Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

Spring/Summer 2017

The magazine for supporters

This is what poverty looks like if the world turns its back Your solidarity matters

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‘ In a small corner of the Amazon, my husband’s Christian values live on’ on

My husband David was passionate about Christian Aid’s work to end poverty. He wanted that passion to live on, even after he’d gone.

In all the time I knew him, David was always involved with Christian Aid. Volunteering, campaigning and fundraising were all a huge part of his life. And thanks to the gift he left in his Will, David is still carrying on that work today by helping to fund Christian Aid projects around the world.

Recently, I was privileged to travel with Christian Aid to the Amazon to meet some of the people David’s legacy is supporting. These amazing communities are protecting the rainforest we all need to reduce the effects of climate change. So although David is no longer here in body, I know he’s still part of that forest – and part of this world.

How might your values live on?

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If you would like to learn more about gifts in Wills, please get in touch.

I would like to talk to Alison Linwood about including Christian Aid in my Will. Please contact me on this number:

Phone 020 7523 2173

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Complete the form and return to: Christian Aid, PO Box 100, London SE1 7RT.

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Inset photo: Christian Aid / Elaine Duigenan 3880 CHR Feb 17 CAM 2Ad.indd 1 002_CAM_7_Ad.indd

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Christian Aid Magazine Issue 7: Spring/Summer 2017 Editorial team Editor Roger Fulton Sub-editors Catriona Lorie, Louise Skinner Art editor Juliet Blackledge Design Emma Watling, Kim Kemp, Txabi Jones Pictures Joseph Cabon Production Graham Winter Circulation Ben Hayward Published by Christian Aid 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL 020 7620 4444 info@christian-aid.org christianaid.org.uk 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 February 2017.

The acceptance of external advertising does not indicate endorsement.

Cover story The grave of David, 17, whose family returned to South Sudan to build a better life for themselves and to help rebuild their country.

David developed pneumonia on arrival. Without access to medical treatment and with little funds to feed the family, David died before he could see a doctor.

All photos in this issue copyright Christian Aid, except as stated below: Cover: Christian Aid / Andrew Testa / Panos; page 8: Christian Aid/Nicky Milne; page 12: Christian Aid/Ross Hemingway; page 12/13: Christian Aid/ Sarah Rowe; page 15: Matt Black / Magnum Photos; page 16: Xinhua SIPA USA /PA Images; page 17: Christian Aid / Adebola Fatilewa; page 18: EPA / Dai Kurokawa; page 21: Caribbean Times; page 22: (barista bishop) Christian Aid / Adrian Arbib; (Newton Abbot) Christian Aid / Matt Gonzalez-Noda; page 23: Esme Allen; page 27: Christian Aid / Elaine Duigenan; pages 2930: Paul Jeffrey / ACT Alliance.

Christian Aid is a member of

We have a duty to stand with refugees I’m writing to you after a year in which the world has often seemed exceptionally harsh and even frightening, with less tolerance and compassion being shown to strangers in desperate need.

In the face of this daunting picture, I believe it is more vital than ever that Christian Aid continues to insist on the human dignity of every person and their right to be treated accordingly. We are all created in the image of God. Rather than staying quiet in the face of hostility towards refugees, we have a duty to stand with them, just as we did when Christian Aid was founded amid the ruins of the Second World War. I want Christian Aid to hold fast to its vision of a world in which every person can thrive and not just survive. We (still) believe in life before death.

At the same time, Christian Aid itself is changing. We have asked how we should

Loretta Minghella, Chief Executive

We believe in life before death

Contents 4-7 A Safe Place The message at the heart of what Christian Aid is fighting for.

8-9 Government Aid Works Christian Aid is a trusted guardian of government aid.

10-13 Campaigns From speaking out about the challenges of climate change and tax justice, to making the Big Shift to clean energy.

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evolve in response to global shifts and are starting to reshape ourselves. For instance, we are making greater use of digital technologies and building new relationships between Christian Aid’s operations across countries.

Change can be difficult but I believe it is vital. One of the alterations we face is in the income that pays for our work. Traditionally, we have been free to use donations wherever they are most needed. However, donors increasingly direct their generosity towards particular projects. One result is that we have less income to cover other work – and so we are changing accordingly.

I hope you will find what you read on the following pages both illuminating and inspiring. And I want to thank you with all my heart for your support for Christian Aid’s work over the past year – and, indeed, over the past 70 years.

Thank you for being a light in the darkness.

Emergencies overlooked while the world’s media are looking elsewhere...

20-24 Sixty Years of Christian Aid Week How a fundraising institution began and was taken to UK hearts.

25 Ready for your Close Up? Join our supporter survey panel.

26-28 Events 29-30 The Last Word Rowan Williams on universal love.

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ome. It’s where we raise families and H welcome friends – a secure place from which to go out into the world. For people living in poverty, loss of ‘home’ is devastating to hopes of living a fulfilled and productive life.

Today, more than 65 million people have been uprooted from their homes and are in search of refuge. Just as Christian Aid was there for displaced people in the 1940s, we’re there now: a voice and support for those who lack safety, stability and access to their basic needs.

There for refugees We know that the stories we hear help form our opinions and set the agenda. That’s why we launched ‘Change the Story’, in response to your challenge to confront the narrative of fear and ‘otherness’ that abounded in the aftermath of Brexit. At the Greenbelt festival, we launched a letter-writing campaign asking local newspapers to tell a different, positive story of refugees in their communities. We’ve helped initiate thousands of conversations between friends, families and colleagues to change the story.

There for people in disasters and emergencies But our call to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home isn’t only focused on the refugee crisis. For 70 years Christian Aid has reacted swiftly to humanitarian crises across the globe. We’ve been there in the aftermath of conflict, earthquakes, floods and cyclones:

assessing the needs of the homeless and the damage to homes, providing the foundations of safety through essential food, access to clean water, hygiene items and emergency shelter.

We’re also fighting for communities caught in the upheavals of health pandemics and the devastating effects of climate change.

There for communities affected by climate change Extreme weather threatens the safety of our planet and the security of homes across the world – from floods in Pakistan to the drought in East Africa. We’re helping families to protect their food supply by adapting their methods of farming; to raise their homes above floodwaters; and to find new, reliable ways to bring in income.

There championing gender equality Christian Aid believes in life before death. And for that life to be secure and for poverty to be over, we know that gender equality must be achieved. That’s why we work with churches and communities globally to condemn violence against women, advocate for better legislation and support survivors fleeing domestic violence.

There through Christian Aid Week Our focus this year is on the displaced. Follow the prayers in the devotional by taking a red ribbon and tying a knot in it for each person who comes to mind. Each knot will be a symbol that we are bound together as sisters and brothers in Christ.

Afghan refugee Nejebar and her family are at the heart of this year’s Christian Aid Week appeal

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Everyone needs a safe place to call home At Christian Aid, we strive to ensure that all people in the world can live in security, stability and with dignity, in their homes, in safe communities and on a cherished planet.

In this special issue of Christian Aid Magazine we look at how that influences our responses to disasters, conflict, climate change and a world in which our Christian values of tolerance and compassion are once again being tested.

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Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

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Feature: A Safe Place

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

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ome. It’s where we raise families and H welcome friends – a secure place from which to go out into the world. For people living in poverty, loss of ‘home’ is devastating to hopes of living a fulfilled and productive life.

Today, more than 65 million people have been uprooted from their homes and are in search of refuge. Just as Christian Aid was there for displaced people in the 1940s, we’re there now: a voice and support for those who lack safety, stability and access to their basic needs.

There for refugees We know that the stories we hear help form our opinions and set the agenda. That’s why we launched ‘Change the Story’, in response to your challenge to confront the narrative of fear and ‘otherness’ that abounded in the aftermath of Brexit. At the Greenbelt festival, we launched a letter-writing campaign asking local newspapers to tell a different, positive story of refugees in their communities. We’ve helped initiate thousands of conversations between friends, families and colleagues to change the story.

There for people in disasters and emergencies But our call to ensure that everyone has a safe place to call home isn’t only focused on the refugee crisis. For 70 years Christian Aid has reacted swiftly to humanitarian crises across the globe. We’ve been there in the aftermath of conflict, earthquakes, floods and cyclones:

assessing the needs of the homeless and the damage to homes, providing the foundations of safety through essential food, access to clean water, hygiene items and emergency shelter.

We’re also fighting for communities caught in the upheavals of health pandemics and the devastating effects of climate change.

There for communities affected by climate change Extreme weather threatens the safety of our planet and the security of homes across the world – from floods in Pakistan to the drought in East Africa. We’re helping families to protect their food supply by adapting their methods of farming; to raise their homes above floodwaters; and to find new, reliable ways to bring in income.

There championing gender equality Christian Aid believes in life before death. And for that life to be secure and for poverty to be over, we know that gender equality must be achieved. That’s why we work with churches and communities globally to condemn violence against women, advocate for better legislation and support survivors fleeing domestic violence.

There through Christian Aid Week Our focus this year is on the displaced. Follow the prayers in the devotional by taking a red ribbon and tying a knot in it for each person who comes to mind. Each knot will be a symbol that we are bound together as sisters and brothers in Christ.

Afghan refugee Nejebar and her family are at the heart of this year’s Christian Aid Week appeal

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A Safe Place

‘It was Christian Aid who fed us, and I will never forget it’ Former refugee Theodor Davidovic is a living testament to the difference that having a safe place to call home can make

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rphaned at the age of eight, Theodor Davidovic fought in the Serbian resistance against Germany as a teenager. In the chaos across Europe after the end of the Second World War, he lived in refugee camps in Germany and Italy, for two years.

The similarities with today’s huge movement of people across the globe are hard to ignore. Theodor himself says: ‘The camps were like the refugee camps you see nowadays, filled with tents. We were allocated one blanket each and had to gather straw or grass to make a mattress.’

Seventy years on, Theodor has built a life in Scotland but is still deeply moved by the support he received as a refugee. He says he owes his life to the help of organisations, including Christian Aid, which gave him something he could rely on: warmth and food, the chance to feel safe, hope for his future.

‘It was Christian Aid who fed us, and I will never forget it. That is why I volunteer for Christian Aid. Those who contributed to the Christian Aid funds helped me to survive. I feel I owe my life to the cause.

‘I get emotional about it still, it was an unpleasant time. That’s why – being saved by Christian Aid with the food they gave me – that’s why I’ve taken it upon my shoulders to pay back to the people who have

been good to me during my plight as a refugee.’

Theodor’s dedication and faithful witness is an inspiration to us all.

Today, Christian Aid is working in Serbia and Greece, as well as in the Middle East, with people facing situations just as devastating as the one Theodor faced all those years ago. We are working with incredible partners to offer those same small comforts and seeds of hope which made all the difference to him.

Resilience and bravery In August 2016, our team met with a number of extraordinary people in camps in Greece, showing such resilience and bravery in uncertain times. One particular family’s story stayed with us, full of compassion and generosity in the midst of so much uncertainty and hardship.

Nejebar and her family faced an unimaginable choice between staying in Afghanistan or undertaking the treacherous journey to Greece.

Nejebar’s husband, Noor, was working as a teacher when the Taliban announced they would kill anyone, like him, who worked for the government. When they carried out that threat on another family member, taking out his eyes before killing him, Nejabar’s family fled for their lives.

Now in Greece, all they have is a tent. There’s no school for their children, and no certainty or clear idea of what will happen to them.

They thought they would stay there for 10 days, but it’s already been six months and there’s no end in sight.

Throughout, Nejebar has been the rock at the centre of her family, holding them together. But she hasn’t

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stopped there. Despite her meagre circumstances, she has welcomed two young brothers, Faraidoon and Farzad, into her home. They don’t know where their parents are or if they’re even alive. Nejebar is giving them refuge as they wait for news.

Nejebar says: ‘We hope that we will get out of here and we have hope for our children’s future. Our wish is to get out from this situation. We only want a peaceful life.’

How you can help While the vast majority of today’s refugees seek sanctuary in poor countries, last year more than a million crossed into Europe. And after enduring years of conflict, people continue to flee Syria, Iraq and other places of conflict and make the exhausting and dangerous journey to Europe in search of refuge.

With borders across Europe now closed, thousands of refugees are stranded. They find themselves unable to travel onwards and, understandably, determined not to go back to countries ravaged by conflict.

For Christian Aid Week 2017 we’ll be focusing on the plight of refugees now stranded in Greece. We hope you’ll be able to show your support.

If you’d like to make a donation to our important work, please visit caid.org.uk/donate or call us on 020 7523 2046.

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The biggest Christian Aid programmes you’ve never heard of From India to Malawi, Ghana to Bangladesh, Bolivia to Sierra Leone, Christian Aid is trusted as a skilled and reliable guardian of UK Government aid and other large donor funds

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ver the past few months, parts of the media have been extremely critical of the aid the UK spends to help people living in poverty overseas. They have painted an exclusively negative picture and suggested that the UK should abandon the law that commits it to spending 0.7% of its national income on aid.

At Christian Aid, we accept that the way the UK provides aid can be improved and we support reforms accordingly, but we also know that it reaches real people struggling with poverty, violence, climate change and injustice. We see the difference it makes – and we

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get frustrated with its one-sided portrayal in some newspapers.

For many large programmes of work, we are stewards of money you, as taxpayers, have contributed to the UK’s aid budget. We never take that for granted. We are proud of our track record and hope to forge more such partnerships in future. Here are some of our notable successes:

Programme: Poorest Areas Civil Society (PACS) Country: India PACS is probably the biggest Christian Aid programme you’ve never heard of.

Since 2009, PACS has

touched the lives of more than 9.6 million people, helping more than 23,000 of India’s most marginalised communities claim their rights to education, essential health services, land and secure livelihoods.

Desperate poverty in India is often caused by discrimination based on identity, so PACS has specifically worked with socially excluded communities. Take the Musahars, who are at the very bottom of India’s Dalit or ‘untouchable’ caste. In Ayar, a village in Bihar, eastern India, Musahar babies were denied life-saving injections because health visitors refused to come near them. But supported by

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UK Aid Elias Karonga (left) and friends study by solar light in Michenga, southern Malawi. Low carbon technology is an important strand of our ECRP work.

local organisations backed

by PACS, the community learned about their healthcare rights and campaigned until a vaccination team came to immunise their children.

There are thousands of such accounts of empowerment. But the wider story is how Christian Aid has managed this £27m programme for seven years on behalf of the UK Government’s Department of International Development (DFID). PACS was the first large contract of this type won by Christian Aid and its success opened the door for us to work on other programmes around the globe.

‘PACS has helped Christian Aid to meet our objectives in India and work at a scale that would not have been possible with our UK fundraising alone,’ says Anand Kumar Bolimera, PACS Director.

Programme: Enhancing Community Resilience Programme (ECRP) Country: Malawi Christian Aid Malawi has a growing portfolio of programmes funded by the UK, US and Irish Governments and the Global Fund. One of our flagship projects is the £15m ECRP, funded by UK aid, Irish Aid and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In parts of Malawi hardest hit by climate change, ECRP is supporting 400,000 vulnerable people to move beyond survival and subsistence and enjoy thriving, dignified lives. This means enough food, a steady income, safe conditions, and the confidence to embrace new opportunities.

‘Institutional funding has enabled Christian Aid to achieve really big change in Malawi, helping us contribute to progress in clean energy, health and resilience,’ says our country manager Pansi Katenga.

Programme: Strengthening Transparency, Accountability and Responsiveness (STAR) Country: Ghana In Ghana, STAR supports citizens to demand greater accountability from the state. Christian Aid leads the partnership managing the £22m programme, funded by UK aid, the European Union and the Danish International Development Agency.

Programme: Strengthening Accountability, Building Institutions (SABI) Country: Sierra Leone This UK aid-funded programme is being rolled out across Sierra Leone by a group of agencies, including BBC Media Action and Restless Development, and led by Christian Aid. We

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were awarded SABI following our successful delivery of DFID’s flagship governance and accountability programme, Enhancing the Interaction between Citizens and the State in Sierra Leone (ENCISS), which demonstrated its value through the Ebola crisis.

Programme: Voice to the People (V2P) Country: Nigeria This successful Christian Aidled pilot project in Anambra state, Nigeria, received A++ ratings from DFID and as a result has been scaled up to other parts of the country.

Christian Aid currently has £130m worth of projects funded through such contracts and grants. In 2015-16, £44m (or 41% of our income) came from institutional donors. We have strong systems to manage these funds, so money is used efficiently, with clear oversight and transparency.

Between 2011 and 2016, Christian Aid also received £36.2m funding under DFID’s Programme Partnership Arrangement (PPA). This allowed us to develop new approaches to measure the impact of our work and build stronger operational systems.

We’ve also developed a new gender strategy, putting women and girls at the heart of our work, so no one is left behind.

DFID scored our PPA programme an A+, evidence of the good work achieved over the funding period.

Find out more about our donor-funded work at christianaid.org.uk/ programme-policy-practice

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You spoke up and you took action!

From Paris 2015 to Marrakesh 2016, your campaigning has kept up the pressure on politicians and highlighted practical ways we can all help bring about a world in which all God’s people can flourish

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or many years now, people of faith have been speaking out against the degradation of God’s Earth and for the rights of our neighbours affected by a changing climate.

Thousands of you signed the 1.8 million-strong global petition delivered to the UN climate talks by a group of committed pilgrims. And, spurred on by the historic Paris Agreement, Christians here in the UK have been taking up the challenge to lower their own carbon footprints by installing solar panels on church roofs, starting up community gardening projects, developing a culture of reduce, reuse,

recycle and even launching local initiatives to act on climate change.

The Eco-church Award scheme, launched just over a year ago, has been a wonderful catalyst for such change.

The scheme offers a free survey for your church to understand its own climate impact and suggests what you can do to express your commitment to environmental issues in your worship and teaching; in how you look after your buildings and land; in how you engage with your local community and in global campaigns, and in the personal lifestyles of your congregation.

Find out more at ecochurch.arocha.org.uk Church leaders are also considering the sources of their energy supply. Since Paris, more than 3,500 churches across Britain have moved their electricity supply to renewables, or have registered to do so.

There are now lots of clean energy initiatives, including our own Big Church Switch.

Find out more at bigchurchswitch.org.uk And churches are leading the way in taking the call to our politicians too. Last October, thousands of us came to together to Speak Up for our

10 years of campaigning for climate justice – the difference you have made 2006 – Few people in the UK understand the clear and present danger of climate change.

2008 – Christian Aid campaigners help pressure the government to pass the Climate Change Act including ambitious, legally binding targets to reduce carbon emissions.

2007 – Supporters and partners walk 1,000 miles in 80 days to raise awareness about climate change and to demand the UK ‘Cut the Carbon’.

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2015 – Pressure from campaigners helps secure the UK’s commitment to phase out coal in its power stations by 2025. Supporters and partners join the thousands around the world in marches ahead of the UN talks in Paris, where a global agreement on climate change is finally reached.

2009 – Our supporters and partners build a global movement demanding Climate Justice for the world’s poor. Thanks to supporters, we deliver 60,000 pledges for the Countdown to Copenhagen campaign.

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Campaigns love for God’s Earth. Over the course of one amazing week of action on climate change, churches and groups across the UK invited their local politicians along to hundreds of events, ranging from visits to solar farms to kite-flying days to climate-focused church services, all showing the breadth and depth of support for climate action.

Your voices were heard and we expect a response early this year.

This incredible campaigning was set against the backdrop of a political year filled with uncertainty and surprises.

Christian Aid believes the UK’s decision to leave the European Union must not mean turning our backs on the world.

The UK has long been a leader of global progress towards a world free from poverty and in tackling climate change. There is no reason that should change now and we will continue to campaign, speak out and challenge those in power to help us bring about the kind of world in which all people can thrive.

At a Speak Up rally in October

One year on from Paris Now there is work to be done to hold governments to their word and ensure a safe and thriving future for everyone, based on clean, renewable energy. See christianaid.org.uk/campaigns

2016 – As countries begin to ratify the Paris Agreement, it finally comes into force in November, with the required number of signatories. The UK ratified the agreement on 18 November.

At the UN climate talks in 2015, history was made with the Paris Agreement. One year on, the latest round of talks, in Marrakesh, focused on how to turn that political agreement into reality. The world’s governments issued the Marrakesh Action Proclamation, reaffirming continued strong global support for the Paris Agreement.

Christian Aid’s Mohamed Adow said: ‘This demonstrates what a global consensus there now is around climate change and underlines the determination of world leaders that they will not let the election of Donald Trump hijack the important work being done to secure the safe future of our planet.’

In practice, now that the Paris Agreement has come into force, no country can easily withdraw for at least three years. But, of course, there are still concerns among climate campaigners about the commitment of some countries and leaders, which is why we must continue to speak up and show the benefits of taking practical action.

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Sign up to Gardens do Good Would you like to combine your love of gardening with helping people around the world to build independent lives? For just £10 a month you can join Gardens Do Good, a celebration of green spaces around the world.

Martha Balderama is a 72-year-old farmer from the Philippines. She’s seen the destructive power of tropical storms all her life. Now, thanks to Christian Aid and our local partner Rice Watch Action Network, Martha gets support and advice that’s helping her protect her crops.

With Gardens do Good, we’ll send you seeds and seasonal updates, including gardening tips. We’ll introduce you to the people you’re helping to provide for their families, and we’ll show you which crops are growing well.

Through this initiative we can give people the chance to prepare for a changing climate. And with every monthly gift, you’ll see the impact of your support and know you’re helping to save lives. Find out more at caid.org.uk/gardens or call 020 7523 2046.

We’re making progress on tax Since 2007, we’ve made huge strides in our tax campaigning.

From being a niche financial matter, it’s become a major issue. In June 2016, campaigners contacted MPs about amendments to the Finance Bill that would require companies to report publicly on profits and taxes in every country where they operate. This would help developing countries collect the tax owed to them and provide citizens with the kinds of services – such as healthcare, education, and water and sanitation – that we take for granted.

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Although those amendments were voted down, your powerful voices gave a mandate to supportive MPs to pursue the issue further and gave our campaigns team the strong, confident backing we needed to keep lobbying.

Consequently, a new amendment was introduced in October 2016, giving the UK Government the power to introduce legislation for public country-by-country reporting later. This simply wouldn’t have been possible without your involvement, so thank you.

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artin Luther King once said ‘Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.’ Trying to tackle climate change and bring about a safer, cleaner, better world often feels this way.

But a Big Shift has started and is gathering pace.

And money is key. Anyone managing money makes choices. Whether it’s our government, big businesses or simply the money we put in our bank accounts, our money is used to support companies and projects in lots of ways. It could be powering the rise of clean energy, which can help bring lasting light to communities around the world, but instead it’s financing projects that support the extraction of fossil fuels, which fuel climate change.

But as the cost of renewable energies fall, making them more viable, many institutions and wealthy investors are moving

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Campaigns

s to e the Big Shift Campaigning is an ongoing struggle, but with your continued help we can persuade banks to move money out of fossil fuels and into clean energy their money out of fossil fuels, including some whose fortunes were founded on those very fuels, such as the Rockefeller Brothers who spawned oil giants Exxon and Chevron.

The World Council of Churches too, representing half a billion Christians, has agreed to divest from fossil fuels. And following your campaigning ahead of the Paris climate talks, the UK Government announced the phase-out of coal by 2025.

Christian Aid and our partners have been calling for countries to commit to the Big Shift at the recent UN climate talks in Marrakesh and are challenging the World Bank to stop financing coal-fired power stations.

Working with partners across three continents we’re also

developing regional campaigns to move money out of fossil fuels and into clean energy.

What can you do?

You and your bank could be part of the solution. Trillions of pounds of our money are managed by banks in the UK. It’s money that belongs to us, so it’s up to us to be interested in how they use it.

We know it’s not as easy as simply changing all their investments overnight. But what’s worrying is the lack of any clear plan or commitment from the banks as to how to change the balance and scale up investments in renewables.

Since the campaign launched, more than 2,000 campaigners wrote to the

biggest banks in the UK calling for just such a plan. Now churches are organising to take the campaign to their banks at the local level.

If you’re interested in joining in, contact our campaigns team at campaigns@christian-aid.org or find out more at caid.org.uk/ bigshift As well as getting involved in the Big Shift, you could also get your church involved with the Big Church Switch (see previous page), or organise an event with your local politician as part of the Speak Up week below.

SAVE THE DATE Speak Up 2017

A week of climate action 1-9 July.

Why this all matters Jacqueline is a sunflower-seed farmer in Burundi, where a Christian Aid project is supporting her with better farming techniques. Jacqueline’s increased income, because of the project, means she’s recently built her first home.

One of the most significant features of her new house is the solar-powered strip light in the living room.

Burundi is one of the world’s poorest countries. Only about 6% of people have access to electricity. Jacqueline’s family is one of the few who do, and now her daughters can study in the evenings, giving them a chance to do better at school.

With solar power, Jacqueline is choosing to invest in her children’s future in a way that will not destroy our common home.

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Crises the world forgot

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or most of us, the mainstream media is our main window onto the world. But much of the time that window restricts our view of a world that is far bigger than a news bulletin or a front page.

For many reasons the focus of the mainstream media is constrained – and while 2016’s ‘big stories’, such as Brexit and the US election, have soaked up media time, there are many emergencies happening now that get far less of our attention than others, regardless of the scale of people’s suffering.

For organisations wanting to help, this is frustrating.

One part of our discomfort is that without media coverage, it’s much harder to raise the money needed to reach people.

Social media has helped to widen the window for many of us – but there remains a major challenge. People’s hunger, fear and need remain, even after the TV cameras have gone away.

Another part of our frustration is that we want to tell the positive stories about how Christian Aid partners are making a daily difference to people’s lives.

In these pages, we highlight some of the work being done to support communities enduring harsh, sometimes horrifying adversity – an under-reported world that just isn’t getting the wider media coverage that makes the rest of us sit up, take notice and react.

The good news is that no matter how desperate and hopeless an emergency may seem, we can make a difference.

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Afghanistan

Forced out: the plight of the returnees

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round 600,000 Afghan refugees have been forced to return to a country wracked by violence.

Change in Pakistan’s refugee policy, and strict enforcement of it, has led to the persecution of huge numbers of undocumented Afghans.

Having sheltered in Pakistan since the Soviet invasion, people are now forced to leave.

Who’s affected Families are arriving to increasing instability and bitter winter temperatures. Many had built their businesses and homes in Pakistan. For some, it’s the only home they know. Thousands are stuck in Kunar, eastern Afghanistan, an insecure and inaccessible region far from family and friends. After enduring a

challenging journey across mountains, they simply don’t have the money to go any further.

Scale of need Returnees face few job opportunities, health facilities or schools for their children. They are desperate for food, water and shelter. We’re providing essentials to help families face the bitter cold; including blankets, solar lanterns, cookers and clothes.

We say: ‘We are ensuring that we reach the most vulnerable, like female-headed households, but urgently need more support as we expect the need only to increase in coming months.’

Abdullah Azimi, Programme Officer, Christian Aid Afghanistan

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2016

30/01/2017 14:03

Under-reported World world Under-Reported

‘We heard horror stories about how villages were attacked by Boko Haram, with dozens killed or injured’

Nigeria

‘Families are clinging to life in desperate situations’

S

ince 2009, violent attacks by terrorist group Boko Haram have caused widespread devastation in north eastern Nigeria. By the end of 2016, more than one million people had fled their homes in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe states. The scale of the crisis is exceeded only by those in Syria, South Sudan and Yemen, yet media recognition has been slow, hindering organisations’ ability to respond.

Who’s affected Around 2 million have fled to escape violence.

People are desperate for food, water, shelter and healthcare. Women and children are worst affected and malnutrition is at an alarming level.

Scale of need We are one of the few organisations to support displaced people and also the families offering them shelter – 78% of those who have fled their homes reside with host families where resources are already limited. We have supplied food for Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

014-019_CAM_7_Unreported Emerg.1.indd 11

70,000 people; water storage, cups, disinfectant and soap to 50,000 people. Water and sanitation support and hygiene kits have reached 50,000 people. Livelihood support has been provided to 2,000 households for restarting their businesses.

We say: ‘Families are clinging to life in utterly desperate situations. Some of the displaced people I met had homes no more than 30 miles from where they are living in dreadful conditions. They are hungry and just want to go home to plant crops and restart their lives – but are too frightened to do so. We heard horror stories about how villages were attacked by Boko Haram, with dozens of people killed and injured. Most of the houses were burnt down and families are forced to share shelter. We asked people what they needed most and everyone told us: food.’

Nick Guttman, Head of Humanitarian Work at Christian Aid, who visited Borno State in October.

• If you can donate, go to caid.org.uk/nigeriacrisis

17 30/01/2017 14:03

Kenya

‘If camels cannot survive, what can?’

Many parts of Kenya are facing drought, due to consecutive failing of the rainy seasons. Currently, 17 out of 47 counties are under huge stress.

Who’s affected An estimated 1.3 million people urgently need cash or food aid, as well as repairs to water points, livestock feed and disease surveillance.

Scale of need With scant rains predicted to continue, more areas will be plunged into crisis.

We say: ‘It is very sad when you walk around and all you step on are animal carcasses. At one homestead the farmer had lost more than 70 animals, including two camels. A camel is a very unique drought resilient animal, fit for a climate-uncertain environment. If camels cannot survive, then what can?’

Dub Guyo, of the Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA).

South Sudan

‘Another generation cannot be lost to war.’

T

he prospects for South Sudan look increasingly desperate as it enters its fourth year of civil war. Yet international attention has drifted, and South Sudan risks falling off the agenda when it needs us more than ever. The August 2015 peace deal has so far failed to bring peace across the country.

Who’s affected The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has deteriorated significantly. More than 3 million people have been displaced out of a population of about 11.6 million. About a third of the population are severely food insecure (1 million more than in 2015), and this is likely to worsen in 2017. The looting and destruction of villages means people are fleeing from their homes in search of safety.

They’re leaving with nothing and returning to find little or nothing left – no home, no possessions, and no means to earn a living to support their families.

Scale of need Cholera, measles and malaria are rife. The price of food has sky-rocketed due to hyperinflation and people are struggling to feed their families.

We say: ‘South Sudan is on the brink, and at times in 2016 it has felt like all hope might be lost. But when you speak to our partners, who are providing urgent humanitarian assistance against all odds, their defiant hope reminds you that we must never give up.

‘I am thankful for the hope the churches have brought, in setting out an alternative, positive vision to chaos and destruction. The case is stronger than ever for us to continue our support.

Another generation cannot be lost to war.’

Natalia Chan, Senior Advocacy and Policy Officer for East Africa • Please donate to our South Sudan Crisis Appeal so we can continue with this vital work.

Go to christianaid.org.uk/southsudan Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

014-019_CAM_7_Unreported Emerg.1.indd 12

30/01/2017 14:03

14

Feature: Under-Reported World

Crises the world forgot

Emergencies – whether caused by conflict or disaster – will invariably arouse a compassionate response. But if starved of media coverage, it can be hard to turn that compassion into aid. And without aid, suffering will continue. On these pages we highlight some stories from this under-reported world continued on page 16>

9

Crises the world forgot

F

or most of us, the mainstream media is our main window onto the world. But much of the time that window restricts our view of a world that is far bigger than a news bulletin or a front page.

For many reasons the focus of the mainstream media is constrained – and while 2016’s ‘big stories’, such as Brexit and the US election, have soaked up media time, there are many emergencies happening now that get far less of our attention than others, regardless of the scale of people’s suffering.

For organisations wanting to help, this is frustrating.

One part of our discomfort is that without media coverage, it’s much harder to raise the money needed to reach people.

Social media has helped to widen the window for many of us – but there remains a major challenge. People’s hunger, fear and need remain, even after the TV cameras have gone away.

Another part of our frustration is that we want to tell the positive stories about how Christian Aid partners are making a daily difference to people’s lives.

In these pages, we highlight some of the work being done to support communities enduring harsh, sometimes horrifying adversity – an under-reported world that just isn’t getting the wider media coverage that makes the rest of us sit up, take notice and react.

The good news is that no matter how desperate and hopeless an emergency may seem, we can make a difference.

16

Afghanistan

Forced out: the plight of the returnees

A

round 600,000 Afghan refugees have been forced to return to a country wracked by violence.

Change in Pakistan’s refugee policy, and strict enforcement of it, has led to the persecution of huge numbers of undocumented Afghans.

Having sheltered in Pakistan since the Soviet invasion, people are now forced to leave.

Who’s affected Families are arriving to increasing instability and bitter winter temperatures. Many had built their businesses and homes in Pakistan. For some, it’s the only home they know. Thousands are stuck in Kunar, eastern Afghanistan, an insecure and inaccessible region far from family and friends. After enduring a

challenging journey across mountains, they simply don’t have the money to go any further.

Scale of need Returnees face few job opportunities, health facilities or schools for their children. They are desperate for food, water and shelter. We’re providing essentials to help families face the bitter cold; including blankets, solar lanterns, cookers and clothes.

We say: ‘We are ensuring that we reach the most vulnerable, like female-headed households, but urgently need more support as we expect the need only to increase in coming months.’

Abdullah Azimi, Programme Officer, Christian Aid Afghanistan

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2016

Under-reported World world Under-Reported

‘We heard horror stories about how villages were attacked by Boko Haram, with dozens killed or injured’

Nigeria

‘Families are clinging to life in desperate situations’

S

ince 2009, violent attacks by terrorist group Boko Haram have caused widespread devastation in north eastern Nigeria. By the end of 2016, more than one million people had fled their homes in Adamawa, Borno, Gombe and Yobe states. The scale of the crisis is exceeded only by those in Syria, South Sudan and Yemen, yet media recognition has been slow, hindering organisations’ ability to respond.

Who’s affected Around 2 million have fled to escape violence.

People are desperate for food, water, shelter and healthcare. Women and children are worst affected and malnutrition is at an alarming level.

Scale of need We are one of the few organisations to support displaced people and also the families offering them shelter – 78% of those who have fled their homes reside with host families where resources are already limited. We have supplied food for Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

70,000 people; water storage, cups, disinfectant and soap to 50,000 people. Water and sanitation support and hygiene kits have reached 50,000 people. Livelihood support has been provided to 2,000 households for restarting their businesses.

We say: ‘Families are clinging to life in utterly desperate situations. Some of the displaced people I met had homes no more than 30 miles from where they are living in dreadful conditions. They are hungry and just want to go home to plant crops and restart their lives – but are too frightened to do so. We heard horror stories about how villages were attacked by Boko Haram, with dozens of people killed and injured. Most of the houses were burnt down and families are forced to share shelter. We asked people what they needed most and everyone told us: food.’

Nick Guttman, Head of Humanitarian Work at Christian Aid, who visited Borno State in October.

• If you can donate, go to caid.org.uk/nigeriacrisis

17

Kenya

‘If camels cannot survive, what can?’

Many parts of Kenya are facing drought, due to consecutive failing of the rainy seasons. Currently, 17 out of 47 counties are under huge stress.

Who’s affected An estimated 1.3 million people urgently need cash or food aid, as well as repairs to water points, livestock feed and disease surveillance.

Scale of need With scant rains predicted to continue, more areas will be plunged into crisis.

We say: ‘It is very sad when you walk around and all you step on are animal carcasses. At one homestead the farmer had lost more than 70 animals, including two camels. A camel is a very unique drought resilient animal, fit for a climate-uncertain environment. If camels cannot survive, then what can?’

Dub Guyo, of the Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance (PACIDA).

South Sudan

‘Another generation cannot be lost to war.’

T

he prospects for South Sudan look increasingly desperate as it enters its fourth year of civil war. Yet international attention has drifted, and South Sudan risks falling off the agenda when it needs us more than ever. The August 2015 peace deal has so far failed to bring peace across the country.

Who’s affected The humanitarian situation in South Sudan has deteriorated significantly. More than 3 million people have been displaced out of a population of about 11.6 million. About a third of the population are severely food insecure (1 million more than in 2015), and this is likely to worsen in 2017. The looting and destruction of villages means people are fleeing from their homes in search of safety.

They’re leaving with nothing and returning to find little or nothing left – no home, no possessions, and no means to earn a living to support their families.

Scale of need Cholera, measles and malaria are rife. The price of food has sky-rocketed due to hyperinflation and people are struggling to feed their families.

We say: ‘South Sudan is on the brink, and at times in 2016 it has felt like all hope might be lost. But when you speak to our partners, who are providing urgent humanitarian assistance against all odds, their defiant hope reminds you that we must never give up.

‘I am thankful for the hope the churches have brought, in setting out an alternative, positive vision to chaos and destruction. The case is stronger than ever for us to continue our support.

Another generation cannot be lost to war.’

Natalia Chan, Senior Advocacy and Policy Officer for East Africa • Please donate to our South Sudan Crisis Appeal so we can continue with this vital work.

Go to christianaid.org.uk/southsudan Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

Under-Reported World

You do make a difference Whether due to conflict or to disasters, emergency response is a big part of our work at Christian Aid. We’re there before, during and after an emergency to save lives and support people long term.

Thanks to your incredible – and ongoing – generosity, our partners have been responding successfully to many emergencies around the globe over the past year.

Conflict Iraq Crisis launched June 2014 Raised more than £1.4m Reached more than 250,000 with food, clothes, hygiene kits, health services and cash aid.

Refugee Crisis launched September 2015 Raised more than £2.1m Christian Aid works in Greece and Serbia through its partners to provide cash assistance, shelter, and legal protection services to refugee communities.

In the UK and Europe, we advocate for long-term practical solutions to the humanitarian situation across Europe, including the resettlement and relocation of refugees, as well as greater investment in addressing the root causes of displacement worldwide.

South Sudan Crisis launched in 2014 Raised more than £78,000 Our partners are providing emergency supplies such as access to food and clean water, as well as hygiene kits and shelter in remote areas worst hit by violence, insecurity and forced displacement.

Syria Crisis launched February 2013 Raised more than £3.5m Christian Aid is working through trusted local organisations in Syria, and in Lebanon and Iraq, to provide vital assistance to thousands of the most vulnerable families affected by the crisis, including refugees with disabilities, women and children.

DEC Yemen Appeal launched December 2016 Raised more than £17m Christian Aid is part of the Disasters Emergency Committee, which brings leading UK agencies together to respond to crises. DEC members are reaching millions of people across the country with life-saving aid, such as food, medical care and clean water.

Disasters Malawi Appeal launched July 2016, in Scotland £267,000 raised through Christian Aid Scotland appeal Drought, erratic rainfall and devastating floods have led to failed harvests and soaring food prices.

Our partners provide cash transfers to help families pay for water, meals and other essentials.

Ethiopia Drought Appeal launched April 2016 Raised: £50,000 Provided one meal a day for 4,000 children and access to safe drinking water for 700 children.

Haiti Hurricane Matthew Appeal launched October 2016 Raised: £877,000 Partners helped families evacuate to shelters in the days before the hurricane hit. We provided food, hygiene kits and shelter kits to 1,500 families. Houses built by partners in southern Haiti, after the 2010 earthquake, were used to shelter families who lost their homes.

Nepal Earthquake Appeal launched April 2015 Raised: 4.2m Christian Aid partners provided shelter, water, food and sanitation to more than 400,000 people, and continue to work there.

To donate or to find out more about any of the appeals highlighted here, go to christianaid.org.uk/emergencies

Will you be part of The Response?

It became clear to Christian Aid that during emergencies, there needed to be a way for supporters like you to put your hand up and say you want to know more. So we have come up with The Response.

As a member of The Response, we’ll get in touch with you when an emergency hits. We’ll ask if you’re able to make a donation towards the disaster. You won’t be expected to donate every time, but we’ll give you

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

as much information as we can to help you understand the situation.

To join The Response and help support those affected by emergencies, please text RESPONSE to 85080, or call us on 020 7523 2046.

19

60 years of Christian Aid Week CHRISTIAN AID WEEK

‘All over the country the churches have joined together to make a combined onslaught on the conscience and compassion of the population.’

J

ust as Christian Aid itself had its origins They agreed that the primary dilemma was the 70 years ago in the need to alleviate the name of the organisation – the Inter-Church Aid refugee crisis in Europe after the Second and Refugee Service department of the British World War, so Christian Council of Churches. ‘It’s not Aid Week was born 60 snappy,’ they argued, ‘and A matter of life and death... above and years ago out of the same it is an obstacle to raising below: the two sides of the first-ever compelling need to help funds.’ Rickards’ solution was Christian Aid Week collection envelope, the world’s displaced. to make two key proposals. which was introduced in 1958.

The above quote, at the First, he thought that this end of a memo in January department of the British 1957 to the Inter-Church Council of Churches should Aid and Refugee Service be known for its Christian aid department of the British campaign.

Council of Churches, Second, he thought that heralded the arrival of the the campaign should have a first Christian Aid Week. week of awareness-raising The plan, it announced, and fundraising and that was to hold an annual this week should be called fundraising drive to inform Samaritan Week. ‘The people the public of the charity’s in the in-crowd (ie people in ‘worldwide projects for the churches) will see what re-settling refugees and all this is about because providing relief for those of the parable of the Good who suffer from political Samaritan. Those in the outintolerance or natural crowd will hopefully be more disasters.’ interested than alienated by We have the thenwhat it is all about.’ director of Inter-Church Rickards’ preliminary Aid, Janet Lacey, to thank report in September 1956, both for Christian Aid into the feasibility of an Week and, indeed, our appeal week, identified organisation’s current the two groups such an name (we officially appeal would engage became Christian Aid in 1964). In the mid-1950s with – committed Christians and the ‘vaguely she recruited two consultants, Hugh Samson humanitarian’ members of the general public and Maurice Rickards, and challenged them to outside the Church. develop a strategy to raise new income.

He recommended encouraging committed

20

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

Christian Aid Week

Labour’s Neil Kinnock, actress Su Pollard and TV presenter John Craven at the launch of the 1986 event.

churchgoers to become involved in ‘putting over’ a major propaganda drive to the wider public – and so the model for recruiting volunteers to help with Christian Aid Week was born.

‘It must follow,’ said Rickards, ‘that much of the accent of the campaign will fall on its humanitarian rather than theological aspects. The average non-Christian more readily recognises the need of relief of human suffering than the need to follow Christian teaching. Although these are not in fact incompatibles, he may regard a “church” or “religious” project with some reserve.

We should bear in mind the fact that he, the nonChristian, must contribute to the success of the Appeal. However illogical his attitude may be, that is his attitude and it is his money we are after.’

The first Christian Aid Week took place from 6-11 May 1957 and surprised even its organisers.

The financial returns were promising, raising Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

some £26,000 (around £440,000 in today’s money) from the 316 towns and areas that took part.

Bristol, Cambridge, Oxford, Ipswich, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Chester and Liverpool were among the places that embraced the idea of an ecumenical week to address poverty and need. However, there was some local opposition that resonates even today. From Lancashire and elsewhere came reports of resistance to refugee appeals. Local organisers were urged to keep their ears open to this and to study the best way to answer it. But always, it was agreed, the Church must meet it boldly, for example by showing the plight of an aged refugee in a camp.

Now, 60 years later, Christian Aid Week has again taken refugees and the displaced as its theme. It’s a poignant and humbling reminder that the world still has some way to go…

See caweek.org

21

Ten things you never knew about Christian Aid Week

1 4

It was nearly called Samaritan Week because organisers wanted a name that would appeal equally to Christians and non-Christians. ‘It should be selfexplanatory, unsentimental, short, euphonious and catchy,’ said a report. Luckily, Christian Aid Week also fitted the bill.

The April/May 1977 issue of Christian Aid News marked the 21st birthday of Christian Aid Week with a centrespread of greetings from church leaders, celebrities and politicians, including James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher and David Steel.

5

Many of our Christian Aid Week posters have been provocative and bold.

This 1970 design (right) was one of the most controversial. With the slogan ‘Ignore the hungry and they’ll go away’, it shows a photo of a children’s cemetery in Santiago, Chile. In the event, many found the picture ‘too shocking’ and one national newspaper questioned this type of advertising by a religious organisation.

2

The first Christian Aid Week, in May 1957, raised £26,000 from the 316 towns and areas that took part. The 2016 event raised more than £10m.

8

3

Every Christian Aid Week from 1957 to 1971 focused on the need to help refugees. In 1972, we changed tack to tell the story of how a Christian Aid partner helped a community move from food shortage towards self-sufficiency.

It marked a move away from messages about ‘hand out’ to those about ‘leg up.’

6

Over the years, many a personality has lent their celebrity clout to Christian Aid Week – older star names included Kenneth More and Alan Whicker, while recent recruits include Damian Lewis, Alexei Sayle, Carlos Acosta, Beverley Knight and Kris Marshall.

The 1976 poster ‘Let the hungry make your money grow’ taught even the most casual poster reader something about the world’s poor – that the vast majority are not sitting helplessly in queues for free food.

9

Many fundraising events have ‘grown up’ alongside Christian Aid Week, such as Scotland’s famous bridge crosses. This year, sponsored walks in Kent and around the Newton Abbot racecourse celebrate their own 50 th birthdays.

7

1985 saw the emergence of what became one of Christian Aid’s most powerful messages. The Christian Aid Week poster asked: ‘Do you believe in life before death? We do’, subverting the Christian idea of life after death.

We wanted – and, indeed, still want – people to take action in solidarity with the poor in this life, not just the life to come.

22

10

We can rely on our high-ranking clerical supporters to enter into the spirit of fundraising: we’ve had walking bishops, cycling bishops, abseiling bishops – and in 2011 even barista bishops!

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

PERF

FOLD

Christian Aid Week

Chri has for r sinc

We’ turn bac

r the here – now?

‘The last days and weeks in Afghanistan were the hardest... I didn’t know if my family was going to be safe, alive.’

eals for

PERF

FOLD

And we still need your help!

Over the past 60 years, it’s been the dedication of Christian Aid supporters like you that has made Christian Aid Week an annual success

S

ixty years ago, a generation of Christians decided they would not stand by while people suffered in refugee camps. Today, our generation is rising to the challenge again.

Christian Aid Week unites more than 20,000 churches

determined to be a rock for our global neighbours in need. We won’t turn our back on the plight of today’s refugees. Will you stand with us?

In Greece, our partner charity offers stoves and cooking facilities for families stranded in refugee camps. For people far

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

from home, cooking their own meals is an important shred of normality in an otherwise uncertain world. If you could raise £285, that’s enough for a refrigerator for a community kitchen in a refugee camp.

There are plenty of fun ways (continued on page 24)

23

(continued from page 23) to get involved in Christian Aid Week 2017:

each one an act of witness to Jesus’ love and justice.

Collect house to house

Jesus frequently brought people together with a shared meal.

Gather your church, friends, colleagues or wider community to hold a fundraising breakfast.

Whether it’s bangers and baked beans or pastries and pancakes,

Since Christian Aid Week’s very beginnings, volunteers from churches have collected house to house. Last year, supporters like you delivered more than 7 million collection envelopes,

the money you raise could change the lives of refugees and displaced people.

Host a Big Brekkie

Hold a church collection Thousands of churches up and down the country will hold a Christian Aid Week service.

Join them in praying and taking a collection for refugees like Nejebar and her family.

We have everything you need to plan your event, from prayers and sermon notes to videos and a Big Brekkie pack. Go to caweek.org to get involved.

Help us find our diamond supporters

Morsheda received two lambs and two goats with the funding from a Christian Aid project.

‘I am much safer now’ Last year, for Christian Aid Week 2016, we focused on Morsheda, a Bangladeshi woman whose life was constantly affected by flooding.

Following Christian Aid Week, Morsheda’s home was moved to higher ground and the land on which her old home stood was submerged under river water. Her home was rebuilt, with support from Christian Aid partner GUK. Morsheda and her family now also have a latrine and will be supported with cattle in the coming months.

When asked by GUK how it feels to be safe, Morsheda replied: ‘Last year when you came to my house we were knee deep in water.

Today, despite the flooding, we are standing in a dry place. I am much safer now.’

• You can read more on caid.org.uk/morsheda

24

Every May, our supporters turn out in their thousands – for door-to-door collections, bake sales, sponsored walks, abseils, and many other events – to raise money to support people around the world living in poverty.

Without this continuous support, which unites more than 20,000 churches in the UK and Ireland, we wouldn’t be able to provide security and comfort for refugees around the world, advocating for policies that protect them and helping them find a safe place to call home.

As we celebrate the annual fundraising week’s diamond celebration, we also want to celebrate the amazing people who make it happen. We are inviting you to nominate a Diamond this Christian Aid Week. Do you know someone who never fails to post those red envelopes through every letterbox in your village?

Or someone who has raised a staggering amount to help people in need? Please tell us about those supporters who you think deserve special recognition. Read more at caweek.org/diamond

CALLING ALL CHRISTIAN AID WEEK ORGANISERS AND TREASURERS! There are a few small changes to Christian Aid Week banking and resources this year. Please check your packs and get in touch with your local office if you need help with anything. Thanks for all you do.

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

Get Closer to Christian Aid We want to hear what you’ve got to say on the issues that matter.

Join our supporter panel and help us change the world

T

hree years ago we set up the Christian Aid Closer Panel to explore the views of supporters around the UK and Ireland on topics that are important to Christian Aid. Every month since then, we have invited panel members to respond to a new online survey, each tackling a different issue.

Now we are inviting Christian Aid Magazine readers to join the Closer Panel to share your views with the decision makers at Christian Aid. We love hearing what you think, and the Closer Panel is one of the key ways in which we gather opinions on current issues. We know that all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds come together in supporting Christian Aid, and it’s important to us that we understand the full range of your opinions.

The views of the panel have been sought

by Christian Aid teams working on topics as diverse as Christian Aid Week, climate change campaigning and the redevelopment of the Christian Aid website. For example, in a survey last year, more than 80% of the panel respondents felt that British and Irish society is capable of tackling carbon emissions. And the majority felt that the government should be able to tackle climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

When asked what people could do personally, almost all said they recycle and use energy-

025_CAM_7_Closer Survey.indd 31

efficient lightbulbs. We were pleased to discover, too, that more than half were speaking to others about their views on tackling climate change.

Panel results are fed straight back into our decision making. They give teams context for the choices they make, and guide them to provide better information, resources and assistance to Christian Aid donors, fundraisers, campaigners, volunteers and all our supporters. We are often encouraged, challenged and inspired by the findings and by the comments that are made.

Want to join the Closer panel?

We want to hear from you. If you’d like to be part of this regular Christian Aid feedback panel, please follow the link below and sign up to be part of Closer.

There is a new survey every month. You can take part in as many or as few of the surveys as you wish, and each month we share some of the main findings from the previous month with the whole panel.

• If this sounds like something you’d like to be part of, then do join us! If you know someone else who might be interested, then please pass on the link to them. christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/surveys/

25/01/2017 12:05

Coming soon…

If you would like to get involved with a Christian Aid fundraiser, workshop, service, concert or challenge event, here’s a round-up of some of the best that are happening across the UK over the coming months. You can also find out more about what’s happening where you live by going to christianaid.org.uk/inyourarea FEBRUARY From 15 SCOTLAND

Christian Aid Week Fundraising Jamboree Be inspired, share your experiences of fundraising with other Christian Aid supporters. These events are for new, existing and curious supporters alike.

25 February 1-5pm, Langside Church, 167 Ledard Road, Glasgow G42 9QU. 11 March 10.30am-2.30pm, St Mark’s Church, Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1JY. 2 April 2-6pm, Augustine Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL. For further details, visit christianaid.org.uk/scotland

18 MONMOUTH

Christian Aid Marmalade Morning 10am-12.30pm, Monmouth Priory, Priory Street Monmouth NP25 3NX.

MARCH 4 CUMBRIA

Organ Recital 7.30pm, Cartmel Priory, Cartmel, Cumbria LA11 6PU. Internationally renowned organist Peter Crompton

26 026-028_CAM_7_Events.indd rf edit.indd 26

will be in concert, in aid of Christian Aid. Tickets £10, including refreshments.

For more information and for tickets, contact Kathy Stancliff on 01539 534505.

18 CARMARTHEN

15-20 CUMBRIA

Easter Coffee Morning

Christian Aid Week workshops 15 March, 7-9pm, GrangeOver-Sands.

16 March, 1-3pm, Workington.

16 March, 7-9pm, Penrith.

20 March, 7-9pm, Keswick.

For all supporters to come and find out about this year’s Christian Aid Week appeal. Free workshop with refreshments. For details and to book, see christianaidcumbria. eventbrite.com or call the Warrington office on 01925 573769.

18 BURY ST EDMUNDS Workshop

9.30am-4pm, Edmund Room, at the Cathedral, Angel Hill, Bury St Edmunds, IP33 1LS. A chance to improve your public speaking.

(Please note, 10 places only.) For more details and to book a place, contact norwich@christian-aid.org

Coffee morning

10am-12noon, English Baptist Centre, Lammas Street, Carmarthen.

21 HAMPSHIRE

10.30-11.45am, Barton on Sea Methodist Church, Cliffe Road, Barton on Sea BH25 7PA. For details, contact the Southampton office on 023 8070 6969 or email southampton@christianaid.org

25 SHEFFIELD

Poverty and Pastries 9.30am, Sheffield Central URC, 60 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 2JB. Join us to hear plans for Christian Aid Week.

26 NORTH WALES

Cinio Cynnil / Frugal Lunch 12 noon-1pm, Memorial Hall, Rowen, Conwy LL32 8YA. Speaker Anna Jane Evans.

28 NORTH WALES

Apel Corwynt Cariad Pilipinas 7pm, Cymdeithas Chwiorydd Capel y Drindod Pwllheli.

APRIL 1 FELIXSTOWE

Christian Aid concert 7pm, St John’s Orwell Rd, Felixstowe IP11 7PW. Featuring the Orwell Singers, ‘Something Different’ and ‘In Tandem’. Refreshments provided. Tickets £5. For more information, please contact Stephen Wyatt on 01394 671033 or email stephen.n.wyatt@gmail.com

8 BURY ST EDMUNDS Christian Aid Week launch

10.30am-2pm, the Hyndman Centre, Hospital Rd, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3JT. A special launch event for Christian Aid Week. Light lunch provided. Contact norwich@christian-aid.org

16-17 HALIFAX

Halifax Long March 12.00m’t-10am, YMCA, Crossley Street, Halifax.

Annual fundraising walk.

For details, contact Shelagh Fawcett at sfawcett@ christian-aid.org

22 SOUTH QUEENSFERRY

Forth Bridge Cross 2pm, Forth Road Bridge Admin Offices, South

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

25/01/2017 12:34

Events Queensferry EH30 9SF. An old favourite with a new view! Join us as we raise money and admire the new Queensferry Crossing.

23 HERSHAM, SURREY Big Brekkie

11.15am, St Peter’s Church Hall, 1 Burwood Road, Hersham KT12 4AA. For more information, contact martinfletcher@ stpetershersham.com or call the church office on 01932 253452.

29 NEWPORT-ON-TAY Tay Bridge Cross

2pm, Tay Road Bridge, Newport-on-Tay DD6 8QX. A classic sponsored walk for the people of Fife, Angus and Perth.

30 BRECON & ABERGAVENNY

Christian Aid Service 11am, United Reformed Church, Castle Street, Abergavenny NP7 5EN. In preparation for Christian Aid Week. Speaker Peredur Owen Griffiths.

MAY 1 DEVON

North Devon Bank Holiday Walk Hartland Peninsula For details, contact the Southampton office on 023 8070 6969 or email southampton@christianaid.org

1 SHEFFIELD

Sheffield May Day Trek 9.30am, St Luke’s Lodge Moor, Blackbrook Road, Sheffield S10 4LQ. 5, 10 and 15-mile sponsored

walks. Family-friendly, great for church socials, come and join us for our 52nd year. For more details and to register, go to sheffieldmaydaytrek.org.uk

and churches. For more information, contact norwich@christian-aid.org or 01603 620051.

6 OLD KILPATRICK

7.30pm, St John The Evangelist, London Road, Carlisle.

Presented by Harry King from Radio Cumbria. For information and tickets contact Doug Scott on 01697 473556.

Erskine Bridge Cross 2pm, Lusset Park, Station Road, Old Kilpatrick G60 5LS. On the 30th anniversary of the Erskine Bridge Cross, all funds will go to support programmes in India working on health, education, land and rights.

Christian Aid Concert

Meopham Walk 2017

9am and 2pm, St John’s Centre, Wrotham Road, Meopham DA13 0AA. The Bishop of Rochester will join celebrations for the 50th Meopham Sponsored Walk. The 14-mile walk is at 9am and a shorter 6-mile one at 2pm. Full details at cadswalk.moonfruit.com or contact Peter and Jill Kettle on 01474 813632 or twokettles@hotmail.co.uk

6 HUMBERSIDE

35th Humber Bridge Cross 2pm, Hessle Country Park car park (north side), Far Ings Road, Barton (south side) Celebrate the 35th Humber Bridge Cross. For more information, please contact jperry@christian-aid.org

6 CULLERCOATS

Christian Aid Concert 7pm St George’s Church, Beverley Gardens, Cullercoats, North Shields NE30 4NS. An evening of stirring music with Lemington Male Voice Choir and guests. For more information, email newcastle@christian-aid. org or call 0191 228 0115.

Bolivia Exhibition

8 NORWICH

The Bolivian Amazon covers nearly 230,000 square miles, with more than 30 indigenous communities calling it their ‘Big Home’. They depend on the forest as their safe place. It provides food and is their natural medicine cabinet, as well as being fundamental in their spiritual and cultural life. Yet this home is under threat, as logging and mining companies move in.

Justice – A lecture by Dr Rowan Williams, Chair of Christian Aid 6.30-8.15pm, Norwich Cathedral, The Close NR1 4DH. Reflect on justice from a Biblical perspective, and consider the implications for us as individuals

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11 CARLISLE

13 MEOPHAM, KENT

The Big Home Last October, three of our supporters visited Bolivia to see how legacies and gifts in memory are helping communities in the Amazon to protect their home and their future. Over the next few years, we’ll share the stories and photos of these inspirational indigenous and farming forest communities – and the Christian Aid partners that help them – in a travelling exhibition.

• If you’d like your church to host this new exhibition, please contact Alison in the Legacy Team on 020 7523 2173 or email alinwood@christian-aid.org

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13 WARE, HERTFORDSHIRE Sponsored Walk

Wodson Park, Ware, Herts SG12 0UQ. A self-guided walk, organised by East Herts Christian Aid. Choose from loops of 11 and 13km – or do both! For more information, contact Adrian Whalley at awhalley@christian-aid.org or on 01727 818145.

13 NEWCASTLE

Westerhope Plant Sale 10am, Westerhope Methodist Church, Newcastle NE5 5HA This annual Christian Aid Week plant sale, which has been running for more than 20 years, also has stalls selling crafts, cakes and books. For more details, contact Colin Brannen on 0191 267 6718.

13 CHESHIRE

Christian Aid Week Walk Against Want, Boars Head, Shrigley Road North, Higher Poynton, Stockport SK12 1TE. A great day out for families and walkers of all ages.

Choice of 3, 6 or 8-mile routes. Free registrations, minimum sponsorship £10 per adult. See christianaid. org.uk/walks or contact hhowe@christian-aid.org

13 DORSET

Bournemouth to Poole Annual Seafront Walk Start any time between 8.30 and 11.30am, at any of following checkpoints: Shore Road, Branksome, Bournemouth Pier, Boscombe Pier and Southbourne.

For further details, contact the Southampton office

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on 023 8070 6969 or email southampton@christianaid.org

14 CARDIFF

Christian Aid Week Commissioning Service 9am, Llandaff Cathedral, Cathedral Close, Cardiff CF5 2LA. Huw Thomas, Head of Christian Aid Wales, will give the address.

15 NORTH WALES Service and Frugal Lunch

12.30pm, Berea Newydd, Bangor.

All welcome at a Christian Aid Week launch event.

18 CEREDIGION

Christian Aid Week Service and Talk 7pm, Capel Brondeifi, Llanbed/Lampeter.

Eleri Twynog will share her experiences of her visit to South America. For more details, please contact Rev Tom Defis on tdefis@christian-aid.org

20 NEWTON ABBOT, DEVON Newton Abbot 50th Anniversary Walk

9am, Newton Abbot Racecourse.

Celebrate a half-century of this famous Christian aid Week sponsored walk around Newton Abbot racecourse. For further details, contact the Southampton office.

20 BIX, OXFORDSHIRE

JUNE

Walk the Country 2017

3 KINROSS

Start time: 8.30-10am, Bix Village Hall, Oxfordshire RG9 6BS. Choose from a 5, 10, or 15-mile sponsored walk for all the family in the beautiful countryside of South Oxfordshire. For more information contact the Christian Aid office in Oxford on 01865 246818 or oxford@christian-aid.org

Loch Leven Heritage Trail Kirkgate Park, Kinross KY13 8ET. A new sponsored walk or cycle around the stunning Loch Leven. Enjoy wildlife, history and remarkable views. See christianaid. org.uk/scotland-events

20 HERSHAM, SURREY

10.30am, Cumbrae Slipway, Isle of Cumbrae KA28 0HQ. Walk or cycle your way around this stunning little island off the west coast.

See christianaid.org.uk/ scotland-events

Quiz Night

St Peter’s Church Hall, 1 Burwood Road, Hersham KT12 4AA. For more information, contact martinfletcher@ stpetershersham.com or call the church office on 01932 253452.

21 HAMPSHIRE

South Hampshire Walk Come and join this familyfriendly sponsored walk.

For more details, contact the Southampton office.

22-26 NORTH DEVON

Conference: God of Creation, God of Justice, God of the Poor Lee Abbey, Lynton EX35 6JJ. A conference exploring the relationship between Biblical imperatives to care for creation and to love and serve the poor. For details, call the Southampton office

SAVE THE DATE Great North Run 10 September 2017 Take part in the world’s biggest half marathon.

Newcastle to South Shields, via the iconic Tyne Bridge Sign up to run for Christian Aid. Guaranteed places available.

Email events@christian-aid.org for further details or sign up at christianaid.org.uk/events

10 ISLE OF CUMBRAE Cumbrae Challenge

16 HAMPSHIRE

Tea in the Garden 2-5pm, 2 Christchurch Bay Road, Barton on Sea BH25 7NT. For details, contact the Southampton office.

24 JARROW AND MONKWEARMOUTH Bede’s Way Sponsored Walk

10am-4.30pm.

Annual walk along the pilgrims’ trail. Choice of 12mile walk or a child-friendly 4-mile one. For details and to register, call 0191 228 0115 or email newcastle@ christian-aid.org

24 SHEFFIELD

Sheffield Night Hike 8.30pm, St Luke’s Lodge Moor, Blackbrook Road, Sheffield S10 4LQ. This year we have a new 9-mile route alongside the traditional 17-mile one. For details and to register, go to sheffieldnighthike.org.uk

Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

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Last Word

Last Word

Wanted urgently: true citizens of the world Have we forgotten our ideals of universal love and universal responsibility? asks Christian Aid chair Rowan Williams

T

he harsh arguments of 2016 have revealed, here and in the USA, a disturbing level of dividedness in society. There has been a revolt against a certain kind of internationalist vision, a deep anger about the neglect of local needs and fears, of the voices of those who are made to feel superfluous in the new world of the global economy. Much of the most animated and embittered argument has been about national boundaries and the claims of migrants.

And the Prime Minister’s remarks last September, at the Conservative Party Conference, about the impossibility of being a ‘global citizen’ crystallised some of this resentment. To be a citizen, Mrs May insisted, is to be committed to making

‘No major crisis of our time can be dealt with by the action of one nation alone’ specific local communities work, and for this you need clear, unambiguous local and historical loyalties.

Part of the attack was directed against an international elite of the super-wealthy, whose global citizenship seems most apparent in their reluctance to pay taxes in any of the societies whose members actually create their wealth.

But the speech was also

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Above: Queuing refugees at a government-run refugee camp on the Greek island of Samos. taken, by some, to be a comment on how we respond to needs beyond our national boundaries – to those for whom movement has become inescapable. Most have not exactly chosen this – especially not the tens of millions for whom extreme local violence or catastrophe have made their homelands terrifyingly unsafe, and who will take whatever risks, and spend whatever resource they can, to find a safer place for their families’ future.

Most of these people are not aspiring to be ‘global citizens’. They want to belong and to contribute, either in their host country or in their (continued on page 30)

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‘Either we learn to act together more effectively or we condemn ourselves to greater levels of anxiety and denial’

A refugee family from Afghanistan watches as a ferry docks at night on the Greek island of Chios. (continued from page 29) home country when peace is restored. Rootless and irresponsible mobility is exactly not what they are seeking.

The question is not just about the hopes and thoughts of individual migrants. Mrs May is right to say that citizenship means a solid commitment to making specific communities work. But the truth is that this is a world where making local communities work is bound up with global issues. No major crisis of our time can be dealt with by the action of one nation alone. Environmental risk and degradation, health threats, violence and terror, all these

are challenges that do not stop at national boundaries. They need generous cooperation: a willingness to share control and yield some aspects of absolute national liberty to achieve a really effective response.

Ignoring or minimising the questions around displaced people does not make them go away. And if we do not have a clear commitment to dealing with the root causes of displacement in their home countries, if we are not committed to helping them develop secure civil space, political justice and stability, and a properly sustainable and self-supporting economic

life, we have no right to be surprised when the waves of unrest and frustrated hope wash against our shores with increasing force.

It does no harm to be reminded that no one learns anything about love for humanity if they do not learn it in the context of particular and local loyalties. The crucial discovery is when we realise that the true and best interest of our immediate neighbours (never mind ourselves) is closely bound in with the wellbeing of those further away, and that the challenges facing distant societies are not separable from our own.

Either we learn to act together more effectively or we condemn ourselves to greater levels of anxiety and denial. Language about being a ‘citizen of the world’ may be used to cloak selfish and irresponsible patterns of activity, not least in the world of transnational elites. But it would be a tragedy if we imagined that this justified us in forgetting the ideals of universal dignity and universal responsibility that have helped identify and combat many atrocities and abuses in the last few decades.

With the words of the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson in mind, perhaps these ideals should be what we hope to ‘ring in’ again in 2017: Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good.

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 editor@christian-aid.org

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Christian Aid Magazine Spring/Summer 2017

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How you can stay involved in the fight against poverty For more information and stories about Christian Aid, please visit our website at christianaid.org.uk

There are many other ways you can keep up with and interact with Christian Aid’s activities. You can …

• You can find out how to get more involved, whether it’s fundraising, volunteering or taking part in events.

Like us: facebook.com/christianaid Follow us: twitter.com/christian_aid Watch us: youtube.com/thisischristianaid

• Discover ways to donate, and read stories from around the world showing how Christian Aid and its partners are working to bring an end to poverty.

• Keep up with the latest press releases and blogs from our media team, and discover more about our campaigns. Check out caid.org.uk/news • Find out how you can Change the Story about refugees, make The Big Shift to cleaner energy, and join our campaigns on climate change and tax justice. And whether you are campaigning with us for the first time or are a seasoned activist, we have a range of resources to inspire and equip you.

• You’ll also find the resources you need for your church, youth group, school or report, as well as prayers, reflections and material for worship.

the

Circle LONDON

See our work at: flickr.com/christian-aid pinterest.com/christianaid instagram.com/christianaiduk

Listen to us at: soundcloud.com/christian-aid-global

Join us: google.com/+christianaid

Sponsored Walk Sunday 21 May, 2017

Discover London’s historic places of worship Come and join the huge celebration at the end of Christian Aid Week! Explore some of the City of London’s best-loved sights and places of worship, and enjoy pop-up exhibitions, music and activities.

Book your place now, as a group or an individual, at ctc2017.eventbrite.co.uk or call 020 7523 2417

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Spring/Summer 2017 The magazine for supporters

This is what poverty looks like if the world turns its back

Your solidarity matters

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If undelivered, please return to Supporter Relations, Christian Aid, PO Box 100, London SE1 7RT

We hope you enjoy learning how your support is transforming the lives of people overseas. If you no longer want to receive this magazine, please call us on 020Â 7523 2493 or email info@christian-aid.org

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