christian aid magazine autumn/winter 2015

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The magazine for supporters Autumn/Winter 2015 Help us to help them Crisis appeal to aid refugees Mapping the crisis: where Christian Aid is working Why the UK must do more Plus: despair of the displaced

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Page 1: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

The magazine for supportersAutumn/Winter 2015

Help us to help them Crisis appeal to aid refugees

Mapping the crisis: where Christian Aid is working

Why the UK must do more • Plus: despair of the displaced

Page 2: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

A time to look to the future.

70 years of Christian Aid.

Our 70th anniversary is a time for reflection. It’s a time to look back on the legacy of love left by Christian Aid’s founding churches, and to celebrate everything their love has achieved. But it’s also a time to look to the future and the world we all want to create. A world free from the injustice that means some have so much and others have so little. With a gift in your Will, you can help us end the injustice of poverty.

Including Christian Aid in your Will is a wonderful way to ensure your loving care can live on into the future. This November, you can make this very special gift by writing or updating your Will through the Will Aid scheme. Local participating solicitors will waive their fee for writing or updating a basic Will and invite you instead to make a donation to charity.

Find out about including Christian Aid in your Will, and the Will Aid scheme, by going online to willaid.org.uk or call Ali Linwood on 020 7523 2173.

Write or

update your

Will with W

ill Aid!

✁I would like to know more about including Christian Aid in my Will

Name

Address

Postcode

Please let us know your address and we will send you our free guide to Wills and Legacies, and further information about the Will Aid scheme.

Please complete the form, cut it out and return to: Christian Aid, PO Box 100, London, SE1 7RT

© C

hristian Aid/C

hristian Aid C

ollection

J4615 A024806

Christian Aid will not pass your details on to any other organisation. If you already receive information from Christian Aid we will continue to send it unless you tell us

otherwise by writing to us at PO Box 100, London, SE1 7RT. If you are new to Christian Aid, please tick here if you do not want to receive information from us

3675 CHR Legacy CAM Ad AW.indd 1 08/09/2015 12:02

Page 3: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

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Frontline4 Refugee Crisis Appeal6 South Sudan: the ‘forgotten’ crisis8 Christmas Appeal to fight malaria

Campaigns10 You spoke up For The Love Of... people living in poverty12 Join us in our Big Shift campaign

Cover story: refugee crisis14 A world in crisis: how we help16 Iraq: focus on the continuing plight of refugees and the displaced

Comment18 Can the SDGs transform the world? 19 Refugees: the language of a crisis

Christian Aid Week20 Looking back… and ahead to 2016

Life and Soul22 Munros, volunteers and more25 Book reviews25 Crossword 26 Events 30 Last Word

Contents

Christian Aid MagazineIssue 5: Autumn/Winter 2015

Editorial teamEditor Roger FultonSub-editors Bettina Vine, Catriona Lorie Art editor Gavin Micklethwaite Pictures Joseph CabonProduction Cedric TaylorActing Managing Editor Andy JacksonCirculation Ben Hayward Published by Christian Aid 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL

020 7620 4444 [email protected] christianaid.org.ukUK registered charity number 1105851 Company number 5171525 Scotland charity number SC039150 Registered with The Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC101631 Company number NI059154 Republic of Ireland Charity Commission number 20014162 Company number 42692820014162 Company number 426928. The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid © Christian Aid October 2015. The acceptance of external advertising does not indicate endorsement.

Cover storyDisplaced Yazidi families on the move in northern Iraq. Other photos this issueAll photos copyright Christian Aid, except where stated below: Cover: Rodi Said/Reuters. Page 4: Fekete Dániel/HIA-Hungary/ACT Alliance. Page 5: Sam Spickett. Page 6: Andreea Campeanu. Page 8: Sahar Zafar – Communications team (Community World Service Asia). Page 12: Shutterstock. Pages 14,16: Christian Aid/Rawsht Twana/Metrography. Page 20/21: Black Knights Parachute Centre. Page 21: Sean O’Dowd

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Christian Aid is a member of

The magazine for supportersAutumn/Winter 2015

Help us to help them Crisis appeal to aid refugees

Mapping the crisis: where Christian Aid is working

Why the UK must do more • Plus: despair of the displaced

Will we take the route out of poverty? As 2015 draws to a close, the world faces a clear cut choice.  In one direction, a well signposted path leads towards a promising future, one in which an increasing number of vulnerable communities could be lifted out of poverty, protected from injustice and allowed to flourish.

In the other direction lies misery for millions of people, who will continue to find themselves trapped in impoverished lives, at the mercy of forces beyond their control such as protracted conflict, worsening climate change and growing inequality. Take that road, and the recent scenes in Europe, of thousands of people making perilous journeys to escape unendurable hardship, will in all likelihood become even more pronounced.

The route the world chooses to go down should be very clear, but that means replacing self-interest, both personal and national, with a genuine concern for the wellbeing of others, something to which it is all too easy to pay lip service, while avoiding the challenge.

This issue of Christian Aid Magazine

highlights two key signposts that will help determine the direction of travel.

The Sustainable Development Goals, tabled for adoption at the UN General Assembly in September, are aimed at eradicating poverty by 2030, while leaving no one behind and safeguarding the planet. These present governments with a series of development targets to pursue; whether or not they will do so is an open question.

And in December the UN Climate Change Conference takes place in Paris, at which carbon-capping mechanisms must be agreed if we are to stand a chance of limiting climate change and helping communities already dealing with its impacts.

The stakes are enormous, and we all have a part to play. Will the picture of a dead child on a European beach serve simply as a harrowing image that moves us for the moment, or will we truly heed it as a stark reminder that behind the headlines are real people who deserve so much better?

Loretta Minghella, Chief Executive

Page 4: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 20154

As 2015’s refugee crisis in Europe gathered pace over the summer,

Christian Aid launched an appeal to support our partner agencies helping refugees arriving in Europe, and also providing emergency relief to people in the Middle East forced from their homes by the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.

In solidarity with our ACT partners across the EU, Christian Aid and our supporters also actively campaigned for the UK to cooperate with other EU countries to find a solution for the tens of thousands of refugees arriving in Europe, and to redouble their efforts to find

a resolution to the conflict in Syria. The UN Refugee Agency has repeatedly

called for EU countries to help resettle 10% of the refugees from Syria to relieve the overwhelming pressure on its neighbouring host countries. We believe the UK has a responsibility to open its arms to those refugees both within the EU and in the Middle East.

Our Director of Policy and Public Affairs, Christine Allen, said at the appeal launch: ‘Christian Aid was founded 70 years ago in response to the millions of people displaced after the Second World War. Today the

Crisis Appeal aids refugees

A human crisis on a scale not seen since the Second World War has prompted Christian Aid to launch an emergency appeal to bring humanitarian relief to those fleeing conflicts in Syria and Iraq

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The magazine for supportersAutumn/Winter 2015

Help us to help them Crisis appeal to aid refugees

Mapping the crisis: where Christian Aid is working

Why the UK must do more • Plus: despair of the displaced

Page 5: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015 5

world is witnessing a human crisis of similar proportions.

‘The plight of those seeking sanctuary in Europe demands visionary leadership from European governments. We call on the UK to join other countries in welcoming refugees within Europe with open arms.’

On the situation in Syria and neighbouring countries, Christian Aid’s Head of Middle East, Frances Guy, said: ‘Countries in the region are hosting an overwhelming number of refugees. Providing succour and support is a massive challenge for our partners. It is the plight of people still trapped in besieged communities in Syria, however, which is the most worrying.

‘A further major concern, both in Europe and the Middle East, is that winter is coming, which means cold and illness for those without adequate protection.’

In Europe, Christian Aid’s partners in ACT Alliance, a global coalition of more than 130 churches and church-related organisations that work together in humanitarian assistance, are providing emergency relief in Greece, Serbia and Hungary.

In Greece, the organisation International Orthodox Christian Charities has been providing food and other essential supplies, improving conditions at reception centres and carrying out water, sanitation and hygiene activities on the islands of Chios, Samos and Kos, which in August saw 300 refugees arrive every day.

In Hungary, Hungarian Interchurch Aid has been providing refugees on the border with essential supplies, and in Serbia, Philanthropy, the charitable foundation of the Serbian Orthodox Church, is providing food, hygiene and baby kits, shelter, sanitary containers and psychosocial support, plus supplies (firewood, clothes and boots) to support people over the coming winter.

Christian Aid has funded organisations working in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon for several years, providing bedding, hygiene kits and health services to refugees and the displaced. In Lebanon and Iraq, our partners also provide psychosocial support to children and women in need. We have also helped publicise prayer vigils for an end to the conflict, held by cathedrals and churches.

• If you wish to donate to our Refugee Crisis Appeal, you can do so at donate.christianaid.org.uk/refugees

• Further coverage on pages 14-17• See also Comment, page 19, and

Last Word, page 30

How your support helped the Nepal quake victimsCHRISTIAN AID’S NEPAL EARTHQUAKE APPEAL raised nearly £4m, with a further £4.1m expected in total from the DEC appeal. It has enabled us to work through our partner organisations across six of the worst-affected districts in the country. • In the first six weeks, we reached 19,600

households (approximately 98,000 individuals) – with food, hygiene kits, emergency medical aid, water purification tablets and shelter. Nearly 15,000 households were provided with two month’s supply of dry food rations. By mid-October, we will have provided critical shelter support (corrugated galvanised iron sheets, tool kits, fixtures) to some 8,000 households.

• We are providing training in earthquake-resilient building techniques for 332 carpenters and masons.

• More than 200 fresh water points have been tested for water quality and repaired where necessary. Fresh drinking water has been provided to camps in more than 50 locations, reaching more than 140,000 people a day. By mid-October, we will have built more than 3,300 latrines. Ongoing surveillance of water and sanitation standards has ensured that there has been no incidence of water-borne disease in areas where we work.

• Hygiene promotion campaigns and training in sanitation and hygiene have enabled volunteers to reach more remote communities.

• We are supporting 4,000 households (approximately 20,000 people) through a voucher-based system. Communities can choose how to spend the vouchers – either on vegetable seeds, agricultural equipment such as sprayers and storage drums, or bio fertilisers.

Visit christianaid.org.uk/nepal

Page 6: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

6 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Despite a worsening crisis, South Sudan’s plight has

gone largely unnoticed by the outside world, with media coverage sparse. Although aid agencies, including Christian Aid, have tried for months to raise the alarm, the international community’s emergency relief fund remains woefully under-subscribed.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed, and more than 2 million forced to flee their homes, either to other parts of

the country or across borders to neighbouring Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan, where refugee camps set up for the short term are full to bursting.

In South Sudan itself, nearly 200,000 people have sought refuge in UN bases, for the conflict has seen violent attacks on civilians, including multiple cases of women being raped and the abduction of children to serve as soldiers.

Even before fighting broke out, South Sudan had some of

the worst development statistics in the world for poverty, school attendance and child mortality, according to the World Bank.

With most of the displaced constantly on the move to escape the fighting, unable to cultivate food or earn a living, some 6.4 million people are now estimated to be in need of humanitarian aid, with malnutrition and disease rising.

The present conflict erupted after a political struggle between President Salva Kiir

One of the worst untold tragedies of the age is developing in the world’s newest nation, South Sudan. Nearly 8 million people are now at risk of food insecurity due to a civil war that has raged for nearly two years

8m at risk in ‘forgotten’ South Sudan crisis

Page 7: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

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Frontline

Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

and former Vice President Riek Machar quickly escalated along ethnic lines and rapidly spread across the country.

Following several attempts at overcoming stalled peace talks, the most recent agreement was signed towards the end of August. However, at the time of going to press, violence is still rife, with the states of Unity, Jonglei and Upper Nile the worst affected, and the fighting is hindering the speed and reach of aid distributions.

In Unity, people have fled into swampland to avoid attacks, forced to survive by eating water lilies and drinking unsafe water. Christian Aid partner

the Universal Intervention and Development Organisation is distributing mosquito nets, plastic sheeting for shelter, water purification tablets and fishing nets. Vegetable seeds and tools have also been given to those able to cultivate land.

Elsewhere, Christian Aid is working in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State with the Sudan Peace and Education Development Programme to distribute agricultural tools and vegetable seeds, and in Jonglei State through the Community Agribusiness Development Agency to provide the same, along with fishing gear and agricultural training.

The Church has played a pivotal role in trying to build peace and is widely recognised as one of the few national institutions with the potential to reach across divides and create a space for dialogue and reconciliation. Christian Aid has partnered with the South Sudan Council of Churches for decades, supporting their work.

Peace will not come easily, and the conflict’s root causes could take years to resolve. But Christian Aid is urging the international community to act fast to provide the funding to help the millions of innocent civilians affected.• See bit.ly/south-sudan-crisis

Dominican Republic: thousands at risk of deportationA tightening of laws on citizenship and legal residence

in the Dominican Republic has left tens of thousands of Haitian migrants and Dominicans of Haitian descent at risk of deportation or expulsion.

This follows the implementation of a 2013 Dominican court decision that potentially affects the citizenship of 200,000 Dominicans of Haitian descent, and a parallel government process to regularise the country’s migrant population, which is predominantly Haitian.

Since August 2015, Haitians with ‘irregular’ immigration status and some Dominicans of Haitian descent have lived under the threat of being deported or expelled. Between June and July alone, 19,000 affected people fled for neighbouring Haiti: many sought refuge in informal temporary camps, living in poor conditions alongside people from different parts of Haiti.

Christian Aid’s Senior Programme Officer for the Dominican Republic, Frankelly Martinez, said: ‘We and our partners are monitoring events closely and are urging the Haitian and Dominican governments to work together to prevent a humanitarian crisis emerging.’• See christianaid.org.uk/haiti

8m at risk in ‘forgotten’ South Sudan crisis

Mapping the refugee crisis – see page 14 >

Page 8: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

8 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Malaria is a leading cause of death in Nigeria, with an estimated 250,000 children dying

every year. It’s particularly dangerous for pregnant women, with the disease contributing to an estimated 11% of maternal deaths.

Through our partners, we are tackling malaria via education and prevention programmes, training volunteer community health agents and government nurses. We are involving communities at all levels in health response, like setting up committees to ensure people can access free malaria treatment.

Partners are providing lifesaving mosquito nets, where vulnerable families have been missed in state distributions. But we will never tackle malaria through net provision alone.

‘Nigeria has distributed over 67 million nets since 2009, but only 30% of those with nets sleep under them. This is where behaviour change

comes in. Our education work is key,’ says Anthony Edozieuno, Malaria Programme Officer for Nigeria.

We urgently need more funds to reach vulnerable families across Nigeria. And if you needed an extra incentive to make a donation, the UK Government has pledged to match every donation made to the Christmas Appeal between 6 November 2015 and 5 February 2016, up to a total of £5m. This money will go to support our projects in Nigeria, and help fund our work to eradicate poverty.

Amy Sheppey, Communications Officer for Nigeria, visited the clinic back in March. She said: ‘Within minutes, I’d come across 19-year-old Mercy, three months pregnant and bleeding as a result of malaria. Malaria touches everyone here. Our work is vital; we need funds to save lives.’• Visit christianaid.org.uk/malaria

Fight malaria in Nigeria this ChristmasOur 2015 Christmas Appeal is being launched this autumn – and we’re taking on the challenge of tackling one of the world’s deadliest diseases

Healthcare centre nurse Lydia Dauda Kwon listens for a heartbeat. Her patient, Mercy Ezreal, is three months pregnant and has malaria. ‘We have challenges here due to lack of awareness,‘ says Lydia.

Order or download resources to support you this Christmas at christianaid.org.uk/

celebrate or call 08700 787 788

to place your order

Page 9: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

9Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Frontline

Hundreds die in Asia floodsSevere flooding from torrential

monsoon rains has hit Pakistan, India and Myanmar recently, leaving hundreds dead and forcing more than a million people to flee their homes.

Many communities were left without safe drinking water, food and shelter, and their crops were ruined, according to Christian Aid staff and partners.

In India and Pakistan, Christian Aid and partners used £158,000 of Start Network funding to help affected families. The Start Fund was launched in 2014, with contributions from the UK’s Department for International Development and Irish Aid.

The fund is administered by the Start Network, a consortium of 24 leading NGOs – including Christian Aid – which work together to strengthen the humanitarian aid system.

In Myanmar, Christian Aid gave £50,000 to enable two of our partners, Metta Development Foundation and Gender Development Initiative, to reach 8,000 people in hard-hit Chin State and Magway region with food, clean drinking water and hygiene kits.

Ram Kishan, Christian Aid’s Regional Emergency Manager for South Asia, said: ‘The extra money allowed our partners to help people survive until the floods receded and they could start rebuilding their lives.’

In West Bengal in India, local partner Indo-Global Social Service Society reached more than 10,000 people who were left living in the open, with help such as tarpaulins, mosquito nets, hygiene kits and water purifying equipment. It sought to reach the most vulnerable families, such as dalits and those with disabled or older family members.

In Ghotki, Upper Sindh, in the south of Pakistan, our partner Community World Service Asia distributed food to some 6,800 people who were stranded on the river banks to which they fled as their homes flooded.• See bit.ly/south-asia-floods

Call to end Gaza blockadeCHRISTIAN AID is among 35 aid, faith, development and human rights organisations who have signed up to a worldwide petition – coordinated through the global campaign community Avaaz – calling on world leaders to press the Israeli government to lift the blockade on Gaza and remove restrictions on basic materials needed to reconstruct the coastal strip.

William Bell, Christian Aid’s Policy and Advocacy Officer for IoPt, said: ‘Hope is dwindling and Gaza’s future looks bleak. The blockade needs to end now.’

Sher Mohammad and his granddaughter live in one of the flood-affected villages in Gotkhi. He said: ‘The flood is taking a toll on us poor people. We are facing many challenges, such as health issues, loss of shelter and no clean drinking water. Most of all we are losing our dignity and pride.’

Through Young EyesMORE THAN 5,000 people visited an exhibition of Palestinian art at London’s P21 gallery during the summer.

One of the highlights was Through Young Eyes, a Christian Aid-organised collection of drawings by teenagers from Gaza who lived through last year’s Israeli military offensive. The project was run by Christian Aid partner Culture and Free Thought Association, a Gazan organisation that provides therapeutic activities for children and young people.

Hanan Elmasu, Christian Aid programme manager for Gaza, said: ‘These are the images imprinted on young people’s minds. It’s an unacceptable reality and we have a responsibility to change it by raising awareness here of the impact of violence and the Israeli blockade.’

We plan to tour the drawings around the UK. See bit.ly/through-young-eyes

Page 10: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

10 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Back in June, on a warm Wednesday morning in central London, we saw a mass gathering of

Christian Aid supporters and friends from across the broader climate movement. From all corners of the UK, thousands of people came to speak up for the things, people and places they love.

Christians were out in force. So many, in fact, that two simultaneous services were held to accommodate all those who wished to worship and pray ahead of their meetings with MPs.

Bishop Nicholas Holtam spoke up for our love of God’s creation, reminding us that climate

change is a concern of all faiths and all humanity. He reminded us of our need to stand with the poorest, who’ve done the least to cause climate change but are already suffering its effects. He spoke of the hope he’d seen on a visit to Malawi with Christian Aid; how the poorest of the people he’d met were planting trees to address deforestation, making a long-term investment.

The area around Parliament was awash with bright colours. There was a palpable sense of optimism in the air as people prepared to meet their MPs, who were brought out to meet them in

Thousands of us speak up for what we love Christian Aid campaigner Luke Harman reflects on a powerful show of love and democracy at the summer climate change lobby

Page 11: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

11Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Campaigns

rickshaws. Vicars, surfers, cyclists, bird-watchers and scuba-divers – people from all walks of life came to make a difference.

Hopefully MPs were impressed by the number of people who’d given up their Wednesday to talk to them about climate change. The discussions carried on long into the afternoon – often positive, always passionate. More than 300 MPs were lobbied and not one can claim to be unaware of the strength of their constituents’ feelings.

Amber Rudd, Secretary of State for the Department of Energy and Climate Change, responded to campaigners, businesses and NGOs after the event: ‘Politicians can’t deliver on the ambition without the public saying, “We need you to do this”. So I really welcomed the campaigning today. ’

So what’s next?Later this year, people will mobilise again for the UN climate talks in Paris. Plans are underway for a Peoples’ March for Climate Justice in London on Sunday 29 November.

Right now, however, we are inviting you to get involved in our ‘Big Shift’ campaign. Find out more on page 12.

‘If we stand with the poorest, there is hope we can address the issues of climate change when we speak up for the love of this world God made and loves’ Bishop Nicholas Holtam

Above: Christian Aid supporters lobby Rishi Sunak, MP for Richmond, Yorkshire

Eight signs that the climate change battle is being won

The battle to fend off the worst ravages of climate change and usher in a low-carbon world has been a long and difficult one. Joe Ware offers up eight signs that the tide may be turning.

1. Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest exporter of crude oil. Its oil minister, Ali al-Naimi, spoke in mid-May about how he could foresee the phase-out of fossil fuels by mid-century and said his country planned to become a global leader in solar and wind energy.

2. On 3 June, the world’s largest furniture retailer, IKEA, pledged $1bn of investment in renewable energy and climate adaptation, dwarfing amounts pledged by some countries.

3. The world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, Norway’s $890bn pension fund, agreed to divest $10bn of coal stocks, joining a global divestment movement.

4. On 8 June, a study at the London School of Economics revealed that Chinese emissions could peak by 2025, five years ahead of a government-agreed deadline of 2030.

5. The same day, front-page headlines around the world heralded the G7 decision calling for the decarbonisation of the global economy by the end of the century.

6. More headlines were made with Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment, Laudato Si, in June, which called for a radical shift to usher in a low-carbon world and tackle climate change.

7. This was echoed by the first ever Muslim symposium on climate change, in Istanbul, which called for the world’s 1.6 billion-strong Islamic community to phase out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and promoted a 100% renewable energy strategy.

8. In August, President Obama announced America’s strongest ever climate action with the Clean Power Plan. Backed by hundreds of companies, the final rules propose a 32% cut in carbon emissions from power plants by 2030.

From oil-producing nations and furniture shops to presidents and the Pope, the world is beginning to get on board the transition to a low-carbon world.

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12 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Cassette tapes, floppy discs and dial-up internet: there are some things that are so behind the times that noone in their right

mind would invest in them today. We think fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – should be on that list too and that is why we’re inviting you to join us in The Big Shift this autumn.

Fossil fuels are some of the biggest drivers of climate change. Getting energy from them is putting our future at risk as well as the future of millions of the world’s poorest people who are already feeling the impact of climate change.

So why do we keep pouring our money into this dirty and old-fashioned technology? Our money is a powerful indicator of our priorities, and at the moment huge amounts of it are invested in fossil fuels. We know we need to leave 80% of known fossil fuels in the ground to keep global warming to a safe level, but through UK Government support, through our pensions and through many private institutions, our money is tied up in extracting, burning or searching for more dirty fossil fuels that will only make climate change worse. The shift towards renewable energy is already in motion, but we need to

Help us make The Big ShiftWith momentum growing to move our energy sources away from the fossil fuels that drive climate change, we are calling on you to help us keep up the pressure for a cleaner future

Page 13: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

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quicken the pace. We need to shift how our money is spent, from dirty fossil fuels to a cleaner future using renewable sources of energy such as solar, wave and wind power.

As Christians, our faith inspires us to be part of what God is doing today. We are called to leave behind old habits that hurt other people and to nurture new habits that will enable everyone to live life to the full. The burning of fossil fuels must be one of these old habits – without such radical changes, climate change will continue to be the biggest threat to tackling poverty.

What needs to happen?In leaving fossil fuels behind, we need to start with coal. Coal is the single biggest source of climate-changing CO2 pollution, both worldwide and in the UK. Our government needs to: • shift away from using dirty coal power stations (and stop using our money to subsidise them overseas) • issue a concrete plan for phasing out the use of coal in the UK by 2023 • invest in clean and renewable sources of energy.

By leaving coal behind at home, the UK Government is better placed to encourage a global phase-out of mining and burning coal, signalling to those investing in coal that it’s time to shift their money to the future – renewable

energy. These ambitious actions will help build pressure on world leaders who are meeting in Paris in December to make new global commitments to tackle climate change.

What you can do?Tell our government that fossil fuels are best left in the past – our nation’s money needs to be invested in a better future for the whole world. • Download and print Christian Aid’s petition sheet; ask your friends and church to sign the petition calling on the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to make a clear commitment to phase out the burning of coal in the UK by 2023. • Organise a letter-writing meeting in your church to get your local MP to ask the DECC to phase out coal in the UK and play a lead role in bringing about a global phase-out. • Lastly, as we approach the Paris climate negotiations this winter, why not come to London on 29 November for the Peoples’ March for Climate Justice to encourage world leaders to make strong commitments to tackle climate change.

For more information, go to christianaid.org.uk/big-shift

Campaigns

‘People all over the world need to act together now. We have to make the leaders contribute to a just climate and help the people who are really suffering. We must not forget that we are one human family.‘We have a moral responsibility to act on climate change. God bestowed on us the gift of life, but with that comes the obligation to be protectors of our earth, our environment and humanity.’The Most Revd Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town, Head of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Global Climate Ambassador for ACT Alliance

Page 14: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

14 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Refugees: a world in crisis

The world is facing a growing refugee crisis on multiple fronts. Christian Aid and its partners are working in many of the affected countries, helping those displaced pick up the pieces of their lives

This year the UN announced that worldwide displacement

was at an all-time high, with the conflict in Syria continuing to act as the world’s largest driver of that displacement. The number of people forcibly displaced at the end of 2014 had risen to 59.5 million, compared to 51.2 million a year earlier and 37.5 million a decade ago.*

Most worryingly, it’s been estimated that more than half of the world’s refugees are children, many of whom have lost homes and relatives and witnessed unspeakable violence. Our map is not intended to show every country or region where there are refugees and people displaced. Rather, it shows where Christian Aid and our partners are active in helping people who have lost everything to recover.

Recent media attention has focused on refugees from the Middle East, but we should not forget the tragic ‘bigger picture’.

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ColombiaAccording to the UN, Colombia has the second highest number of internally displaced people in the world after Syria, estimated at 5.9 million. Many have been displaced from their homes by armed groups during Colombia’s 50-year armed conflict. Our partner CIJP has worked with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to secure international recognition of humanitarian zones, where returnee communities can live and feel safe. 

Colombia

South SudanMore than 2 million people have been displaced in South Sudan and over half a million of them are seeking refuge in neighbouring countries Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya and Sudan. Humanitarian needs are at critical levels. Homes and belongings have been looted or burnt. Women and children have been raped and civilians targeted and killed. Since the crisis began, we have been responding through local partners, providing access to safe water, shelter, household items and agricultural tools and seeds to help communities recover.

Democratic Republic of CongoWe are helping refugees and displaced people who have fled the longstanding conflict here, providing food, cash and other essentials, and repairing water pumps in host communities sharing their homes with displaced Congolese. We are helping 1,200 refugees from the Central African Republic in north-west DRC and assisting 1,600 households of Burundian refugees in Ruzizi (South Kivu). Assistance includes access to food and sanitation, prevention of water-borne diseases and protection against gender-based violence.

The magazine for supportersAutumn/Winter 2015

Help us to help them Crisis appeal to aid refugees

Mapping the crisis: where Christian Aid is working

Why the UK must do more • Plus: despair of the displaced

* These are total figures for refugees (those who cross borders) and internally displaced (within their own country’s borders)

Page 15: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

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BurundiSince April, at least 180,000 people have fled Burundi in fear of violence, during a period of political unrest. Many others remain internally displaced. With so many on the move, the informal economy suffered and food prices rose sharply, leaving many struggling to pay for essentials. Christian Aid released an extra £75,000 to support people in Burundi. Partners provided mosquito nets, blankets and medicines to those who had left their homes with nothing.

Internally displaced people in IraqThe humanitarian situation in Iraq continues to be difficult. Successive waves of armed conflict within the country have left more than 3 million people – many of them children – internally displaced. In addition, 1.4 million living in active areas of fighting are in need of help (with minimal access to basic services). Christian Aid partners have provided food and hygiene kits, as well as cash-for-work, to more than 50,000 people in the past year.• Iraq’s humanitarian crisis – see page 16

Syrian refugees in Lebanon and IraqThe ongoing civil war in Syria, which is now in its fifth year, has led to 4 million people seeking sanctuary in other countries. A further 8 million people are internally displaced within Syria. Our partners in Lebanon and Iraq have provided essential humanitarian relief such as food and hygiene kits, and continue to provide ongoing psychosocial support to children and young people affected by the conflict.

Colombia

Democratic Republic of Congo

South Sudan

IraqLebanon

Gaza

Syria

Burundi

Rwanda

Central African Republic

Ethiopia

KenyaUganda

Tanzania

Sudan

Jordan

Turkey

West Bank and Gaza StripAccording to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the Gaza Strip is home to more than 1.76 million people, including 1.26 million Palestinian refugees. Last year’s conflict displaced at least 500,000 Palestinians from their homes, compounding an already dire humanitarian situation. Our partners continue to provide critical humanitarian support, including vital psychosocial care for children and young people. The West Bank is home to nearly 750,000 refugees out of a population of 2.4 million Palestinians. Their lives are significantly affected by Israel’s occupation.

West Bank

Cover story: Refugee Crisis

The dehumanising of refugees is a disgrace – see Comment page 19 >

To find out more about our work around the world, visit christianaid.org.uk/whatwedo

Page 16: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

16 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Sofian and Nasrin Seido and their three young children fled their home

just over a year ago to escape the onslaught by the so-called Islamic State (IS) on the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar.

Along with 40,000 other Yazidis they sought sanctuary on nearby Mount Sinjar – revered by their community as the final resting place of Noah’s

Ark, and a traditional place of refuge.

There they remained for seven days in the harshest of conditions, until Kurdish forces were able to open a corridor across the border into Syria, from where they could make their way into north-west Iraq – Iraqi Kurdistan.

The Seidos were among the lucky ones – with IS controlling

the foot of the mountain until December, many Yazidis remained trapped on the summit for months, enduring extremes of heat and cold, and reliant on international airdrops for provisions.

‘We were not there long, but there was no water, no shade; people were dying from lack of water. Some people threw themselves off the mountain,’

Iraq: under the thumb of war

We’re all familiar with the scenes of refugees from Syria and elsewhere seeking sanctuary in Europe. Less attention has been focused on the millions in Iraq displaced by conflicts there or forced to flee fighting in Syria. Johanna Rogers reports

The magazine for supportersAutumn/Winter 2015

Help us to help them Crisis appeal to aid refugees

Mapping the crisis: where Christian Aid is working

Why the UK must do more • Plus: despair of the displaced

Page 17: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

17Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Sofian recalled. Both his mother-in-law and brother-in-law fell into the hands of IS and there are fears for their safety. Several thousand Yazidis are believed killed by the group, and it is estimated that thousands remain in captivity.

Sofian and his family now live in a community of displaced Yazidis renting disused buildings in Sulaymaniyah. Despite being a qualified lawyer, he has only found short-term work as a waiter and the family struggle to make ends meet.

The Yazidis are not the only community seeking refuge in this area of Iraq. Large numbers of displaced people from across the country, including Muslims, Christians and other religious minorities are there, as well as Syrians fleeing the five-year conflict in their own land.

Today, Iraq as a whole is coping with one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world. More than 3 million Iraqis have been uprooted by the conflict, with the country also host to a quarter of a million Syrian refugees. It’s estimated that more than 8 million people need humanitarian assistance.

The UN is deeply concerned about the lack of funding to meet these growing needs, and ongoing conflict and plummeting oil prices have badly affected Iraq’s ability to deal with the crisis.

In Iraqi Kurdistan, camps for the displaced and for refugees are full to overflowing, which means 90% of the displaced need to find shelter where they can. Huge pressure on local resources is causing frequent power and water shortages, while the number living in dire poverty has more than doubled over the past year.

Christian Aid partner Rehabilitation, Education and

Community Health (REACH) is providing badly needed food, blankets and shelter to thousands of vulnerable families, like the Seidos, living outside camps in areas of Sulaymaniah, Erbil and Duhok.

REACH senior programme officer Hero Anwar said: ‘It is challenging. Every few months, there is a new influx. We do as much as we can.’

Among the Syrians living in Iraq’s Kurdish region is Laman Habash who, with her three children, fled across the border to escape bombings in their hometown of Aleppo three years ago. Dwindling savings and a lack of job opportunities forced them to downgrade from a decent apartment to a rented garage.

To help counter feelings of hopelessness among people who have seen their home countries torn apart, REACH

has provided networking programmes for women and children, such as sewing lessons for Laman and singing lessons for her children.

‘It is like a prison here, I don’t have a job and I don’t go out,’ said Laman. ‘With the sewing lessons I learnt how to fix my children’s clothes. I met other people who are in the same position as me. My children would come back from the singing workshops full of joy.’

REACH is also running workshops with displaced Iraqis, Syrian refugees and host families to reduce tensions between the communities, as well as providing cash for work.

Another Christian Aid partner, ASUDA, a women’s rights organisation, endeavours to help thousands of vulnerable women by providing counselling and legal assistance as well as shelter and medical referrals for victims of violence.

Jwan Latif, from ASUDA, explained: ‘The number of cases we have helped with has increased dramatically. Domestic violence or sexual harassment increases due to the instability of being displaced and losing loved ones.’

To learn more about the work of our partners, or to donate, visit christianaid.org.uk/iraq

Laman and her children in the basement garage they rent as their home. Opposite: a woman gives her thumbprint to collect food for her family. Above: Sofian Seido, a qualilfied lawyer working as a waiter

Cover Story: Refugee Crisis

Page 18: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Comment: Sustainable Development Goals

An agenda to transform our worldAs the timescale covered by the UN Millennium Development Goals draws to a close, the world is poised to welcome their successors. Helen Dennis asks if the new, improved Sustainable Development Goals will make a difference

By now, the ink should have dried on the new global Sustainable Development

Goals (SDGs), due to be agreed at a UN summit in New York as we went to press.

These goals will build on, and go beyond, the Millennium Development Goals, which expire at the end of this year. Heralded as an agenda for ‘transforming our world’, the SDGs’ prime objective is nothing less than the eradication of poverty by 2030

– ensuring that ‘no one is left behind’ in the process.

Signing up to such a commitment is the easy part. The world now faces the challenge of making it happen.

So just how much difference will the SDGs really make to the communities with which Christian Aid works in the developing world? And in pursuit of the goals, how much importance will be attached to countering climate change?

On the first question, the jury

is out. It will depend whether the goals ‘catch on’ and whether there is enough pressure on governments to deliver. It will be up to organisations such as Christian Aid, our partners and other members of the ACT Alliance family, to hold the policy makers to account.

Together with our partners, we have worked intensely to ensure that key themes such as gender justice, inequality and peace building were all included. We have also stressed

One hugely welcome stand-alone goal in the

SDGs is on gender equality, which includes a target of eliminating ‘all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation’.

Implementing the SDGs will mean not only ensuring the right laws, policies and funding, but also tackling damaging social norms which in many societies keep women and girls disempowered.

The statistics reveal that violence against women is a global epidemic,

yet in many countries those same social norms allow and condone it.

The situation in Brazil illustrates the scale of the problem. Within the past three decades, at least 92,000 women have been murdered, many by their partners.

Earlier this year, in a major effort to improve matters, Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff launched a zero tolerance policy towards violence against women and girls. But the problem is entrenched.

Casa Noeli, a small house hidden behind a high concrete wall and

a padlocked iron gate, was opened in 2011 on a quiet residential street in Ariquemes, Rondônia in northern Brazil, as a safe house for women fleeing violent men.

Supported by Christian Aid partner Anglican Service of Diakonia and Development, it is one of just a few safe houses in this vast country.

Fran, a mother of two, arrived a year ago to escape her violent husband, who is now awaiting trial for 12 homicides – including the murders of Fran’s father and brother. ‘Without the

safe house, I’d be dead,’ she says.

Rev Elineide Ferreira Oliveira (right), who runs the refuge, said: ‘In Brazil it is believed that when a husband and wife fight, we have no right to intervene, that it’s a private matter. Many people think violence is normal – it’s not.’

The setting up of such refuges is one of the small but significant steps many societies need to take, with the forging of the SDGs presenting an opportunity to accelerate progress and increase commitment in the fight for a gender-equal future. Melanie Hargreaves

Gender equality: a goal worth striving for

18 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Page 19: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

This constant dehumanising of refugees is a disgraceChristian Aid was founded to assist refugees following the Second World War. The need to help those fleeing conflict is as urgent today as it has ever been

The media has been full of stories of desperate refugees arriving in

Europe, with the focus largely on the growing numbers rather than the conflict, injustice and oppression from which people are fleeing.

The language used to describe those seeking sanctuary, particularly refugees stranded in Calais as they try to reach the UK, has often been a disgrace, both derogatory and dehumanising.

Every year, millions of people globally are forced to flee their homes due to violence, conflict or disaster. This is not a new phenomenon – Christian Aid was founded 70 years ago to assist people in Europe displaced by the Second World War.

Today we support those affected by war and violence in numerous countries, including Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Colombia, providing practical assistance through local organisations embedded in their communities.

While the main focus of our work is in developing countries, we recognise this is

not the whole picture, and we stand in solidarity with other faith-based organisations providing practical support for refugees and asylum seekers here in the UK.

Our Refugee Crisis Appeal supports the work of our partners in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq with refugees and the displaced, as well as the work of several ACT Alliance partners in Europe. Recognising that the desperate scenes we have seen largely reflect the failure of immigration policies in Europe and at home, we are also urging the tackling of longer- term issues.

We ask governments to play a full role in finding safe routes and in providing adequate support for refugees worldwide. And we appeal to them to meet fully their own obligations to allow those fleeing to seek asylum.• To give to our Refugee Crisis Appeal go to: donate.christianaid.org.uk/refugees• Details of prayer vigils for an end to the Syrian conflict are at christianaid.org.uk/prayers-and-vigils

Comment: Refugee Crisis

that tax justice will be essential if the goals are to be met.

On climate change, the new agenda states unequivocally that its adverse impacts will undermine the ability of all countries to achieve sustainable development. This is why, as well as campaigning for an ambitious and legally binding climate deal in Paris in December, we have pressed for the SDGs to drive low-carbon and climate-resilient development. For if the climate conversation doesn’t speak to the development conversation, we have a problem. Over the next 15 years, the global community must support poorer countries along a cleaner, greener path out of poverty.

So watch this space – Christian Aid will be monitoring what governments, including ours, do next. Will they publish SDG implementation plans? Will SDG financing feature in future budgets? After all the fanfare, nothing less is required.

19

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20 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Now that’s what we call fundraising!Five months on from Christian Aid Week 2015, here’s a reminder of the highlights and a look ahead to exciting new changes for next year’s event

In May, incredible supporters like you stepped out in

force for Christian Aid Week, determined to change the lives of women like Loko struggling in Ethiopia.

Loko’s daily routine was grim beyond belief – walking alone for eight back-breaking hours a day, gathering firewood to sell so she could feed her children.

We’re delighted by how you responded to this injustice. Your baking, praying, walking, swimming, worshipping, collecting, donating, sharing, buying, climbing, abseiling, playing, running, performing, tweeting and selling (and so much more!) is making a

massive difference for women like Loko. Loko now has a cow and goats so she can support her family. Her words say it all: ‘I never thought I would be

this rich. You have brought me happiness.’

We’re on track for a really good year and we can’t wait to share how much you’ve raised.

Page 21: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

We hope to do this by the end of this year once all of the money has come in.

Here are a few of your events that made us smile: teddy bears parachuting from a Worcester church roof; a fearless 77-year-old’s sponsored skydive; and thousands going house to house in the UK’s biggest single act of Christian witness.

Eleanor Ledesma, Head of Christian Aid Week, praised your amazing efforts: ‘Thank you so much for all you’ve done for Christian Aid Week this year – we couldn’t do it without you! Not only have everyone’s efforts during Christian Aid Week changed the lives of Loko and her children, but the funds raised will support our hundreds of programmes, projects and partners around the world, helping to transform the lives

of thousands more families and communities.’• Want to bring back some Maytime memories? Watch a roundup of some of this year’s highlights at caweek.org

Clockwise from top left: intrepid skydiver Lena Etherington; Circling the City in London; a Water Challenge event in March, Cambridgeshire; balloon creations at St Giles’ in London; Lena thanks her skydive ‘buddy’; Loko welcomes her new cow

Let’s cook up a fun breakfast for 2016 THIS YEAR WE set about finding a brilliant event to help us grow Christian Aid Week; to get even more churches to join us in this fantastic celebration of community and generosity and to step closer towards ending poverty.

A huge thank you to all the groups who helped us test our seven trial events this May. Having gone through all the feedback in detail, we’re now delighted to announce that we are going to be launching a breakfast event for 2016! This will be a fun opportunity to get involved in Christian Aid Week; to launch the appeal in your area, reach out to new people in your community or even be part of it for the first time.

We’re putting together some great new resources to help you organise a breakfast and make it your own – whether it’s a big community affair or something more intimate. You’ll also find ideas to help your breakfast be a special time of fellowship and, of course, there’ll be lots of scrumptious recipes!

We can’t wait to see churches putting their hospitality into action to help create lasting change for the world’s poorest people. • Register your interest online now at caweek.org/breakfast

Page 22: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Life

and

sou

l

22

On 8 May, Christian Aid supporter Lorna

Cammock raised more than £300 through a sponsored Munro climb at Ben Cruachan, in memory of her father, Rev Charles ‘Charlie’ Cammock. 

She said: ‘I have the warmest memories of the good folk of the Oban Congregational Church where my father was known to all as the “wee minister”. He climbed Ben Cruachan in the early 1930s and, when Christian Aid launched the Munro challenge, I decided to sponsor my father’s long-ago climb in his memory. I was sure he was smiling down that day.’  

Every year, people just like Lorna give so generously in memory of the special people in their lives. Thanks to their gifts, we are able to help those living in the poorest communities across the world.

As a new opportunity for remembrance, we are delighted to announce the launch of ‘A Light in this

World’ – an online space where family and friends can remember the light their loved one brought to the world. Here, memories can be shared and gifts given to celebrate their loved one’s commitment to ending the injustice of poverty. These special tribute pages can stay open for as long as you wish and can be a way of giving in remembrance on special occasions – such as birthdays or anniversaries.• See light.christianaid.org.uk

Bringing a light to this world

Countdown to Will AidEVERY NOVEMBER, solicitors across the UK take part in Will Aid month. They give their time to draw up people’s wills and waive their fee – in exchange for a voluntary suggested donation to nine Will Aid charities, including Christian Aid. 

Throughout its history, Will Aid has raised more than £100m for good causes, both in the UK and overseas. Last year alone, more than 20,000 people

used the service to write or revise their Will, and Will Aid donations raised more than £200,000 for Christian Aid.   

Appointments under the Will Aid scheme often get booked early, so please book soon if you are looking to revise or write your Will. To find your nearest participating solicitor, visit the Will Aid website – willaid.org.uk or call the Will Aid hotline on 0300 0300 013.

Munro challenge ends on a highCHRISTIAN AID’S 70TH anniversary Munro Challenge ends this month with our target of 70 Munros achieved.

About 200 people have participated, and there are high hopes that by the time the final Munro is climbed this month the £70,000 fundraising target will have been reached. A significant proportion is going to the Nepal Earthquake Appeal and the remainder will be used to support Christian Aid partners helping communities journey to justice.

Wendy Young of Christian Aid Scotland, said: ‘It has been an incredible experience of community, of endurance and of overcoming, of choosing to go beyond our comfort zone when so many in the world do not get to make this choice. 

‘We’re also very grateful to Abernethy Trust and 360 Degrees Outdoor for providing mountain leading support.’

A souvenir calendar is available, for a suggested donation of £10, from [email protected]

Page 23: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

23Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2015Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Surprised by joyWhen Marie Luchetta logged in

to her Facebook account in the summer of 2013 she never imagined where it would lead. However, a post inviting people to join Christian Aid’s volunteer speaker team immediately caught her attention.

Marie, pictured below, who is originally from Paris, is a reader in her local church in Cambridge and knew at once that this was the role for her. She said: ‘I have always felt called to preach about issues of justice and peace, and realised this would give me the chance to do it outside my own parish.’

As part of her preparation, Marie attended a training day in London where she heard first-hand accounts of the work of Christian Aid partners in Colombia and South Sudan. Inspired by these stories, she has preached and spoken about our work in a number of churches in her area.

Marie is supported by a member of Christian Aid staff and regularly receives updates and new resources. Most requests for a speaker are in the run-up to Christian Aid Week, but she offers to speak throughout the year.

And her enthusiasm is plain to see. ‘Knowing that I am doing Christ’s work, being with people and witnessing their generosity, brings me immense joy. I would advise anyone who is passionate about ending poverty and thinking about this role to go for it.’

Could you be part of our speaker team? To find out more please contact [email protected] or go to christianaid.org.uk/volunteer

Network harnesses the power of businessWITH MANY GIFTED AND PASSIONATE CHRISTIAN BUSINESS LEADERS in the UK, Christian Aid sees a unique opportunity to harness the power of these individuals to help us in our mission to end poverty.

We are building a faith-led business network that we hope will have a transformative impact for the poor and for network members.

Christian Aid recognises that enterprise is the ladder out of poverty for most poor people, therefore members of the network will provide crucial support to Christian Aid’s enterprise work – seeking to lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty in developing countries across the world.

In return, members will have the opportunity to better understand the systems and structures that keep people poor, through a series of workshops and events.• This exciting Christian Aid project is set to launch in May 2016. For further information, please contact [email protected]

Show You CareBUY YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS AND GIFTS from our partners at Traidcraft and we will receive a part of what you pay to support our work around the world. Show You Care is Traidcraft’s campaign to get more people sending Christmas cards.

So not only will you be helping Christian Aid, but you will be putting a smile on the faces of your loved ones too. You can see the fantastic range here: bit.ly/giftsandcards

Tribute to a dedicated Christian Aid collector

After retiring from her lifetime’s work in

the Far East, Joan Barker was asked by the Rector of Whitby to organise our Christian Aid house-to-house collections throughout the town. Over the 25 years since, Joan has led a team of collectors who have sent us a magnificent £132,092... and 50p!

Joan is always the first to say: ‘This is nothing to do with me – it’s all down to the collectors’. But her friends and colleagues

agree that without Joan’s persistence and efficiency, they could achieve nothing.

Every year she would start at Christmas and work the phones hard until May, recruiting and gathering volunteers, sorting out the admin with HQ, distributing envelopes, planning routes and persuading, persuading, persuading.

Thanks are due to all those who have given and collected but, above all, a very big thank you is owed to Joan for a quarter of a century of dedicated work.

Page 24: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

24 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

REFUGEE CRISIS APPEAL

I was cold.I was hungry. Were you there?Please give now to help us feed and shelter refugees in Europe and the Middle East.

Since the conflict in Syria broke out, more than 4.1 million people have been forced to seek safety outside the country. Christian Aid is working through church partners in Europe, as well as through our partners in the Middle East, to provide food and other vital essentials to refugees. But as winter approaches, we must be prepared to reach thousands more. Please help us.

Will you buy vital food for a refugee family?

£30 could buy vital food

Yes, I’d like to help refugees with a gift of: £30 £60 £90 My own amount of £ Please make your cheque/postal order/CAF voucher* payable to Christian Aid (*delete as appropriate)

OR debit my Maestro MasterCard Visa Amex CAF card

Card no. (if using Maestro, please copy the long number along the middle of your card, and add the issue number if applicable below)

Valid from

/

Expiry date

/

Issue no.

(Maestro only)

Signature Today’s date

/

/

Title Forename Surname

Address

Postcode

Email address Please complete if you’re happy to receive emails from Christian Aid

Christian Aid will not pass your details on to any other organisation. If you already receive information from Christian Aid we will continue to send it unless you tell us otherwise by writing to us at PO Box 100, London, SE1 7RT. If you are new to Christian Aid, please tick here if you do not want to receive information from us

Please return your completed form to: Freepost RSUR-YSTS-KJUL, Christian Aid, 35-41 Lower Marsh, LONDON SE1 7RL

Your gift will help fund our emergency response to the refugee crisis

*A charity donation service for Christian Aid. Texts cost £5 + 1 std rate msg. Christian Aid will receive 100% of your donation. We may contact you again in future. To opt out of calls, text NOCALL CA to 70123, and to opt out of SMS text NOSMS CA to 70123. To discuss this payment, call 020 3282 7863.

UK registered charity no. 1105851 Company no. 5171525, Scot charity no SC039150. The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid. Christian Aid is a key member of ACT Alliance. © Christian Aid September 2015. Photo: © Yannis Behrakis/Reuters

To donate: Fill in the form below visit christianaid.org.uk/helprefugees text KIT3 to 70060 to give £5*

A024961

Page 25: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

25Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Wrestling With a Godly Order: Encounters with the 1662 Book of Common PrayerEdited by James Steven

(Sarum College, £18.99)There is nothing like an anniversary for reopening old wounds, and those surrounding the 1662 Book of Common Prayer still seem pretty raw. These essays, compiled to mark the BCP’s 350th anniversary in 2012, are searing insights from Christians of various denominations into what amounted to a state-imposed form of worship after a century and a half of religious upheaval. Some 10% of the clergy, unable to accept its precepts, were deprived of their livings. AH

Ed

ited

by

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evie

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by

An

dre

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og

g, C

atri

on

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rie

and

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ire

Jon

esPostCapitalism: A Guide to Our FuturePaul Mason(Allen Lane, £16.99)Channel 4’s economics editor

offers a readable and thought-provoking explanation of capitalism and its economic cycles, and of where we are heading following the economic crisis. Mason sees globalisation as a flawed system, bringing increasing inequality to the developing world. His solution is based on the potential of digital information to transform economies, democracies and the empowerment of individuals – and he suggests that this is already underway. CL

Scars Across HumanityElaine Storkey(SPCK, £9.99)‘If violence against women is ever to be eliminated, we

need to know what it is we’re up against.’ It’s this determined spirit that drives Elaine Storkey’s systematic examination of gender-based violence in its many forms. Though difficult reading (a chapter on female genital mutilation is especially harrowing), this important book will surely recruit new advocates for gender equality and should spur on seasoned campaigners to eliminate such violence. CJ

Book reviews

ACROSS9 Inbar – a brilliant idea (9)10 Running over a shower

(5)11 Hit back at the Bill (3)12,8 Alec, Tim (7,6)13 Arm is part of

Engineering Union (3)14 Showing where to get a

drink may be sinning (3,4)15 see 216 They contribute to 12,8

when the conservatory yaks (10,5)

20 Well heeled without arms length mobile (7)

22 Helicopter blade initially unused apparatus in New Zealand (7)

24 The French and I spend it in Bucharest (3)

25 Generally start being more fancy – 12,8 causes it to recede (7)

27 Girl who may take you to court (3)

28 Itches endlessly – terrible moral decision (5)

29 Reservation at new ice centre (9)

DOWN1 Article on staking may be

helpful (8)2,15 (across) Funny bod axed

– ironic! (6,7)3 Working won’t solve 12,8

problems (8)4 Country cover is the

aim of many disparate communities (10)

5 Small potatoes etc – a bright star (4)

6 Construct and act , but only just cope (4,2)

7 A bar sign indicates cheap goods (8)

8 see 1215 Saint’s dirt leads to

seizure of goods (10)17 Yes, eight new vision

possibilities (8)18 If there is 3 on 12,8 the

world could – and ruin (2,2,4)

19 see 2320 Left money (to Christian

Aid?) – married though sick at heart (6)

21 Something left (to Christian Aid?) is unusual – eg, clay (6)

23,19 Getting up to batter, maybe, on the flat, is a result of 12,8 (6,3,5)

26 Area located in Potomac resting place (4)

Cryptic crossword

12,8 is a major theme: the clue to this is partial

Crossword compiled by the Rev Colin Richards.Solution at foot of page 29. As an alternative, you can view a set of quick clues for this crossword at christianaid.org.uk/cam

Life and Soul

Page 26: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

26 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Events

If you’d like to get involved with a Christian Aid fundraiser, workshop, Christmas concert, service or 70th anniversary event, here’s a round-up of some of the best that are happening across the UK this autumn. You can also find out more about what’s happening where you live by going to christianaid.org.uk/inyourarea

OCTOBER

17 NOTTSGreasley Christian Aid Group Traidcraft Day10am-1pm, Watnall WI Hall, Main Road, Watnall, Nottinghamshire NG16 1HSShop early for Christmas! For details, phone 01159 382762.

17 HEDGE END, SOUTHAMPTONBangers and Mash Christian Aid Lunch12noon-1.30pm, Underhill Centre, St John’s Church, Hedge EndA Christian Aid lunch with

a difference! For details, email Jackie Murley at [email protected]

21 NEWCASTLE UPON TYNEChristmas Stories: Workshop for Volunteers1-3pm, Christian Aid Office, 42-44 Mosley Street, Newcastle NE1 1DF  A chance to hear our Christmas stories and discuss how to share them. For more details and to register, contact Sarah Moon on 0191 228 0115 or [email protected]

24 SELKIRKInvesting in Peace: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory 10.30-12.30pm, Selkirk URC, Scotts Place, Selkirk TD7 4DRHear stories and pray for peace with Christian Aid, the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the United Reformed Church.

24 LONDONAutumn Notes Concert3pm, St Bartholomew’s Church, East HamLighthearted musical

entertainment in aid of Christian Aid. For more details, contact Frances at [email protected]

31 LLANDUDNODiwrnod i Gofio Palestina / Day to Remember PalestineSt John’s Church Hall, Mostyn St, LlandudnoA day of events to remember the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.Contact Anna-Jane Evans on 01248 353574 or email [email protected]

NOVEMBER

6 PORTISHEADEthics Forum: Debt 7.30pm, Folk Hall, 95 High Street, Portishead BS20 6PRExplore personal, national and international debt, with keynote speaker Joe Stead, Christian Aid’s Senior Economic Adviser. Copies of a new Tax Justice Bible Study resource will be available at this event. Free entry but donations welcome. For more information, please contact

Coming soon…

15 Oct Zion United Church, Bristol

16 Oct Warriner School, Bloxham

17 Oct St Andrew and St Teilo’s, Cardiff

19 Oct Alderley Edge Methodist, Cheshire

20 Oct All Saints Kings Heath, Birmingham

21 Oct St Paul’s, Stoke-on-Trent

22 Oct St John’s, Wolverhampton

23 Oct Lichfield Cathedral

24 Oct Church of the Holy Spirit,

Shrewsbury

2 Nov Hoylake Chapel, Wirral

3 Nov Church Stretton School, Shropshire

4 Nov St Chad’s, Rochdale

5 Nov St Peter’s, Doncaster

6 Nov St Edmunds’, Roundhay, Leeds

7 Nov St Luke’s, Newcastle

9 Nov St Cuthbert’s, Preston

10 Nov St John’s Centre, Old Trafford

11 Nov Lancaster Uni Chaplaincy

12 Nov Halifax (Venue tbc)

13 Nov St Andrew’s Methodist, Wythenshawe

14 Nov St Mark’s, Harrogate

17 Nov Village Hall, Craignish

18 Nov Claremont Parish, East Kilbride

19 Nov Dumfries Academy

20 Nov Colinton Parish Church, Edinburgh

21 Nov Cults Parish Church, Aberdeen

24 Nov St Lawrence’s, Mansfield

25 Nov Northampton (venue tbc)

26 Nov Church of Martyrs, Leicester

27 Nov Oxford (venue tbc)

28 Nov Brighthelm Centre, Brighton

a deliciously entertaining show that serves up the realities of climate change with flair and clarity

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOWBox Office: 01904 613000 ridinglights.org/baked-alaska

RIDING LIGHTS THEATRE COMPANY

TIME TO CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE

towards the 2015 United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris and beyond

Page 27: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

27Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Events

the Portishead parish office on 01275 846230 or [email protected]

9 GLASGOWAn Afternoon on Haiti 2pm, The Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP A short talk from supporter Margaret Hart on her visit to Haiti, after the earthquake, followed by a broader look at the importance of legacies for Christian Aid’s work, and hear how rice farmers are adapting to climate change. For further details, please call 0141 241 6136/6139, or email [email protected] or [email protected]

10 EDINBURGHChristian Aid Scotland Thanksgiving Service with Dr Rowan Williams 7.30pm, St Giles Cathedral, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1RE For more information, contact 0141 221 7475.

13 TIMPERLEY, ALTRINCHAMSing for your Supper7.30pm, Holy Cross Hall, Park Road, Timperley WA15 6QGAn evening of food and home-grown entertainment

14 MANCHESTERThe Churches’ Role in Building a Good Society10am-4pm, Luther King House, Brighton Grove, Manchester M14 5JPJoin with us and churches across Manchester to reflect and find practical ways of how we can bring hope and love to those living in poverty, both in

communities in Manchester and around the world.

17 CARLISLEMooove Over Poverty Celebration7.30pm, Carlisle CathedralAn evening to celebrate fundraising activities of local churches and schools. An exhibition, highlighting the difference a cow makes in the fight against poverty, will also be staged in the Central Library from 14-27 November.

21 NORWICHHappy Day Gospel Choir Celebration and Dasu Yakubu7pm, Norwich Central Baptist Church, Duke Street, Norwich NR3 3APAn evening with the popular Happy Day Gospel Choir, and guest Dasu Yakabu (see panel right). Donations on the door. Contact [email protected] or 01603 620051.

22 RHOSTRYFANGwasanaeth Cymorth Cristnogol Horeb (Welsh Language Service)10am, Capel Horeb, Rhostryfan Oedfa i ddysgu a rhoi diolch am waith Cymorth Cristnogol.

Am ragor o wybodaeth, cysylltwch ag Anna-Jane Evans ar 01248 353574 neu ebostiwch [email protected]

22 RIPON70th Anniversary Evensong3.30pm, Ripon CathedralWith guest speaker Christine Allen, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Christian Aid. Contact David Wells on 01765 690841, or 07785 228462, or email [email protected]

24 WATERLOO, LONDONSupporters’ Coffee Morning with Dasu Yakubu11.30am-1pm, ICH, 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RLJoin us for coffee and a mince pie and hear about malaria prevention in Nigeria from Dasu Yakubu (see panel, below). All welcome, but please let us know you are coming. Call 020 7523 2105 or email [email protected]

24 LONDONClimate Change Talk6pm, St Mary-le-Bow EC2V 6AUCome and hear Christian Aid’s theology advisor, the Rev Dr Susan Durber, speak ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris in December. For more information, contact Clare at [email protected]

OCTOBER – NOVEMBER WALES-WIDEA Christian Aid Manifesto – What can Wales do?Events all over Wales; please check our website for your nearest session.A chance for supporters to come together to share ideas about what priorities a future Welsh Government should pursue. These sessions will form the basis of Christian Aid’s Manifesto for the 2016 Welsh Assembly elections. For more information and to register, contact the Wales team on 029 2084 4646 or email [email protected]

Precious gifts this AdventDasu Yakubu from Christian Aid’s partner Centre for Gospel Health and Development will be visiting the UK from Nigeria. He will be attending various events across the south-east of England and talking about his work on malaria prevention. Linked to this year’s Christmas Appeal, he will share stories of how increasing the use of nets in vulnerable communities is changing lives. Contact your local Christian Aid office for further details.

Page 28: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 201528

24 MONTROSEInvesting in Peace: Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory 7-9pm, Knox’s United Free Church of Scotland, Mill Street, Montrose DD10 8NPHear stories and pray for peace with Christian Aid, the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church and the United Reformed Church about partners in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.

25 LEIGH-ON-SEA, ESSEXReflection day with Dasu Yakubu11.30am-3pm, The Fishermen’s Chapel, New Road Methodist Church, Leigh-on-Sea SS9 2EAA day of fellowship and discussion. With guest

Dasu Yakubu from Nigeria (see panel on previous page). Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more details and to book your place, call 020 7523 2105 or email [email protected]

27 WINDSORAdvent Hope Carol Service7pm, Windsor Parish Church, High Street, Windsor SL4 1LTJoin us for a candlelit Advent carol service and hear stories of hope from Dasu Yakubu from Nigeria (see panel on previous page). For more details, call 01865 246818 or email [email protected]

28 EDINBURGHScotland’s Climate March Time tbc, Edinburgh city centreStop Climate Chaos Scotland is asking you to join a march through Edinburgh, conciding with a weekend of global marches and rallies to mark the first weekend of the UN Climate Conference in Paris. For details, call 0141 241 6136 or contact [email protected]

28 CHIPPERFIELD, HERTFORDSHIREAdvent Hope and Hospitality Reflections 10am-4pm, St Paul’s Church, The Common, Chipperfield WD4 9BSA day for fellowship, discussion and reflection, with Dasu Yakubu (see previous page). Organised with Rickmansworth Deanery. To book a place, contact Adrian Whalley on 01727 818145 or [email protected]

28 CLITHEROECoffee Morning10am, Clitheroe United Reformed Church, Castlegate, Clitheroe BB7 1AZ

29 NORTHCHURCH, HERTFORDSHIREAdvent Hope Benefice Service with Dasu Yakubu6pm, St Mary’s Church, High Street, Northchurch, Berkhamsted HP4 3QWA combined church service to present Dasu’s stories of hope on Advent Sunday. The collection will be for the Christmas Appeal and refreshments will follow.

30 LANCING, WEST SUSSEXAdvent Hope7pm for 7.30pm, Lancing College Chapel BN15 0RW A candlelit service to celebrate the start of Advent. With Dasu Yakubu. To book your free ticket, call 020 7523 2105 or email [email protected].

30 WINCHESTERA Lifetime for All God’s People7.30pm, Winchester CathedralAdvent service with Christian Aid chair Dr Rowan Williams to mark the end of our 70th Anniversary Year. For details, contact the Southampton office on 023 8070 6969 or [email protected]

DECEMBER

All month WALES-WIDEChristian Aid at ChristmasJoin us to celebrate Christmas, and to remember those whose Christmas will be blighted by hunger, disease and war. For more information, contact the Wales team on 029 2084 4646 or email [email protected]

2 LONDONStage Changers FinaleHoly Trinity Church, Clapham Common See the climax of an intergenerational arts project, inspired by Christian Aid’s 70-year history. For details contact David at [email protected]

I Witness: Images of Hope from Haiti I Witness is a free touring exhibition featuring images and artwork showing the life-changing work taking place in Haiti today, as witnessed by three of our supporters. This is on show in venues nationwide all through the year, with special events accompanying each exhibition. Forthcoming dates include: 12-23 October Birmingham Cathedral, Colmore Row, Birmingham B3 2QB 27 October-4 November St Laurence’s Ludlow, College Street, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1AN 10 November-6 December The Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 1YD 29 February-17 March 2016 Durham Cathedral

For more details see bit.ly/i-witness-exhibition

Events

Page 29: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

29

2 CHELMSFORD, ESSEXAdvent Carol Service7.30pm, St Mary’s Great Baddow, Chelmsford CM2 7HNHelp us mark Christian Aid’s 70th anniversary and hear stories of hope. A collection will be taken for the Christmas Appeal.

3 LONDONChristian Aid’s 70th Anniversary Carol Service 7pm, St Luke’s Church, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NHJoin Christian Aid’s Chief Executive, Loretta Minghella, and special guest, BBC newsreader Huw Edwards, for an evening of music, carols and readings. To book your free ticket, email [email protected]

4 GUILDFORD, Advent Hope6.30 for 7pm, St Mary’s Church, Quarry Street, Guildford GU1 3UAJoin us for an evening of carols, and the chance to be inspired by Dasu Yakubu (see panel on page 27). To book tickets, call Laura on 020 7523 2110 or email [email protected]

4 BIRMINGHAMYoung Strings Project Christmas Concert7pm, St John’s & St Peter’s Church, Darnley Road, Birmingham B16 8TFThe 7th annual concert for Christian Aid by this talented children’s orchestra. Tickets: £5/£7 advance (£7/£10 on the night) from grandcentralgospel.com

4 HALIFAXChristmas Concert 7.30pm, Halifax Minster Celebrate Christmas with singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones. Refreshments provided. For more information email Shelagh Fawcett at [email protected]

5 SELBYCarols in Selby Abbey6.30-8pm, Selby Abbey Enjoy a Christmas concert in a magical setting. Tickets: £5 (children free). Email Steph Cooper at [email protected]

6 BEARSTED, KENTSung Eucharist Service9.45am, Holy Cross, Church Lane, Bearsted, Maidstone, Kent ME14 4EFWith guest Dasu Yakubu. See page 27.

10 MANSFIELDBig Christmas Sing6.30pm, Samworth Church Academy, Sherwood Hall Road, Mansfield, Notts NG18 2DYFeaturing primary school choirs and presentations on the work of Christian Aid. For more details, contact East Midlands office on 01509 265013, or email [email protected]

11 TRUROBig Christmas Sing7.30pm, Truro CathedralWith Nigel Quarrell and performances from Connor Downs Primary School Choir, The Grenaways and Stithians Ladies Choir. Contact the Southampton office on 023 8070 6969 or [email protected]

11 EXETERNight of 1,000 Voices7.30pm, Exeter Cathedral Our annual Christmas celebration, with choirs and carols to inspire and delight. Every year we raise thousands of pounds, offering hope to those in need. For details, contact the Southampton office, as before.

13 SALISBURYMorning service10.30am, Salisbury CathedralChristian Aid’s Director, Loretta Minghella, will talk about the importance of December’s UN Conference on Climate Change. For more information, please contact the Bristol office on 01454 415923 or [email protected]

15 BATHBig Christmas Sing with Bath Community Gospel ChoirTime and Venue TBAFor details, please contact

the Bristol office, as before. See also bathcommunity gospelchoir.com

JANUARY

28 LONDONAnnual Supporters Event2-4.30pm and 6-8.30pm, 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RLThought-provoking workshops and a preview of the Christian Aid Week 2016 materials. For more details, contact Julia at [email protected]

MARCH

19 NORTH STAFFSNorth Staffs Sponsored Walk10am, Tittesworth Reservoir, three miles north of Leek, just off A53.Annual fundraising walk. For more information, contact John Bamford on 01782 516 137.

DECEMBER 12 LONDONA Gospel Christmas7pm, City Temple, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2DEAn evening of carols, gospel music and poetry in the heart of the City, with an exciting line-up of artists and carols as you’ve never heard them before! A fabulous start to the Christmas festivities. Tickets are available at agc2015.eventbrite.co.uk. For more details, contact Oi-Yin at [email protected]

Solution to the crossword on page 25. ACROSS: 9 Brainwave 10 Awash 11 Tab 12 Climate 13 Gun 14 Inn sign 15 Dioxide 16 Greenhouse gases 20 Wheeled 22 Rotorua 24 Lei 25 Glacier 27 Sue 28 Ethic 29 Reticence. DOWN: 1 Abetting 2 Carbon 3 Inaction 4 Nationhood 5 Vega 6 Make do 7 Bargains 8 Change 15 Distraints 17 Eyesight 18 Go to rack 19 Sea level 20 Willed 21 Legacy 23 Rising 26 Acre.

Events

Page 30: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

3030 Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

Do you have a view on our Last Word article or on any of the issues covered in this issue of Christian Aid Magazine? We welcome all your letters and emails – write to us at The Editor, Christian Aid Magazine, 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL, or email [email protected]

There are many other ways you can keep up with and interact with Christian Aid’s activities. You can… Like us: facebook.com/christianaidFollow us: twitter.com/christian_aidWatch us: youtube.com/thisischristianaid

See our work at:flickr.com/christian-aidpinterest.com/christianaidinstagram.com/christianaidukListen to us at: soundcloud.com/christian-aid-globalJoin us: google.com/+christianaid

What would our founders think?Jack Arthey, Christian Aid’s 70th anniversary project organiser, compares the challenges faced by our founders with those confronting us today

Looking back over 70 years of Christian Aid I have been

struck by two things. First, I have concluded that

our founders were outspoken, impatient for change, radical and combative. They had a clear vision of how the world should be and were prepared to take dramatic action to build it. Second, I am struck by the similarity of the issues challenging Christian Aid and the churches now to those that confronted our founders in 1945. Mass migration, conflict and austerity – it is almost as though we have come full circle.

The vision that inspired our creation emerged from destruction, pain, suffering and bereavement, and a sense that future generations should not suffer such hardship. Our founders dreamed of a world where women and men, rich and poor, small nations and large, would live together as neighbours. The needs of all would be met and disagreements would be resolved by discussion rather than by warfare. They were in tune with the need for a United Nations internationally and for a welfare state domestically, and

believed that the resources of the churches should be applied to building such a world.

Churches in these islands, they urged, would help and support churches throughout Europe in former ally and enemy countries alike. It would be inter-church aid in every sense. The current conversations about whether the UK should remain part of the European Union would seem nonsensical. Similarly, I imagine our founders would be deeply concerned about the circumstances of the poorest at a time of austerity, alarmed about the need for food banks, agitated about the future of the welfare state and raising these concerns in public debate.

The suffering of refugees and displaced people throughout the world today, and especially in Europe, is arguably the greatest moral challenge to have confronted the world since 1945. So have we learnt enough over 70 years to help us meet the challenges of our age? Our founders unhesitatingly spoke truth to power, and those in authority listened to what the churches had to say. At our best we have been impatient and combative, persistently

knocking on the doors of the powerful until justice is done, rather like the widow in Luke 18.

I can imagine our founders looking down on us and encouraging us to express solidarity by welcoming refugees into our homes, collecting money to help those whose lives have been put on hold and encouraging the Government to show the compassion that is at the heart of British values. I think they are praying for us as we seek to meet our challenges and I think they would want to arm us with the same persistence, passion and combativeness that characterised the agency they created 70 years ago.

Last Word

Poignant reminder: A Christian Aid Week poster from 1960

Page 31: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

An evening of carols, gospel music and poetry.

in association with JoFish Media presents:

Saturday 12 December, 7–10pm City Temple, Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2DE

A GOSPEL CHRISTMAS 2015

Featuring: John Fisher and IDMC Gospel Choir, Pastor David Daniel, The BIG Sing Gospel Voices, We Sing U Sing Children’s Choir and many more!

Buy tickets online at agc2015.eventbrite.co.ukEmail: [email protected]: 020 7523 2417Ticket prices: Adult: £12*, Child: from £8, Family: from £35* £15 from 1 December and £18 on the door.

UK registered charity no. 1105851 Company no. 5171525 Scot charity no. SC039150 Christian Aid Ireland: NI charity no. NIC101631 Company no. NI059154 and ROI charity no. 20014162 Company no. 426928. The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid. Christian Aid is a key member of ACT Alliance. © Christian Aid September 2015 15-J4708

Order your tickets before 1

December 2015 to take advantage of our early bird

discount!

Two 70th anniversary festive invitations for friends

J4762

You are invited to two special services telling our story of the past 70 years through prayer, music and images.

Monday 30 November

Advent: A lifetime for all God’s people

with Dr Rowan Williams

7.30pm, Winchester Cathedral

For more information email

[email protected]

or call 023 8070 6969

Thursday 3 December

Carol service with

special guest Huw Edwards

7pm, St Luke’s Church, Chelsea, London

To book your free ticket visit:

CaidCarol2015.eventbrite.co.uk

or email [email protected]

J4792 - CAM half-page event ad final.indd 1 10/09/2015 14:16

Page 32: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

‘FOR UNTO US A CHILD IS BORN’ Isaiah 9:6

Child’s name: Israel

Born: 19 March 2015

Place: Ora-Eri, Nigeria

Mother’s name: Onuchukwu Okoye

How will your church celebrate precious gifts this Christmas?

Join us this Christmas and make your celebrations go twice as far! For a second year running, the UK Government will match your donation pound for pound.*

Find out what you could do, visit christianaid.org.uk/celebrate or call 08700 787 788 to place your resource order.

*Donations made to the Christmas appeal between 6 November 2015 and 5 February 2016 will be matched up to £5 million. J4762. Photo: Christian Aid/Sarah Malian

15 Oct Zion United Church, Bristol

16 Oct Warriner School, Bloxham

17 Oct St Andrew and St Teilo’s, Cardiff

19 Oct Alderley Edge Methodist, Cheshire

20 Oct All Saints Kings Heath, Birmingham

21 Oct St Paul’s, Stoke-on-Trent

22 Oct St John’s, Wolverhampton

23 Oct Lichfield Cathedral

24 Oct Church of the Holy Spirit,

Shrewsbury

2 Nov Hoylake Chapel, Wirral

3 Nov Church Stretton School, Shropshire

4 Nov St Chad’s, Rochdale

5 Nov St Peter’s, Doncaster

6 Nov St Edmunds’, Roundhay, Leeds

7 Nov St Luke’s, Newcastle

9 Nov St Cuthbert’s, Preston

10 Nov St John’s Centre, Old Trafford

11 Nov Lancaster Uni Chaplaincy

12 Nov Halifax (Venue tbc)

13 Nov St Andrew’s Methodist, Wythenshawe

14 Nov St Mark’s, Harrogate

17 Nov Village Hall, Craignish

18 Nov Claremont Parish, East Kilbride

19 Nov Dumfries Academy

20 Nov Colinton Parish Church, Edinburgh

21 Nov Cults Parish Church, Aberdeen

24 Nov St Lawrence’s, Mansfield

25 Nov Northampton (venue tbc)

26 Nov Church of Martyrs, Leicester

27 Nov Oxford (venue tbc)

28 Nov Brighthelm Centre, Brighton

a deliciously entertaining show that serves up the realities of climate change with flair and clarity

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOWBox Office: 01904 613000 ridinglights.org/baked-alaska

RIDING LIGHTS THEATRE COMPANY

TIME TO CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE

towards the 2015 United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Paris and beyond

Page 33: Christian Aid Magazine Autumn/Winter 2015

To help with our work around the world, please fill in your details and the donation section below. Thank you so much. Please send completed forms to us at FREEPOST RTKG-AGRZ-ZRRB, Christian Aid, The Data Solution Centre, Manton Wood Enterprise Park, WORKSOP S80 2RT

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UK registered charity no. 1105851 Company no. 5171525 Scot charity no. SC039150 Christian Aid Ireland: NI charity no. NIC101631 Company no. NI059154 and ROI charity no. 20014162 Company no. 426928. The Christian Aid name and logo are trademarks of Christian Aid. Christian Aid is a key member of ACT Alliance. © Christian Aid August 2015 Image: Christian Aid/M Gonzalez-Noda. Printed exclusively on material from responsibly managed forests. 15-J4717

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Direct Debit Guarantee • The Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit, Christian Aid will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Christian Aid to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request • If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Christian Aid or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society • If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Christian Aid asks you to • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify the organisation. A024533

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