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Zimbabwe ActionI wish to write to you of Zimbabwe, where I grew up, a country of great natural beauty and internal riches, once the breadbasket of Africa. You don’t need me to tell you that this is no longer the case, in the light of recent events brought to your ears by the media. Zimbabwe is a deeply Christian country, a nation of faith, where church is a central part of the community and the churches are full to overflowing. This was the country where my own faith was born and nurtured with care by so many around me, equipping me with the strength to stand, with weapons to fight, with hope to trust, and with love to give. The state of the country now weighs heavily on the hearts of all who were nurtured there, of both those who still live there and those who don’t, but we know we are not completely helpless to do something about it. It seems to be a law of life and of God that the main power to alleviate the suffering of those in need lies in the hands of those who may have no direct interest in the results, of those who have nothing obvious to gain from it. That must be the law of love, if such a law exists. And so for this reason, I draw to your attention the country with the world’s fastest shrinking economy, the world’s highest inflation rate (shortly set to exceed 2000%), the lowest life expectancy rate, the highest number of orphans per capita, only 8% of its population in paid employment, and with its mortality figures exceeding the combined death toll of Iraq and Afghanistan. Zimbabwe is now in the grip of a severe drought, with crop prospects declining, facing a year of great impending food shortages and further economic decline. Mugabe has now extended his presidency by 2 more years, until 2010, a decision which was received across the country with anger and despair. The United Nations has done nothing to intervene and Zimbabwe’s neighbours in Southern Africa have remained worse than neutral. Each year since 2002, the EU has renewed targeted sanctions on the regime, including travel bans and the freezing of financial assets belonging to Robert Mugabe and members of his cabinet, but now there is the potential threat that this year, these too, although the only pressure points of this nature on the regime, may be dropped. Reports say that Portugal, France and Belgium, as well as possibly Spain and Italy, are in favour of letting the sanctions drop, and that this is claimed to be partly from the (by now discredited) belief that opening dialogue with the Zimbabwe government might still bring about change. Another reason is that Portugal is hosting an EU-Africa meeting later this year and is concerned that other African countries may boycott the summit if Mugabe and his top aides are not invited. Furthermore, France has invited Mugabe to attend a Franco-Africa summit in February in complete defiance of the common position of the EU. The decision about renewal of sanctions is to be made in February and so I would ask of those who have the willingness to use the power they have, two things: to pray for Zimbabwe and its people who are suffering, and to act by going to this website ACTSA (a campaign where ACTSA is working in conjunction with Tearfund) where there are sample letters for signing and sending to MEPs as well as to the British ambassadors of EU member states, even if only to let them know that UK citizens are concerned about the issues in Zimbabwe and want to help. If you have any questions, or would like to know what else you can do, please feel free to email me at Rebecca. Thank you for reading this, Rebecca
Cartoon ProtestThe Church and Society Committee of the United Reformed Church in February 2006 issued the following statement on behalf of the Church: The United Reformed Church understands the offence caused to Muslims by publication of cartoons seen as showing disrespect to the Prophet Muhammad. We share the pain felt by Muslim communities in this country. We are committed to freedom of speech but we believe that with that freedom comes a responsibility to consider whether publication of offensive material is in the wider public interest. Equally, freedom of speech does not include freedom to incite people to break the law. We support the right of Muslims to mount peaceful protest, to make clear their hurt. However, we condemn the use of violence, threats of violence and civil unrest. These would, in any case, only serve further to inflame a dangerous situation, and provide easy ammunition for those who seek to denigrate Islam. We encourage local United Reformed churches to show solidarity with Muslims at this time, building on the good relationships already established in many areas. The Wylde Green URC Peace and Justice Group wrote to the Sutton Coldfield Muslim Association to echo these views and we have since held some conversations as to how we can work together in Sutton Coldfield. To learn something of the understanding of Jesus through Muslim eyes, please read the attached briefing paper
Christmas Charities 2005Thank you all who donated to our Christmas Charities - over £870 was raised! The money will be divided three ways: Khristiya Seva Niketan Hospital, West Bengal, India Visited recently by one of our members, this hospital provides medical, surgical and maternity services in one of the poorest regions of West Bengal. In addition it offers valuable ophthalmic surgery, 1000 patients being treated in 2004. Only 58 could afford to pay. It is planned greatly to expand this service to eliminate avoidable blindness in the area. It costs just £15 for each cataract operation. St Giles Hospice, Sutton Coldfield Planning permission has now been granted for a new hospice facility to be built on land at Lindridge Road. The centre will serve a three-fold role - as day centre for outpatient consultation and treatment; as a base for St Giles Hospice staff to visit patients at home; and as a meeting and education centre, including use by other organisations and voluntary cancer support groups. Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture Founded in 1985 the Medical Foundation provides care and rehabilitation to survivors of torture and other forms of organised violence. In 2004 some 2,588 men, women and children from over a hundred countries, including Turkey, Congo and Iraq, received help. The Foundation also provides training for health professionals working with torture survivors.
MAKEPOVERTYHISTORYAs the Live 8 concerts filled the skies with cries for justice, Wylde Green was wrapped up! See our press release! Our letter signed by all participants in the event was sent to Tony Blair: Dear Tony Blair, We want you to know that · For all the thousands of people in Edinburgh, there are hundreds of thousands left at home, who could not make the journey, but feel just as strongly · We have been talking, informing and lobbying for years about debt, aid and trade – this is not a one day jolly outing for us! · This church has a long tradition of members voluntarily giving 1% of their take home pay to Christian Aid for development work, as a statement to governments that we want them to give 1% of our national income to aid. · We have a Traidcraft stall within the church itself, as a constant witness to the need for Trade Justice. By buying fairly traded goods ourselves, we feel able to urge governments to implement changes in Trade Rules · We have lobbied you long and hard over the issue of debt: our children and young people especially, have been well educated, and see for themselves the unfairness involved, and the devastating crippling of so many economies that results We therefore urge you to do all you can, to work for change – and MAKE POVERTY HISTORY
Wake Up to Trade JusticeMark and Lizzie Steele, Amy Green and I travelled to London on the afternoon of Friday 16th April to take part in the Wake Up to Trade Justice event. We went straight to Westminster Abbey where the evening started. The service was not due to start until 10.00 pm and by 8.00 pm the queue had started to form! The evening started with a talk from people involved in the Trade Justice movement worldwide, music from Ronan Keating and Jools Holland, readings and sketches. With us all clutching white glow sticks a ‘human white band’ was formed by the crowd as we all left the Abbey, marched around Parliament Square and went to the vigil outside Downing Street. One minute's silence at midnight began the vigil. The long evening was broken by a mass vigil at 4.00 am when all the people who had stayed for the event converged on Downing Street with candles to show our solidarity. A march took place at 6.30 am around Parliament Square and past Downing Street when we used all the strength we had left to make as much noise as possible with whistles and chants whilst waving banners and placards. Four very tired young people made it back to Sutton a few hours later to ponder the event we had just witnessed and to catch up with some well-earned rest. It was an amazing experience and one that will stay with us for a long time to come. Laura Monk
Christian Aid Week CrosspieceBy Michael Platt - Appeared in Sutton Coldfield News 6/5/04 I have just returned from a trip to Palestine sponsored by Christian Aid. It was the third time I have been to the area, and on each visit the Bible has come alive for me for all its references to water, the preciousness of water. "As the deer longs for a stream of cool water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for you, the living God." The hill country of Judea is indeed a dry and thirsty land. We visited projects funded by Christian Aid to provide water for agricultural purposes. At first I did not understand the 'wells' which have been provided, as they were not very deep, and were often near the top of hills, rather than in the valleys. But I then realised that they were actually water butts, constructed to collect up to 100cu m of winter rain. Apparently, a thrifty farmer can eke out this water for the growing season. Christian Aid has funded 55 such wells in five villages in West Ramallah. This work grows even more vital, as now Israel cuts the regular, domestic supply for the whole summer, and restricts the Palestinians to only 20 per cent of their own water. The average Palestinian consumes 60l per day, the Israeli settler 350l. Palestinians are oppressed, and feel that they have been forgotten. This week we will be asked to make our donation to Christian Aid. As we do so, let us remember that Christian Aid not only brings physical relief, it is also a demonstration that Christians in Briton do still care.
Edneth Gotora's StoryEdneth fled from Zimbabwe in October 2002. Her husband had been a prominent figure in the MDC Youth Organisation. He spoke regularly at meetings and rallies and distributed literature against Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF Party. The campaign materials were kept at the couple's home. Early in 2002, a series of brutal attacks began. In February, Edneth and her husband were beaten by Zanu PF Youths. In March, Edneth's husband was arrested, detained and beaten by Zimbabwean Police before being released without charge. Later the same month, a group of Zanu PF members came to the house and subjected the family to the most unspeakable ordeal. Edneth's husband was taken and killed and her 4 year old daughter seriously injured. After one visit to her daughter in hospital, Edneth was taken to a 'rehabilitation camp' where she was raped. She became so unwell that she was taken to hospital from where she escaped. Edneth later heard that her daughter had died. Edneth fled Zimbabwe in October 2002, and has settled into a new community in Stockton-on-Tees. Her application for asylum has been refused, even though mistakes had been made in the translation of evidence and other evidence had been ignored. Edneth is terrified that if she returns to Zimbabwe she will be in danger from Zanu PF. Edneth is not allowed to work in the UK, her benefits have been withdrawn but the Home Office will not deport her as Zimbabwe is considered too unstable for repatriations. In response, a petition was circulated at Wylde Green United Reformed Church. Colin Offer, Edneth's local URC Minister, responded on 16 April 2004:
Update 25 February 2005The last minute petition has attracted more than 17,500 signatures. It was presented to Frank Cook, MP for Stockton and Tees, where Edneth has made her home since 2002, on Friday 25th February. Alongside the petition will go a letter from Revd Sheila Maxey, Moderator of the General Assembly of the URC, to Home Secretary Charles Clarke. The letter appeals for a reversal of the decision to deport Edneth, which it describes as 'not only naive but grossly lacking in compassion.' Sheila Maxey goes on to say: 'This letter accompanies thousands of signatures from church people all over the country, who are shocked by this callous decision. It certainly brings our Immigration Service into disrepute among many people who believe this to be a fair and free society.' Update 10 February 2006Nothing has changed for Edneth since the Summer. As you may recall from the update I sent out then, we eventually managed to get her released on Bail from Yarlswood, after her solicitor lodged an application for Judicial Review of her case. That was on the grounds that a national newspaper in Zimbabwe had used Edneth’s story to have a go at British MPs supporting folks who had fled Mugabe’s regime. However, then the generic case against the Government was won, and so they are prevented from deporting failed Zimbabwean Asylum seekers. I believe the Home Office is trying to appeal this, but for the moment Zimbabwean’s cannot be set back. However, that does not mean they have any refugee status. Until Edneth’s Judicial Review is heard, she remains a failed asylum seeker, and therefore not allowed to work. She still has had no date for her Judicial Review. However in one regard, things have slightly improved. Because they can’t send her back, or even ask her to leave, she has been granted emergency assistance. That means she has a room in a flat, and is getting £35 per week in food vouchers. Sadly for us, they have relocated her to Middlesbrough, which though not too far away does create transport problems, so we are not in as frequent contact as we were. She doesn’t get to Church every Sunday now, but comes when she can. She came to a special vigil we had for asylum seekers last Saturday evening, and she is well and reasonably happy, though not being able to plan a future does take its toll. She is hoping to start an access course at the local college in the spring, and is looking forward to having something to focus on. Thank you for your help, towards righting this wrong. Watch the main United Reformed Church website for updates or email Colin Offor, her minister at Stockton.
Declaration for a Nuclear Weapon-Free WorldIn 1968, the world's governments signed a treaty which promised to abolish nuclear weapons. In 1996 the World Court confirmed that this was a legal obligation. The World Court Project is asking for individuals to sign a declaration stating that nuclear weapons do not defend us, our country or the values we stand for. All declarations will be displayed in New York in 2005 when the world's leaders gather at the United Nations to renew their treaty obligations. To sign up, visit World Court Project UK.
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