Australian churches help change lives in Zimbabwe through the Christmas Bowl
from Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
“Conservation farming has changed many lives of the people living in our community,” says Shanangurai Pedzisai, a farmer from the Mwenezi district of Zimbabwe. “I am getting enough food to feed my family and help other people. Now I am a better woman, because I can make some money to put my children through school.”
Church-goers who support this year’s Christmas Bowl will be helping to lift Zimbabwean farmers like Shanangurai out of poverty, thanks to improved farming techniques which deliver greater crop yields.
Churches grapple with prisons and the justice system.
From the National Council of Churches in Australia
This week congregations across Australia will grapple with prisons and the justice system as the focus for Social Justice Sunday. The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) Social Justice Network has produced the resource “I was in prison and you visited me” to assist congregations to discuss, reflect and consider actions to advocate for a more just society.
“It is of great concern to see that the number of people in prison is increasing faster than the population growth whilst the crime rate is decreasing,” said the Reverend Tara Curlewis, NCCA General Secretary.
Invest in peace on International Peace Day, say aid agencies
From TEAR Australia and Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
Leading Australian and international experts will discuss issues of peace and conflict resolution in Canberra on September 20, on the eve of the International Day of Peace. The panel discussion, Build Peace, End Poverty: What Can Australia Do?, will highlight the role Australia can play in building global peace and security.
Australian Churches Call for a Humane Bipartisan Approach for Asylum Seekers
From the National Council of Churches in Australia
Australian Churches Call for a Humane Bipartisan Approach for Asylum Seekers
The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) welcomes the High Court ruling that overturns the Government’s Malaysia ‘solution’ and calls for a humane bipartisan approach for asylum seekers and refugees.
“The churches have repeatedly called for a bipartisan approach concerning refugees and asylum seekers which ensures that we fulfil our international obligations to a high standard and enhances Australia’s reputation as a just and humane global citizen” said the Reverend Tara Curlewis, NCCA General Secretary.
Festival will Highlight Contribution of Refugees to Australian Society
from Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
Festival will Highlight Contribution of Refugees to Australian Society
The Festival of Refugees in St Kilda on Sunday August 21 will celebrate the positive and creative contributions made by refugees and asylum seekers to Australian society.
The festival is the largest annual celebration of its kind in Victoria. This year, attendees will include refugees from Sudan, South Sudan, Burma, West Papua, Sri Lanka, Congo, Tibet, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe. The festival will feature cultural performances from members of Melbourne’s refugee population, including guest artist Red Horse, a Native American dancer, and Uyghur and Kurdish dancers.
Ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa exacerbates effects of drought
from Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
Ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa exacerbates effects of drought
Severe food shortages as a result of drought, and ongoing conflict in the Horn of Africa, have left millions of people on the brink of starvation, and help is urgently needed, says Alistair Gee, Executive Director of Act for Peace.
The complete failure of rains in October to December last year, and late erratic rains this year, have led to harvest failure, skyrocketing food prices, a decrease in water availability and livestock losses in many parts of the country.
Prison, The Last Resort
Prison The Last Resort
A Christian Response To Australian Prisons
Prison The Last Resort Part 1 (2.25MB) Prison The Last Resort Part 2 (2.25 MB)
Violence against civilians in Sudan Sparks fears of return to war
from Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
Escalating violence against civilians in Sudan’s disputed South Kordofan state is leading to a major humanitarian catastrophe and threatens to return war to Sudan just weeks before the independence of South Sudan.
Several eye-witness accounts indicate that government troops are carrying out “house-to-house” searches in the towns, pulling out suspected opposition sympathisers and in some cases killing them on the spot.
New Global Figure Highlight Need to Act for Peace
From Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
The latest figures from the 2011 Global Peace Index launched today in Canberra show that overall the world has become less peaceful over the past year. Around 740,000 people die from armed conflict each year.
“These figures highlight the need to seriously invest in armed violence reduction that works,” says Alistair Gee, Executive Director of Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia.
Rev Dr John Garrett
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15 July 1920 - 29 April 2011
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