The Colombia Government estimates that 600,000 people have died since the conflict began between the country’s authorities and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People’s Army (FARC-EP) in the 1960s. A peace talk began six months ago in Cuba and key agreement of land reform has been reached. Colombia has one of the most unequal land distributions in the world, 87 percent of peasants have no land. The agreement seeks to reverse the effects of the conflict and restore land to victims of dispossession and forced displacement. [UN] [IPS]
Pray for Columbia
Praise that the agreement is a firm step towards a final agreement to end the conflict.
Pray for a smooth progress of the land reform. The landless can get distributed land as they need.
[ePrayer – Pray for the development of Mon villages in Myanmar]
Give thanks for a smooth visit into Mon villages by CEDAR staff and three overseas trainers who conducted training on Watershed management & Agro-forestry and production of EM (Effective Micro-organisms). Based on findings and discussion from the training, we will present result to advocate at higher level. In the past 5 years, local villagers observed there is an obvious decrease in water level and volume at different water sources which are caused by logging and gold mining activities by the business groups. CEDAR and local partner will continue to facilitate local villagers in planting of trees, protection of water source, and give environmental conservation lessons to students at the new school.
Pray for the development of Mon villages in Myanmar
Pray for wisdom and discernment of local partner and villagers as they implement watershed management and agro-forestry activities and lobbying work.
Pray that local peace leader will make a balance on economic development and management of natural resources.
[ePrayer – Pray for Shanti Nepal’s community health and empowerment project]
According to a recent UN report, Nepal has to overcome a number of development challenges including large concentration of poverty and hunger, rising inequality and wide infrastructure gaps… etc. Also, the rising inflation rate was 10.2 % in the first eight months of the fiscal year which has pushed more people towards poverty. Our partner Shanti Nepal is targeting about 105,000 people from 19,200 households in Dhading. Project activities include consolidation of mother groups, strengthening of local health facilities such as outreach clinics and birthing centres, promote health activities and building of toilets.
Pray for Shanti Nepal’s community health and empowerment project:
Praise the Lord that Shanti Nepal’s community health and empowerment project in Dhading has made good progress and it is one of the official demonstration sites for promoting and mobilising community health development in the country.
Pray that the work of Shanti Nepal will bring with good health, better living and good neighbourhood to impoverished communities.
[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details. [2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts. [3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
[ePrayer – Pray for the cyclone affected communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar]
Bangladesh and Myanmar are bracing for Cyclone Mahasen, a storm which could affect millions in the region. According to OCHA, a red storm alert remains in effect for Mahasen, just east-northeast of Sri Lanka, now moving northwards across the Bay of Bengal towards both countries. Set to reach land on 16 May, the storm is expected to strike just south of the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong, but could, depending upon its final trajectory, bring life-threatening conditions for millions of people in northeast India, Bangladesh and Myanmar’s Rakhine State, OCHA warned on 12 May. It was predicted that Myanmar will have rain and thunderstorm on 15 May, followed by increasing wind and rain, as well as flash flooding later.
Aid agencies in Myanmar say heavy rain and mudslides could bring difficult conditions to about 140,000 displaced people across Rakhine state, mostly Rohingya. Up to 45,000 displaced people living in low-lying areas in Sittwe have been identified as the most vulnerable to cyclone Mahasen. Some have begun to be moved to higher ground. [IRIN]
Pray for the cyclone affected communities in Bangladesh and Myanmar:
Pray that Cyclone Mahasen would be weakened;
Pray for God’s protection to those people and communities who are being threatened by the coming cyclone;
Pray that tens of thousands of refugees who have already had so much troubles and suffering would be protected by the Lord and have peace
Pray that local governments and NGOs will have good preparation and coordination on mitigating the risk of the cyclone.
[ePrayer – Pray for the human rights situation in Eritrea]
The serious human rights violations in Eritrea are pushing people to take the difficult decision to leave their families and homes behind for an unknown future. Since the beginning of the year, close to 4,000 Eritrean refugees have crossed the border into Ethiopia, including a large number of unaccompanied children without the knowledge of their families. Children suffered from dysfunctional family circumstances due to the long absence of the father, most of the time because of conscription, lack of educational opportunities and the fear of forced conscription into indefinite national service as major reasons for their decisions to flee. UN expert expressed particular concern about the indefinite national service, the ongoing practice of arbitrary arrest and incommunicado detention in inhumane conditions and widespread torture, both physical and psychological, during interrogation by the police, military and security forces. [UN]
Pray for the human rights situation in Eritrea:
Pray for God’s protection and provision to those refugees fled from Eritrea, especially the unaccompanied children;
Pray for the change on the human rights situation there;
Pray that local churches and Christian groups would be able to help the them with the Love of God.
CEDAR China Project Officers have successfully completed a post-disaster need assessment and have developed a relief & rehabilitation plan of action. Meanwhile, we have submitted a relief proposal to HKSAR Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee to consider. During the need assessment process, our staff was blocked by landslides on the road several times. Till now, the basic living needs of quake victims have been satisfied by the relief materials from the Ministry of Civil Affairs of PRC. However, because of the collapsed houses and the small leaking tents due to rain, the victims are now struggling with the shelter and food storage problems, and diseases such as joint pains and skin infections. In the quake affected areas, there are still victims living in crude tents besides collapsed houses, to eat & sleep in the open. In addition with the frequent aftershocks and rainy season, victims in the remote mountainous areas are most vulnerable.
CEDAR will continue working with local churches & Christian groups in Sichuan to deliver bottles of oil, plastic sheets, metal food tanks and sanitary items for women, targeting 2 administrative villages with 426 household in Tianquan County and four administrative villages with 2,880 households in Lushan County. Total budget is 3.1 million HKD. [Sichuan Yaan Quake Relief]
Pray for Sichuan quake relief work:
Pray that we will get a grant approval from HKSAR Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee to implement the next phase of relief work shortly;
Pray that local churches and Christian groups and CEDAR will be a channel of God’s grace and love to victims;
May God guides our way on the mid-term and long-term post-quake relief and rehabilitation works.
Relief Donation
Cheque payable to ‘CEDAR FUND’
Deposit to HSBC A/C No. 600-385678-001, enclosing with the Pay-in slip
[1] CEDAR is an approved charitable institutions and trusts of a public character under section 88 of the Inland Revenue Ordinance. Please click Inland Revenue Department website to check for details. [2] Donations over $100 are tax deductible in Hong Kong with our receipts. [3] Please DO NOT fax any donation information.
Contact Method
Tel>23819627 Fax>23922777 Email>sharing@cedarfund.org Add>G.P.O. Box 3212Hong Kong
