Global: Racism and equality
Following unrest in Ferguson in America when an unarmed black man was killed by a white police officer, an inquiry reported that black residents routinely have their constitutional rights violated through unjustified arrests, traffic stops and other actions carried out by a racially biased police department. But USA is not the only country that needs to crack down on racism. In France recently a mayor was in a racism row after a dead Roma baby was refused a cemetery place. The Telegraph reported this week that British Sikhs are often the silent victims of backlash against Islamic extremism. In Russia a report by two anti-discrimination organizations said there had been more than 200 cases of discriminatory behaviour linked to Russian soccer over two seasons, while English police are probing reports of soccer fans' racism on trains and in Switzerland UEFA has charged Feyenoord with racist behaviour by fans. See also
Laos: Pastors in prison for praying for the sick
Five church leaders in Laos were imprisoned last week for being ‘illegal doctors’ after they prayed for a sick woman who later died. They are currently in Savannakhet Provincial Prison serving a nine months sentence. They were also fined for emotional damages and forced to pay for funeral expenses. On the day the woman died, her family received permission from the village chief to hold a Christian burial ceremony on private property. (Christians are denied burial rights in village cemeteries). However the chief suddenly reversed his decision and banned the burial ceremony until the family recanted their Christian faith, which they refused to do. Laos is a landlocked country surrounded by Burma, the People's Republic of China, Vietnam and Thailand to the west. It is ruled by a Marxist and communist government. Its population was estimated to be around 6.8 million in July 2014 and 3.1% is Christian.
Afghanistan: Women’s shelters - legacy of the West in Afghanistan
A young woman running away from her Afghan village and an arranged marriage is comparable to crossing a busy street blindfolded - there is a strong likelihood that she will be killed for bringing shame on her family. Over the last decade about 20 emergency women’s shelters have sprung up. They have cared for and protected several thousand women across Afghanistan from abuse or death at the hands of their relatives. As the shelters have grown, so has the opposition of powerful conservative imams and the Afghan government. They see shelters as Western assaults on Afghan culture. As the Western presence in Afghanistan dwindles this clash of ideas of the place of women means many gains women made after 2001 are at risk. Although the Taliban’s harsh restrictions on women alienated many Afghans, the idea that women must submit to men remains widely held.
South Africa: Christian initiative to break debt cycle
A group of Christian leaders in the Eastern Free State town of Harrismith aim to help people get out of debt and into ‘a spacious financial space’ through an innovative programme that will provide interest free loans and financial mentoring. It’s called Fruits of Righteousness Programme. The vision is to empower the Body of Christ and to bring freedom in the financial sphere. Debt is a huge problem affecting many people in South Africa. After apartheid ended the international development community promoted the microcredit model to bring new jobs, incomes, empowerment and dignity to the poorest black communities and townships. However, the microcredit model has inflicted untold damage on the South African society. Unemployment is high, many of the poorest were forced to repay their microloan by selling household assets, borrowing from friends and family or taking out new microloans to repay old ones. Many are in chronic poverty. See also:
