ALMA EMAIL CIRCULAR 18 OCTOBER 2008

From Sheenagh Burrell, ALMA Communications Officer
almacomms@london.anglican.org T: 020 8567 7400

Dear ALMA Reps and Friends,

Part one of the email circular contains information on:

1. Stand Up Reminder 17-19 October
2. Date ALMA Reps Meeting: Thursday 13 November

Part 2 will follow on Monday

Greetings to you all on the weekend of the global call to action against poverty – when millions of people are Standing Up against poverty and in support of the Millennium Development Goals. The target for 2008 is 67.5 million people, which is 1% of the world’s population.

Yesterday in Wembley I had the privilege of Standing Up alongside the parents and toddlers of Daniel’s Den Parent and Toddler group, the newest link in the ALMA family. Daniel’s Den have just begun a link with the crèche at SS Simao e Judas, Nzinje, Bairro Populiare, Lichinga who are also Standing Up this weekend.

The last circular contained full details about Stand Up –but it’s still not too late if you want to register and do a Stand Up tomorrow. It is very simple

1. Register at: www.standagainstpoverty.org
2. Invite your congregation / gathering to Stand Up together for one minute
3. Read the statement from the Archbishop of York (see below)
4. Count the number of people standing up
5. Report the number who stood up to the website so you are counted in.

Archbishop of York’s Statement to all who participate in Stand Up:

“The greatest scandal of our time is not the millions of our brothers and sisters around the world who live on less than a dollar a day. It is not the millions of children who do not have access to even the most basic level of education. It is not even the millions who die each day from hunger, malaria or HIV/AIDS.

The greatest scandal of our time is that the remedy to each of these situations is within our grasp if only there was sufficient political will from our leaders.

For the first time in modern history this generation has the technology, medicine and knowledge to achieve these goals. Now we need the political will to make them happen.

The time has come for each of us to speak truth unto power, and that truth is that we will no longer be content to wait for justice for the poorest of the poor whilst the world's biggest economies shore up their rich”.

“May God bless you in your endeavours to love mercy, do justly and work humbly in standing up against poverty and calling our leaders to account in pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals."

2. ALMA REPS & Friends MEETING: Thursday 13 November 6pm

at London Diocesan House, 36 Causton Street, London, SW1P4AU

nearest tube: Pimlico

Light refreshments from 5.45 onwards.

Please let me know if you can come for catering purposes.

We have taken notice of how hard it was to hear at the last meeting when we divided into the three Chaplaincy groups within the main meeting room so have booked the other meeting rooms too for this meeting. I hope this will help and allow us to share and listen more comfortably.

Until Monday,

Sheenagh