Christmas Bowl Delivers Aid as Crises Loom
From Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
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Australian christians who support Act for Peace’s Christmas Bowl program in 2010 will offer a life-line to thousands of refugees who are suffering through the unfolding crises in Burma (Myanmar) and Sudan.
Burma’s military dictatorship has announced victory in Burma’s first elections in 20 years. Based on reports on the ground, the process was dominated, restricted and manipulated by the military junta. The elections have left the country more volatile than ever, with eruptions of violence causing citizens to seek refuge.
Cluster Bomb Ban Bill Introduced During Disarmament Week
From Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
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Today, a Bill was introduced into the Federal Parliament to give effect to the Convention on Cluster Munitions which makes it illegal to assist in the production of cluster munitions.The ANZ bank currently provides loans totaling $135.8 million to cluster munitions manufacturers.
In light of the Bill, Act for Peace (the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia) urges Australian banks which currently fund cluster munitions manufacturers for any reason to now cancel their funding.
Financial Investments in Cluster Bomb Manufacturers Should be Outlawed
From Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
During United Nations (UN) Disarmament Week (Oct 24-31), a bill to enact the Convention banning Cluster Munitions is reported to be tabled in the House of Representatives, though it is unlikely to contain a provision prohibiting financial institutions from funding manufacturers of cluster bombs.
The Christmas Bowl Offers a Chance to Vote for Refugees!
from Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
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Many Australians have said that a vote for either major party at the recent Federal Election was a vote against refugees. As the people of Burma (Myanmar) go to the polls on November 7, Act for Peace’s Christmas Bowl will give church-goers a chance to reach out to Burma’s refugees during a time of political repression and unresolved armed conflicts.
World Council of Churches Living Letters Visit
from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission
of the National Council of Churches in Australia
The World Council of Churches’ Living Letters visit to Australia has now concluded in Darwin, Northern Territory (NT). The team spent the past week visiting communities at Galiwink’u, Mapuru, Wadeye, Hermannsburg, Amoonguna and Mount Nancy Town Camps. They also spoke to students at Nungalinya College and Aboriginal Anglican clergy from around the NT diocese who were meeting in Darwin.
The team released a statement with their initial observations expressing gratitude to the people who generously gave of their time to meet with them and who shared their stories.
World Council of Churches ‘Living Letters’ Team visit Aboriginal Communities in the Northern Territory, Australia
From the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC)
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The World Council of Churches Living Letters visit to the Northern Territory (NT) in Australia has commenced in Darwin. The Living Letters Team is visiting Australia at the invitation of the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) and the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ecumenical Commission (NATSIEC). The invitation was extended to show solidarity with Aboriginal people and to share insights and helpful approaches to achieving Just Peace. Specifically, the visitors will listen to Aboriginal people talk about their experiences of the NT Emergency Response (The Intervention) and other social justice issues.
Australia’s religious leaders oppose religious persecution in Iran
Australian Partnership of Religious Organisation (APRO)
In light of reports that seven Bahá’í leaders in Iran have been sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, the Australian Partnership of Religious Organisations (APRO) joins the Australian Government in expressing deep concern at the treatment of the Iranian Bahá’í community.
These seven leaders – Fariba Kamalabadi, Jamaloddin Khanjani, Afif Naeimi, Saeid Rezaie, Mahvash Sabet, Behrouz Tavakkoli, and Vahid Tizfahm – were charged with espionage, propaganda activities against the Islamic order, and the establishment of an illegal administration, among other allegations. They have already endured more than two years of “temporary” detention under harsh conditions, in clear breach of the rights to which they are entitled under Iranian and international law.
Aid Workers in Pakistan Urge Australians - Time is Running Out!
from Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches in Australia
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Act for Peace’s partners responding to the floods in Pakistan welcome the Australian Government’s $25 million increase to the response effort though insist the need is much greater and time is running out.
Statement on Impending visit by the WCC Living Letters Team
from the National Council of Churches in Australia
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The National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) welcomes the decision by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to send an international ecumenical delegation to visit the Indigenous Peoples of Australia from 12-17 September 2010.
Two Critical Voices for Palestine Urge Australian Action in Melbourne
from Act for Peace the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches
Two outspoken and prominent Palestinian Community Leaders arrive in Melbourne this Sunday to call for unequivocal action to end the blockade of Gaza and justice for the Palestinian people.
The visit is set to coincide with the scheduled release of the Israel Defense Force Report, investigating the bloody attacks on the Gaza aid flotilla.
Palestinian Community Leaders Arrive in Australia
from Act for Peace, the international aid agency of the National Council of Churches
Two prominent Palestinian community leaders will arrive in Australia this week to encourage Australian churches and individuals to engage in community action for peace in Palestine and Israel.
