This year's Christmas Bowl seeks to help church partners assist over 1 million people in some of the world’s most war-torn communities and in resolving the conflicts they face.

Mr Alistair Gee, Executive Director of Act for Peace, said, “Christmas is a time for cherishing family, giving thanks and sharing with those less fortunate. The Christmas Bowl is an opportunity to help provide real peace and hope for war-torn communities in places such as Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The Christmas Bowl helps these amazingly resilient and resourceful communities to survive and rebuild their lives.”

The support of Australian churches last year made a real difference. Last year’s Christmas Bowl poster depicted six Sudanese girls with school materials running to a temporary school that had been established in the Deraige Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Darfur. The Christmas Bowl had helped to provide them with supplies and education. Fourteen-year-old student Izdihar's face lit up when she said, "The exercise books are precious and will help me with my studies… This will help our families to save up for other things that we need." Izdihar was driven from her home village four years ago by the ongoing conflict. In June 2009, the church partners supported by the Christmas Bowl finished building the girls’ new, permanent school which now provides education to 1256 students.

The support of Australian churches for this year’s Christmas Bowl can make a real difference. This year’s Christmas Bowl poster features A’isha, a refugee girl who has also been displaced by the conflict in Darfur and now lives in a camp with 28,000 other displaced women and children. A’isha is making a bowl as part of a conflict trauma counseling project supported by the Christmas Bowl, which helps victims overcome the personal loss during war. Please remember A’isha and others in war-torn communities this Christmas by helping to fill the Christmas Bowl.” 

With your support of the Christmas Bowl this year:

$50 can provide a day’s worth of medicine for a mobile health clinic in East Timor
$150 can train a community leader in conflict resolution in Sudan
$370 can provide a Burmese refugee with one year’s worth of nutritious food

To make a tax deductible gift or to order the Christmas Bowl Resources, please free call 1800 025 101 or visit www.acforpeace.org.au

To download the image that aligns with this Media release, please go to http://www.actforpeace.org.au/Ways_To_Give/The_Christmas_Bowl/Resources_Events/Christmas_Bowl_Media.aspx

The Christmas Bowl is a program of Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia. Working through church partners, the Christmas Bowl helps war-torn communities to survive and rebuild in 15 of the most conflict-affected countries, Pacific communities to reduce the risk of disasters and Indigenous communities to reduce poverty in Australia.

For further comment call Alistair Gee, Executive Director of Act for Peace:            0417 672 650