Feba Zimbabwe

The Disasters Emergency Committee has announced today that their appeal for people affected by the Pakistan floods has raised £15 million.

The Disasters Emergency Committee has announced today that their appeal for people affected by the Pakistan floods has raised £15 million.

The DEC consists of Action Aid, Age UK, British Red Cross, CAFOD, CARE International UK, Christian Aid, Concern Worldwide, Islamic Relief, Merlin, Oxfam, Save the Children, Tearfund and World Vision.

DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley commented: “Funds are continuing to pour in thanks to the generosity of the British public, but with the Pakistani Government’s announcement that 20 million people are now affected, the need is growing."

He continued: "With floodwaters now spreading in the Sindh province, and hundreds more villages being flooded, the situation for millions of people in Pakistan is worsening. We are also very concerned about the report of a cholera case in the Swat Valley."

“DEC member agencies have already reached over 600,000 people on the ground but understandably, given the scale of the disaster, access to some areas remains challenging. We need continuing support to help save lives,” explained Gormley.

The disaster has already claimed the lives of 1,600 people.

The DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal is separate from the pledges being sought by the United Nations which is hoping to secure funds from governments worldwide.

A summary of all other DEC Member Agency efforts can be found at: http://www.dec.org.uk/item/441

To make a donation to the DEC Pakistan Floods Appeal, call the 24 hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, visit http://www.dec.org.uk or donate over the counter at any post office or high street bank, or send a cheque. You can also donate £5 by texting the word GIVE to 70707 – see details below.

Those wanting to stay up to date with developments in Pakistan, the emergency response and the fundraising efforts can follow the DEC on twitter at http://twitter.com/decappeal or become a fan of ‘Disasters-Emergency-Committee-DEC’ on Facebook.

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Award-winning Anglo-Iranian comedian and actor Omid Djalili has accepted a new role as QuizAid Master for Christian Aid’s first ever Twitter Quiz.

The award-winning Anglo-Iranian comedian and actor, Omid Djalili, has accepted a new role as QuizAid Master for Christian Aid’s first ever Twitter Quiz.

Djalili will host a live online quiz held on his Twitter page (@omid9) on 6 September 2010 at 12.30pm to launch this year’s fundraising competition.

Omid is encouraging as many twitterers as possible to join in the fun and take part in the online quiz which will last for one hour and cover topics including general knowledge, music, sport and geography.

The comedian said: “Twitter is the perfect way to get thousands of people quizzing at the same time, no matter where in the UK they are. The challenge will be to keep the questions under 140 characters. There are no prizes, just the glory of beating your friends, family or work colleagues.”

The Twitter Quiz launches Christian Aid’s annual fundraiser, Quizaid which takes place between 13 and 19 September and aims to raise £230,000 for Christian Aid’s work with communities in 50 of the world’s poorest countries.

Prospective quiz masters can hold their own QuizAid event at home, work, school or in their local pub by simply applying for a free Quizaid pack online at www.christianaid.org.uk/quizaid. The pack includes the quiz questions and answers and everyone who enters a quiz makes a donation.

The money raised will help change the lives of some of the world’s poorest communities. £2 could buy four school books for children in Burundi, £12 could pay for six months of school fees for one child displaced by conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and £29 could pay for a year’s supply of stationery and uniforms for a child orphaned as a result of HIV in South Africa, says the agency.

Log on to http://twitter.com/omid9 on 6 September at 12.30pm to join Omid or to hold your own QuizAid event, simply visit www.christianaid.org.uk/quizaid to register for the fundraising pack.

Christian Aid works in some of the world's poorest communities in nearly 50 countries. We act where the need is greatest, regardless of religion, helping people build the lives they deserve. Its report, 'Poverty Over', explains what it believe needs to be done – and can be done – to end poverty. Details at http://www.christianaid.org.uk/Images/poverty-over-report.pdf

Christian Aid is also a member of the ACT Alliance, a global coalition of 100 churches and church-related organisations that work together inhumanitarian assistance and development. Further details at http://www.actalliance.org

Omid Djalili is an award-winning British-Iranian actor and comedian. He was voted by the British public as one of the funniest stand up comedians in Channel 4’s "The 100 Greatest Stand-Ups". He has also starred in a number of films including ‘The Mummy’, ‘Gladiator’, ‘Spy Game’, ‘Over The Hedge’, ‘Casanova’, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean III’ and ‘Sex and the City 2’.

On TV he did two seasons of ‘Small Potatoes’ on Channel 4 and in the States co-starred with Whoopi Goldberg in her sitcom, ‘Whoopi’. Djalili’s own series for BBC1, ‘The Omid Djalili Show’, ran for two series. Most recently he starred in the David Baddiel scripted movie ‘The Infidel’.

He has had a string of successful comedy shows starting with ‘Short Fat Kebab Shop Owner’s Son’ in 1995. His most successful show to date, ‘No Agenda’, had record breaking sales at Edinburgh festival, and then transferred to a total sell-out nationwide 40 date tour, including two shows at the London Palladium. He has also appeared as the second Fagin in the new West End production of Oliver! at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.

In recent years Omid Djalili has performed in several countries including Australia, Austria, the USA, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Slovakia and he performed in Qatar for the Emir where he shared a stage with Bill Clinton.

You can follow Christian Aid's newswire on Twitter: http://twitter.com/caid_newswire

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

Human rights groups have criticised the TV “confession” last Wednesday night of an Iranian woman facing execution for murder.

Human rights groups have criticised the TV 'confession' of an Iranian woman last Wednesday night in which Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, awaiting execution by stoning for adultery, appears to implicate herself in the murder of her husband.

The interview was broadcast on Wednesday 11 August, on the '20:30' program by Seda va Sima, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

Televised 'confessions' have repeatedly been used by the authorities to incriminate individuals in custody. Many have later retracted these 'confessions', stating that they were coerced to make them, sometimes under torture or other ill-treatment.

“This so-called confession forms part of growing catalogue of other forced confessions and self-incriminating statements made by many detainees in the past year.” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“Statements made in such televised exchanges should have no bearing on Iran's legal system, or the call to review her case. This latest video shows nothing more than the lack of evidence against Sakineh Ashtiani”, said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

It is understood that last week, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s lawyer, Javid Houtan Kiyan, submitted a 35-page request for a judicial review of her case, a response is expected on or around 15 August.

“It appears that Iran’s authorities have orchestrated this 'confession', following the call for a judicial review and now appear to be inventing new charges of murdering her husband,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director at Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa programme.

Unconfirmed reports that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has recently been tortured or ill-treated while in Tabriz Central Prison underscores Amnesty International’s concern.

“Having Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani broadcast in this manner calls into question the independence of the judiciary, at least vis-a-vis the state broadcaster, and its ability to adhere to Iran's own laws. If the judiciary in Iran is to be taken seriously, this 'confession' needs to be disregarded and assurances given that it will not affect the review of her case” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

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“Money pads the edges of things”. EM Forster puts these words in the mouth of the wealthy Margaret Schlegel in Howards End.

The authorities in Honduras have filed criminal charges against senior officials of Entremares, based on evidence from aid agency CAFOD.

The authorities in Honduras last week filed criminal charges against senior officials of Entremares – a wholly-owned subsidiary of mining giant Goldcorp - based on evidence from the aid agency CAFOD of severe water contamination.

The data gathered at the San Martin gold mine in the Siria Valley area of Honduras revealed dangerously high acidity and metal concentrations in water flowing into a local stream.

The information uncovered by CAFOD (the Catholic Fund for Overseas Development, an agency of the Catholic bishops in England and Wales) was part of an official water monitoring report at the mine but was not disclosed or acted upon by the Honduran Government’s department for mineral resources or by Goldcorp.

CAFOD Policy Analyst Sonya Maldar said: “We welcome the news that action has finally been taken against Goldcorp on the basis of CAFOD’s evidence and local community concerns. Given that Entremares is applying for new mining permits in Honduras, it is essential to get to the bottom of events at San Martin and ensure that the people of Honduras don’t pay the price of pollution in the long term.”

Charges have been filed against two executives from Entremares for contaminating water and damage to the environment. The accusations against Christian Pineda and Renan Santamaria are that their actions contravened Article 181 of the Honduran criminal code, and if convicted, they could face imprisonment of up to six years.

Gustavo Adolfo Torres Garay, a former senior official within DEFOMIN (the Honduran Department for the Administration of Mineral Resources) has been charged with breach of official duties for failing to act on evidence of pollution. This is in contravention of Article 349 of the Honduran criminal code with a punishment of up to three years [imprisonment] and disqualification from office.

Goldcorp is one of the world’s largest gold mining companies and has consistently denied that the San Martin mine has caused environmental damage. On top of the undisclosed water monitoring report, Newcastle University experts also gathered visual evidence of acid mine drainage close to the mine site.

The Newcastle study was carried out in 2009 in response to a request for technical support from the Honduran authorities.

During a visit to Honduras in November 2008, Paul Younger, Professor of Hydrogeochemical Engineering at Newcastle University and a renowned expert on mine water management, noted signs of acidic mine drainage close to the mine site.

Professor Younger commented: “Goldcorp’s denial of pollution at San Martin has done the company no favours. If Goldcorp had been open about the problems, they could have avoided this action by the Honduran Environmental Prosecutor. The effects of acid mine drainage can continue for long after a mine has closed so the company must publicly commit to long term monitoring and maintenance at the site to prevent a recurrence of such pollution in the future.”

During a subsequent visit, Dr Adam Jarvis and Dr Jaime Amezaga, also of Newcastle University, saw unequivocal evidence that highly acidic and metal-rich water had discharged from one part of the mine (the Tajo Palo Alto) to a local stream, on at least one occasion. This evidence was in the form of an analytical report of water samples collected by DEFOMIN (the Honduran Department for the Administration of Mineral Resources), the government body responsible for promoting mining in Honduras, granting concessions and monitoring environmental impact.

Drs Jarvis and Amezaga’s report of their visit, which was released by CAFOD in December 2009, reveals acidity of the water at two sites reached levels of a pH between 2.5 and 3, which is typically very damaging to stream biology. (Distilled water has a pH of seven, vinegar three and lemon juice two). High levels of cadmium, copper and iron were also discovered.

This is consistent with a complaint presented by a local community group, the Siria Valley Environmental Committee, to Honduras’ Environmental Prosecutor about discolouration of the water flowing from streams originating from within the mine’s perimeter on 24 September 2008. Community members reported that the water was a “reddish colour (…) and emanated a strong smell of sulphur”. This indicates that contaminated water from the mine’s perimeter had entered streams used by people in the Siria Valley for domestic and agricultural purposes.

Pedro Landa of the Honduran Centre for Community Promotion and Development said: “The case against Entremares (Goldcorp) finally acknowledges the damage caused by this company which has had such a profound effect on the local population and the whole country. It is disappointing that an international company like Goldcorp refuses to take responsibility for its actions. We will stay vigilant so that the authorities apply the full weight of the law and do not allow Entremares to abandon the mine without taking responsibility for the damage it has caused to the local community and environment.”

San Martin was the largest open cast mine in Central America before it ceased production in 2008. Since then, Canadian mining company Goldcorp has been carrying out the final stages of mine closure, which it is expected to complete by the end of 2010. The mine has caused controversy from the start, with local people claiming they were not fully consulted about the project.

In 2007, the Honduran Secretariat of Natural Resources and Environment (SERNA) fined Goldcorp one million lempiras, equivalent in value to about £26,000 (at the time) for pollution and damage to the environment. The company has consistently disputed these tests and has appealed against the fine.

In the same year, the Latin America Water Tribunal ruled on a complaint filed by members of the Siria Valley communities, finding Goldcorp accountable for damage to the environment and unreasonable use of water in the Siria Valley.

Acid mine drainage is a process whereby sulphides in the rock are exposed to oxygen and water and react to produce sulphuric acid. It can have devastating impacts on the environment, contaminating groundwater with toxic heavy metals and killing plants and animals for years after the mine has closed. Professor Younger’s observations included unequivocal signs of discolouration of streams indicating that metal-rich, and probably acidic, waters have been discharged from the mine perimeter.

Communities in the Siria Valley have also complained of health problems, including respiratory, skin and gastro-intestinal diseases, which they believe are a result of drinking water polluted by the mine.

A study carried out by the Honduran Department for the Environment in 2008, found high levels of heavy metals, such as arsenic, lead and mercury in blood samples taken from villagers living close to the mine. The study has yet to be published by the government. Goldcorp denies that the health problems are a result of their operations.

CAFOD has attempted to raise concerns about pollution at the San Martin mine with Goldcorp on numerous occasions via letter and in person for several years. The Newcastle University report was presented to Goldcorp’s senior management in 2009 but the company has still refused to admit that the site had ever caused water contamination.

The agency says that without open disclosure of how serious the water contamination was, it is difficult for independent specialists to be sure that the remedial measures now proposed by the mine will be sufficient to protect the communities from long term environmental hazards.

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Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Britain in September 2010 is being threatened by low giving from Catholic parishes and rows over ethics and public money.

Pope Benedict XVI's visit to Britain in September 2010 is being threatened by low giving from Catholic parishes and rows over ethics and public money.

The cost of the state visit functions has risen from £12 million to £20 million over the past two months, and there is a £3 million hole in covering the costs of the pastoral and spiritual dimension of the pontiff's visit - which has also been mired in controversy over child abuse scandals and opposition to Vatican teaching against contraception and homosexuality, as well as its rejection of women as priests.

Attempts to raise money to meet the costs of the four-day visit have fallen far short, with church-goers snubbing attempts to have them pay to see the Pope, according to the Herald newspaper in Scotland.

So far, it is thought just £5.1 million has been raised, the vast majority from private and corporate donors, with only £1.1 million coming from local churches.

The millions being used to subsidise the state visit function have also been attacked by those who say that this is an inappropriate use of public money when cuts are being made to provision for the most vulnerable in society.

There are additional concerns among domestic visit organisers that the cost of attending open-air events like the one in Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on 16 September, has been putting parishioners off, with the charges of as much as £25 each to attend proving too much, in spite of assurances from church leaders that no one will be forced to pay if they cannot afford it.

Senior Catholic affairs commentator Clifford Longley says in The Tablet newspaper: "I wouldn't want to say that the reaction has been lukewarm but it certainly hasn't been red hot. I noticed in my own parish that they still have tickets available for the Hyde Park vigil and the Newman beatification. We're not in a situation where people are queuing around the block for tickets."

However, a spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Scotland said it was too early to say how popular the event would be, declaring: "There are more than 500 parishes in Scotland and only 20 per cent have come back to us so far with their figures."

Meanwhile, in London, the first public meeting of a 'Protest the Pope' movement took place over the weekend. It called on the UK government to criticise and distance itself from Pope Benedict's utterances and actions.

However, the coalition is being seen as dominated by non- or anti-religious secularists, and has failed to attract a significant swathe of Catholics and other Christians who are critical of the pontiff, but want to use the visit to promote debate rather than antagonism.

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World Christian leaders are paying tribute to the ecumenical community of Taizé in eastern France, which marks its foundation in 1940.

World Christian leaders are paying tribute to the ecumenical community of Taizé in eastern France, which is marking its foundation in 1940 by Brother Roger Schutz, who died in 2005.

In a message in advance of the 14 August commemoration to Brother Alois, who now heads the community, Pope Benedict XVI described Schutz as a "pioneer in the difficult paths toward unity among the disciples of Christ".

"Seventy years ago, he began a community that continues to see thousands of young adults, searching for meaning in their lives, come to it from around the world, welcoming them in prayer and allowing them to experience a personal relationship with God," Pope Benedict said.

Schutz, then aged 90, died after being attacked with a knife by a woman said by police to be mentally disturbed during evening prayers on 16 August 2005 at Taizé, near Macon in Burgundy.

In the early years of the Second World War, Schutz, a Swiss Protestant, had arrived in the village of Taizé on 20 August 1940 with the idea of founding an ecumenical monastic community.

"With him and the brothers who shared his vision and his tension, Taizé has become a true centre, a focal point and a place of gathering; a place of deepening in prayer, of listening and humility," said Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I, a spiritual leader in eastern Orthodoxy.

From the 1960s onwards, thousands of young people, initially from Europe and then from further afield, made their way to Taizé to experience its ecumenical spirituality.

The General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, described the community, "as a model for attending to the spiritual and physical needs of the whole people of God and in particular the needs of young people".

After Schutz's death, Brother Alois, a German Catholic, became prior of the community.

"Today at Taizé a hundred brothers, Catholics and Protestants, live together. And the community is often visited by young believers from the Orthodox churches," stated Patriarch Kirill I of the Russian Orthodox Church.

"The thousands of young people who visit Taizé and take part in the meetings organised each year by the community in various European countries show convincingly that the Gospel message of God’s love can still find a living echo in people’s hearts today," he said.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, described Schutz as, "one of the few figures who truly change the climate of a religious culture, not by the exercise either of force or of cheap popularity, but by a lifelong practice of Christ-like authority".

During his life, Schutz also became close to the Roman Catholic Church.

Shortly before his death, Schutz attended the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome, where he received the Catholic Eucharist from the hands of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who would become Pope Benedict XVI.

See the messages here: www.taize.fr/en_article11121.html

[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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Christian groups who fear discrimination say they want a "level playing-field" for British Christians. But if we are to take this concept seriously, let's not only support religious liberty for all people but also give up the privileges that are granted to Christians and denied to others. This would be a powerful demonstration of Christian love in action.

Last week I discussed the Duke Amachree case on Premier Christian Radio. I was intrigued by a discussion that developed about a “level playing-field” for British Christians.

Duke Amachree was dismissed from his job after giving allegedly inappropriate religious advice to a client, a decision upheld in court last week. The whole case has no doubt caused considerable distress both for Duke and for the client concerned. I would much rather that the dispute had been resolved by mediation than by dismissal and legal action.

I have not followed the case in detail and am not in a position to form a view on whether the judgment was right or wrong. A clear understanding of the case is hampered by the over-reaction of Christian groups and parts of the media. It has been inaccurately reported that Duke was sacked simply for “mentioning God”. This is not true.

On Premier, I discussed the issue alongside Libby Blaxall, a solicitor with the Christian Legal Centre (CLC), who advised Duke on his case. CLC is closely linked with Christian Concern For Our Nation (CCFON), a lobbying group who argue that Christians as a whole are facing discrimination in Britain.

Some of the cases backed by CLC concern clear abuses of free expression and religious liberty, such as those involving restrictions on Christians' freedom of dress. But at other times, CLC has argued that Christians should themselves be allowed to practise discrimination. A major example is the case of Lilian Ladele, a civil registrar who refused to perform civil partnerships for same-sex couples.

Many of CLC's cases, such as that of Duke Amachree, are very complicated. Forcing them all into a simplistic narrative about anti-Christian discrimination is neither a witness to truth nor an effective way of achieving a just outcome.

Civil liberties have been severely restricted in the UK over the last decade, which anyone who values free expression should find worrying. But we should be worried regardless of whether the people affected are Christians. Jesus has not taught his followers to be concerned only for people who agree with them.

When I raised this on Premier, I was pleased to hear Libby say that CLC supports freedom of religion for every individual. When I asked her why they do not work on the cases of non-Christians whose freedom is abused, she suggested this was not the organisation's purpose, saying half-jokingly, “We'd have to change our name”.

But they wouldn't. They wouldn't have to change their name if their Christian faith motivated them to be concerned for the freedom and dignity of all people. It's worth noting that the gay human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell has defended the right to free speech of anti-gay Christians with whom he strongly disagrees. It is sad if Christians cannot return the compliment of treating all as our neighbours.

Libby insisted that CLC is not asking for privileges for Christians but for a “level playing-field”. I heartily agree that Christians should be equal to people of other religions and of none.

At times, the freedom of individual Christians in Britain is abused and this should be resisted. So should the abuse of other people's freedom. This includes the demonisation and stereotyping of Muslims that is so prevalent in the media and which has become routine on the front pages of the Daily Express and the Daily Star.

Anyone wanting a level playing-field should recognise that the UK is a country in which over 99 per cent of faith schools are Christian and in which bishops get to vote on legislation in Parliament (a situation almost unique in the world). These are the vestiges of Christendom, the situation that prevailed for centuries in which Christianity was closely allied to political and cultural power. The gradual passing of Christendom gives us a great opportunity to look again at the real nature of Jesus' message.

When CLC and CCFON say they support a level-playing field, they might be taken more seriously if they were to stand up and call for the removal of the bishops from the House of Lords and the disestablishment of the Church of England.

As British Christians, we could witness to Jesus' values of love in action and servant leadership by voluntarily giving up the privileges which are denied to non-Christians. What a powerful message of love that would send out to others. Sadly, it is a message that much of the Church seems reluctant to hear.

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© Symon Hill is associate director of Ekklesia. His new book, The No-Nonsense Guide to Religion, which focuses on religion's relationship with society and politics, can be ordered at http://www.newint.org/publications/no-nonsense-guides/religion/.

A UN report says that food security in Zimbabwe has improved signficiantly, but that food assistance will still be vital for around 1.68 million people next year.

A United Nations report has found that food security in Zimbabwe has improved signficiantly, but that agricultural and food assistance will still be vital for around 1.68 million people next year.

The report follows a joint mission to Zimbabwe in June by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to assess the national crop and food security situation.

The mission found that food security in the country has improved following government efforts and an international assistance programme which has been providing farmers with subsidised inputs.

They say that the area planted under maize, the main staple, increased by 20 per cent in 2010 to the highest level in 30 years and production rose 7 per cent over 2009.

Compared with the poor 2008 season when less than 500,000 metric tons of maize were harvested, production more than doubled in 2009 and 2010, to 1.27 and 1.35 million tons respectively.

“The generous international support for the 2009/10 input campaign significantly contributed to this year’s relatively good harvest results, even if in some areas of the country rainfall distribution was uneven,” said Cristina Amaral, Chief of FAO’s emergency and rehabilitation operations in Africa.

The findings are likely to be seen as evidence of what can be achieved with international aid.

But it is not all good news. “Despite the improved availability of food, up to 1.68 million people will need food assistance because prices remain comparatively high for families with low incomes and little or no access to US dollars or South African rand,” said the report's co-author, Jan Delbaere of WFP.

Liliana Balbi of FAO added, “Zimbabwe has only 1.66 million tons of cereals available as against a total needs forecast of 2.09 million tons in the marketing year 2010-2011. That leaves a 428,000-ton shortfall”.

Part of this will be covered by commercial imports, projected to total 317,000 tons of cereals, including 200,000 tons of maize.

The mission estimated that 133,000 tons of food assistance will be needed to feed 1.68 million Zimbabweans in 2010/11.

The report's authors say that general poverty and chronic food insecurity had led to reduced diversity of consumption and had also contributed to an increased prevalence of chronic malnutrition among young children. The report indicates that lack of liquidity remains a constraint to accessing inputs and increasing food production.

The 2009/10 input assistance programme proposed a quick impact programme that aimed to substantively boost smallholder staple food production in Zimbabwe. The report states that the international community responded well and FAO received contributions from a number of donors, including the European Union, the USA, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and Finland. The EU made the largest financial contribution, €15.4 million.

In total 51,500 tons of fertilizer and 6,500 tons of maize seeds were distributed to 738,000 households. FAO say they also promoted conservation agriculture that helped farmers to improve soil fertility through the use of techniques such as maintaining soil organic cover, reducing tillage and better crop rotation.

The programme also promoted the use of vouchers which farmers could use to get the inputs they needed from local suppliers. The report insisted that, “The agricultural support programmes need to be continued during the next planting season to consolidate the gains achieved so far”.

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The coalition government's cuts to housing benefit could lead to increased debt and homelessness, according to Green Party leader Caroline Lucas MP.

The coalition government's cuts to housing benefit could lead to increased debt and homelessness, according to the Green Party leader, Caroline Lucas MP.

The Green Party insisted that the housing benefit cut is equivalent to a “big increase in income tax for poorer people”.

Lucas was commenting on a recent report published by homelessness charity Crisis. The report highlights the social risks of housing benefit cuts, which will affect 936,960 households across the UK who are currently claiming local housing allowance (LHA). On average, these households will lose over £600 a year.

The report also warns that cuts to housing benefit could have hidden costs in the future due to the social problems resulting from homelessness, including health problems and providing accommodation.

The Green Party cited the example of someone earning £16,000, after tax-free allowance, and receiving housing benefit. If the individual loses £728, this would be the equivalent of paying an income tax rise of over 4.5 per cent.

“These particular Tory-Lib Dem cuts will leave more people struggling to pay the rent, more people falling into serious debt and ultimately more people becoming homeless,” argued Lucas, “This is very unfair, coming at a time when many of these people are facing economic uncertainty or even redundancy”.

She added, “Once again we see the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition’s cuts hitting the poorer people in society. The government could avoid these cuts by properly tackling tax avoidance and tax evasion perpetrated by some of the wealthiest, which could raise billions of pounds a year.”

Lucas, who became the Greens' first MP when she was elected to represent Brighton Pavilion in May, is seeking re-election as as the party's leader at its September conference in Birmingham. No other candidate has been nominated to oppose her.

However, there are two candidates for the deputy leadership - Adrian Ramsey and Derek Wall.

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Activists have handed in thousands of postcards to Business Secretary Vince Cable, urging him to overhaul the controversial Export Credit Guarantee Department.

Activists yesterday (13 August) handed in thousands of postcards to Business Secretary Vince Cable, urging him to overhaul the controversial Export Credit Guarantee Department (ECGD).

The Jubilee Debt Campaign (JDC) pointed out that the ECGD has provided billions of dollars in insurance for the arms and fossil fuel industries, building up large amounts of developing world debt in the process. The ECGD is a unit within the Department for Business, which Cable oversees.

They accuse the ECGD of “providing a taxpayer subsidy to overseas projects which have been linked to corruption, human rights abuses and environmental destruction”.

The JDC say that they are particularly concerned that ECGD is the largest public holder of “Third World Debt” in the UK, with developing countries owing nearly £2 billion to the institution, another £2 billion having been repaid in the last 10 years.

Campaigners insist that this money is draining the coffers of developing countries on the basis of projects which have all too often proved detrimental to the population or environment of the country itself.

“Vince Cable has expressed his strong opposition to the way the ECGD works in the past,” said JDC's Director Nick Dearden, “Now is the time to put words into action”.

The controversial subsidies go back years. They include insurance for arms sales to the brutal Indonesian dictator Suharto, used in repression, which the current Indonesian government is still paying for. Until recently, the ECGD was also insuring the sale of arms by BAE Systems to the Saudi dictatorship.

Examples highlighted by JDC include a vastly overpriced hydro-electric power station in Kenya which produced only a small amount of the power promised to Kenyans. They also mention a dam in Lesotho which resulted in a corruption case involving hundreds of thousands of pounds in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Other striking examples include an Indian power plant involving bankrupt multinational Enron which cost the Indian authorities hundreds of millions of dollars despite being shut down because the local government couldn’t afford to buy electricity from it.

Dearden said, “It is absolutely unconscionable that this part of the British government can go on supporting projects involving human rights abuses, corruption and environmental destruction – and then expect some of the poorest countries in the world to pay for it.”

He added, “The ECGD could be used to help new, green industry, but instead it’s supporting massive corporations develop appalling projects. It’s time the ECGD dropped the debt and ditched the dodgy deals.”

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The Elders network has criticised the Sri Lankan government over its "clampdown on domestic critics and disdain for human rights".

The informal group of senior statespeople known as 'the Elders' has criticised the Sri Lankan government over its "clampdown on domestic critics and disdain for human rights".

The network, which includes figures such as Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, ex-UN chief Kofi Annan, the Dalai Lama, and former US President Jimmy Carter, was speaking about conditions since the end of the civil war between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009.

They have expressed concern over the "deafening global silence" in response to Sri Lanka’s poor human rights record and lack of accountability, warning that impunity may encourage other states to act in a similar way.

On behalf of the group, Dr Tutu declared: "The ongoing persecution and disappearances of human rights activists, journalists and government opponents is truly terrifying."

He added: "Unfortunately, previous internal commissions have done little to reveal the truth behind human rights abuses."

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate went on to urge the current Sri Lankan government to show "greater commitment to achieving meaningful reconciliation".

The Elders particularly highlighted lack of action by the government to address the political marginalisation of ethnic minorities at the root of Sri Lanka’s brutal 30-year war.

They called on the Rajapaksa government to withdraw wartime emergency legislation and make a public commitment to uphold the human rights of all citizens of Sri Lanka, including minorities.

In addition, they demanded that the government co-operate with the UN Secretary-General’s panel of experts on accountability and also permit domestic and international NGOs and media to carry out their work without harassment, intimidation or undue restrictions.

The civil war came to an end last May with the defeat of Tamil Tigers who were fighting for a separate homeland in the North.

The United Nations has estimated that 7,000 civilians were killed and about 250,000 people were displaced from their homes by the conflict.

The Elders were originally formed by former South African President Nelson Mandela to bring together respected independent peace activists and human rights advocates in order to make non-partisan interventions in current situations of conflict and abuse.

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The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament said yesterday that Liam Fox had undermined his own argument for excluding nuclear weapons from the Defence Review.

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) said yesterday (13 August) that the Defence Secretary Liam Fox had undermined his own argument for excluding Trident from the Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Fox has pledged to push ahead with the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system, regardless of the review's conclusions about Britain's security and about other areas of expenditure.

But CND said that Fox's speech today had in effect provided a case for nuclear disarmament. Fox said that defence strategy should be led by foreign policy and that the review should “put the cold war to bed”.

CND insisted that the logical conclusion would be to scrap Trident, which they described as “Britain's costly cold war legacy”. They added that this would meet the UK's foreign policy commitment of nuclear disarmament, under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

“Liam Fox has today made a compelling case for nuclear disarmament - all his arguments point in that direction,” said CND Chair, Kate Hudson, “A review now, before a new generation of submarines is ordered, and which seeks to move on from the cold war, can only do one thing - scrap Trident”.

Trident renewal has been opposed by a number of churches and Christian groups, including the Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed Churches, the Church of Scotland and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Individual Anglican and Catholic bishops have also spoken out against it, along with a range of faith groups, NGOs and trades unions.

Recent weeks have seen heated disputes between the Treasury and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) over who should fund Trident renewal. Nuclear arms have traditionally been funded directly by the Treasury, but the Chancellor, George Osborne, has made clear that he wants the money to come out of the MoD's own budget.

The official estimate of the cost is £20 billion, although CND place it at £76 billion and recent research commissioned by Greenpeace put the price at £94 billion.

In his speech today, Fox said that a decision on the matter has still not been reached. CND asked how the Defence Review could go ahead in advance of an agreement on Trident funding, given that the decision could have a major impact on the MoD's spending ability.

Trident is opposed by the Green Party, Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party. It is understood that Liberal Democrat MPs may abstain on Trident renewal as part of their coalition agreement with the Conservative Party. While Labour supports Trident, a number of Labour backbenchers are strong opponents of it.

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The two Dongria Kondh activists abducted earlier this week have been released. They have been campaigning against the development of a mine by Vedanta Resources.

The two Dongria Kondh activists abducted earlier this week have been released. They were kidnapped on Monday (9 August) in the Indian state of Odisha, where they have been campaigning against the development of a mine by Vedanta Resources.

Sena Sikaka was dumped at the side of the road on Tuesday evening, while Lodu Sikaka was released on Thursday.

Lodu and Sena both claim their armed abductors were plain-clothed policemen. Lodu says he was interrogated and beaten during his detention, and only released after he was made to sign a written statement. It is not clear what the statement says.

The two men have both been campaigning against the creation of a bauxite mine on their land in the Niyamgiri Hills. The proposed mine, a joint project between Vedanta Resources and the Odisha state government, has become one of the most controversial projects in India.

Investors including the Church of England and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust have recently sold their shares in Vedanta over human rights concerns. Both cited the Odisha mine. The British government declared that the Dongria’s rights have been violated.

An interview with Lodu Sikaka was broadcast on the UK’s Channel 4 News following Vedanta's recent AGM, where the company’s human rights record came under fire from high-profile investors including Aviva.

A team of experts commissioned by the Indian government earlier this year concluded that Vedanta’s mine was likely to “lead to the destruction of the Dongria Kondh” as a people. The results of a second official investigation into the mine will be published later this month. The head of the investigative team has told journalists to expect his report to be “another bomb”.

The Dongria Kondh’s plight has been dubbed “the Real Avatar” because of similarities to the storyline of James Cameron’s blockbuster. The tribe’s struggle has been supported by a number of celebrities including Joanna Lumley, Bianca Jagger, and Michael Palin.

Survival International’s director Stephen Corry said today (13 August), “While I welcome the news that Sena and Lodu have now been released, it does not undo the injustice they have suffered and the ongoing injustices being committed against the Dongria Kondh people”.

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The NHS in England is now facing a further funding crisis because it is saddled with debt from Private Finance Initiatives.

The NHS in England is now facing a further funding crisis because of the debt with which it is saddled from Private Finance Initiatives - as unions and health advocates had long warned.

Figures obtained this week by the BBC indicate that the NHS faces a total bill of £65 billion for 103 new hospitals built under the Private Finance Initiative (PFI), a way of creating 'public–private partnerships' (PPPs) through the funding of public infrastructure projects with private money on a commercial basis.

What is being described as an "NHS mortgage" means that some hospital trusts' annual repayments take up more than 10 per cent of their total turnover.

Analysts have said that the fees, which are rising each financial year, mean that less money is available for patient care. The additional costs also make it more difficult to achieve the £20 billion savings being demanded by the government - despite claims that the NHS is being protected.

PFI-led schemes mean that private firms pay for and build new hospitals and specialist health units, leaving the NHS to pay off what is effectively a mortgage over a period of 30 or so years - with a profit built-in and guaranteed whatever the economic conditions.

The data acquired by the BBC shows that the value of the projects when they were built was £11.3 billion, but costs for the NHS have escalated dramatically - by over five times the original value once additional expenditure such as maintenance, cleaning and catering is taken into account.

Critics have been saying for some time that the PFI empire is due to crumble, and that delays involved in privately funded schemes are costing the health service dear, both in efficiency and in mounting costs.

But governments of all political colours have been so ideologically wedded to the notion that 'private is more efficient' that they have been unwilling to look at the figures more critically.

Jonathan Fielden, chair of the British Medical Association's consultants' committee, has said in the past that private debts are "distorting clinical priorities" and impacting upon the treatment given to patients.

One example cited is that of of University Hospital Coventry, where the NHS Trust was required to borrow money in order to make the first £54 million payment owed to the contractor - and as a result was struggling for money before the hospital's doors even opened.

A Strategic Health Authority paper in 2007 said that debts at two major London hospital, Princess Royal University Hospital and Queen Elizabeth Hospital, had mounted as a result of high fixed PFI costs. Other hospitals in the capital and elsewhere face similar dilemmas.

The new figures also reveal the total level of repayments for the NHS in England is rising significantly.

In total, the NHS currently pays back £1.25 billion each year. This sum will go up year-on-year until 2030 when it will top £2.3 billion. The final payment is due to be made in 2048.

In theory, the NHS budget is being protected through ring-fencing under the massive cuts programme of the new coalition government.

But in realty, the health service has still been told to find up to £20 billion of savings by 2014. It faces increased cost pressures from an ageing population, the rising price of drugs and lifestyle issues such as alcohol damage and obesity.

Officials at the UK Treasury admit they may now need to seek to to renegotiate a number of PFI contracts in order to reduce payments and ensure continued delivery of services.

However, it is not clear that private financiers will cooperate, and some cases could end up in court.

Health unions say that the situation is one they predicted and an inevitable result of the 'creeping privatisation' of health under both New Labour and Conservative-Lib Dem governments.

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An estimated six million children are at risk of malnutrition, diarrhoea and pneumonia as unprecedented super-floods inundate Pakistan.

An estimated six million children are at risk of malnutrition, diarrhoea and pneumonia as unprecedented super-floods inundate Pakistan.

As flood waters rush south through Sindh and southern Punjab, DEC agencies are warning that as the polluted waters hits densely populated urban areas in the south, where poverty levels are even higher than in the north, the health risks to children are huge.

Mohammed Qazilbash, Save the Children’s spokesperson in Islamabad said: “Outbreaks of cholera and malaria are a big concern. In southern Punjab and Sindh there are vast numbers of people living right along the water, some in makeshift houses with very poor hygiene and sanitation at the best of times."

He added: “Children are drinking, washing in and going to the toilet in the same river water. If this sanitation crisis is not tackled now, in six months time, millions and millions of children will be suffering potentially deadly diarrhoea and other diseases."

Southern Pakistan is much hotter and flatter than the mountainous regions in the centre and north of the country. Here, water will not run off quickly but stands for long periods of time before evaporating. In temperatures currently hovering over 30 degrees Celsius, these flood plains will fast become huge breeding grounds for mosquitoes and malaria.

Doctors working in flood-affected northern areas of Punjab and Swat Valley are already reporting an alarming increase in the number of patients suffering from water-borne diseases including diarrhoea, food poisoning, vomiting and fever. There are also reports of measles outbreaks among children in temporary camps for the millions displaced by the disaster.

Save the Children and World Vision medical teams working in Lower Dir, Allai and Swat Valley each treat between 600 and 700 patients every day for ailments ranging from respiratory and skin infections to trauma. Over 60 per cent of patients are women and children.

Mark Bulpitt, Head of Emergencies for World Vision UK adds: "As we continue to reach those most affected by this flood, we must also focus on the longer-term recovery, prioritising livelihoods and education to ensure more of Pakistan's children do not become victims of child labour. Schools have been washed away so education will need to be prioritised, houses and health centres are unusable and then there is the emotional fallout of living through a disaster as devastating as this one."

The true scale of destruction of agricultural land, homes, sewage systems, schools and livelihood is not yet know, but the UN is appealing for £290 million to help fund its efforts alongside the Pakistan government in coming months.

The Disasters Emergency Committee in the UK raises funds for its member agencies which have now distributed aid to more than 500,000 people affected by the flooding.

A summary of all other DEC member agency efforts can be found at: http://www.dec.org.uk/item/441

To make a donation to the DEC Pakistan appeal call the 24 hour hotline on 0370 60 60 900, visit http://www.dec.org.uk or donate over the counter at any post office or high street bank, or send a cheque. You can also donate £5 by texting the word GIVE to 70707

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US faith leaders, including the National Muslim-Christian initiative, have issued a statement to mark Ramadan calling for respect rather than bigotry.

The National Council of Churches USA, its Interfaith Relations Commission and Christian participants in the National Muslim-Christian initiative, have issued a statement to mark Ramadan calling for respect rather than bigotry.

It follows a growth in anti-Muslim sentiment in parts of the country, and controversy surrounding the proposal for a mosque as part of an interreligious site at Ground Zero, where thousands lost their lives as a result of the 9/11 terror attacks.

NCCUSA chief the Rev Dr Michael Kinnamon has personally supported the siting of the mosque with a theological and humanitarian appeal.

The statement particularly singles out for disavowal hate speech and hate actions from hard-line church and Christian groups in the USA

The faith leaders’ statement reads, in full:

“As our Muslim neighbours begin their observance of Ramadan with fasting, re-dedicating themselves to God and God’s service, we as Christians are troubled by fellow Christians in the United States who are expressing intolerance against Muslims in words and deeds.

“Christ calls us to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22.39). It is this commandment, more than the simple bonds of our common humanity, which is the basis for our relationship with Muslims around the world.

“Grounded in this commitment, we question the anti-Muslim tenor of actions and speech regarding the building of Cordova House and mosque near the site of the former World Trade Center in New York City. We are keenly aware that many Muslims, as well as Jews, Christians, Hindus, and others, lost family members in the attacks on September 11, 2001. We recognise, as does the Muslim community around the world, that it was a group of Muslims who embraced terrorism and teachings counter to the Qur’an and Islam that carried out this action. We stand with the majority of Muslims-including American Muslims-who are working against such radical influences in their communities. They have our support for building the Cordova House as a living monument to mark the tragedy of 9/11 through a community centre dedicated to learning, compassion, and respect for all people. This effort is consistent with our country’s principle of freedom of religion, and the rights all citizens should enjoy.

“We also decry the anti-Muslim actions and plans of many church leaders and members, such as those of the Dove World Outreach Center in the USA. Misguided or confused about the love of neighbour by which Christ calls us to live, leaders and members of this church and others are engaged in harassment of Muslims, and in the planning of an ‘International Burn the Qur’an Day’ , to be held on September 11th. Such open acts of hatred are not a witness to Christian faith, but a grave trespass against the ninth commandment, a bearing of false witness against our neighbour. They contradict the ministry of Christ and the witness of the church in the world.

“We ask all Christians to promote respect and love of neighbour, and to speak and work against extremist ideas, working with Muslims as appropriate, in order to live out the commandment to love our neighbour, and to promote peace.

“The National Muslim-Christian Initiative brings together 14 religious bodies from various streams of Muslim and Christian communities, who seek to enhance mutual understanding, respect, appreciation and support of what is Sacred for each other through dialogue, education and sustained visible encounters that foster and nurture relationships.”

Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA has been a leading force for ecumenical cooperation among Christians in the United States.

The NCCUSA’s 36 member faith groups—from a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace churches—include 45 million persons in more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

Also on Ekklesia The Rev Dr Michael Kinnamon's article on Cordova House and Mosque at Ground Zero - http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/12842

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The building of Cordova House and Mosque near Ground Zero in New York, where many lost their lives on 9/11, has become a subject of heated debate. Michael Kinnamon, who heads up the National Council of Churches USA, cuts through the controversy to make a directly Christian appeal for neighbourly love.

For thousands of families, Ground Zero in southern Manhattan is holy ground. Thousands lost someone they love in the terror attacks of 11 September 2001, and hundreds of thousands know someone who was directly or indirectly scarred by the collapse of the World Trade Center. The emotional investment in Ground Zero cannot be overestimated.

That is precisely why Ground Zero must be open to the religious expression of all people whose lives were scarred by the tragedy: Christians, Jews, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus, and more. And Muslims.

No one knows how many Muslims died on 9/11, but they number in the hundreds. One was Salman Hamdani, a 23-year-old New York City police cadet, emergency medical technician and medical student. When Salman disappeared on September 11, law enforcement officials who knew of his Islamic faith sought him out among his family to question him about the attacks. His family lived with the onus of suspicion for six months until Salman’s body was identified. He was found near the North Tower with his EMT bag beside him, situated where he could help people in need.

The point of this now famous story is simple. Not every Muslim at Ground Zero was a terrorist, and not every Muslim was a hero. The vast majority were like thousands of others on September 11: victims of one of the most heinous events of our times.

But for the family of Salman Hamdani and millions of innocent Muslims, the tragedy has been exacerbated by the fact that so many of the rest of us have formed our opinions about them out of prejudice and ignorance of the Muslim faith.

It is that narrow-minded intolerance that has led to the outcry against the building of Cordova House and Mosque near Ground Zero. It is the same ignorance that has led many to the outrageous conclusion that all Muslims advocate hatred and violence against non-Muslims. It is the same ignorance that has led to hate crimes and systematic discrimination against Muslims, and to calls to burn the Qur’an.

On the eve of Ramadan on 11 August 2010, the National Council of Churches, its Interfaith Relations Commission and Christian participants in the National Muslim-Christian Initiative, issued a strong call for respect for our Muslim neighbours.

“Christ calls us to ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ (Matthew 22:39),” the statement said. “It is this commandment, more than the simple bonds of our common humanity, which is the basis for our relationship with Muslims around the world.”

The statement supported building Cordova House “as a living monument to mark the tragedy of 9/11 through a community centre dedicated to learning, compassion, and respect for all people.”

Now the National Council of Churches reaffirms that support and calls upon Christians and people of faith to join us in that affirmation.

The alternative to that support is to engage in a bigotry that will scar our generation in the same way as bigotry scarred our forebears.

Three hundred years ago, European settlers came to these shores with a determination to conquer and settle at the expense of millions of indigenous peoples who were regarded as sub-human savages. Today, we can’t look back on that history without painful contrition.

One-hundred and fifty years ago, white Americans subjugated black Africans in a cruel slavery that was justified with Bible proof-texts and a belief that blacks were inferior to whites. Today, we look back on that history with agonised disbelief.

Sixty years ago, in a time of war and great fear, tens of thousands of Japanese-Americans were deprived of their property and forced into detention camps because our grandparents feared everyone of Japanese ancestry. Today that decision is universally regarded as an unconscionable mistake and a blot on American history.

Today, millions of Muslims are subjected to thoughtless generalisations, open discrimination and outright hostility because of the actions of a tiny minority whose violent acts defy the teachings of Mohammed.

How will we explain our ignorance and our compliance to our grandchildren?

It’s time to turn away from ignorance and embrace again the words of Christ: Love your neighbour as yourself.

In that spirit, we welcome the building of Cordova House and Mosque near Ground Zero.

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(c) Michael Kinnamon, a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) clergyman and a long-time educator and ecumenical leader, is the ninth General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (http://www.ncccusa.org/).

The charity Crisis warns of increased levels of debt and homelessness as new figures reveal areas that will be hardest hit by planned cuts to housing benefit.

The Government announced cuts of £1.8 billion to housing benefit in its emergency Budget soon after coming to power. According to an impact assessment by the Department of Work and Pensions, almost a million households reliant on Local Housing Allowance (LHA) - the form of housing benefit paid to tenants in the private rented sector - will be affected. On average, over £600 a year will be lost from some of the poorest households in the country.

These cuts will leave tenants falling into rent arrears and increasing debt or being forced to leave their homes and at worst, becoming homeless.

The local authorities with the highest numbers of households affected are spread across the UK:

18,870 households in Birmingham
15,610 in Leeds
12,620 in Liverpool
12,550 in Brighton
12,420 in Blackpool
11,180 in Cornwall
10,470 in Bradford
10,210 in Manchester
9,660 in City of Edinburgh
9,650 in Brent

Leslie Morphy, the Chief Executive of Crisis, said: "The Government promised that in cutting the deficit it would protect the most vulnerable, but these figures show that thousands of those who are in greatest need will have their income hit when they can least afford it. Far from hitting just expensive areas in London, these cuts will have a massive impact across the nation, including on households in areas which rank amongst the most deprived in the country.

"As vulnerable private tenants see their income slashed they will inevitably fall into rent arrears or debt and face the spectre of homelessness. The Government must totally rethink these cuts now.

"Not only would a surge in homelessness cause damage for generations to come, it is also counter-productive. The costs to society of somebody who has lost their home are huge compared to keeping someone in accommodation."

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Amnesty International calls on the Indian authorities to investigate the abduction of indigenous leaders campaigning against a bauxite mine project in Orissa.

Amnesty International is calling on the Indian authorities urgently to investigate the armed abduction of two indigenous leaders, who were on their way to campaign against the bauxite mine project proposed by a subsidiary of UK-based company Vedanta Resources, and the Orissa Mining Corporation.

The pair were abducted on 9 August in Orissa province, in the east of India. One of the activists, Sana Sikaka, was ‘released’ late last night by being thrown out of a van, and has alleged that the gunmen were police. Lado Sikaka, the most senior leader of the Dongria Kondh indigenous community, is still being held by the gunmen.

Orissa provincial police have remained silent on who was responsible for the abduction, and have not opened any investigation despite requests by activists.

Madhu Malhotra, Amnesty International’s Deputy-Director for the Asia-Pacific, said: “This allegation of arbitrary detention and abduction of activists must be immediately and transparently investigated.

“The Orissa police must show its good faith by securing the release of Lado Sikaka, immediately tracking down and arresting these gunmen."

Sana Sikaka told local media today that he and a group of activists were stopped by 15 armed plainclothes officers at the foothills of Niyamgiri mountain, as they were leaving in a van to travel to Delhi, where they planned to campaign against the bauxite mine project. The gunmen confiscated the mobile phones of activists and their vehicle. They then detained Lado and Sana Sikaka, driving them towards the neighbouring district of Rayagada where Sana suspects Lado is being held.

The Dongria Kondh indigenous community is known for their activism to protect their sacred mountain Niyamgiri from the proposed bauxite-mine .

Amnesty International urges the Indian authorities to establish a process to seek the free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) of the Dongria Kondh before proceeding with the proposed mine project in Niyamgiri. This must include:

-providing the Dongria Kondh with accessible and adequate information about the project;

-undertaking, in genuine and open consultation with the Dongria Kondh, a comprehensive human rights and environmental impact assessment of the project. There should be appropriate procedural safeguards to ensure their participation in the assessment process and that their knowledge and perspectives of the Hills are given due weight and respect;

-respecting the decision of the Dongria Kondh if they do not provide consent to the project.

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