South Africa: Christian initiative to break debt cycle
A group of Christian leaders in the Eastern Free State town of Harrismith aim to help people get out of debt and into ‘a spacious financial space’ through an innovative programme that will provide interest free loans and financial mentoring. It’s called Fruits of Righteousness Programme. The vision is to empower the Body of Christ and to bring freedom in the financial sphere. Debt is a huge problem affecting many people in South Africa. After apartheid ended the international development community promoted the microcredit model to bring new jobs, incomes, empowerment and dignity to the poorest black communities and townships. However, the microcredit model has inflicted untold damage on the South African society. Unemployment is high, many of the poorest were forced to repay their microloan by selling household assets, borrowing from friends and family or taking out new microloans to repay old ones. Many are in chronic poverty. See also:
Afghanistan: Women’s shelters - legacy of the West in Afghanistan
A young woman running away from her Afghan village and an arranged marriage is comparable to crossing a busy street blindfolded - there is a strong likelihood that she will be killed for bringing shame on her family. Over the last decade about 20 emergency women’s shelters have sprung up. They have cared for and protected several thousand women across Afghanistan from abuse or death at the hands of their relatives. As the shelters have grown, so has the opposition of powerful conservative imams and the Afghan government. They see shelters as Western assaults on Afghan culture. As the Western presence in Afghanistan dwindles this clash of ideas of the place of women means many gains women made after 2001 are at risk. Although the Taliban’s harsh restrictions on women alienated many Afghans, the idea that women must submit to men remains widely held.
Laos: Pastors in prison for praying for the sick
Five church leaders in Laos were imprisoned last week for being ‘illegal doctors’ after they prayed for a sick woman who later died. They are currently in Savannakhet Provincial Prison serving a nine months sentence. They were also fined for emotional damages and forced to pay for funeral expenses. On the day the woman died, her family received permission from the village chief to hold a Christian burial ceremony on private property. (Christians are denied burial rights in village cemeteries). However the chief suddenly reversed his decision and banned the burial ceremony until the family recanted their Christian faith, which they refused to do. Laos is a landlocked country surrounded by Burma, the People's Republic of China, Vietnam and Thailand to the west. It is ruled by a Marxist and communist government. Its population was estimated to be around 6.8 million in July 2014 and 3.1% is Christian.
Global: Racism and equality
Following unrest in Ferguson in America when an unarmed black man was killed by a white police officer, an inquiry reported that black residents routinely have their constitutional rights violated through unjustified arrests, traffic stops and other actions carried out by a racially biased police department. But USA is not the only country that needs to crack down on racism. In France recently a mayor was in a racism row after a dead Roma baby was refused a cemetery place. The Telegraph reported this week that British Sikhs are often the silent victims of backlash against Islamic extremism. In Russia a report by two anti-discrimination organizations said there had been more than 200 cases of discriminatory behaviour linked to Russian soccer over two seasons, while English police are probing reports of soccer fans' racism on trains and in Switzerland UEFA has charged Feyenoord with racist behaviour by fans. See also
Syria: Daesh (IS militants) abduct 150 Christians
Over 150 Syrian Christians, including women and elderly, were kidnapped by Daesh militants, (IS’s Arabic name is translated as ad-Dawlah leading to the acronym Daesh). The abductions began at 4.00am on 23 February on a 40km front along the River Khabour. There are 35 Christian villages along the river in that area. The Daesh offensive follows clashes in which Kurdish and Syrian militias claim to have 'liberated' villages from Daesh control in neighbouring Raqqa Governorate. Over 600 families managed to flee from these villages, however many Christians were abducted. There are reports that churches in two villages were set on fire and a 17-year-old Christian was murdered. Examples of Muslim neighbours showing solidarity and assisting Christians have also emerged. The Gulf Today reported on Wednesday that the total of abducted Christians is now more than 150. See
Iran: Nuclear programme discussions as deadline looms
The P5+1 is a group of six world powers which in 2006 initiated diplomatic efforts with Iran with regard to Iran's nuclear program. They are UN Security Council members, (United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom, and France, plus Germany). Earlier this week US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks in Geneva to resolve the remaining issues on Tehran's contentious nuclear programme, as a meeting of the P5+1 nations with Iran ended. The bilateral meeting between Kerry and Zarif was also attended by US Energy Secretary, Ernest Moniz and Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation director, Ali Akbar Salehi. The deadline for the six world powers and Iran to reach a political agreement.31 March Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said it was astonishing that even after the recent IAEA report determined that Iran is continuing to hide the military components of its nuclear program, the nuclear talks are proceeding. See
South Africa: Iran pursuing South African technology to beat sanctions
The South African Security Agency (SSA) spied on Iran according to an Al-Jazeera report showing South Africa monitoring Iranian agents. Apparently South African intelligence agents reported that the Iranians were interested in technology used for satellite interception, online surveillance and hacking. South African security services were concerned at Iran's efforts to use official and unofficial channels in South Africa to beat western-imposed sanctions. Al-Jazeera was in possession of the 128-page report ‘Operational Target Analysis’ which was written by South African spies and profiled dozens of alleged Iranian operatives. The report said British agents had similarly monitored Iran's activities in South Africa. The agents also profiled a number of carpet shops, publishers and other small businesses they believed had links to Iran's intelligence agencies.
Mexico: Missing students - mysterious developments
Last November rioters demanded justice for 43 missing college students allegedly abducted by the municipal police in Iguala city in October. In January this year Mexico's government said the missing students had been handed over to a drug cartel by police and then killed and burned to ashes. Many groups questioned this conclusion, saying the government wanted to close the case. This week Argentine forensics team said the attorney general's office made mistakes in 20 genetic profiles collected from student's family members. The government, a mayor, police officers and violent gang members have all been implicated in criminal activities linked to the missing students. No investigation has given plausible evidence to confirm what really happened, or where the missing students or their bodies are.
China: Refugee influx from Myanmar
Myanmar has declared a state of emergency in a border region where fighting between the army and a self-styled militia called the National Myanmar Democratic Alliance Army has forced tens of thousands of civilians to flee Kokang into neighbouring China. The area is notorious for people-smuggling and drug-trafficking. Proceeds from drugs are helping to fund the fighting now raging across the border. A Red Cross convoy was hit by gunfire on Tuesday as it attempted to bring refugees to China. The paramilitary police now guard an enormous camp for Myanmar refugees in China's Yunnan province. Most refugees are ethnic Chinese. Some of the fiercest fighting has been happening in and around the town of Laukkai, just a few kilometres inside Myanmar. Myanmar remains among the ten most violent states for Christians to live. In the past clashes on the Chinese border have taken place between the army and Christian-majority ethnic groups. In 2014 many Kachin Christians were killed and churches and homes destroyed.
Global: 40 days for life
In 252 cities across 19 countries Christians are uniting in a pro-life campaign called ’40 Days for Life’ which will run throughout Lent. The mission of the campaign is to unite the church in repentance, intercession, fasting and peaceful activism for 40 days by those concerned about abortion. They are asked to pray. For 1) the women who are at risk of having an abortion to have a change of heart. 2) For innocent children who are at risk of perishing. 3) For the men and women who carry the pain of a past abortion experience. 4) For the workers at abortion centers. So far, because of previous campaigns as, 9,699 babies have been saved from abortion, 107 workers have quit the abortion industry and 60 abortion centers have closed. 5) For results that could be achieved during 2015’s community-based campaign as peaceful activists show the consequences of abortion in their neighbourhoods. 6) For God’s purposes of life not death for unborn babies.