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ALMA Reps Email Circular: September 2006

From Sheenagh Burrell ALMA Communications Officer
sb@burrell1980.freeserve.co.uk T: 020 8567 7400

Dear Alma Friends,

As summer draws to its close there is, happily, a unique autumn ahead! Not only are the three Bishops from Angola and Mozambique in London together, but this occurs in the month of the Global Call to Action on Poverty (GCAP: 14/9 –17/10) when the focus is on taking action with our southern partners. So we will have the privilege of being able to worship and meet with the three Bishops as well as the opportunity to join with Bishops André and Mark and some London based Angolans at the Christian Aid event ‘The Beat Goes On’. I do hope to meet some of you at these events –full information is below, along with other events of interest, news and links news.

14 Sept  THE BEAT GOES ON Lambeth to the Treasury

Come and support Bishops André and Mark. Bring a drum, a picnic and your friends. Gather together around the ALMA sign! (any willing artists out there?)

Where and when?
12 noon, Geraldine Harmsworth Park, SE1 ( on the junction of Lambeth Road and Kennington Road  in front of Imperial War Museum) Nearest tube: Lambeth North

Why?

To remind the world bank and IMF (before the Singapore meetings) of the people affected by their policies. These people cannot be in London so we represent them.Programme12.30pm – speeches. 1pm – march to the Treasury, rally with speakers and musicians, ecumenical service and lots more including Post March Programme. This is a Police approved march with stewards along the route. Full details: Christian Aid and Pressure Works

There are also video shorts which explain the issues very clearly at Christian Aid's website

16 Sept MANNA CELEBRATION

with the 3 Bishops St John’s Waterloo from 11.30 -  Eucharist 12.30 -  buffet lunch –Meet the Bishops Q & A –Exhibition –close 4.30

This autumn is the 100th anniversary of MANNA’s involvement in Angola and Mozambique. MANNA is the national association of Anglican links with Angola and Mozambique. Many of you will read the MANNA magazine (twice yearly) which catches the flavour of interactions and friendships between the church in the UK, Angola and Mozambique, and includes many London stories.

I want to remind you of MANNA’s warm invitation to ALMA Reps and ALMA friends to this 100 year celebration at St John’s Waterloo on Saturday 16th September at which Bishop Dinis, Bishop André and Bishop Mark will be present. It would be good to let MANNA know how many of us will be coming as they are very kindly putting on a buffet lunch. If you could send me a quick email before 10th September I will keep a tally and pass the numbers on.

GCAP: 14/9 - 17/10

GCAP overall is calling for governments to eradicate poverty, dramatically lessen inequality, and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, through:

For more details, go to Bond Organisation

Apart from 14 Sep the beat goes on there are 2 other key UK events:

15-16 Oct — Global ‘STAND UP’ event

Designed for churches, schools & workplaces: a simple but effective gesture to show that poverty is STILL an issue and people are STILL wanting to see it made history.

Between 11am on Sunday 15/10 and 11am on Monday 16/10 people all around the world will be asked to Stand Up for 1 minute (from sitting/kneeling) while a Stand Up pledge is read out. Participants will be counted and numbers fed to a central counting point  (in the UK:  tallen@bond.org.uk).  It is also an opportunity to engage with local communities and press on issues of global poverty. There are excellent worship resources –prayers; readings; liturgies & reflections for Stand Up Sunday.

17 Oct - 4th Global White Band Day

Join campaigners around the world and wear your MAKE POVERTYHISTORY wristband

NEWS FROM MOZAMBIQUE AND ANGOLA

Ian Leitch sent this piece of news:

The World Food Programme recently announced its intention to end the food supplements  supplies to 330,000 school pupils; they will be phased out over the next two years. The Education Minister announced that in future food production would be a subject on the school curriculum and that efforts should be made to re-launch agricultural production in all schools. He hoped the result would be sufficient production to provide meals for all pupils and surplus food for sale. He believed this would create "a mentality of work" among school students, freeing their initiative and leading them to abandon the habit of living off donations.

Shanty Town Clearances –Those in Zimbabwe have made the news across the world whereas the clearance in Luanda’s Cambamba 1 and 2 neighbourhoods has not. A report is now on the Christian Aid website

LINKS NEWS-visits

It would be good to have more links news to share – please do send me your news!

STOP PRESS: ST PAULS’S INSITITUE AUTUMN SERIES on the Quest for Sustainability

Great programme of speakers see programme on: www.stpauls.co.uk/institute