From: Sue Young, World Development Adviser, Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich
GLOBAL WATER CHALLENGES
Have you noticed our special focus on water issues? This is a growing global issue – more floods and droughts affecting the most vulnerable people – 731 million without a safe water supply - 2.8 billion without basic sanitation – conflicts over scarce resources. We have highlighted it in the East Anglican, in the Enews and on the web site. Please do visit the page on the web site
www.stedmundsbury.anglican.org/index.cfm?page=social.content&cmid=558
which highlights some of the action being taken locally and how you can join in. There is also a new leaflet in the World Mission Group series which can be downloaded from the web site or is available from me on request. This gives more ideas on action. Finally, there will be an exhibition at the cathedral from 25 June until 20 July. Many people will be in the cathedral for the ordination week-end, so do ask them to allow a few minutes to look at the exhibition. Paul Daley the Local Water Aid speaker is keen to come and speak to churches. Contact him on pauldaley@virginmedia.com
RWANDAN OLYMPIC TEAM AND VISIT OF THE BISHOP OF KIGALI
Bishop Louis of Kigali will be in Suffolk next month for the arrival of the Rwandan Olympic Team in Bury St Edmunds where it is training. He has been invited by Rwanda Direct, a small charity based in Ipswich. He will preach at the cathedral at 10am on Sunday 8 July. If you would like to meet Bishop Louis or invite him to speak at your church, contact the Revd Paul Daltry, Chair of Rwanda Direct & Commissary for Bishop Louis at paul@daltry.co.uk Visit www.sportforrwanda.org.uk for information about Bury St Edmund’s project to enable hundreds of Rwandan children to take part in sport.
CLIMATE CHANGE
Our focus on water has highlighted how drought and floods impact on the most vulnerable. But this is only one effect of climate change. The poor are also ill equipped to cope with temperature changes, sea level rise, storms, etc. There are a number of occasions coming up for prayer and worship around the topic of the environment and climate change. June 5 is World Environment Day. www.unep.org/wed/ From 20 to 22 June the UN conference on sustainable development RIO +20 takes place. 20 years on from the groundbreaking Rio Earth Summit, leaders from around the world will meet again in Rio de Janeiro. Let us pray for real progress in plans for a sustainable and safer future for our planet. Keep in touch through your aid agency or www.rioconnection.org This page will tell you where to look for worship materials on the environment.
www.ccow.org.uk/worship/ccow-prayer-resources/praying-and-preaching-about-the-environment Looking further ahead Churches Together Creation Time will run from 1 September to 4 October. The theme this year is Sustainable Energy in Creation – Time for prayer and action. Resources will be available on the Churches Together web site (www.ctbi.org.uk) by the end of June.
ECUMENICAL WORLD DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
“Food Matters” is the theme of this year’s Ecumenical World Development Conference. From the 1– 3 October at the Hayes Conference Centre Swanwick, there will be a great opportunity to explore with others interested in development issues why in a world of plenty so many go hungry. Go to www.ewdc.info to see the impressive range of speakers and for booking details.
FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT AND THE BIG BREW
Thank you to those of you who sent me details and pictures of your Big Brew event. It seems you were very busy with coffee mornings, tea parties & fairtrade stalls – with the odd breakfast, quiz, children’s activities and concert thrown in. Well done!
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