PWRDF UPDATE November 2007
Welcome to Update - The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund newsletter and information bulletin for subscribers.
PWRDF is the Anglican Church of Canada's agency for international development, relief, refugees and justice issues. Please contact Yvonne Lane for more information on any of the following items.
1. ACT-Caritas Darfur Emergency Response Operation
2. Alternative Nobel Prize Winner is Canadian Farmer
3. World AIDS Day
4. Canadian Foodgrains Bank - End Hunger Fast Campaign
5. PWRDF new Youth Intern
6. Christmas cards selling well & Ideas for Christmas Gifts
7. Order your PWRDF 2008 Family Calendar
1. ACT-Caritas Darfur Emergency Response Operation
Since July 2004, Action by Churches Together (ACT) International and Caritas International have been responding jointly to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Darfur provinces. The Darfur Emergency Response Operation (DERO) has successfully harnessed and channeled the resources of some 60 Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox organizations into one of the largest humanitarian programs in South and West Darfur. Please see more...
On November 9-11, 2007 the University of Ottawa will be hosting a Darfur Conference. It will bring together genocide scholars, Africanists and Sudanists, and Canadian humanitarian workers and activists who are working on Darfur. For more information: www.genocideeducation.ca .
Please remember the people of Darfur in your prayers and in your generous donations.
2. Alternative Nobel Prize Winner
Percy and Louise Schmeiser from Saskatchewan have been awarded the Alternative Nobel Prize “...for their courage in defending biodiversity and farmers’ rights, and challenging the environmental and moral perversity of current interpretations of patent laws”. With their fight against Monsanto’s abusive marketing practices, Percy and Louise Schmeiser have given the world a wake-up call about the dangers to farmers and biodiversity everywhere from the growing dominance and market aggression of companies engaged in the genetic engineering of crops. The alternative Nobel Prize is awarded by the Right Livelihood Award Foundation – a Swedish charitable foundation – www.rightlivelihood.org.
3. World AIDS DAY Preparations
World AIDS Day is 1st December 2007 and the theme is 'Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise - Leadership'. Started on 1st December 1988, World AIDS Day is not just about raising money, but also about increasing awareness, fighting prejudice and improving education. World AIDS Day is important in reminding people that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done.
The 2007 theme, “leadership”, highlights the need for innovation, vision and perseverance in the face of the AIDS challenge. The campaign calls on all sectors of society such as families, communities and civil society organisations - rather than just governments - to take the initiative and provide leadership on AIDS.
What can you do?
Find out what is happening in your local area to commemorate World AIDS Day 2007. Encourage your diocese or parish to get involved.
Plan an ecumenical service for the Sunday before or after World AIDS Day, or on 1 December itself. PWRDF partner, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance has prepared a special service that can be used on the first Sunday of Advent, plus ideas and other worship resources that can be adapted for other times. The service is available in English at http://www.e-alliance.ch/media/media-7092.doc
More PWRDF resources on World AIDS Day.
4. Canadian Foodgrains Bank
The Canadian Foodgrains Bank will launch their End Hunger Fast program on November 28 and at that time they are inviting leaders from their 15 church agencies to participate in a fast – the kind of fast that’s about voluntarily giving something up or making a change in our actions or choices, either temporarily or permanently. It’s the kind of fast that’s mentioned frequently in the Bible as a spiritual discipline and as a way of demonstrating a connection to other people.
Fall Information meetings about the Foodgrains Bank will be held in the following locations:
November 26 Ancaster, ON
November 27 Wallaceburg, ON
November 27 St. Mary’s, ON
November 28 Clifford, ON
November 28 Stouffville, ON
November 29 Brighton, ON
November 30 Almonte, ON
November 9 Winnipeg, MB
November 17 Saskatooon, SK
November 9 Red Deer, AB
For additional information check http://www.foodgrainsbank.ca .
In addition, on December 4, 2007 in Ottawa, there will be a Public Forum – Taking the Heat – African Farmers and Climate Change at the Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Ave. For more information please visit: http:/www.usc-canada.org.
5. New PWRDF Youth Intern
Heather Pearson, recently from Calgary will be working with us until December 21. She will be working with justgeneration.ca and the Public Engagement Team to develop a sustainable Youth Internship program and in youth resource development. Heather has been involved in the PWRDF Youth Council for the past two years and grew up in the church as the daughter of an Anglican Priest. Welcome Heather.
6. Christmas Gifts
• Gift Cards Looking for inspiration this Christmas? What better way than to donate to PWRDF in lieu of a Christmas gift. Your gift will not only provide food security for flood affected communities in Africa, train youth to help in reconstruction after the earthquake in Pakistan, help returning refugees to re-settle in Burundi, and many other projects that PWRDF is involved in funding from the grass-roots level. Gift cards are available from Ricky de Castro .
• Our Christmas cards are selling very well and we have less than 600 packages left from our initial order of 2,500 packs (30,000 cards). Thank you for your orders and for supporting PWRDF in this way. Please remember that any bulk-unsold cards must be returned to our offices by December 1 if you do not wish to be charged for them. To order cards, please contact Ricky de Castro - but please hurry!
7. Order your PWRDF 2008 Calendar now!!
As we approach the cusp of the 50th anniversary for PWRDF, we have created a 2008 Family Calendar as a gift for families to learn more about this significant ministry. The calendar is also a way to say thank you. Thank you to every Anglican in Canada for your continued support since 1959.
To order a copy or copies of the calendar, please send an email to:
Debra Pickfield or tel: 416-924-9199 ext.205
