Number 238, October 2001
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Pradip Thomas
Considerations after the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.
These are just some of the reactions from here in the Middle East. As each of us continue to pray for the victims of this terrible week and their families, let us also remember to pray ...
Painfully aware of the urgent need for the churches to move from affirmation to action in solidarity with the Palestinian people at this critical time, 50 participants at an international ecumenical consultation on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have identified seven potential areas for coordinated action as a beginning of a joint process of ecumenical planning and strategizing for a concerted international response.
For many people who live in the developed world use of video cameras, VCR’s, TV’s, and computers is a daily occurrence. But when one speaks with indigenous peoples about access to this same technology they say it is only a dream. For centuries indigenous people and their cultures have been represented by people from the outside. Recently over the past few years there has been an effort to get new communication technology into the hands of indigenous people so that they can represent themselves, with their own words and images. This is what the Chiapas Media Project (CMP) is attempting to do in Southern Mexico. The CMP is a bi-national collaboration that provides video and computer equipment and training to indigenous communities in Chiapas and Guerrero, Mexico.
Indigeneity discussed by UN
Each August, indigenous peoples converge upon the UN Headquarters in New York to observe the international Day of the World’s Indigenous People. Ceremonial events and performances of traditional music and dance are the forerunner to panel discussions and workshops on pressing issues. Attracting many indigenous peoples from the Americas and elsewhere, this years focused discussion was on the future role and operations of the newly established Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, a subsidiary organ of the UN Economic and Social Council.
Durban conference on Racism
The III World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Connected Intolerance was not an easy one. The debate was caught up by political issues related to the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation and the withdrawal of Israeli and US government delegations, in a way, betted for the failure of this world gathering.
Snippets from a Christian Journalist discussion group:
We’re planning some musical evangelism, moving on from our recent recording projects based on the concept of God In Plain Language, or Worship for Everyman. We want to take straight-talking music outside the walls of the church and into pubs, etc.
My current puzzle is to create a clear and unmistakeable mission statement in non-churchy language, to explain why Christian music should go into non-Christian areas. It’s proving to be a trickier little puzzle than you might think, so I wondered if the combined intellects of the Network wordsmiths would care to help me?