Contents
You’ve been the difference
Thank You
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5 Advocacy Advocacy in action at the UN
Campaigns Supporting Pastor Lorenzo in Cuba.
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Human Rights Council.
Thanksgiving Celebrating our answered prayers.
December 2023
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Case Study Campaigns Together Advocacy 2024 Focus & Thanks
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Front cover picture: Ngyen Bac Truyen and Bui Kim Phuong
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Case Study Tens of thousands of Eritreans are detained in life-threatening conditions, in more than 300 sites across the country. Most have not been formally charged with any crime, nor have they had a trial. Some have been detained for decades because of their political views or religious beliefs.
Neil Corner Partnerships Manager Thank you for all you have done to support those facing injustice for their beliefs. My hope is that together, you and I can continue to make a
In July the mandate of the
difference to the lives of
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Eritrea was renewed for a further year and was strengthened slightly following a vote at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). This was what we had advocated for.
people like Rocky and Raja, accused of blasphemy in Jaranwala, Pakistan. You can still listen to a conversation on Jaranwala with our Pakistan Advocate by entering this link into your browser https://on.soundcloud.com/ qbXNQ An interview on North Korea will be added soon. Thank you for all you do.
neil@csw.org.uk 07500 056014
Eritrea Freedom of religion or belief continued to deteriorate including 103 young Christians who were arrested in mid-April while recording and uploading their second worship song to YouTube and 30 Christians arrested in a house in Keren in March.
With thanks for the love and
generosity of our supporters, we were able to send our joint Head of Advocacy, Dr. Gondwe to Geneva for three weeks to advocate for the passing of this resolution. Because of the special donations we received, our UN officer was able to deliver an
oral statement at the presentation of the special rapporteur’s report and submit a written statement.
The impact of the financial
support we received meant we were able to attend these important sessions in person. Dr. Gondwe used the three weeks to lobby for a strengthened mandate. I believe this in person diplomacy had a significant bearing on our ability to influence the outcome. The final text of the resolution included our FoRB recommendation. The mandate of the Special Rapporteur, which is the sole means of independent international monitoring, was extended for twelve months. With your support, we are committed to ensuring its renewal, while we continue praying and working towards the day when it will no longer be needed.
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Campaigns Pastor Lorenzo We believe world leaders have a duty to protect freedom of religion or belief, and we believe our research and analysis enable policymakers to stand up for this right. We use two main strategies to encourage world leaders to fulfil this responsibility: advocacy and campaigning. Campaigning by supporters like you, underpins our advocacy. When you email your MP about a case we’re working on, that alerts the MP that their constituents are concerned about the case. They are then more likely to accept a meeting with our advocates to discuss the situation and what can be done. One case we asked you to support this year was to call for the immediate release of Pastor Lorenzo in Cuba (pictured above at his arrest).
In September, Pastor Lorenzo wrote: “I want you to thank all the brothers and friends who write to us and pray for me and my Family. The expressions of affection and concern in their letters, have reached such a point that it is impossible for us to answer all of them. We were mightily amazed seeing the response of the body of Christ against this injustice. We continue being deeply grateful.”
Pastor Lorenzo has been sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in peaceful protests on 11 July 2021. He has been falsely accused of instigating violent protest but, in reality, he has been a target of the Cuban government since 2009 because he is an independent religious leader.
Thank you for supporting our campaign to call on the Cuban Ambassador to free Pastor Lorenzo.
Please contact me if you would like more details. (Main picture: family of Pastor Lorenzo).
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Thank you for your prayers and campaigning in 2023 for the families of El Encanto, Mexico.
You made a difference when you raised your voices for Protestant Christian families in El Encanto, who had been living without access to running water and electricity in their homes since 2016. Some services were restored but their ordeal is not over yet.
Pastor Nadarkhani, Iran
You help our advocates to deliver work that is complementary and essential. This includes the translation of CSW’s Psychosocial training manual, including legal concepts into local languages. This training assists traumatised survivors of FoRB related violations.
Valentina, Mexico
Together We amplified their voices
Picture: Nigeria
You campaigned and prayed
tirelessly alongside us for Pastor Nadarkhani until he was freed – thank you so much. CSW had regularly raised the case of Pastor Nadarkhani with UN experts since his arrest in May 2016. In February 2023, Pastor Nadarkhani was released as part of a national amnesty. Deacon Fadaie, who had been arrested with the pastor, was also freed. Our work will not be over until everyone in Iran is truly free to believe.
You enable us to support and organise visits to Parliament, UN or the EU by church leaders, human rights defenders, partners or survivors .
Your voice holds unimaginable power On occasion we assist in the reunification of activists with their families. Your support means a great deal to CSW and more importantly the people you campaign for.
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Five Advocacy Actions
Research and Analysis
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Media Advocacy
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Partnering and Collaboration
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Advocacy in action Mansour Borji, Iran side event, UNHRC March 2023 Using our United Nations accreditation, CSW is able to create opportunities for ourselves and our partners to raise important cases. In March, we invited our partner Article 18 to speak at a joint event.
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Lobbying Policymakers
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Campaigns and Prayer
‘We continue to see the incredible courage of Iranian Christians and other oppressed religious minorities – standing strong despite the real risk of arrest, detention, imprisonment and even execution.’ – Mansour Borji, Article 18
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A focus for 2024 In October, there were credible reports that over 500 North Korean refugees were forcibly repatriated from China. Those returned to North Korea will likely face torture, imprisonment, and in some cases even public execution. Those found to have had contact with Christians are known to face particularly harsh punishment.
CSW’s focus for 2024 covers equally important and urgent needs for all the countries we advocate for.
Thanksgiving Picture: Nguyen Bac Truyen and Bui Kim Phuong from Vietnam.
The work on North Korea provides one example of the research, planning and strategic thinking involved for advocacy work to be effective.
We give thanks for the release from prison of Vietnamese human rights defender Nguyen Bac Truyen and for his new life in Germany. While in prison, he wrote: “Life is not only about material gains, but also about having dignity, character, and honour. Let's strive to promote human rights for all.”
2024 marks two significant dates for North Korean human rights advocacy:
1. the 10-year anniversary of the UN Commission of Inquiry on North Korea (COI) report, and 2. the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK’s) 4th Universal Periodic Review (to be held at the UN Human Rights Council in Oct-Nov 2024). We are currently assessing progress and changes in key areas with a formal report released in 2024. This report will provide an essential advocacy tool for our fight for justice for North Koreans being targeted for their religion of belief.
Picture: Mansu Hill, North Korea (source: Bjorn Torrissen).
The violations of FoRB in North Korea are among the very worst in the world. Christians are severely persecuted: the state labels them as ‘hostile’ and seeks to eradicate them from society by placing them in isolated political prison camps. The human rights situation in North Korea has been an important focus for CSW for over 22 years. With your help, CSW has brought together international organisations, to focus on change and will do so again in 2024.
Professor Solomon and Mercy Tarfa Main Picture: The Tarfa’s in Nigeria.
Inset Picture: The Du Merci children.
After years of advocacy, Professor Tarfa, cofounder of the Du Merci orphanages in Nigeria, was acquitted of an unfounded forgery charge, released from prison and reunited with his wife.
Please pray for the 16 children
who remain separated from the Tarfa’s. Court adjournments prolong their suffering after being separated for almost four years from the only parents most of them have ever known.
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ThankYou! “[I am] very grateful for all those who prayed for me and remembered me while I was in prison.” Pastor Nadarkhani, Iran
Thank you for standing with those who are suffering for their faith. Your faithful support through your gifts, prayer and campaigning has helped CSW to pursue freedom and justice. With your support we are able to tackle the injustice faced on a daily basis by millions of people in over 25 countries, who are not able to choose, change or practise their beliefs without fear of the consequences.
Thank you for your fight for justice!
https://www.csw.org.uk Telephone: +44(0)20 8329 0010 Email: admin@csw.org.uk PO Box 99, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 3YF