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Bangladesh

Location: Southern Asia, between India and Burma

Population: 150 million

Climate: Tropical, hot, humid

Bangladesh is a poor and overpopulated nation. 36% of the population lives under the poverty line (less than $1/50p a day). 82% live on less than $2 a day. Nearly two-thirds of Bangladeshis are employed in farming, with rice as the singlemostimportant product. Major problems include land erosion, lack of safe water, cyclones, floods and even drought. About a third of the country floods annually during the monsoon rainy season, making agricultural productiondifficult. Many groups of people face prejudice and exclusion. Women are rarely allowed to participate in social or economic life. Indigenous peoples are discriminated against. While people who are HIV positive are often sacked from their jobs, rejected by their families and turned away by doctors.

[ credit image: World Christian Database]

Christian Aid in Bangladesh

The overall goal of Christian Aid’s programme is to support partner organisations in their work to build more secure lives for disadvantaged women, indigenous peoples and both the landless and land-owning poor. Programmes include establishing a more regular means of making a living, reducing people’s vulnerability to disasters and lessening the risks associated with disasters. Christian Aid is also funding projects that focus on issues of economic justice and governance as it is only through changes in these areas that real progress can be made in eradicating poverty and enabling long-term security. The majority of stories we feature come from the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh(CCDB) although Christian Aid work with 14 partners in Bangladesh.

Climate change issues in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has three great rivers – the Brahmaputra, the Ganges and the Meghna – around 230 smaller rivers flow into these. As there are so many people living in the country, they have to use every bit of land available for farming, even the river banks. These riverbanks are prone to erosion however and people are frequently plunged into extreme poverty when they lose their land and homes due to erosion.

Although floods are an annual event, mega floods seem to be becoming more frequent. In 2004, mega floods destroyed 80% of the country’s crops, killed 747 people and left 30 million homeless or stranded. The floods of 2007 were not as severe but caused far greater health problems such as cholera and diarrhea than has been seen for at least a decade.

Temperature increases caused by climate change will mean that more snow melts in the HimalayanMountains each summer. This water will run into the rivers increasing the flooding and river erosion. If the snow melts fully, it could lead to severe water shortages.

The country could also receive 15% more rainfall by 2030, meaning that 20-40% more land will be flooded.

The rise in sea levels will add to this (by 2100, 18% of the country could be under water). Many of those living in coastal areas will have to move inland where the population is already high.

Increased sea levels mean that salt is gettinginto the soil, making fields near the coast useless for farming. The salt is also killing off mangrove forests that are a vital protection against cyclones, storms and tsunamis.

Climate change could also increase the number and intensity of tropical stormsin the area.

Predictions suggest that climate change could mean that by 2050 15 million people may be made environmental refugees inBangladesh.

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The Church in Bangladesh

Christianity, together with other smaller religions, make up 1% of the population withIslam 83% and Hinduism 16% ¹. Among the mainly Sunni Muslims, fundamentalists are increasing pressure on the government to introduce Shariah law andconvert Bangladesh into a Muslim state.

Census figures show that, since 1974,the percentage of Christians has not changed. However, missionaries from other countries have brought finance and new denominations. Therefore Christians often move from one church to another and this can cause problems such as a lack of trust between churches. The majority of church leaders and younger generation Christians are in favour of strengthening the ecumenical movement. The Council of Churches in Bangladesh created CCDB as its development wing.

The Church of Bangladesh, one of the united churches, was established in 1970 with the coming together of Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian traditions. Before that it was a diocese of the Church of Pakistan. Membership in the year 2005 was 12,400 with 41 congregations.Although committed to sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ, their holistic approach to development of the poor takes no notice of caste, creed, class or gender. The importance of relating faith and work is reflected in church programmes. Inevitably most of the development work in which the Church of Bangladesh and CCDB are involved, benefits the poor in communities outside the Church. There is a shortage of pastors, both male and female. Women’s representation on church committees has improved and women’s ordination has been approved if not yet in practice.

In Bangladesh there is a scarcity of education. The Church of Bangladesh considers it a moral obligation to provide education for the very poor. This continues the 100 years tradition of the missionaries who first started schools in Bangladesh. The Church of Bangladesh schools are situated where there are no government school places available. Most are in urban areas of severe deprivation or in rural areas where children, who are very poor or belong to religious or tribal minorities, might find it difficult to get places in government run schools.

As a very small minority, Christians often find themselves severely disadvantaged and persecuted. It is often very risky to be involved in evangelism as life is made very difficult for Christians. Converts from other faiths usually face exclusion from the communities in which they have grown up.

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² www2.wcc-coe.org

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Ways to bring Commitment for Life to the whole church

Whether you are a new or a long standing church, it is good to revisit Commitment for Life from time to time. Below are a few ideas collected from churches around the country that may set you thinking of ideas of your own.

  • Why not light a candle each week and pray for your country and the Christian Aid partners there. Use candles made by Jamaica Aids Support for Life.
  • Have you thought about a special Commitment for Life Sunday? Contact your local Advocate or Church House for speakers. A CD Rom of service ideas is available for all four countries.
  • Use the notice board to make an impact. Blow up stories from our e-letters or updates. Use colours to match the flag of the country. Drape fabrics to complement the display. Christian Aid resources are useful for campaign focus displays. Images from the CD can be printed and enlarged on a photocopier. Make it bright and bold.
  • If your church has a Traidcraft stall, ask them to sell items from your particular country one week. Have tastings of Caribbean bananas or Palestinian olive oil after the service.
  • Hold a flower or Christmas Tree Festival, with arrangements or decorations based on your chosen country and issues such as Fairtrade, Trade Justice, HIV or Debt.
  • Many churches hold themed meals with a speaker. Scour the internet for recipe ideas.
  • Tell the young people about the situation in your focus country, they will have wonderful ideas of how to get the message across.
  • This sheet will give you lots of information to make up quizzes or write magazine articles.
  • Include campaign postcard signing as part of your service.
  • Start an action group. Decide on an issue and encourage each other to learn about it and write letters to MPs or companies.
  • Try pitta or naan bread for communion. Use ethnic cloth to decorate the communion table.
  • Show films such as Inconvenient Truth (climate change) The Iron Wall ( Israel and the OccupiedPalestinianTerritories situation).
  • Collect stories about your country from the media and use as stimulus for prayer each week.
  • Music related to your country adds atmosphere to a service. TryWorldChurch Hymns.

We have many resources which we are willing to lend out to churches. Speak to us for ideas to help you engage with the issues. Please contact Commitment for Life: Linda 01702 315981

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Christian Aid logo and charity number

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