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OIKOCREDIT
Use your savings to alleviate global poverty |
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| Journey to Jerusalem |
This Lent join Christian Aid on a virtual pilgrimage through the Holy Land. From Bethlehem to Nazareth to Jerusalem, go beyond hearing about the people of the region and hear from them instead. From 25th Feb
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| Books from the Ekklesia bookshop |
Faith and Politics After Christendom by Jonathan Bartley here
Threatened with Resurrection
by Simon Barrow here
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| Our Partners |
Ekklesia is an independent member of the Root and Branch Network which includes:
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| Take Action |
You can join Ekklesia and take action by asking your MP to sign the following Parliamentary motions:
EDM 1248 on Conflict Prevention
Ekklesia attends the All Party Parliamentary Group on Conflict Issues which is supporting this motion
Ekklesia is a founder member of Accord - mentioned in the motion - which seeks to make faith schools more inclusive
Ekklesia is working with the Still Human Still Here campaign which supports both these motions
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| More Ekklesia Bulletins |
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Find out which bulletins you are subscribed to, and change the ones you receive by using the "Update Profile/Email address" link at the bottom of this email
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How much difference will it make? The question is being asked about the agreement reached by G20 leaders on a 1 trillion dollar package of reform, investment and regulation to stem the global finance and credit crisis. But it is also addressed at those seeking to develop alternative approaches to economy and ecology, including the Put People First coalition, of which Ekklesia is a member. We have posted 5 responses to the Communique which was issued a few hours ago, from coalition members on the Ekklesia website here: http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/news/uk. This week our research focus is on the Put People First policy platform, which remains of abiding significance now that the placards have been packed away and the summit is dispersing. The issues it addresses have been around for some time. Our highlighted book (see Reading Allowed) is a passionate plea for change by South African Christian economist Margaret Legum, first penned in 2002-3. The politics and propriety of protest has also attracted much attention. How is the envisioning of a different future (see our historic quotations on this from Rudy Bahro and Martin Luther King Jr.) to be connected to practical processes for change? Different viewpoints about this have been offered by Simon Barrow, Brian Draper and Hannah Kowszun on Ekklesia this week ( http://ekklesia.co.uk/news/features). In terms of 'thinking in action' we are highlighting the important work of the New Economics Foundation in resourcing local, value-based economic initiatives. Our event focus is a weekend consultation on Christian and Islamic perspectives on the environment, engaging faith with common action for change. The 'Greening of the Bible' feature article ties in with this. Last, but certainly not least, as our Media Debate section confirms, and as Jonathan Bartley's article on responding to the BNP illustrates, Ekklesia has itself been in the news over the past week - breaking the story about the British National Party's attempts to portray itself as Christian and to capitalise on 'Christian country' rhetoric from some church leaders. |
| Ekklesia works on a not-for-profit basis, and deliberately maintains its independence from large institutions and their funding. If you value this bulletin please consider making a donation to keep it going and support Ekklesia's work. You can do it through PayPal here |
| The greening of the Bible |
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By Simon Beard
The Green Bible, reviewed here by one of Ekklesia's new researchers, illustrates that the message of the Hebrew and Christian scriptures is concerned not just with human beings but also with the whole earth. Read the whole article here |
| Responding to the BNP over 'What Would Jesus Do?' |
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The far-right racist British National Party is putting out an advert seeking to co-opt Jesus and Christianity to their cause. The notion is ridiculous, says Ekklesia's co-director, but unfortunately the pro-Christendom rhetoric of some church leaders is giving it credibility.
Read the whole article here |
| Quota |
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Sayings from the week and wisdom from the tradition
"Markets should be free, but never free of values."
- Rudolph Bahro, Green political philosopher
"Expediency asks the question: Is it politic? Vanity asks the question: Is it popular? But conscience asks the question: Is it right? And there comes a time when you must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular - but you must take it simply because conscience tells you it is right."
- Martin Luther King Jr., 'To Chart Our Course for the Future' (1968) |
| The week that was |
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 Your sixty second roundup
The G20 summit in London dominated the news this week. Religious leaders in Britain urged the G20 leaders not to forget their commitments to the world's poorest people, and Pope Benedict XVI urged British PM Gordon Brown to push for the establishment of an ethically-grounded financial system. Gordon Brown in turn told faith leaders and representatives of NGOs at St Paul's Cathedral that the world must adopt global economic rules based on common values.
The G20 meeting was also seen as a chance to advance a range of peace and justice agendas. A world without nuclear weapons is not only possible but more secure, a broad coalition of national, regional and global councils of churches said as the first talks between the United States and Russia on nuclear weapons for more than a decade were given the go-ahead.
Elsewhere a pioneering prison support project run by the Church of England and designed to be of national benefit by cutting re-offending rates, folded due to lack of Government support. The African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance (ACEA) also announced that it was suspending operations after 25 years, due to a shortage of funds compounded by the recession.
Free churches issued a statement against the racist British National Party who announced an advert asking 'What Would Jesus Do?', and churches in West Yorkshire issued resources to help people combat exremism in the run up to June's European Elections.
Abroad, Christian Aid launched a bid in Spain to increase international backing for its campaigning on climate change and tax and boost funding for its development work in 49 of the world's poorest countries. And a delegation from two global church groups to Madagascar called for international pressure to secure democracy in the island nation following the military-supported ousting of President Marc Ravalomanana.
For more on all these and other stories our News Briefing (http://ekklesia.co.uk/content/news/news.shtml) contains the full archive of daily UK and international news, including all those above, plus features and columns. The page also tells you how you can get Ekklesia's running news on your web site in seconds.
If you value this service please support Ekklesia's news production through PayPal here |
| The week ahead |
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Next week's agenda
International Day for Landmine Awareness and Assistance
Funeral of Jade Goody
Sunday
Palm Sunday
World Youth Day (Catholic)
Monday
Parliament on Easter Recess (until 20th April)
Albania and Croatia join NATO
National Mourning Day or Genocide Remembrance Day - Rwanda
World Health Day
Thursday
Maundy Thursday
Start of Jewish Passover
Friday
Good Friday
Want a more detailed news agenda for the next six weeks? You can get one here |
| Research Focus |
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Put People First policy platform
The Put People First coalition is bringing together activists, NGOs, ordinary people and policy specialists to connect public protests to a common platform for change ( http://ekklesia.co.uk/node/9129) in the wake of the global financial and ecological crises and the deliberations of the G20.
Those involved in drawing up the platform include Christian Aid, the Jubilee Debt Campaign, various trades unions, the Transnational Institute, Oxfam, the Tax Justice Network, CAFOD, World Vision, Tearfund, the World Development Movement, War on Want and many more.
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| Ekklesia has launched a new subscription service giving a detailed, inside track on the news agenda for the coming 6 weeks. Suitable for church leaders, campaign groups, local government and anyone working in or with the media, it is already taken by the Times newspaper, Reuters and the BBC. Find out more here |
| Media and web debate |
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 Ekklesia in the news this week
Ekklesia's coverage of the argument in Malaysia about the use of the word 'Allah' (Arabic for 'God' and employed by regional Christians as well as Muslims), was referenced this week by the US Library of Congress Global Legal Monitor ( http://tinyurl.com/d3lu4n). Put People First, the coalition for change on employment, environment and economy - which is sponsored by Ekklesia and a wide range of civil society organisations - received huge coverage ( http://tinyurl.com/dmfoxn) for its peaceful march on Saturday 29 March and its policy platform.
Ekklesia Associate Theo Hobson appeared in a BBC Radio 4 Programme on disestablishment yesterday.
Jonathan was on BBC1's the Big Questions this Sunday as a panelist, discussing second homes, abortion advertising, and freedom of expression.
Our news report that the racist BNP were using Jesus in their adverts for the European elections was picked up by the Daily Telegraph, the Mirror, the Press Association, and several other national media outlets. Jonathan also did a number of radio interviews in which he warned both of the arguments that the BNP were employing, but also how some church leaders were playing into the BNP's hands by using rhetoric which talked about 'Christian Britain'. Keep up-to-date with Ekklesia's Comments on Twitter
Ekklesia works on a not-for-profit basis. Please support Ekklesia's work with the press and other media by donating through PayPal here |
 Sign up to Amnesty International's Stop Torture campaign here |
Event: Islamic and Christian Perspectives on Ecology
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From 17-19 April 2009, Christian Ecology Link and the Franciscans are organising a weekend about working together across boundaries of faith, confession and belief to protect the environment. The event will take place at The Friary, Hilfield, Dorchester, Dorset, DT2 7BE, in southern England. For more information and bookings please write to hilfieldproject@franciscans.org.uk or ring 01300 341741.
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| Thinking in Action |
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Tools for local economic renewal
In addition to policy work and lobbying n global issues of economy and environment (including 'The Green New Deal') the New Economics Foundation (nef) equips communities with the tools needed to create the local economy that people want. Nef says: "Whatever your role is in a community - business leader, government official, or concerned resident - you have a vital role in shaping the local economy. Our tools mobilise local resources, engage all sectors in economic renewal, and inspire action." They include a business support service, an action planning process, and a 'multiplier' measuring tool - as well as one-off workshops.
More details here: http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/tools_top.aspx
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Reading Allowed |
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It Doesn't Have to Be Like This: Global Economics, A New Way Forward By Margaret Legum
 In common with many people Margaret Legum is outraged by the effects of the current global economic system. Those effects are particularly dire in Africa and almost as devastating on other continents. Appalling poverty exists alongside unbelievable wealth and potential plenty for everyone; the planet upon which our survival depends is being degraded; and crime, conflict and suffering are rampant. The question is: can it be changed? The author, a well-known economist and writer who in 1962 was banned from her home country of South Africa for her outspoken political views, attempts in this book to put forward a new way: an economic system built up around ordinary, decent human values, where the health of families and communities, and the environment they live in, is at the top of the list of priorities. ISBN: 9781901557763, (Wild Goose, 2003), 120pp, �9.99. For more information and to purchase through Ekklesia go to: http://tinyurl.com/cklk3l
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