[“SHARE” JAN – MAR 2021 ] Join Hands Join Hearts
Written by Clara Chiu (Head of Partnership Development)
In order to transform the society, we first have to give children a chance to grow up healthily so that they can become leaders of good character who obey God’s will.
Continue reading Children Ministry – Commitment and Collaboration
[“SHARE” JUL – SEP 2019 ] LEARN A LITTLE MORE
Written by: Edward Lai
The pandemic makes us realise the importance of having a sound medical system, which does not only require sufficient medical personnel, but also a stable supply of medicine.
Lebanon has been identified as a priority country in the United Nations’ COVID-19 GlobalHumanitarian Response Plan.
As the country that has the highest per capita proportion of refugees in the world, Lebanon has taken in 1.5 million Syrian and 200,000 Palestinian refugees, who currently make up more than 30% of the country population. The exponential growth of refugees in Lebanon has put the already fragile medical system under pressure. The outbreak of COVID-19 further places enormous burden on its medical services, brining them to the verge of collapse.
| The World Health Organisation has warned that COVID-19 may never go away. This means that there may not be an end to the fight against this disease. If that is the case, how can we adapt the strategies of our international poverty relief programmes to make them more effective in helping the destitute? Do we need to change the economic development pattern which has long been taken as “normal”? As part of the Christian community, how should we continue to care for the poor and defend their dignity? |
[“SHARE” JUL – SEP 2019 ] BACK TO THE BIBLE
Written by: Wance Kwan (Assistant Professor [Practical Studies], China Graduate School of Theology)
“If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, ‘Here’s a good seat for you,’ but say to the poor man, ‘You stand there’ or ‘Sit on the floor by my feet,’ have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (James 2:3-4)
If you are one of the few in your church who are involved in poverty alleviation work, you may be angry with the snobs in the scripture above. You might probably think that you would never be like them. However, have you ever thought that always putting the poor at the receiving end can also be considered as a form of discrimination? Such attitude of judging people by their outward appearances is being challenged in James 2:1 as favoritism.
Continue reading The Trap of Discrimination in Poverty Alleviation
(Photo taken in Kurigram District of northern Bangladesh)
Written by Tony Chan (Senior Partnership Development Officer)
Friends asked me, “Your organisation (CEDAR Fund) is for poverty alleviation. Why does it actively promote environment protection?”
This is closely related to CEDAR’s understanding of poverty. We believe that poverty is resulted from an impaired relationship. In the beginning of creation, relationships between man and God, man and man, and man and nature were good. However, man sinned and disobeyed God, and even exploited others and the nature for their own benefits. Those who were exploited became the poor.
Continue reading Environment protection: All about Love and Justice
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
When we think of ‘poverty alleviation’ we may have the impression that it is the ‘rich’ initiating to help the ‘poor’. When I first left Hong Kong 33 years ago, I met some friends from Africa and India, and learned about their ministries. I realized that they had already developed many mission work and social ministries themselves. They were indeed not just recipients of aid. That started in me a lot of respect and appreciation for our friends in different countries.
