Feba Zimbabwe

The Bushmen of Botswana have lodged an appeal against a High Court decision denying them access to water on their ancestral lands.

The Bushmen of Botswana have lodged an appeal against a High Court decision that denied them access to water on their ancestral lands.

In July 2010, Justice Walia dismissed the Bushmen’s application for permission to use a well on their lands inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, expressing sympathy for the government’s position that ‘having chosen to settle at an uncomfortably distant location, [the Bushmen] have brought upon themselves any discomfort they may endure.’

The ruling came a week before the UN formally recognised water as a fundamental human right. It has also been condemned by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, Africa’s key human rights body, for denying the ‘right to life’ enshrined in the African Charter.

In 2002, the Bushmen were evicted from their lands by the Botswana government; a move declared by the High Court as illegal and unconstitutional. However, despite the ruling, the government continues to prevent Bushmen from returning home by banning them from accessing a well which they rely on for water. Without it, they are forced to make arduous journeys to fetch water from outside their reserve.

The Bushmen launched legal proceedings in a bid to gain access to the well, which the government sealed and capped during the 2002 evictions. Even though the Bushmen have said they will raise the funds required to operate the well, the government claims that they need permission to do so and has refused to give it.

At the same time, the government has created new wells for wildlife in the reserve, allowed the opening of a Wilderness Safaris tourist lodge with swimming pool on Bushman land, and is due to give the go ahead for a diamond mine at one of the Bushman communities.

Botswana’s president, Ian Khama, who sits on the board of Conservation International, has described the Bushmen’s way of life as "an archaic fantasy".

Bushman spokesman, Jumanda Gakelebone, said, "Like all human beings, we can’t live without water. We, the Bushmen, are appealing for our basic human right, and the world is watching".

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This report by our partners Christian Peacemakers Teams (www.cpt.org) was written after a number of interviews with Iraqis about how they see the future for their country as the United States withdraws. Their diverse expressed opinions show that the truth is much more complex than the US narrative seeks to present. The contribution of the “surge” to a reduction in violence in Iraq is questionable. Opinions on the reliability of the Iraqi security forces, although not entirely negative, vary widely. Iraq (www.cpt.org/work/iraq ) faces a highly uncertain future, perhaps becoming a success story, but perhaps experiencing more bloodshed. The US should think creatively about ways to support the people of Iraq as they rebuild their country.

Politicians need to focus on the human face of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, not their own political agendas, says a prominent churches' leader.

Politicians need to focus on the human face of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and not discard it in favour of their own political agendas, the head of the World Council of Churches has said in the Middle East - writes Judith Sudilovsky from Jerusalem.

"Politicians need to act and prevent this human tragedy," WCC General Secretary, the Rev Olav Fykse Tveit, told ENInews after a visit to Palestinian families who have been evicted by Israelis from their homes in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheik Jarrah.

He said that although there are many holy sites in the Holy Land, the people who live on the land are also holy. "This is not about political principles, this is about human beings. It is a shame that politicians are interested more in their own political interests than in bringing basic human rights," said Tveit, a Norwegian Lutheran theologian.

It is Tveit's first visit to the Holy Land as WCC General Secretary, although he visited the region several times before taking up his post at the Geneva-headquartered church grouping in January.

In addition to meeting with the leaders of local churches, Tveit was scheduled to meet with the Israeli chief rabbis, representatives of several Jewish group partners and the Jerusalem Grand Mufti, a representative of Islam. Tveit also travelled to Bethlehem and Hebron.

On the fourth day of his six-day visit to the Holy Land, Tveit noted that meeting with the family members from about 12 families evicted from their homes in the past two years greatly affected his understanding of infringements of Palestinian rights which are taking place.

Nabil Al-Kurd, 67, whose family was evicted from half of his two-building home, told Tveit that Jewish settlers harassed the families, and that the families' sons as young as nine and 12 have been taken in by Israel police for questioning.

Still, he also mentioned that every week a group of Israelis and others who support them protest against the eviction, along with the affected families.

Al-Kurd's 88-year-old mother, Refqa Al-Kurd, recalled how they woke up one day in the other building and found all their furniture from the front building strewn in their yard. She described how she had been attacked by police when she protested against the eviction.

"There can be no peace for both sides if both sides do not have security," Tveit said. "This has nothing to do with religion; it is an abuse of power. How can there be good relations with these people afterwards? If we love God we are also called to love our neighbours as ourselves."

Zakariah Odeh, the executive director of the Civic Coalition for Jerusalem who briefed Tveit on the situation, said the legal case against the families has been before Israeli courts for 37 years. Israeli settler groups claim the land on which the homes are built is Jewish-owned. Odeh said however about 28 Palestinian refugee families had been settled in the area under a 1956 agreement between Jordan, which had control of the area before 1967 and provided the land, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency which built the houses.

"This type of situation also destroys Israel … It is not giving [Israelis] the freedom to live as good neighbours," said Tveit. "Churches around the world have the duty to speak out to [those in power] about the responsibility they have towards taking care of the basic human rights here."

The WCC General Secretary said the issue of the presence of Palestinians in Jerusalem, including Christian Palestinians, regarding their residency rights in the city, needs to be addressed. He noted the need of support for local churches to keep their young people from emigrating due to a lack of economic and social opportunities, especially in the city of Jerusalem.

Tveit said it is important for the WCC and local churches to foster awareness of the situation, with programmes such as the WCC's Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel. This enables people from outside to the West Bank to experience life in areas under occupation.

The WCC groups 349 churches, principally Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant.

[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.]

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Malawi is quickly sliding into a dictatorship where it is a crime to hold dissenting views on government policy, church leaders have said.

Malawi is quickly sliding into a dictatorship where it is a crime to hold dissenting views to government policy, leaders of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian - Livingstonia Synod, have warned - writes Frank Jomo.

The charges come after the arrest and subsequent release of the synod's General Secretary, the Rev Levi Nyondo.

"We are shocked and surprised that government could stoop so low to arrest a General Secretary of a reputable church," synod moderator the Rev Mezuwa Banda told journalists in the northern region city of Mzuzu.

"Malawi is sliding back to the era of dictatorship and as a church we will not allow this to continue and I don't think this government will survive this," he said.

Nyondo was arrested on 20 August 2010 after speaking at the funeral of former Cabinet minister Moses Chirambo, who died just days after being dismissed from the government.

At the funeral Nyondo had said it was ironic for the government to praise Chirambo after his death, when it had removed him from the Cabinet.

Nyondo said that the government appeared to want the brother of President Bingu wa Mutharika to lead the country after 2014, but the church opposed this and would instead support Vice President Joyce Banda.

Nyondo was charged with sedition for uttering words that could incite public anger and has since been granted bail by the Mzuzu Magistrate Court.

Synod moderator Banda said the arrest of Nyondo would not intimidate the church into submission, but rather invigorate it to preach the truth. He said Joyce Banda, as a sitting vice president, deserves respect and the church will stand by her if she wants to run for the presidency in 2014.

"The vice president is being humiliated by ruling government officials and even our chiefs. Everyone says she can't be president because they want the president's brother to be the next leader. As a church, we have a critical role of delivering a prophetic message of truth. If the church condones wrongdoing, then it loses its salt to the world," said Mezuwa Banda.

The synod's deputy General Secretary, the Rev Maurice Munthali, said Nyondo's detention marked the first time that a top church official had been arrested merely for speaking the truth.

"As a church we can't believe that in 2010 the government can be so naive to arrest a man of God. This is dictatorship at its worst," said Munthali. "Even the first president of this country, who is said to be the worst dictator, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, did not arrest men of God."

[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.]

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The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches has condemned the killings of the four Israeli settlers near Hebron in the West Bank.

The general secretary of the World Council of Churches has condemned the killings of the four Israeli settlers near Hebron in the West Bank on Tuesday 31 August 2010.

The Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit has also expressed his condolences to the affected families.

In his statement, he rejects any use of violence as a means to gain "the much-desired and needed peace for this region."

"At a time when Palestinian and Israeli leaders are beginning negotiations, the extremists who encourage and legitimise violence must not be allowed to succeed", said Dr Tveit.

"To bring security to both Israelis and Palestinians, the negotiations must stop the occupation and all the injustices that ordinary Palestinians experience each day", he continued.

The General Secretary added that he and the WCC are praying for the success of the peace negotiations which begin in the US tomorrow.

"It is urgent that the leaders take the necessary steps toward a just peace and not bring another moment of disappointment and injustice to the people in the region," he declared.

The Palestinian Authority has also condemned the West Bank shooting attack, which is being interpreted as an action by Hamas to try to thwart the latest round of talks.

Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, opposes the peace talks starting in Washington DC on Wednesday 2 September 2010 and is not taking part.

A statement from the armed wing of Hamas, a group that opposes any dialogue with Israel, said the "Qassam Brigades announces its full responsibility for the heroic operation in Hebron."

The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority said it would take action to prevent a repeat of the attack, which killed four Israeli settlers.

In a statement issued by his office, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said: "We condemn this operation, which goes against Palestinian interests."

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France's main Protestant grouping has added its voice to criticism of government repatriation of Roma migrants and demolishing Roma camps.

France's main Protestant grouping has added its voice to criticism of a government programme aimed at repatriating Roma migrants and demolishing unauthorised Roma camps.

The Protestant Federation of France (FPF) has said that it is "concerned about the new direction of policies concerning the Roma population, one of Europe's most impoverished populations".

The French government began a crackdown on Roma and Traveller communities at the end of July 2010, after outbreaks of violence between Roma communities and police following an incident in which a Traveller was killed by security forces.

The FPF said the French policies on migration were again presenting a challenge to Protestants, who wanted to demonstrate solidarity, a welcome to foreigners and strangers, and support for the weakest of society.

The federation noted that in July it had denounced the "distortions and discrimination faced both by French Travellers and Roma".

It supported a call by the Conference of European Churches and the Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe for 2010 to be a year of churches responding to migration.

French immigration minister Eric Besson said on 24 August his government had repatriated 635 Roma to Romania and Bulgaria since the crackdown, and that this figure would rise to about 950 by the end of August.

France is host to around 15,000 Roma from eastern Europe, especially Romania, according to the London-based Minority Rights Group International. At the same time, there are long-established nomadic Roma and French Traveller communities with French nationality.

The statement by the Protestant grouping follows criticism by Roman Catholic leaders of the government policy.

Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, the president of the French bishops' conference, told reporters earlier in August that he regretted the "protectionist reflexes of those who fear the future, fear losing what they have, as more and more people are marginalised".

In a 15 August homily reported by the France24 Web site, the cardinal stated, "Can we take part in the growing gap between citizens who enjoy the security of civil rights and those who are marginalised and pushed slowly into exclusion?"

Another Catholic priest, Fr Arthur Hervet, who works with Roma communities, has said he has refused a national medal of honour he was due to receive. Hervet later said he regretted a statement saying he was praying for French President Nicolas Sarkozy to have a "heart attack".

Pope Benedict XVI, in comments seen as an implicit criticism of France, addressed pilgrims in French at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome on 22 August referring to the need, "to learn how to accept legitimate human diversity, just like Jesus came to unite people of all nations and all languages ".

The Strasbourg-based Council of Europe's anti-racism commission has said it is "deeply concerned" about the treatment of Roma communities in France.

In a 24 August 2010 statement, the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance said Roma were being held "collectively responsible for criminal offences and singled out for abusing EU legislation on freedom of movement".

[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.]

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The future of Iraq is more complex and uncertain than the current US narrative, says a report published today by Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq.

The future of Iraq is more complex and uncertain than the current US narrative seeks to present, according to a report published today by Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) in Iraq.

The report quotes Iraqis who shed doubt on the effects of the 'surge', the trustworthiness of the Iraqi military, and the reliability of Iraqi public figures and institutions.

“Iraqis in this report challenge the simplistic success story that the US is telling about Iraq,” says Marius van Hoogstraten of CPT Iraq.

The report, entitled 'Iraq after the Occupation – Iraqis speak about the state of their country as the US military withdraws,' is based on extensive interviews with Iraqi citizens in various parts of the country. It recommends that the US “think creatively” about ways to support Iraqi society before the US military withdraws entirely at the end of 2011.

The United States, which invaded and occupied Iraq in 2003, recently announced an “end of combat missions,” in preparation for a complete withdrawal from the country by the end of 2011.

The report notes that there is no consensus on the future of Iraq, with some interviewees expecting the security situation to get much worse, while others are more optimistic.

However, none expect Iraq to be independent after a complete US withdrawal. “I don't think the American army came all this way, spent all this money, then to leave [Iraq] a prey to others,” one Baghdad resident is quoted as saying.

Although the report confirms an improved security situation over the last few years, it questions the contribution of the 'surge,' - that is, the deployment of US military reinforcements in 2007.

About half of those interviewed pointed instead to the US withdrawal from Iraqi cities in 2009 as the major contributor to the improved security situation.

Many respondents see the increased skill and capacity of the Iraqi security forces as a positive factor, although a majority maintains concerns about their trustworthiness and independence. Another Baghdad resident quoted is worried about a lack of “educational aspects in the field of human rights and loyalty to the homeland” in the Iraqi security forces.

Respondents also express serious concerns about the credibility of Iraqi politicians, the “abominable state of public services” and the economy, and corruption. “The obscene opulence of some – and especially those on the payroll of political interests – is excessive,” says one interviewee in the report, “while the rate of wretched poverty in Iraq continues to pose a humanitarian problem.”

Tensions among ethnic and religious groups continue to threaten the country's stability. Many respondents also fear interference by neighbouring states, particularly Iran.

In its conclusion, Christian Peacemaker Teams Iraq makes clear recommendations. “In its waning days in Iraq, the US should prioritise the Iraqi economy, reconciliation efforts, and a culture of accountability in the Iraqi security forces,” says Van Hoogstraten, stressing also the necessity of US respect for Iraqi democratic sovereignty.

“There's a lot that needs to be done that only Iraqis can do,” the report concludes.

Read the full report here: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/13008

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Christian Aid is launching a new phase of its Trace the Tax campaign for greater financial transparency by multinational companies.

UK-based international development agency Christian Aid is launching a new phase of its Trace the Tax campaign for greater financial transparency by multinational companies.

The charity is asking supporters to help persuade four firms to back its call for accounting reforms which will help poor countries collect more of the tax billions which are rightfully theirs.

All four have assets and subsidiaries in developing countries. They are: Vodafone, Unilever, TUI Travel (which owns Thomson and First Choice) and Intercontinental Hotels Group (which owns Holiday Inn).

Helen Collinson, Campaigns Manager at Christian Aid said: ‘We are appealing to these companies to support our campaign for greater tax transparency, including the call for a new accounting standard to ensure companies report on their profits made and taxes paid in every country where they operate. It is really important to stress that we are not accusing these companies of tax dodging.

‘We want them to become leaders in their sectors and to encourage other multinational companies to support the campaign. By doing this, they will help shape global tax reporting and play their part in fighting global poverty.’

Ms Collinson added: ‘We believe that greater tax transparency will be good for business and we are hopeful that these companies will agree with us. Taxes pay for roads and infrastructure essential to commerce. They create a healthy and educated workforce. Taxes also help to make governments more accountable and countries more stable – all of which would benefit companies doing business in developing countries.’

Christian Aid is encouraging supporters to send messages to the four FTSE companies on postcards and by video, asking them to back the campaign.

International organisations such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) recognise that tax dodging is likely to cost developing countries more than the total that they receive in aid in each year. Christian Aid estimates that their annual loss may be as great as $160 billion.

Earlier this year, the charity contacted the CEOs of the FTSE 100 and asked them to complete a survey of their views about tax, development and country-by-country reporting - an accounting standard, which would require companies to be more open about their activities around the world.

The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) is the body with the power to introduce country-by-country reporting. It is funded by the Big Four accountancy firms – PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Deloitte and Ernst & Young – which have significant influence.

Christian Aid has chosen the FTSE Four because each one is audited by one of the Big Four accountants. As well as asking the four companies to publicly support country-by-country reporting, Christian Aid is calling on them to ask their auditor to support it too.

Read Christian Aid's report Poverty Over here: http://www.christianaid.org.uk/Images/poverty-over-report.pdf

You can also buy Christian Aid charity gifts and support present aid online.

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The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches has condemned the killings of four Israeli settlers on the West Bank yesterday (Aug 31).

The Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, has condemned the killings of the four Israeli settlers near Hebron in the West Bank yesterday (31 August) and expressed his condolences to the affected families. He rejected any use of violence as a means to gain the much-desired and needed peace for this region.

"At a time when Palestinian and Israeli leaders are beginning negotiations, the extremists who encourage and legitimise violence must not be allowed to succeed", said Tveit in a statement.

"To bring security to both Israelis and Palestinians, the negotiations must stop the occupation and all the injustices that ordinary Palestinians experience each day", he continued.

The General Secretary added that he and the WCC are praying for the success of the negotiations: "It is urgent that the leaders take the necessary steps toward a just peace and not bring another moment of disappointment and injustice to the people in the region."

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Visitors to the Greenbelt Christian festival, known for its focus on politics and the arts, have returned home after four days of worship, music and talks.

Over 21,000 visitors to the Greenbelt Christian festival have returned home after four days of worship, music, talks and performances. They were urged by Baptist minister Kate Coleman to remember that “God inevitably breaks free from our theological dogmas and challenges us to meet him in a different worldview, a different culture, a different theology”.

Greenbelt, one of Britain's largest Christian events, is known for its focus on society, politics and the arts. This year's theme was “the art of looking sideways”.

Christian Aid and the Methodist Church are among the major sponsors of the festival, which was held at Cheltenham Racecourse from Friday 27 to Monday 30 August.

Addressing the united communion service on Sunday morning, Coleman insisted that, “We're all capable of finding God in unexpected places and in unexpected ways”. She prayed, “Lord give us sidesight – the ability to look over our shoulders into our blind spot, into someone else's reality”.

Prominent speakers at this year's Greenbelt included theologians Stanley Hauerwas and Richard Rohr, human rights activist Peter Tatchell and politician Clare Short. Also drawing in the crowds were poet Roger McGough, the theatre company Applecart and, on the musical side, Courtney Pine and Gil Scott Heron. The programme also included numerous events for children and young people.

“Every time I come to Greenbelt, I learn something new and realise how much more I don't know,” said regular visitor Mark Russ of north London.

“There was space for alternative versions of Christianity,” said Ellen Elliott of east London, who was attending Greenbelt for the first time. She told Ekklesia, “It's quite amazing to come together with so many people, who I think are relatively diverse, who have a spiritual outlook and who are comfortable talking about that”.

Hilary Macmeekin, who was attending the festival with her children and with her parents, said, “The children's festival this year was outstanding. The events are so well-organised. It's just completely all-age now”.

Acts of worship at Greenbelt ranged from Greek Orthodox vespers to Quaker Meetings. A mass run by members of the Catholic Worker movement included a strong focus on the political nature of Jesus' message, with a calling to active nonviolence and resistance to war and oppression.

A large number of campaigning and charitable groups ran stalls and events at the festival. Outer Space had both a pastoral and campaigning function by bringing together organisations affirming lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Christians. The Peace Zone was hosted by members of the Network of Christian Peace Organisations (NCPO).

“We've had quite a range of ways for people to engage with active nonviolence that cater for all ages,” explained Amy Hailwood of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, one of the Peace Zone organisers, “We have had quite a lot of people coming up to ask questions”.

Other peace groups at the festival included Conscience, a group campaigning on the use of taxation for military purposes, who were attending Greenbelt for the first time. Visitors to the group's stall included a soldier who was considering leaving the armed forces after his recent conversion to Christianity.

Many of the political talks and debates had international themes, with Palestine, South Africa and the US all featuring on the programme. Sessions on domestic politics included a panel discussion on faith in politics and a workshop asking what we would each say to David Cameron and Nick Clegg in only two minutes.

But Niall Cooper of Church Action on Poverty expressed disappointment that Greenbelt had not made more space to focus on domestic political issues. He told Ekklesia that “there's no talk of cuts and it's as if the election hadn't happened”.

Greenbelt nonetheless had a powerful effect on some. Amy Poulson told Ekklesia that she is considering becoming a vegetarian after attending a panel debate on meat-eating. Nicki Crow of Cardiff said that at Greenbelt she can be accepted as a Christian in a same-sex relationship. She said that she wanted Christians who have a problem with homosexuality and bisexuality to feel able to attend Greenbelt and to engage in dialogue.

Naomi Jacobs of Nottingham said that Greenbelt had considerably improved access for disabled people over the last three years. “It's still tricky, but there are a lot of things that make it easier,” she explained, while urging Greenbelt to go further and to ensure that more of those working on site had training on disability issues.

Numbers at Greenbelt increased significantly since 2009, despite the economic situation and a call by the socially conservative group Anglican Mainstream for a boycott of Greenbelt. The group are unhappy that the gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell was invited to speak at the festival.

Greenbelt visitors questioned by Ekklesia's reporter displayed a range of reactions to the boycott call. Some were unaware of it, while others were very angry.

“It's ridiculous censorship,” said Emily Jesper, “Greenbelt is a perfect opportunity to have discussion. If they can't enter into debate, they might have some problems themselves”.

Clive Gardner of Brighton, who attended Tatchell's talk, said he found him “very fair-minded”. He added, “I think Anglican Mainstream have shot themselves in the foot, because it shows them to be against dialogue and debate, and therefore against growth”.

The religion and society thinktank Ekklesia suggested last week that Greenbelt is showing the institutional churches the way forward in a post-Christendom era.

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Deeply embedded in the religions of the Abrahamic tradition in this region, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, is the sense of loving your neighbour as being rooted in the adoration and love of God, says Mark Beach. Despite the complexities of the politics and religious differences which are steeped in the recent tragedies as much as historical events of Palestine and Israel, this is a powerful resource for change.

Military checkpoints are a way of life for Palestinians in Palestine and Israel. Each day tens of thousands of Palestinians move patiently through turnstiles and narrow caged walkways to go to work, school or home. It is a humiliating experience.

For the Israelis, it could be said that the checkpoints are also indirectly a part of their daily life. It is their sons and daughters who watch as the Palestinians move through the checkpoints to go home, to work, school or worship.

Some of the checkpoints, like the barrier at Shuhada Street in Hebron, lead to an empty, abandoned street with shuttered shops and empty apartments above the street. Palestinians can go only a certain distance along the street before they are turned back.

The checkpoints also carry a metaphorical notion tearing at any sense of neighbourliness that might have been part of the familial and religious upbringing of those entering the turnstiles and those watching them.

Deeply embedded in the religions of the Abrahamic tradition in this region, Judaism, Islam and Christianity, is the sense of loving your neighbour as being rooted in the adoration and love of God.

It is in this context that the Rev Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), delivered a sermon on the Good Samaritan this past Sunday, 29 August, at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Redeemer, located in the old city of Jerusalem. He spoke in the course of a day in which his WCC delegation saw firsthand many of the barriers that separate people.

The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 describes the qualities of life as it comes forward in "the great commandment to love your neighbour," Tveit said. The real question is who proved to be a good neighbour in this parable.

In the context of Palestine and Israel with their ever-present barriers and violence, all parties are deprived of fulfilling this purpose in life, to love God and their neighbour, he said. "Religion should not prevent us from doing that."

Despite the complexities of the politics and religious differences which are steeped in the recent tragedies as much as historical events of Palestine and Israel, the story of the Good Samaritan exudes a very simple idea of "loving your neighbour".

The story of the Good Samaritan is a story about a man who for whatever reason wanted to go to Jericho, Tveit said to the congregation at Church of the Redeemer. Along the way, his trip was interrupted by violence. "This story is perhaps more real than we want it to be," Tveit said.

When approaching a checkpoint in Palestine and Israel it is hard not to think about neighbours, neighbourhoods and being a neighbour. For Tveit, "in the end everything is about loving your neighbour."

It is a simple and perhaps naive message from the New Testament. How could such a message of loving your neighbour work in a context as complex as this?

Whom we should love is not so complicated, Tveit said. "Moral life is not very sophisticated: it is loving God, loving your neighbour and loving yourself," he said.

Empty streets, separated neighbours

The manifestation of years of violence within Palestine and Israel has meant empty streets with abandoned and shuttered shops, towering walls and razor wire fences meant to keep some people out and others in. In the end, it has meant neighbours separated, suspicious and in fear of one another.

As Tveit and his colleagues walked the empty Shuhada Street which divides the Palestinian Authority-controlled area of Hebron from the Israeli-controlled area, the silence of the street spoke volumes.

They walked with members of the WCC Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). The ecumenical accompaniers are volunteers from WCC member churches around the world who accompany Palestinians as they encounter checkpoints, or Israelis as they confront the policies of their government bent on splitting neighbourhoods rather than linking them.

As the group moved along the street, two of the accompaniers were called back to the checkpoint to observe a situation where a Palestinian was having difficulty moving through the checkpoint. In the end the situation was resolved.

The ecumenical accompaniers are always on call. Only Saturday night, in East Jerusalem, members of the Jerusalem team were observing a demonstration of Palestinians and Israelis who were voicing their opposition to the illegal occupation of some Palestinian homes by Israeli settlers.

At a T-junction in the road and under the illumination of street lights, the protestors stood on one side, a group of settlers at one corner across from them and the police on the other corner.

Toward the end of the protest a man from the protestors’ side jumped into the street and yelled at the settlers, causing police to move quickly to intervene. Younger men came running from other directions and for a moment the potential for an escalation in violence was very real.

The ecumenical accompaniers observed and documented the unfolding events with cameras. They had seen all of this before. The situation subsided, and the groups went back to their respective corners until everyone went home later.

But along Shuhada Street in Hebron, which on maps is now a "red line", where were all of the people? Where was the neighbourhood? At one time the street was a bustling market area with traders and buyers.

"Our neighbours need us to love," Tveit said. "Religion is about loving God, loving your neighbour and loving yourself."

The sign of hope Tveit found in the story of the Good Samaritan was not any reported repentance on the part of those who passed by the wounded traveller yet refused to help him. "That would make a good story," he said.

"Our lack of ability for repentance does not limit God's ability to bring love and justice," Tveit.

The fact is, even in the face of checkpoints and the separation of neighbours, indignity and violence, "you cannot take away the truth" of God's love and justice, he said. The parable of the Good Samaritan demonstrated that a long time ago.

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(c) Mark Beach is director of communications for the World Council of Churches, based in Geneva - http://www.oikoumene.org/

Churches from a broad range of countries and traditions will participate with prayers and other activities in the Time for Creation over the next 40 days.

In a message honouring the Day for Creation, 1 September 2010, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I has expressed his hope that the financial and economic crisis experienced by many societies would bring about "a powerful change in direction, to a path of viable and sustainable environmental development."

Churches from a broad range of countries and traditions will participate with prayers and other activities in the Time for Creation over the next 40 days.

In Christianity, 'creation' refers to the whole of the natural world and all life being received as a gift of God - it is quite distinct from the recent fundamentalist belief in 'creationism', which rejects modern science and theology in favour of a magical view of human origins; one rejected overwhelmingly by mainstream Christian denominations.

In 1989, the late Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I started a tradition of annual prayer for the environment when he proclaimed the first day of prayer for the environment on 1 September, the first day of the Orthodox church year.

Nowadays, 1 September is known to Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic Christians alike as the beginning of the Time for Creation, during which churches and congregations are called to pay special attention to the responsibility of humanity for the whole earth and all that lives, grows and exists.

In 2010, the WCC proposes to extend the Time for Creation until 10 October, so as to join a global civil society movement celebrating climate solutions around the world on 10 October 2010.

As 2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity, many churches will give thanks for the dazzling variety of nature and pray for its preservation.

The World Council of Churches and the All Africa Council of Churches are asking Christians to pray especially for and with people in Africa, where biodiversity and human welfare are both threatened by climate change.

Prayers and other texts and ideas that can be adapted for local use have been made available via the WCC website: http://www.oikoumene.org/events-sections/countdown-to-climate-justice/ti...

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Reform group Unlock Democracy has launched a special version of their 'Vote Match' online tool for the Labour party leadership contest.

Non-partisan reform group Unlock Democracy has launched a special version of their 'Vote Match' online tool for the Labour party leadership contest.

On Wednesday 1 September 2010, Labour party members will start to receive their ballot papers to elect their new leader, and candidate to be the next Prime Minister.

Unlock Democracy says its initiative is intended to help them make an informed decision.

Vote Match is a short online interactive quiz designed to raise voter awareness about the policy differences between the candidates on the issues that matter to them. The website www.votematch.org.uk has now gone live.

This is the fourth version of Vote Match which Unlock Democracy has run since 2008. However it is the first time it has been tried for an internal party leadership election.

During the last General Election over 1.2 million people used the quiz to help them decide how to cast their vote.

Commenting on the launch, Unlock Democracy's deputy director, Alexandra Runswick said: "Vote Match is designed to be a quick, easy and fun way to find out what the leadership candidates think on the issues that are important to you."

She continued: “Because the election is being held using the Alternative Vote, as well as matching you to the candidate who most closely matches your views, Vote Match can also help you decide on your second and third choice of candidate."

Vote Match is a project of Unlock Democracy in partnership with the Guardian newspaper.

People are asked to answer a number of agree/disagree statements about policy, and then to rank them in order of importance to them. They then get a match based on how their answers compare with the candidates answers to the same statement.

These statements have been formulated with the help of leading Labour Party members and bloggers, as well as suggestions from members of the public who have previously used the site.

Unlock Democracy is a leading UK campaign for democracy, rights and freedoms. It was formed in 2007 and is the successor organisation to Charter 88 and the New Politics Network.

It is also becoming the successor body to Power 2010, which brought together a host of civic-based reform organisations in the run up to the 6 May 2010 General Election, including the think-tank Ekklesia.

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Young people should not be used as tools for political violence in Southern Africa, says the coordinator of the Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe.

Young people should not be used as tools for political violence in Southern Africa, says Innocent Kasiyano, coordinator of the Student Christian Movement of Zimbabwe - writes Munyaradzi Makoni.

"It is a sad trend that youths are used as tools of political violence, and agents to instil fear in communities. That must be stopped," Kasiyano told ENInews.

The SCM official was speaking during the Sixth People's Summit, organised by the Solidarity People's Network, and held from 15 to 16 August at the Catholic Cathedral Hall in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.

In Zimbabwe, the youth wing of President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, which is in a government of national unity with the Movement for Democratic Change, has faced accusations of having been used to foment fear among those who oppose Zanu-PF, which held power from independence in 1980 until February 2009.

"The participation of youths should not only be limited to lower government structures," said Kasiyano, noting that there is a need to sensitise other youths in the region about their social and economic rights. He said the involvement of young people in decisions of the 14-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) would help develop new leaders. Kasiyano coordinates 36 SCM branches across Zimbabwe, with about 200 members in each branch.

Holding the Peoples Summit - a gathering of faith groups, civic organisations and trade union members - alongside the 30th SADC heads of States, also meeting in Windhoek, gave the students an opportunity to lobby on a number of issues, said Kasiyano.

"We want the leaders to allow youths bodies to monitor general elections in the region at least two to three months before the actual voting, to prevent violence," he said. He also suggested SADC countries should spend more on young people to fight poverty.

Kasiyano said young people must be part of the national healing process in Zimbabwe. This is also a recommendation of the Global Political Agreement that brought together Zanu-PF and two opposition parties after a period of serious political violence following elections that Mugabe's party lost.

"Young people were used in the violence; they must be fully involved in the national healing process," said Kasiyano, who is a Roman Catholic. He added that national healing is not enough, and called for a justice, truth and reconciliation commission, such as South Africa had after the end of apartheid.

"As part of civil society, we are not a government in waiting but we are there to fight for the voice of the marginalised to be heard," said Kasiyano.

SCM Zimbabwe groups students from 27 tertiary institutions and high schools, and focuses on conflict transformation, peace building initiatives, and leadership training. It has sometimes been strongly critical of what it views as excesses committed by Mugabe and his followers.

[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Conference of European Churches.]

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It is one thing to sit in a comfortable, safe environment and talk about the courage needed to embrace nonviolence in the context of active armed conflict, writes Garland Robertson. It is something quite different to embrace nonviolence personally in the face of great danger and to break allegiance with a violent company that actively pursues traitors. This is the story of one such person, a Kurd from Western Iran.

Sirwan appeared to be about 25 years of age, attractive in traditional Kurdish attire – a dark tan shirt with matching pants, a broad black waistband, and white shoes. He had read our Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) statement in Kurdish during a rally in Suleimaniya a few weeks earlier.

He brought to our office a report he had written on the conditions of Iranian refugees living in eastern Iraqi Kurdistan. He spoke of the desperate medical and nutritional needs of more than 800 struggling families forced from Iran. He talked of many dying, some returning home to live their final days in a familiar setting.

He wondered if we could arrange a meeting with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) agency in Erbil to introduce these issues and advance a plea for emergency assistance. We agreed to try, and also offered to accompany him on a visit to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) here in Suleimaniya.

He then talked about growing up Kurdish in western Iran, being recruited at age 17 by a Kurdish resistance party in Iran and taught to kill targeted Iranians. He told of specific assassinations he had been involved in, including following directions to kill the father of a close friend. He talked of friends and other soldiers killing themselves, unable to manage the images that haunted them after shooting others and seeing blood splash against the wall. He told of being passionate for and excelling in this activity and eventually attaining a high rank in the party, having multiple guards with him always. He spoke of how he had trained others to kill and to make bombs.

Then he explained why he decided to leave the party and try to influence Kurdish youth in Iran not to resist Iranian oppression the way he once had. He talked about forming, with a few others, a new alliance committed to nonviolently resisting his people’s suppression. He explained that very young people without much to do are easily persuaded by the violent parties’ recruiters. He informed us of a letter he’d received from a Gandhi foundation commending his decision, applauding the courage it required and affirming nonviolence’s effectiveness in accomplishing revolution.

He explained how resisting parties complicate the lives of persons who forsake their membership. He talked about how, in addition to reporting on the circumstances of Kurds in Iran, he is now also taking the risk of promoting the alternative alliance. He thanked us for listening to him and offering to help him meet with UNHCR and ICRC officials, then left our office for another appointment.

It is one thing to sit in a comfortable, safe environment and talk about the courage needed to embrace nonviolence in the context of active armed conflict.

It is a different thing entirely to commit to nonviolence when the choice means not only openly exposing oneself to unpredictable consequences by passionately working for peaceful revolution, but also breaking allegiance with a violent company that actively pursues traitors.

Sirwan is a courageous man, a hero for us all.

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(c) Garland Robertson is writing on behalf of Christian Peacemaker Teams - www.cpt.org

The Jubilee Debt Campaign is calling on the British government to exert pressure on international institutions to cancel Pakistan's debt.

The Jubilee Debt Campaign is calling on the British government to exert pressure on international institutions to cancel Pakistan's debt.

The Pakistani government is currently in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the country’s most important creditor, to ask for debt relief for the disaster-stricken country.

The IMF is believed to be insisting that Pakistan introduces a value-added-tax system and removes energy sector subsidies in order to receive further loans.

A range of charities, church and campaign groups - including the Methodist Relief and Development Fund, Christian Aid, World Development Movement, SPEAK (the evangelical student justice campaign), URC Commitment for Life, Share the World's Resources and the Christian Socialist Movement - have joined the call for Western borrowers to take some responsibility for Pakistan's heavy indebtedness, largely run up under military dictatorships.

They argue that Pakistan needs an immediate freeze on debt repayments, expressing fears that the country's annual $3 billion repayments dwarf current levels of emergency aid.

They also expressed concern that international institutions like the World Bank, rather than giving grant-aid, had promised nearly $3 billion in new loans to Pakistan to withstand the disaster, which will only add to the enormous and unsustainable $49 billion debt.

Campaigners argue that it is inappropriate for the IMF to hold the country to ransom amidst the current disaster, and that the regressive taxation system and reduction in energy subsidies which they are calling for will both hit the poorest in Pakistani society.

They are calling on the British government to use their IMF and World Bank seats to call for an immediate debt freeze as a precursor to wider debt cancellation, and grant-aid, rather than loans, to aid the country's recovery and long-term development.

Nick Dearden, Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign commented: "The people of Pakistan have already shown their opposition to the reforms which the IMF is pushing on the country. It is unconscionable to use the disaster to continue arm-twisting the government on these reforms. The rest of the world has shown generosity in responding to the plight of the Pakistani people - the IMF needs to respond in a similar way and offer substantial debt cancellation to the country."

He added: "We also call on the British government to pressure the IMF and World Bank into cancelling current debts and offering grant-aid for the future. There is no point in putting money into the country today, if you're going to pull it out again tomorrow - it simply condemns Pakistan to a future of poverty and dependence."

the Jubilee Debt Campaign is pushing the British government to:

* Call on all bilateral and multilateral creditors to immediately institute at least a two year moratorium with no accrued interest on all debt service payments from Pakistan. All of Pakistan's resources should be directed at recovery, not repayment.

* Ensure that emergency disaster-related assistance, wherever possible, be in the form of grants instead of loans.

* Lead efforts to establish up-front funding for climate change-related disaster preparation. With early warning systems, risk analysis, and preparation, Pakistan could have dramatically reduced the damage caused.

The Jubilee Debt Campaign is a UK coalition demanding 100 per cent cancellation of unpayable and illegitimate developing country debts.

For more information, see: www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk

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The Norwegian government has excluded the Malaysian timber giant Samling from its pension fund on ethical grounds.

The Norwegian government has excluded the Malaysian timber giant Samling from its pension fund on ethical grounds. Samling is logging the last remaining forests of the hunter-gatherer Penan tribe in Borneo.

Norway’s Ministry of Finance sold its shares in Samling on the recommendation of its pension fund’s Council on Ethics, which investigated Samling’s activities and found evidence of systematic illegal logging and ‘extensive damage to forests and the environment.’

Announcing the divestment from Samling and two other companies, Minister of Finance Sigbjørn Johnsen said, ‘The decision to exclude these companies… is based on the Council on Ethics assessment that they are contributing to or are themselves responsible for grossly unethical activity.’

Samling has devastated much of the land of the Penan tribe of Sarawak, in the Malaysian part of Borneo. The Penan rely on the forest for food and shelter, and its destruction by logging companies has left them impoverished.

In December 2009, five Penan communities filed two lawsuits against Samling subsidiaries. A case by other Penan communities has been pending since 1998.

One Penan man said, ‘Samling is trying to log all the trees in our forest. When they enter the area we will lose everything.’

Survival International’s director Stephen Corry said today, ‘If all responsible investors, particularly those using public money, avoided companies which violate tribal peoples’ rights and destroy their lands, it would send a clear and long overdue signal to corporations around the world. These companies should simply be boycotted, so the Norwegian disinvestment is a very good step in the right direction.’

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The joint synod of Italy's Waldensian and Methodist Protestant churches has agreed to authorise the blessing of same-sex couples in church.

The joint synod of Italy's Waldensian and Methodist Protestant churches has, as the denominations' highest governing body, agreed to authorise the blessing of same-sex couples in church under certain conditions.

The Synod president, Marco Bouchard, described the 26 August decision as "a clear and firm step forward that needs to be placed into a context that will be better defined, especially the relationship between churches and homosexual couples".

The synod statement said, "The words and practice of Jesus, as seen in the Gospel, call us to welcome each experience and each choice marked by God's love, freely and consciously chosen."

Before the synod, a group of Waldensians including a member of the Italian parliament, Lucio Malan, took out a paid advertisement in the Protestant weekly newspaper Riforma, warning that same-sex blessings risked splitting the churches, and affecting ecumenical relationships.

But a majority of the two Protestant denominations felt that their action is fulfilling the Gospel message.

Meanwhile, in the USA, a retired California Presbyterian minister, rebuked on charges that she violated her ordination vows by marrying same-sex couples, plans to appeal against a ruling that she said sent contradictory messages about the church's support of gay rights.

"Who does the Presbyterian Church think we are?" said the Rev Jane Adams Spahr, who is a lesbian. "We are they, they are us."

The 27 August 2010 ruling by a court of the Redwoods Presbytery, a church district of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Napa, California, rebuked Spahr for violating church policy on same-sex marriage by conducting marriage ceremonies for couples between June and November 2008.

Same-sex marriage was already legal in California then. Still, the court commended Spahr for "her prophetic ministry that for 35 years has extended support to 'people who seek the dignity, freedom and respect that they have been denied'".

The court called upon the Presbyterian Church "to re-examine our own fear and ignorance that continues to reject … inclusiveness" and it noted that the denomination's own rules offer "conflicting and even contradictory rules and regulations that are against the Gospel".

With acknowledgments to ENI - www.eni.ch

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Britain's largest lesbian and gay Christian organisation has urged critics of the Pope to disagree with respect during his upcoming visit.

Britain's largest lesbian and gay Christian organisation has urged critics of the Pope to disagree with respect during his upcoming visit.

The Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM) has issued a statement clarifying its position in advance of the pontiff's highly publicised four-day tour in September 2010.

"LGCM is an ecumenical organisation and consequently has a large number of members who are Catholic and whose beliefs and traditions we honour and respect," says the statement.

It continues: "Although we appreciate that many people, both Catholic and Protestant, have issues regarding the forthcoming visit by the Pope, we also recognise that many LGBT Catholics are loyal to the Pope as their leader and having him in the UK is an occasion for celebration.

"The Pope holds a unique position in being both the head of the Catholic Church and also a head of State.

"In the past few years there have been a number of communications from the Pope and the Vatican that LGCM has felt the need to challenge. We make no secret of the fact that we do not agree with the Catholic Church’s teaching on sexual orientation and consequently LGCM has spoken out regarding these issues. The Vatican has also been vociferous in its opposition to LGBT rights and equality legislation in the UK, all of which is particularly offensive to LGCM including our Catholic members.

"Cardinal Newman, whose beatification by the Pope should be the highlight of the visit, offered to drink a toast to the Pope – but to conscience first, and the Pope second. We agree completely. Therefore whilst we wish for the Pope to recognise the effect of his statements on the lives of real people and will continue to challenge anything that is in opposition to our Statement of Conviction, we hope and pray that our members will be blessed by his visit."

The Protest the Pope coalition of secularist groups has opposed the trip and promised noisy protests, but progressive Christians believe that this is unhelpful and counter-productive.

More about LGCM: www.lgcm.org.uk/

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Religious studies has entered the top 10 league of subjects in exams taken by most 16-year-old school students in Britain, the Church of England says.

Religious studies has entered the top 10 league of subjects in exams taken by most 16-year-old school students in Britain, the Church of England said in a statement marking the publication of examination results - writes Trevor Grundy.

The results published on 24 August 2010 also showed the number of school students taking religious studies for the General Certificate of School Education increasing for the 12th year running, said Nick McKemey, the church's head of school improvement.

"Twelve years of organic growth in student numbers cannot be ignored," said McKemey. "This is a phenomenon that indicates students' appreciation that exploring faith and belief help them to understand the world and become better global citizens."

Religious studies replaces French in the top 10 GSCE exam subjects. It is the first time that religious studies has featured in the top 10.

"Young people are clamouring for a deeper understanding of religious perspectives on issues of the day and how moral and ethical questions are considered by the major faiths," McKemey said.

Britain's major faiths include Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism.

The GSCE results cover England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as Scotland has a differently-structured educational system.

Ben Wilson, a Church of England spokesperson, told ENInews that religious studies remains in the top five of growing subjects with more than 75 000 candidates. In 2010, there were 188 704 exam candidates for religious studies, a 3.5 percent growth compared to 2009, Wilson noted.

He said, "It means that in growth terms … religious education is growing faster than mathematics and history."

[With acknowledgements to ENI. Ecumenical News International is jointly sponsored by the World Council of Churches, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, and the Conference of European Churches.]

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