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| In this issue |
Bolivia - Focus on international campaign promoting the human right to publically owned clean water - Preparations for international Youth Congress on the Environment - New organizations join UMAVIDA network |
Cameroon - Flurry of advocacy activities including interview with Chicago NPR affiliate - the new CAP Holidays initiative - Videoclip with indigenous Bagyeli expressing their grievances |
Egypt - Media event Raising Voices for Inclusive Education - Fall projects to support inclusive education - Impressions from A TFD Proposal Writing Workshop |
India - Nowhere to Lay Their Heads: The Right to Information Act for access to land records - The National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) |
Lesotho - Lesotho Food Crisis: "Hungry for Assistance" - KKM calls stakeholders to Food Security Consultation - Drought frustrates efforts by network to fight hunger -Exchange visit to South Africa JH partners |
Palestine - Embroidery Pilot Project for the economic empowerment of Palestinian women - Success highlights need for the search for international markets |
Peru - Doe Run Peru fined by the Supervisory Authority of Investments in Energy and Mining - In the July edition of Retama: Poverty as the root of violence |
South Africa - SMI influences the Church's interest in land justice issues - Trainings on organic farming methods continue - The impacts of privatization and unemployment on a forestry community - Exchange visits between SMI and the Presbytery of the Western Reserve |
Sri-Lanka - Book Launching and Globalization Training Workshop - Network engages the initial stages of a Land Rights Campaign |
Although it is still technically fall, the Joining Hands Network of Greater Atlanta Presbytery and the Joining Hands for Justice Network in Palestine are already thinking ‘Advent’ – and hoping that others will join hands with them in prayer, advocacy and accompaniment in this soon-to-be season of hope. An Advent meditational resource written by residents of Bethlehem will be available early November, and is entitled, "Waiting Behind the Wall".
Rev. Alex Awad in Jerusalem |
The meditations – for each Sunday of Advent, Christmas Eve and Christmas -- are written by the Rev. Alex Awad, a professor of Bethlehem Bible College, and reflect upon the lectionary and upon life in contemporary Bethlehem, a city behind the Israeli-built separation barrier that has watched its Christian community dwindle as economic pressures escalate in the aftermath of the 2000 Intifada, internal political chaos and in the wake of 40 years of occupation.
The Rev. John, Setterlund, a U.S. pastor living in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem, has crafted candle-lighting liturgies. Johnny Andonieh, a Bethlehem iconographer, has gathered icons illustrating the Advent scriptures from churches across the Middle East for us. Zaki Baboun, another Bethlehem artist, has drafted the artwork displayed below for use in the resource. It will be also be available in other forms, as a poster and as a Christmas card, the former through the Joining Hands office here in Louisville and the latter will likely be through the Greater Atlanta network.
Advent Artwork of Zaki Baboun |
The resource was developed in response to requests from the 11 presbytery-networks in the United States and the nine country-networks. In meetings with each group, people consistently asked for materials that create greater understanding of each others’ realities and allow communities scattered across the earth to worship together. So, we are beginning our Advent series with Bethlehem in Palestine
Presbyterian Church (USA) Joining Hands Companionship Facilitator in Palestine, Michele Finseth compiled all the materials, and we are working to translate the resource into Spanish and Arabic..
It has been a delight to watch such incredible creativity at work. And keep paying attention because the Joining Hands for Justice Network and the Joining Hands Network of Greater Atlanta Presbytery will likely be calling upon you in other ways throughout the season to intentionally anticipate the coming kingdom of God and to express hope in the face of darkness.
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Alexa Smith Joining Hands Associate for Presbyteries |
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