young people into the contentious debate surrounding refugees and asylum seekers.
The Simply Sharing Week coalition are providing schools and parishes an educational resource pack, See the real me, not just the refugee, which includes classroom activities aimed to challenge the type of language used some media outlets and politicians, and bible studies.
UnitingWorld Development Education Officer, Ms Bronwyn Fraser, is confident that the Simply Sharing Week resources will give students the necessary scaffolding to critically engage in the debate surrounding refugees and asylum seekers.
“What is being left out of the current refugee and asylum seeker debate at present is the any focus on the real people, their stories and their journeys. The whole debate has been dehumanized, and by introducing real stories and real people, we are trying to enable students to connect with the people at core of the situation.
“The language used by politicians and media outlets has had a big impact on the messages communicated. By addressing this language, the Simply Sharing Week Resource Pack enables students to engage with the reality of these issues involved.”
Click here to read more about Simply Sharing Week 2010
Click here to download educational resources to engage your community or group
Relief and Development Unit Annual Report for 2009 now available
The Relief and Development Unit Annual Report for 2009 is now available in print and online. The report outlines the achievements of the Relief and Development Unit in 2009.
Director for Relief and Development, Rev. Dr Kerry Enright said, “We look forward to continuing to stand in solidarity with our friends in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, growing and working together to bring about a world in which extreme poverty is eradicated, people’s needs are met and human rights are realised.”
Click here to download a copy of the report
Alternatively, email dev.info@unitingworld.org.au or call 1800 998 122 to request a hard copy.
Making Peace in Mindanao, Philippines
Associate Director for Peacemaking, Ms Joy Balazo, is currently overseeing the work of the Young Ambassadors for Peace (YAP) program in Mindanao, the Philippines.
This is the first visit that Joy has made since the Mindanao massacre of November 2009, during which 57 people lost their lives, including dozens of journalists. Joy is conducting training sessions for local in-country coordinators and volunteers, and overseeing a series of peacemaking workshops.
The situation in the Philippines is currently volatile, following the recent elections. UnitingWorld is responding by bringing together community leaders and training them in peaceful methods of conflict resolution. Mindanao remains one of the most conflict-ridden areas in the world.
Click here to read more about YAP in the Philippines
Church Partners in South Korea speak out on Cheonan Sinking
The National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK) has released a statement calling for a more for thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion that caused the sinking of the south Korean Navy’s ship, Cheonan in March this year.
The Council have pointed out that the failure to detect the explosive represents a “serious blind point in military security systems” and that “those related to it should bear their responsibility” for the explosion that lead to the death of 46 sailors.
The Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK) have criticised the investigation, claiming that it is not adequately transparent.
Please pray for a peaceful resolution to the investigations and for the friends and families of soldiers who lost their lives as a result of the explosion.
Click here to read the full statement from the National Council of Churches in Korea
10 000 Walk for Peace in Jakarta, Indonesia
More than 10 000 people walked together through the streets of Jakarta in May including leaders from Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Buddhist faiths, to demonstrate a joint commitment to peace.
The Walk for Peace took place during the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia, the largest federation of Christian churches in the country.
UnitingWorld Associate Director for Church Solidarity (Asia), Rev. John Barr, and former President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev. Gregor Henderson, participated in the anniversary celebrations to demonstrate to Uniting Church’s commitment to peace.
John Barr expressed the importance of supporting this vital priority with our partners in Indonesia.
“The Walk for Peace and the declaration of a common statement on peace is vitally important. The walk was a significant action for Jakarta, with its history of terror attacks and violence. Christian churches in Indonesia understand that demonstrations of peace and effective interfaith engagement are the way forward.”
Click here to read more about our global Church Partners
Group of Experience volunteers work with Partner Churches Timor Leste and Bali
In June, UnitingWorld will facilitate an InSolidarity volunteer group visit to UnitingWorld’s Church Partners in Bali in Timor Leste.
The group will be led by Rev. John Ruhle and Rev. Tanya Richards, who both currently serve as Uniting Church ministers.
Participants will have the opportunity to explore expressions of faith in different cultural contexts and support the projects and activities of Partner Churches. The visit will also strengthen partnerships between the Uniting Church, the Protestant Church in Timor Leste and the Protestant Christian Church in Bali.
Associate Director for Experience, Ms Kathy Pereira, said, “The InSolidarity groups are a really exciting development for our Experience programs. It’s wonderful to see more and more people wanting to be actively engaged in the global work of the Uniting Church, and play and active role in forming meaning partnerships between the Uniting Church and our global partners.”
Experience volunteer in focus – Julie Grieg
Julie Grieg is a UnitingWorld Experience volunteer from Hillston in regional New South Wales. During April and May, Julie volunteered through UnitingWorld with the Protestant Christian Church in Bali, using her teaching skills to increase their English language capacity.
She also assisted church staff members in the area of administration at the Synod office. The Protestant Christian Church in Bali, known as Gereja Kristen Protestan di Bali (GKPB), is the biggest Christian church in Bali.
The GKPB is working with the government to address a range of social issues such as overpopulation, and is engaged in resettlement programs from displaced people. Julie has a passion for theology and is committed to her local Christian community. She began serving as a rural chaplain in 2007.
She has extensive skills and knowledge in business and project management, policy planning and writing, education and human resources. She also ran a successful wheat and sheep farm with her husband for more than 30 years.
The strong support of Julie’s local Uniting Church in Hillston has been integral in carrying out her work. UnitingWorld is delighted to have facilitated this important work to increase the capacity of our Church Partner in Bali.
