June 2014  

Putting the spotlight on peace in Nigeria  

  

On May 20 a massive bomb killed 122 people in Jos, Nigeria, less than a kilometer from MCC's office. It is believed the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram is responsible for the attack.

 

Images of the marketplace bombing were shown around the world as evidence of Muslim-Christian violence in Nigeria. What the world did not see was Muslims and Christians, working shoulder to shoulder, to care for the wounded and rescue people from the debris.

 

Several years ago an attack like this one would have resulted in reprisal attacks and widespread violence. This time, no further violence erupted.   

 

This dramatic shift, according to MCC workers, results from the patient, persistent inter-faith peacebuilding work of MCC partners like the Emergency Preparedness Response Teams (EPRT).

  

Just two weeks prior to the bombing, Jenn Wiebe of our Ottawa Office, visited Jos with an MCC delegation and learned of the work of EPRT. Read her blog, Putting the spotlight on peace.  


EPRT members Hauwa Yusuf, Sixtus Chong, and Lydia Rex.

Parliamentary business:    
A report on Syria
 
The Syrian catastrophe continues. More than 160,000 people have been killed in the past three years. From a population of 21.4 million, 2.6 have fled the country as refugees and another 6.5 million are displaced within Syria. A total of 9.3 million are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Last February, MCC staff Paul Heidebrecht (Ottawa Office director) and Bruce Guenther (Disaster Response director), testified on the Syrian crisis to the all-party Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The committee released its report in May.

Two of the report's14 recommendations are linked to MCC's testimony.

One recommendation focuses on the need for Canada to disburse its pledged humanitarian funds and its development assistance as efficiently and immediately as possible, while granting partner organizations considerable flexibility to respond to "rapidly changing circumstances."

The second recommendation urges Canada to provide support for long-term peace-building. In the MCC submission, Paul had noted, "the tremendous capacity for peace-building initiatives among religious leaders and civil society organizations" which exists in Syria and the surrounding countries.
New resources:
On fossil fuel divestment and fracking     
KAIROS has recently issued two important documents. MCC is a member of KAIROS.

Let us at MCC know what you think of these documents. Send a message to Esther Epp-Tiessen. 

 
In This Issue
Feature Article
Parliamentary Business
New Resources
Opportunities
Staff Update
Newsletter archives
 
Quotation 
of the month
""If not for the peace work that has been taking place . . . over the last number of years, this kind of incident could easily have erupted into religious violence."

-- Matthew Tangbuin, MCC Nigeria program advisor and business manager, after the bombings in Jos on May 20.
Opportunities:
Internship 

Are you a young person and interested in the intersection between faith and politics, gospel and government?

The Ottawa Office is once again recruiting an advocacy research intern for the fall months. A special project for the intern will be to assist in the production of an advocacy toolkit. Click here for more information.
Staff update:

Paul Heidebrecht

Director  

    

   

As this newsletter goes out, Paul is travelling in Iran with a delegation of scholars, students and others. He is participating in the 6th gathering of an ongoing dialogue between Mennonites and Shia Muslims.    
Ottawa Office Newsletter archives
Read previous editions of our newsletter here. 
 
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