All the World (July-September 2020)

Community response in the UK NEW ZEALAND – church future Refugee story in SWITZERLAND BRAZIL – inclusive participation

Save all souls

VOL 58 NO 3

In the midst of a pandemic, The Salvation Army is still caring for the world’s most vulnerable people US

JULY–SEPTEMBER 2020

CONTENTS

JULY–SEPTEMBER 2020

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Visit ALL THE WORLD at: www.salvationarmy.org/alltheworld

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UPFRONT From the Editor

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NEW ZEALAND Back to the future

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HOME AND AWAY Thoughts from here and there

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BRAZIL Inclusion through participation

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT Responsive infographic

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UNITED KINGDOM A community response to homelessness

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SWITZERLAND From refugee to advocate

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SNAPSHOTS News from around the world

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23 Cover artwork by Berni Georges. Download as a poster from: sar.my/atwcovidwave

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Sing a song of saving and serving ‘WHERE do I begin?’ asks a famous song, to which another replies: ‘Let’s start at the very beginning – a very good place to start.’ I’m finding music a good way to explore my feelings in these very odd days, although I mainly keep bouncing between ‘Help!’, ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine)’ and getting by ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’!

The last time I sat down to write an editorial, the hint of something bad was in the air. Coronavirus was spreading through east Asia, Italy was shutting down and the rest of the world was following suit or looking on to see how things progressed. By the time the proofs for the April–June issue of All the World came back from the printers about 10 days later, International Headquarters (IHQ) staff were all working from home and the UK was in the first steps of lockdown.

Nearly three months later, lockdown is easing in the UK but the cost to human

life is devastating. Worldwide, at the time of writing, almost 450,000 people are known to have died because of coronavirus, with most experts expecting that figure to climb significantly. The numbers are impossible to comprehend – imagine, if you can, if the entire population of the Scottish capital Edinburgh disappeared in six months. Or Canberra. Or Miami. Or Bloemfontein in South Africa.

This issue of All the World touches only lightly on The Salvation Army’s response to COVID-19 (expect this not to be the case in the October–December issue), which is partly by design, partly just how it happened.

The mix of stories and approaches serves as a reminder that, while everything has changed, ‘normal’ life goes on – complete with all its difficulties, heartaches, hopes, fears, joy, tears and smiles. And as racism rears its

‘Every person is my neighbour, every person has value, every person deserves to be treated with dignity’ EDITOR Kevin Sims

GENERAL Brian Peddle

DESIGN AND ARTWORK Berni Georges

Published by Brian Peddle, General of The Salvation Army

EDITORIAL OFFICE The Salvation Army International Headquarters 101 Queen Victoria Street London EC4V 4EH, United Kingdom Tel: [44] (0)20 7332 0101 Email: IHQ-alltheworld@salvationarmy.org FOUNDER William Booth

Kevin Sims, Editor

UPFRONT

FROM THE EDITOR

ugly head again, it’s good to show how The Salvation Army continues to serve people in God’s name without discrimination.

Twenty-one years of editing All the World has demonstrated clearly that no nation, race or people has a monopoly on sense, kindness, intelligence or love (and likewise, every country and clan has its fair share of bigots, bigmouths and buffoons!). Every person is my neighbour, every person has value, every person deserves to be treated with dignity and to have an opportunity to live a full life.

I continue to work hard to make this true in my life and wherever I can have influence. When I see an injustice or someone who needs help, I need to speak up and act because something is wrong, not because the injustice is happening to people who look like me, think like me, live near me or work for my organisation.

In the entrance to the old IHQ building there used to be two giant stone friezes, each showing half the world. One had the text ‘Christ for the world’ and the other ‘The world for Christ’. We who represent Christ in the world today have to take this approach to heart, seeing every person as worth saving.

Because in this pandemic, while fear, grief and uncertainty mean that – according to the 1990s hit from R.E.M. – ‘Everybody Hurts’, we each have in our hands and hearts the balm that can start to heal a hurting world. While so many people are saying ‘I Want to Know What Love Is’, we can respond with the words and deeds that make real the song written almost 50 years ago by gospel singer Andraé Crouch: ‘Jesus is the Answer’.

© The General of The Salvation Army 2020

Printed in the UK by Lamport Gilbert Printers Ltd The Salvation Army International Trust is a charity registered in England and Wales (no. 1000566) whose sole trustee is The Salvation Army International Trustee Company, a company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales (no. 02538134) at 101 Queen Victoria Street, London ECV4 4EH J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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NEW ZEALAND

CHURCH LIFE

COMING BACK As people around the world consider what a post-coronavirus world could look like, Major Ian Gainsford shares with All the World his vision of the potential that can be reached thanks to the lessons learned from a pandemic that has changed – and will continue to change – the world.

I

CURRENTLY find myself on a small team of people from The Salvation Army in New Zealand that has been tasked to consider what might change for us as a worshipping people as we come out of our national lockdown for COVID-19.

This is not a new question, of course: as a church that seeks to be the Body of Christ in today’s world, we should regularly wrestle with what it means to be a people of faith in how we connect, how we worship, how we understand the journey of discipleship. Having served as a Salvation Army officer in three different territories I have seen firsthand some of the ways our worship and outworking of faith are influenced by the culture in which we are located.

Every generation asks again what the rhythms of faithful living look like. Still, recent events have forced us all to ask some urgent questions about what it means to be a people together, when we have been forced to be physically apart.

In much of the discussion, there seemed to be one principle that has come through fairly often: keep things simple. What is at the core of our identity together? What are the things we must do and be?

So, what if we stopped running activities, and started doing life together? What if we had a time to come and worship, groups in which we could meet and share and learn, and a place for children and young people to come together and grow together in an affirming and supportive environment – and that was it?

What if the other things, the add-ons, were about individuals taking the initiative instead of waiting

for the corps officer/pastor to give something the stamp of approval? What if mission was something we do over the fence with our neighbour, and not just an activity we plan; a programme we run? What if ‘church’ was a verb, and not a noun – something we do, instead of something we turn up to?

It could be argued that Jesus kept things simple: the whole law, he said, was summed up in the commandments to love God, and to love your neighbour as yourself. The apostle Paul told us that love was a matter of patience, kindness, humility and forgiveness. These are simple ideas – though their embodiment is often difficult and costly.

I am hoping that in a ‘post-COVID’ world, whenever that might be, we will put aside the idea of church as something to be consumed – the right songs, the right tone, the bright lights, the loud music, the polished sermon. That we might rediscover the simplicity of the embodied church.

What marks us would be our willingness to belong and participate, particularly by taking the good news with us in our daily living; to enact love in our gatherings and outside of them; to give a voice to the priesthood of all believers and not just the ‘professionals’.

What if the love feast became central to our fellowship? That is, the sharing of a meal and the remembrance of Christ’s gift of forgiveness and life.

What if our ‘sacrament’ was to make the presence of Christ real through our words and deeds, rather than just the rituals and symbols of a worship service – as helpful as those things can often be? What if we

‘We have a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask: what do we need to be and do amongst these people, in this place, at this time?’

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NEW ZEALAND

prioritised relationship over programme? These are not new questions – and yet we still tend to default to programme, to plans.

It’s hard to be relational. For a start, how do we measure it? How do we centralise it? How do we keep it accountable? How do we – if we’re honest enough to understand the forces that sometimes drive us – control it?

I believe we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to ask: what do we need to be and do amongst these people, in this place, at this time? We have an obligation to ask: where is God at work? How is God calling us to join in? What’s been getting in the way of that?

One of the liberating qualities of The Salvation Army’s ability to mobilise could be that we pivot to offer the benefits of pooling resources, and administration, while we begin again to liberate our officers, our corps (church) members, our volunteers to impact their world through acts of love; through the meeting of human need in our neighbourhoods; through the embodiment of good news that God loves, God restores. God is more than a programme.

Here’s some of the things we’re now exploring in our little corner of the world. We have one corps that was already meeting in its second-hand shop, rather than a hall built specifically for worship. We have another corps that encourages people to attend our current online territorial service, then has an extended time of sharing online where every voice gets the chance to speak, to sing, or to play an instrument rather than basing everything around someone explaining things to everyone else.

In our Recovery Churches – worshipping communities built around the needs of those working through addictions – there is a Bible message and the name of Jesus is praised, but there is a distinct focus on hearing from and celebrating the growth of participants.

We will look to invest in fresh expressions of faith community. Unpaid Salvationists, making a difference in their community by tidying up the local park or joining in community groups. House churches. Tentmaker ministry (people moving into new areas).

Officers living in a social housing unit and providing community building and English classes instead of focusing on a Sunday congregation – investing in people and trusting that the love of Jesus will make a difference; will influence; will transform.

We will take the lessons we’ve learned about pastoral care and online worship. We will source and produce resources that grow faith and deepen our experience of God and teach us how to live full lives.

We will come back together because we are loved and we long to be loving.

We are compiling guides on filming and digital resources that will allow us back into communities where we have not had a presence for years, and partner with other churches and agencies because it will allow us to bring the light of God into new places.

As representatives of The Salvation Army, we are called – we declare – to the whosoever, and especially the vulnerable. I dream of an Army where the offer of life and forgiveness is made out of our ongoing experience of joyful, radical freedom. I dream of an Army where human need is met both through the professional services we offer and in the heartfelt engagement of our soldiers and friends; where we claim the gospel of Jesus Christ as being for whole people; where missional imagination is not set aside in favour of conformity, but embraced; where we do not simply say that we are willing to risk failure but actually prove that to be true.

COVID-19 means we are going to take a financial hit. We are heading for worldwide recession. We will face significant increases in poverty, in mental health issues, and probably in racism and intolerance.

God grant that we might be brave enough to change, and to find yet again that God is faithful, and that – in the words of the U2 song – love is bigger than anything in its way.

We’re not done. We’re just getting started. God is calling us to leap into the sea of lost people and offer ourselves not because we’re good enough or strong enough, but because God is.

Major Ian Gainsford is leader of the Northern Division in The Salvation Army’s New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory

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HOME AND AWAY

A SERIES LOOKING AT THE THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WORKING FOR THE SALVATION ARMY IN THEIR COUNTRY OF BIRTH AND OTHERS GIVING SERVICE ABROAD

PAUL RAJKUMAR

Paul Rajkumar works for The Salvation Army in his country of birth, India

HOME

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

As Director for Community Empowerment Projects and Health Development in The Salvation Army’s India Central Territory, I empower communities to be sustainable and get access to rights, health provision and other benefits they are deprived of. As part of this, and with the support of territorial leadership, I got the Army’s Industrial Training Institute (ITI) affiliated to the National Council for Vocational Training, an advisory board of the Government of India which oversees the development of skills in young people.

I also work on rural development by organising awareness campaigns with the support of agricultural scientists and local government specialists in disaster management to let farmers know about the cultivation of suitable and seasonal crops.

What would be your typical day?

Coordinating with the government and other stakeholders.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

I am a soldier at Bapatla Central Corps, and have attended The Salvation Army since I was born.

I worked in the corporate world for 16 years before I shifted my focus to the development sector. I worked for well-known agencies and as a consultant to local government. In all these years of my career in different organisations, I established my identity as a soldier of The Salvation Army among staff from various cultural backgrounds.

After a while, it made me think about contributing my expertise and services to The Salvation Army, my own church, which is already into community development work. Therefore, I approached the Territorial Commander, Commissioner Wilfred Varughese, and expressed my interest and willingness to serve the Army in community development.

After much debate and thought, he graciously considered my willingness to serve the Army and appointed me as Director for Community Empowerment Projects and Health Development.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

My hero is the biblical figure Abel, whose righteousness came by faith, as he knew he had to approach God through a sacrifice that was not of his own works.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

‘Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you’ (1 Peter 5:7). I have never shown anxiety for anything in my life because I was taught by my parents only to trust in God and obey his calling.

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘O Boundless Salvation!’ – when I hear and sing this, the depth of meaning helps me to rededicate myself for the service of God and people.

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Paul Rajkumar speaking to agricultural scientists at an awareness campaign in Bapatla, India

What do you like most about India?

India is one of the largest democratic countries, where people of diverse religions, cultures, languages, ideology, castes, sects, class and ethnicity live together. Furthermore, they have been living together for many centuries. This certainly shows the intense tolerance and unity of the Indian people. The country perfectly demonstrates unity in diversity.

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in India?

Stewardship and accountability that I wish were embedded in grassroot levels.

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

Strengthening partnerships and scaling the Army to greater heights in serving God and people.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose?

I can render my services wherever the Army requires and as per God’s call, as I am passionate to serve the community and reach the unreached.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Planning and organising, teamwork, communication, selfmanagement, accountability and transparency.

What skills do you have that you would like the opportunity to use more?

I would like to use my skills in capacity building, initiative and enterprise to empower communities to claim the rights, health provision and benefits they don’t currently have access to.

How would you like to be remembered?

I would like to be remembered as a loyal soldier and faithful servant of God, serving humanity.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

Soup – Soap – Salvation, the core credentials of The Salvation Army, fascinate many other Christian groups in India.

Paul shows tools procured for the Industrial Training Institute in Bapatla, India, to visiting South Asia zonal leaders Commissioners Alistair and Marieke Venter

&

away

CAPTAIN HEIDIE BRADBURY Originally from Denmark, Captain Heidie Bradbury works for The Salvation Army in Bangladesh

What is your role in The Salvation Army?

I have just moved into a new role as the Command Secretary for Women’s Ministries in Bangladesh.

How did you meet The Salvation Army?

My family was part of The Salvation Army in Denmark when I was a young child.

Do you have a ‘claim to fame’?

The best I can come up with is that I have worked with hospitals and clinics in seven different countries.

Do you have a ‘hero of the faith’?

If I am allowed an officer couple, two of my heroes are Commissioners Paul and Margaret du Plessis, who spent many years at The Salvation Army’s Chikankata Hospital in Zambia.

Even though we served there many years after them, we were still able to see the impact and legacy of their faithful service and how they brought a real holistic message of the gospel to the people there. They have been really kind and generous to us with their knowledge and support over the years.

What is your favourite Bible verse?

Joshua 1:9 – ‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go’ (New International Version). It was given to me as a young girl and – as I have moved around and made a home in different places – I have seen God’s presence moving with me each time.

&AWAY

What is your favourite Salvation Army song?

‘How Great thou Art’ – one of the few songs that has been translated and that I have sung in all the countries I have lived in: Greenland, Denmark, the UK, Kenya, Zambia and now Bangladesh.

How do you think that working in Bangladesh differs to working elsewhere?

This is the first time I have lived and worked in a majority Muslim country, and this makes things much more complex compared to working elsewhere. The tiny band of Christians here face many challenges and often rejection from their families and communities – they are some of the most resilient and faithful Christians I have met.

&AWAY

What would be your typical day?

In The Salvation Army there is not really a typical day, but it is usually trying to find the balance between meetings, office work, spending time with colleagues, visits to corps (churches), monitoring projects and trying to sort out my two children.

However, in the Bangladesh Command we always start each morning with prayer – it is the one consistent thing in my day.

Above: Heidie and her daughter, Neve, going for a walk in Dhaka during Eid – when conservative dressing is expected; below left: Heidie outside a home in a village in Zambia, having just helped to deliver this baby

What do you like most about Bangladesh?

I love catching a rickshaw and experiencing the colours, smells and general chaos of Dhaka.

What do you most miss about Denmark?

Of course, I have to say I miss family and friends from the UK and Denmark the most – but this is closely followed by Galaxy chocolate!

What aspects of another country’s culture do you wish were present in Bangladesh?

Bangladesh is a very patriarchal and conservative culture, so I would like women and girls to have more of the freedom, opportunities, protection and respect women experience in other places.

If you were elected General, what would be the first thing you would change?

I think I would look to change the ranking system for officers. We have seen how it can be misused in many cultures and it hinders the development of young leaders with great potential.

If you could choose to work for The Salvation Army anywhere else, where would you choose?

I would love to go and work for The Salvation Army in Cape Town, South Africa. It is one of the most amazing places I have visited and it has a blend of the beauty of Africa, a resilient heart but some home comforts and coffee shops from around the world.

What skills do you use most in your work?

Up until now I have been able to use my nursing skills in all my appointments.

How would you like to be remembered?

As a faithful follower of Jesus, a kind person and a good nurse.

What’s so special about The Salvation Army?

I love the integrated and holistic mission of The Salvation Army.

I am a nurse and I am an officer and I love that I can combine both these vocations together to serve the Lord through The Salvation Army.

&AWAY

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BRAZIL

INCLUSIVITY

Strength, resilience and participation When Elem Moura moved to the area where The Salvation Army’s Arco Verde Integrated Family Centre (CIFAV) is located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, with her husband and three sons, she never imagined that her youngest, Ezequiel would start attending alongside his oldest brother. Ezequiel means ‘God strengthens’ and this has definitely proven to be true in his life, especially throughout this past year since he was invited to atttend the project.

S

even-year-old Ezequiel has some disabilities, one of them meaning he is a wheelchair user. He has already undergone five surgeries and by the end of the year this number will have increased to eight.

‘I was reluctant for him to take part’ says Elem. ‘He wouldn’t necessarily have the one-on-one support he often requires and as the project offers many workshops and activities I believed that it 8 | ALL THE WORLD |

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would not be possible for him to join in.’

Being Ezequiel’s full-time carer means she doesn’t have a job. Her husband, Jean, works as a bricklayer’s assistant whenever anything becomes available.

Even with some financial help from the government the family quite often only has US$180 to live on a month.

The project’s mission is to offer the best care, well-being and total inclusion of the children that attend, so the staff were determined to do what was required for

Ezequiel to be welcomed and included. At first, a lecture was given to all employees as a guideline for the importance of inclusion, respect and equal treatment with other children, ensuring a safe physical space and understanding of the laws that support people with disabilities.

Following on from this, the multidisciplinary team of APAE (an organisation which aims to focus attention on those with disabilities and which already supports Ezequiel) composed of a physiotherapist, psychologist, social worker and an occupational therapist, were invited to give a lecture to employees in order to strengthen their understanding and clarify any doubts.

The educators Luiza, Mike and Silvia share that after this training, the whole team felt much more relaxed about Ezequiel’s arrival ‘He has shown to

BRAZIL

be a very charismatic and extroverted child, very attentive with the employees, educated, and when it is time to do something, even the wheelchair can’t stop him!’

Ezequiel has a busy medical weekly routine outside of the project, with physiotherapy and trips to the doctors in the state’s capital of Belo Horizonte (one and a half hours’ drive). This means that he is not there every day so more physical activities such as football have been changed to the days he is away so that he doesn’t feel left out.

‘While, like most children, Ezequiel took a while to adapt to the rules and routine of the centre,’ say the educators, ‘today he happily takes part in the activities, plays at the right times and during lunch he even enjoys the food, which previously he was struggling to

Photos on this page and overleaf show how staff and students ensure that Ezequiel takes a full part in the centre’s activities

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BRAZIL

eat. His mobility is now also done all by himself with less help from the staff.

Tears of joy and smiles from his mother each time she perceives her son is being included give us the assurance we are going the right way.’

Ezequiel agrees: ‘When I’m at the project I enjoy the art classes but jiujitsu is the best activity because it’s cool!

Uncle Mike is my favourite teacher.

The food there is the most delicious of all! The meal I eat a lot is stroganoff, rice and potato sticks. There is always a trip planned in CIFAV and it’s really cool to go on these with my friends, Rafaela being my best as she helps me with the activities.’

Elem confirms that Ezequiel’s independence has grown due to the way he has been welcomed and included by 10 | ALL THE WORLD |

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all of those at the project.

‘I believe that the activities have helped him develop,‘ she says. ‘I am very happy to see him talking about what he learnt each day. As a family, we feel happy and we see that in the project he feels like a free child and is equal to his classmates. I am grateful for the experiences lived and shared.’

The family’s current challenge is the need for a new specialised wheelchair.

Ezequiel has outgrown his current one and it no longer helps to support his posture. His parents, along with the project, are trying to do what they can to raise the funds for this.

As for many of the children that

attend the CIFAV, the skills and personal development they are gaining are helping to contribute towards a promising future, and this is no different for young Ezequiel: ‘I like attending the project and I don’t like to miss it. When I grow up, I want to be a policeman.’

Story shared with All the World by Stephanie Chagas-Bijl

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

INFOGRAPHIC

Called to action – a visual representation and a graphic definition of a united response

by Jo Clark

B

ACK in November 2019, when international travel was still possible with relative ease, a group of approximately 50 people who are connected with the international community development work of The Salvation Army, met in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, under the theme of ‘Togetherness’.

Some of our conversations in Tanzania revolved around the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a universal call to action to address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. The 17 interconnected goals, adopted by all UN member states, form the blueprint for us to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

In particular, guided by Dr Jim Read of The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission (ISJC),we spent time

thinking through how we, as people of faith, relate to the SDGs and how we can authentically, and more effectively, let our faith influence how we approach our work towards sustainability and sustainable development.

The initial idea was for us to develop and broaden our shared Salvation Army definition of ‘sustainable development’ but, following our conversations, the idea of an extended, but static, definition of sustainable development didn’t quite satisfy. What we thought could be more helpful was to develop a graphic which captures the reflections from our conversations.

The graphic we developed, reproduced on the folowing pages, shows the reflections, inspired by our faith, which came to us as we thought about sustainable development and the SDGs. Some of these ponderings are things which we hold up as essential, nonnegotiable; many appeared as challenges to ourselves, or as prophetic words of hope or messages of inspiration. They reminded us of our interdependence and of the immense potential we have when we come and work together.

‘They reminded us of our interdependence and of the immense potential we have when we come and work together’

In the months since its development, this graphic has had a prominent place on my desk and has helped to guide my daily work. It has helped me to make decisions as to which tasks I take on, and which I leave, or which I encourage others to take on.

In the things that I do, giving consideration to the graphic has helped to influence the approach I take to my work; the plans I make and the conversations I have. It has helped me to think about how I work with others and what I understand and believe about the way in which transformation and positive change can happen. It has encouraged me in my decision-making to keep aiming high.

Today we share this graphic in the hope that it will provide encouragement, inspiration and challenge. We invite you to take some moments to look at it and consider how it applies to you. Maybe you want to download it and use it as a screen saver or print out a copy to pin up near your desk or work area. We trust that you will find ways in which you might use it to inspire your own response, in the context of your daily life, to addressing the global and local challenges we face.

Jo Clark is International Facilitation Specialist at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters in London, United Kingdom J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Artwork and design: Jooles Tostevin-Hobbs, International Headquarters

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This infographic is downloadable at: sar.my/sustdevgraphic

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

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UNITED KINGDOM

HOMELESSNESS

Empo

The story of Malachi Place – a community-backed, congregation-supported, God-inspired response to homelessness

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UNITED KINGDOM

owered!

M

USTAFA stepped into the Salvation Army hall in Ilford, in east London. His shoulders were slouched, his head down and his strong frame looked like all the energy had been sapped out of it.

‘Hi, I’m John, one of the officers here,’ I said by way of greeting. ‘Is there anything I can help you with?’

I had been a Salvation Army officer for just two weeks. I was that bit too new to realise that the expectations I had of myself to be able to help Mustafa were too high. But I was soon to realise this.

He explained to me that he had been next door, in the local council’s ‘Housing Advice Centre’. Regrettably, he had received neither housing nor the advice that he had been seeking. So he had come to The Salvation Army ‘… because you guys will know what to do’.

‘Of course!’ I said, ‘I’m sure we can help! We’re The Salvation Army!’

I went to work on the issues that Mustafa was dealing with but, as I battled away from 10am to 11pm, I started to realise why Mustafa looked as if the life had been sucked out of him. During this 13-hour period I had a crash course in bureaucracy – that of local and national government, local service providers, and even within our own Salvation Army. The hour was now very late and I didn’t know what else to do.

‘Mustafa, here’s a sleeping bag,’ I had to tell him. ‘Stay safe, and come back in the morning.’

I cannot speak for Mustafa, whether he was appreciative of my plucky yet naive efforts at the time or felt let down that I hadn’t been able to help him. Whatever he was feeling, he was certainly very gracious and went on his way. For my part, I had discovered a new situation that I didn’t like. It was powerlessness.

We can sometimes be uncomfortable with the word ‘power’ in Christian

circles; however, when we define it accurately and carefully – as the ability to act – we come to realise that it is essential to life. Power can be used for good or for bad, and we see examples of each.

However, powerlessness – the inability to act – is just as dangerous as misused power. It can easily lead to frustration and bitterness.

However, it can also lead to action.

Thankfully, that’s the direction it took us, eventually leading to Project Malachi and the establishment of Malachi Place, a community-led approach to supported accommodation for people facing homelessness, using modular construction methods.

PEOPLE

Innovation is about joining the dots to create pictures that no one else knew were there. It is not possible to create something out of nothing – innovators can see the opportunities and the resources, take what is there and produce something new. In our experience, innovation isn’t just a product of the work of one or two. It comes from a team of people working together.

After we met Mustafa, in autumn of 2011, members of our corps (church) were realising that many of us had encountered similar situations, whether it was through someone coming into the

‘Innovation is about joining the dots to create pictures that no one else knew were there’

Above: Captain John Clifton outside Malachi Place with (left) Councillor Jas Athwal and (centre) Malachi Justin

hall or during street outreach work. We felt powerless when it came to helping people who were facing homelessness.

We took the decision together to open the upstairs of our building as a temporary winter night shelter, just to keep people safe during the cold weather.

This helped us to get to know people in our community who were sleeping on the streets and build relationships with them. It also helped us to get to know other people in the community who were passionate about addressing homelessness, and other organisations as well – including faith institutions such as churches, gurdwaras and mosques.

After a number of years of running the night shelter, we realised that we needed to, wanted to and could do more. We prayed, reflected on Scripture, and thought about what would be the right approach.

PRESENCE

We considered Matthew 25:31-46, which says: ‘Whatever you did for one of the least of these… you did for me.’

This helped us to see that Christ is really present in people experiencing conditions of powerlessness such as homelessness.

In the words of theologian Sam Wells, by ‘being with’ people in such situations, we are with Christ. We recognised Jesus’ own experience of homelessness, learning about the destitution, desperation and reduced capacity for agency that he faced J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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Above: some of the 100 people and a brass band who took the request for planning permission to the town hall; opposite page, top: some of the volunteers and staff members who keep Malachi Place running; bottom: moving-in day!

in that condition. We also considered the approach of Broad-Based Community Organising as a faithful way of seeking social change through building power with others who may be different to us.

This all helped us to realise that we should focus our efforts on the prevention of street homelessness rather than intervention and recovery. In other words, we needed to build homes with a team that could provide support to people so they could either get off the street or not go to the street in the first place.

We launched Project Malachi as a campaign which triangulated these points. We wanted an approach that recognised the transformative impact of such ministry upon not only the ‘client’ but also the disciple who participates in that action.

PROPERTY

The next step was to consider our options for how we might build. We didn’t think it would be possible to raise the money

to build permanent accommodation, or that this would necessarily be the right approach. We were interested in something that was agile, in order to address a particular situation with a particular group of people at a particular time in a particular place. However, we did not want to construct something that would become a large institution in the web of existing homelessness provision.

After a lot of research, we concluded that offsite construction methods to develop volumetric modular units would be the best approach to bring a piece of land into use. Our challenge then was how we would get land, because The Salvation Army didn’t have any more in Ilford. We began researching, learning more about what places were available.

We would take notes of estate agents and call them if we spotted a plot of land or an empty building. When we saw that a sign had gone up on a derelict funeral directors in Ilford town centre, we called up and discovered that the building was owned by the council.

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POLITICS

Over the years of running the night shelter, we had built up a good relationship with our council. The former leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Keith Prince, was a strong supporter of The Salvation Army and actually volunteered at the night shelter.

We began conversations with him about using the site which housed the derelict funeral directors, but – after an election – he was succeeded by Councillor Jas Athwal.

Councillor Prince shared with Councillor Athwal about the possibility of an initiative from The Salvation Army on that piece of land, and he quickly became our strongest ally. Indeed, Malachi Place would not have been established without him.

Councillor Athwal made the land available, and also allocated £2.5 million towards the building costs. This meant that The Salvation Army would be responsible for the revenue costs.

In writing this, it makes the whole process sound very easy! However, there was a lot of negotiation and campaigning to be able to make this situation possible.

When we went to seek planning permission, we marched from our corps building to the town hall behind the Salvation Army flag with 100 people and a brass band! We also had 80 letters of support and a petition signed by 400 people from across diverse communities in Ilford. It was amazing to see the whole community come together to support

UNITED KINGDOM

this initiative to persuade our politicians to make decisions that could help very vulnerable people.

POUNDS

Alongside financial support from Redbridge Council, and from Salvation Army reserves, we also had many donations from the public. Indeed, this goes back to why we named the campaign Project Malachi, and why the building is called Malachi Place.

The first donor was a young boy called Malachi Justin who had received £5 from the tooth fairy. He wrote a letter to The Salvation Army in Ilford with the money enclosed, asking us to use it to build homes for people experiencing homelessness. We took him seriously and, with God’s help, turned that £5 into £5 million.

On 24 February 2020, after many twists and turns and a very long building process, we were finally ready to open.

We had recruited a fantastic staff team made up of people that understood the ethos of the project.

Councillor Jas Athwal and I were joined by Malachi and other members of our community to welcome the first residents. We had planned to hold a grand opening ceremony in March but had to postpone the event due to COVID19. This was incredibly disappointing, but the pandemic highlighted how important it was for people to have homes and to have dignity. Malachi Place’s first residents were able to selfisolate where necessary and we raised money to purchase TVs and iPads for their mental health and well-being.

POTENTIAL

Each Saturday at the Salvation Army in Ilford, a cooked breakfast is prepared for people who are on their own, including those who might be experiencing homelessness. Bogdan comes regularly.

We’ve known him for around eight years now, since he was sleeping in a burnt-out car near some disused garages. He stayed in the night shelter for many winters and became part of The Salvation Army community, attending Sunday meetings regularly. We were so proud when he managed to get clean and sober from alcohol, found work and was doing so well.

‘God gave me my life back,’ he says.

‘The pandemic highlighted how important it was for people to have homes and to have dignity’ But, as can happen to anyone in life, he hit a bump in the road with his work and he wasn’t able to pay his rent. For Bogdan, this was extremely serious, putting him at risk of relapsing. One week, he strode into Saturday breakfast with urgency, prompting concern from one of the volunteers, James, who is also part of the corps. ‘I’m back where I was,’ he said, ‘staying in the garages. I’m homeless again.’

James sent me a text letting me know what had happened. In turn, I sent a message to Cedric, who is part of the management team at Malachi Place and also one of the senior leaders in The Salvation Army congregation. He gave Bogdan a call and, by that afternoon, he had got a room in Malachi Place.

This is how it was meant to happen – a member of the corps was referred by a member of the congregation who was brought in by a member of the congregation to a home that was campaigned for, built by and now managed by the congregation. We now had the power – the ability to act – to make a difference in a situation that no one would ever want to find themselves J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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Left: the project has been supported across communities and faith groups; below left: a computer-generated image of the finalised project – including a new home for the Recycles bike maintenance and job creation programme; below: Malachi Justin in a room at the facility that carries his name – with the five-pound note whose donation inspired a multimillion-pound initiative

in. Through the strength of the community in our corps, we were able to help.

POSSIBILITIES

I write this article in the context of COVID19 which, while presenting challenges, is an urgent opportunity to take action to contribute to the overall supported housing provision in the UK and, in turn, help address street homelessness.

Amidst great pain and suffering, this crisis has shown that what once seemed politically impossible – ending street homelessness – may actually be possible.

There is an obligation upon us to continue a deeper exploration of faithful Salvationist expression in societies that are experiencing rapid change during the pandemic, but are filled with people who desperately seeking belonging.

As much as COVID-19 has been a disease of the body, it has also been a disease of isolation. People’s mental health and well-being have been put under severe pressure during long periods of separation.

The Salvation Army’s ‘unique selling point’ when it comes to homelessness provision is our capacity to embed support within the life of authentic Christian communities which we call corps. There is no other service provider that is able to offer this. This is because, primarily, The Salvation Army is not a service provider but rather a church that emphasises Christ’s presence in acts of compassion. Nevertheless, it is something that we have failed to make the most of for the last 150 years, in spite of repeated efforts. William Booth’s grand ‘In Darkest England’ scheme of the late 19th and early 20th century recognised the transformative power of God, and of a grand social initiative, but it did not take a systematic approach to integrating these aspects in order to make the most of the power of a Christian community.

This ongoing approach is vital in the response to homelessness after COVID19, recognising that spiritual, mental and physical well-being are all intertwined.

In the UK, we have seen a massive outpouring of goodwill towards each other. Neighbours have been looking after other neighbours and the community has stepped up to make a practical difference. This is something we can translate into support for our neighbours who

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have no home. Just because someone sleeps on a bed of concrete, with only the sky above them, it does not mean that they are not our neighbour.

We’re now really excited to be working on a model to be able to learn from the strengths and challenges of developing Malachi Place so that other corps in the United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland might be able to do something similar.

While it might not be necessary for each of the territory’s 600-plus corps to build 42 homes, something like eight or 10 would make a real difference. So far, a number of other Salvation Army fellowships have expressed interest in pursuing the ‘Malachi’ community-led approach.

We hope that very soon there will be Malachi homes across the country.

Captain (Dr) John Clifton is corps officer at Ilford Corps in The Salvation Army’s United Kingdom Territory with the Republic of Ireland

SWITZERLAND

REFUGEES

Finding a safe place

By Maria Khoshy with Commissioner Jane Paone

H

AVING travelled through Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and Greece, 13-year-old Maria Khoshy arrived in Switzerland in 2011 as an ‘unaccompanied minor’ with her siblings. Although Maria was born in Pakistan, both her parents are from Afghanistan and her identity is certainly Afghan. Today, along with all the members of her family, this 21-yearold has made her home in Switzerland, working as an apprentice in Business Administration at The Salvation Army’s Territorial Headquarters (THQ) in Bern.

The lack of security and respect as a woman, with no access to school and no rights – an attitude that ‘women are slaves’ – was something of which Maria was keenly aware as a young child. She wanted to find security, respect and the ability to speak out, even as a woman.

Above: aged around 15, Maria attending a ‘nohatespeech’ campaign, where she met the Swiss President, Didier Burkhalter

Fortunately, when her older brother returned home from school every day her father insisted that he taught his sisters what he had learnt. Her father and mother considered each person as a human being.

Because of this, Maria speaks fluent English as well as her mother tongue of Dari. She has a voice and she was able to use it to tell her story to people gathered at the UNHCR’s (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) first Global Refugee Forum, held in Geneva in December 2019.

Maria has come a long way, metaphorically, since her original long journey, when she travelled for a month with her two older sisters and brother, reaching Turkey then journeying to Greece in a group of around 40 people, then on to Switzerland.

It was a frightening experience, she remembers. They had nothing to eat or drink, were unable to sleep and experienced the cold – especially at night.

On one occasion, they reached a place where Turkish police guards with J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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Above: Maria with other members of the ‘Fighting Stigma Together’ group in September 2017; right: taking part in the ‘Commercial Employee Diploma Ceremony’ in July 2018, accompanied by her parents and brother; below left: baby Maria in Pakistan; below right: a young Maria and her sister after school in Pakistan

their dogs were controlling the frontier.

Maria knew that if they were discovered they would be sent back immediately: she froze, helpless, as their torches shone nearby but, by some miracle, they were not seen.

On arrival in Switzerland, Maria and her brother and two sisters were placed in a refugee detention centre in Basel. This prison-like experience intensified her feelings of hopelessness and insecurity.

Eventually, after three weeks, Maria and her siblings were transferred to a Salvation Army refugee centre near Bern.

Maria did not know much about this organisation, with its red shield logo, but she was pleased to be in a place where she was safe and had more freedom.

A small room was allocated for Maria to share with her brother and sisters. She

began to feel secure and relieved. Now, she had food, money, clothes, a place at school and access to healthcare when she was ill. After a few months, she even joined the volleyball club.

The staff at the Salvation Army refugee centre assisted Maria with her homework and helped her to learn German. They took time to play, talk and explain how things work in Switzerland.

After 18 months, Maria and her siblings were transferred to an apartment in Bern, where she continued to attend school and adapt to the new culture. She no longer saw the red shield each day and didn’t really think about it.

When a new schoolfriend, Tiffany, invited Maria to her home for lunch with her mum, Vivian, Maria noticed that red shield once again – it turned out that

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Vivian worked at The Salvation Army’s headquarters!

This friendship with Tiffany and her family became key to Maria’s future. She knew there was someone who would say: ‘We are here for you’, help her with questions or assist in completing complicated forms. When Maria was unsure about how the Swiss education system worked after high school, what possibilities were open for her, she naturally spoke with her friend.

Vivian asked what Maria’s interests were and suggested an apprenticeship with The Salvation Army. After a three-day trial, Maria confirmed that she wanted to stay and follow this course.

Having successfully completed a two-year apprenticeship and exams, Maria is now studying and working to achieve a new apprenticeship in Business Administration. This provides her the opportunity to witness the diversity of The Salvation Army’s ministries represented at THQ. Maria has already had a sixmonth overview of charity shops and the property department, and she will soon be learning about accounting, finance and fundraising.

Maria has grabbed the opportunities she has been offered – to complete an apprenticeship with The Salvation Army; to find her own way and gain

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IN HER OWN WORDS Tell us about your experiences as a refugee, and why you came to Europe.

My eldest brother has lived in Switzerland for more than 15 years, so I knew already my destination, where I wanted to go. I came to Switzerland for a better life, to have my rights as a woman, to study hard and fight for women’s, human, refugee and children’s rights.

What have you experienced at The Salvation Army that made you want to become more involved?

From the beginning I have been accepted by The Salvation Army as a human being. The Salvation Army never checked my background, my religion, my nationality and they never look at my skin colour.

Not being judged by people around the world because of your background, nationality, religion and skin colour is the best and most beautiful thing that you want from anyone.

What do you think you can bring to the Army?

‘She wants to be a voice for other refugees, affirming that a woman can speak out, feel secure and have respect’ self-confidence. Her dream is to study politics at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Speaking on behalf of other young refugees at the UNHCR’s first Global Refugee Forum in Geneva last December was like a dream come true for Maria. She wants to be a voice for other refugees, affirming that a woman can speak out, feel secure and have respect.

She is pleased to be part of a big organisation with so many different facets of ministry. She enjoys going to work and is proud to be a Salvation Army employee.

Maria is aware that not everyone is perfect but she wants to continue discovering about how the Army helps others, just like she experienced with her family (who are now reunited with their parents and living in Bern).

Maria sees herself as bringing a voice for all refugees, for those who are finding their way in new cultures but also for those who are still on the other side of the border. She wants to be an example, showing that – although she has been through tough times – it’s important not to give up. She wants to be a voice for refugees.

Maria says: ‘When I think of The Salvation Army, it gives me a positive feeling – the first safe place I experienced. The Salvation Army helps a lot. They do not discriminate and they show love.’

I don’t know what I can bring to The Salvation Army exactly, but I can say I can support The Salvation Army in every circumstance. I can fight for human rights, refugees, children’s and women’s rights all around the world. One of my big dreams is to bring The Salvation Army to Afghanistan, because the people in Afghanistan need The Salvation Army as much as other people need it in other countries.

The Salvation Army works in 131 countries around the world and I want to make it 132 – Afghanistan – and more!

Another dream is to study politics at Oxford University in the UK. Maria taking part in the UNHCR’s first Global Refugee Forum in Geneva

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SNAPSHOTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

INTERNATIONAL

Worldwide prayer wave SALVATIONISTS and friends around the world responded with passion and compassion to General Brian Peddle’s call for the international Salvation Army to ‘Follow the Sun’ and pray from sunset to sundown for the fight against the COVID19 pandemic.

Starting when the sun rose in Samoa on the morning of Sunday 19 April and carrying on for more than 36 hours until sunset in Hawaii, the ‘tsunami of prayer’ that had been called for by the General picked up pace quickly and didn’t ease off as it followed the light of the sun on its journey around the globe.

Prayers were shared in corporate online worship and prayer meetings, but also through individual and family times of devotion, and even in sharing between staff and service users. Just as COVID-19 affects rich and poor, believer and unbeliever, the wave of prayer was helped on by people of many races, languages, economic positions and social standings.

The General’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/GeneralBPeddle and the International Headquarters Facebook page received more than 1,500 comments throughout the event. An ‘I’m praying about coronavirus’ Facebook profile frame was used by thousands of people, forming a worldwide visual witness.

On Twitter, the #FollowTheSunCOVID19 hashtag featured in 361 tweets, with an astonishing potential reach of 1,483,611 users (ie tweets with that hashtag could be seen by that many Twitter users).

Instagram, which tends to have a younger user group, received hundreds of likes across six posts relating to the day of prayer (which contained prayer prompts and suggestions of how to pray), with each additionally being shared privately by users with their own network of followers.

Another way in which people shared prayers and prayer requests was through a blog which had 448 messages and

‘Many very personal prayers were shared, including from people who have lost loved ones and others who have deep concerns for friends and family’

received 7,601 visits from 97 countries during the Follow the Sun period.

Many very personal prayers were shared, including from people who have lost loved ones and others who have deep concerns for friends and family. Some wrote bravely about the difficulties they are currently facing because of the pandemic, including people who have lost their jobs and even a sailor who had been on board his cargo ship for three months, with no immediate likelihood of being able to return home.

The General responded to the unprecedented level of participation, telling Salvationists and friends: ‘I believe God is sending our Army to serve others at such a time as this. Please be safe in all that you do – but be his church in a world that needs our God whom we love and whom we serve.’

PHOTOGRAPHY

A faithful city London’s ‘Square Mile’ is known around the world as a centre for finance and for the moving and making of money. What it’s not known for is faith expressions, perhaps with the exception of the familiar sight of St Paul’s Cathedral.

In her new book, Faith in the City of London (Unicorn Publishing), fine-art photographer Niki Gorick sets out to show that the well-known ceremonial events in St Paul’s are just the tip of a large faith-based iceberg. Over a number of months she gained unique access to capture 22 | ALL THE WORLD |

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SNAPSHOTS

the day-to-day workings of ancient and modern buildings, where she discovered a vibrant, diverse spiritual life representing many faiths.

Alongside weddings, communion services, Muslim prayer rooms, Livery company carol services, Afghan music, Knights Templar investitures, Bible studies and knife-wielding vicars, Niki also captured special moments at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ), which has been a focus for a faith-based community since 1881. She took photos at special events – the welcome to General Brian Peddle, and the exhibition launch attended by the General and the Greek Orthodox archbishop – but also shows the everyday outliving of faith that takes place at IHQ, through department devotions held in the International Chapel and the regular outreach events to distribute coffee outside the building, providing the opportunity to talk and pray with passers-by.

Faith in the City of London is available to buy from unicornpublishing.org, amazon.co.uk and waterstones.com.

For more information, go to www.nikigorick.com

THE NETHERLANDS

A shell of my own place to live with help and guidance from an organisation like The Salvation Army.’

The Salvation Army’s campaign was backed up by the provision of additional

temporary accommodation across the country for homeless and other vulnerable people.

Cartoon by Loko/lokocartoons.nl

During the early days of COVID-19 lockdown in The Netherlands, a key Salvation Army focus was the impact of coronavirus on homeless people. An awareness-raising campaign addressed how the Dutch government’s instructions to ‘stay at home’ applied to people who didn’t have a home of their own. The campaign – which ran across TV and radio, as well as online and in major national newspapers – asked simply: ‘Stay at home? How?’

The cartoonist

The initiative attracted the attention of popular topical cartoonist Loko, who created a visual representation of the question that is being posed by The Salvation Army. In the cartoon, a slug asks a snail: ‘Jij hebt makkelijk praten, maar waar moet ík dan heen?’ [‘Easy for you, but where am I supposed to go?’]

Menno de Boer, Head of Marketing and Communications for The Salvation Army’s The Netherlands, Czech Republic and Slovakia Territory, explains: ‘The best solution to this problem is to provide homeless people with a permanent place to live … either on their own, or a safe J UL Y – S E P TE M BE R 2020 | ALL THE WORLD |

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‘Nothing can separate us from God’s love’ Romans 8:38 (Contemporary English Version)

The Salvation Army – still reaching out to meet human needs in Jesus’ name without discrimination

Download this artwork from: sar.my/atwdistance

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