Welcome to Update

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund

Email Update – January 2016

Mission Statement

As an instrument of faith, PWRDF connects Anglicans in Canada to communities around the world in dynamic partnerships to advance development, respond to emergencies, assist refugees and act for positive change.

This list is an outgoing communication service from PWRDF only.

  • Government Matching Funds for Syrian Emergency Relief Work Extended
  • PWRDF Announces $300,000 grant for relief work in Syria region
  • Children deserve ‘our very best efforts,’ says Hiltz in New Year’s address
  • Gifts for Mission: Decrease infant mortality by installing solar panels on a health clinic
  • “We are still here”
  • World Council of Churches / UN conference: joint statement on refugee crisis
  • Diocese of Quebec divests from fossil fuels, mining
  • CFGB: Good Soil Campaign
  • CBC Radio covers KAIROS’ Blanket Exercise in Thunder Bay

Staff Travel:

  • PWRDF Executive Director and Development Team on the Move!

Resources:

  • Lent 2016

Government Matching Funds for Syrian Emergency Relief Work Extended

BySimon Chambers

Photo: Paul Jeffrey/ACT

The government of Canada has announced that the deadline for matching funds for eligible donations to Canadian agencies working to provide relief to Syrians displaced within Syria and living as refugees in the surrounding ….read more: http://pwrdf.org/2016/government-matching-funds-for-syrian-emergency-relief-work-extended/

PWRDF Announces $300,000 grant for relief work in Syria region

BySimon Chambers

PWRDF is contributing $300,000 through theACT Alliancefor continuing relief efforts in Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Ongoing violence in Syria has displaced about 8 million people within its borders, and more than 4 million other Syrians have fled….read more: http://pwrdf.org/2016/pwrdf-announces-300000-grant-for-relief-work-in-syria-region/

Children deserve ‘our very best efforts,’ says Hiltz in New Year’s address

ByArt Babych

Photo: Art Babych

In his annual NewYear’s Day address at Christ Church Cathedral, the primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, said the church must ensure that the interests and well-being of children, in Canada and around the world, are upheld.

Hiltz ….read more: http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/children-deserve-our-very-best-efforts-says-hiltz-in-new-year-s-address?utm_source=Anglican+Journal&utm_

Gifts for Mission: Decrease infant mortality by installing solar panels on a health clinic

BY MATT GARDNER

Solar panels provide electricity to a health clinic in rural Tanzania

Electricity is one of the cornerstones of development—a key part of the infrastructure that enables poverty reduction and the provision of vital services such as health care.

In many rural areas of Tanzania, conventional sources of electricity delivered through the national grid are prohibitively ….read more: http://www.anglican.ca/news/gifts-for-mission-decrease-infant-mortality-by-installing-solar-panels-on-a-health-clinic/30013801/?utm_source=Anglic

“We are still here”

ByGillian Hoyer

Elizabeth and José in their cornfield. Photo: Gillian Hoyer

“When I first met CoCoSI I thought I was going to die very soon,” says Maria (all names have been changed in this story for the protection of the people involved), a petite soft-spoken woman sitting in the front room of her small home in Cabañas district, El Salvador. Then she adds, with a twinkle in her eyes, “That was a long time ago and, as you can see, we are still here!”

Maria was diagnosed….read more: http://pwrdf.org/2016/we-are-still-here/

World Council of Churches / UN conference: joint statement on refugee crisis

Anglican Communion News Service

Refugees at Vienna West railway station in September 2015; Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Bwag

Following theWCC/UN high level conference on the refugee crisis in Europe, which took place at the Ecumenical Centre Geneva on 18-19 January, a statement has been issued entitled “Europe’s Response to the Refuge Crisis, From Origin to Transit, Reception and Refuge, A Call for Shared Responsibility and Coordinated Action”. The statement, issued jointly by the World Council of Churches; UNICEF….read more: http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2016/01/wcc-un-conference-joint-statement-on-refugee-crisis.aspx

Diocese of Quebec divests from fossil fuels, mining

ByAndré Forget


Quebec is the first diocese in the Anglican Church of Canada to fully divest from both mining and fossil fuels.Photo: Mark Agnor/Shutterstock

In mid-December, the diocese of Quebec completed a four-year process of divestment from fossil fuels and resource extraction, making it the first diocese in the Anglican Church of Canada to fully divest from both mining and fossil fuels. In a report to the synod of the diocese of Quebec….read more: http://www.anglicanjournal.com/articles/diocese-of-quebec-divests-from-fossil-fuels-mining?utm_source=Anglican+Journal&utm_campaign=880f815aeb-Anglican_Journal_Daily06_03&utm_medium=e

Canadian Foodgrains Bank is a partnership of 15 Canadian churches and church-based agencies working together to end global hunger. PWRDF is a member.

Good Soil Campaign

Strengthening Support for Small-Scale Farmers

Good Soil is a campaign through Canadian Foodgrains Bank and its members, to advocate that the Canadian government increase its support for small-scale agriculture in Canada’s international aid programs. Postcards addressed to Prime Minister Trudeau calling for increased support may be ordered through PWRDF: . Read more…. http://foodgrainsbank.ca/campaigns/good-soil/

CBC Radio covers KAIROS’ Blanket Exercise in Thunder Bay

Students at Kingsway Park Public School in Thunder Bay recently took part in a Blanket Exercise, led by Canadian Roots Exchange. The Blanket Exercise teaches students about the history of Canada from an Indigenous point of view.
Listen to the CBC podcast

Staff Travel:

PWRDF Executive Director and Development Team on the Move!

January and February are busy months for PWRDF’s Executive Director and Development Team staff.

Adele Finney traveled to a Heads of Agencies meeting in Accra, Ghana and to Masasi, Tanzania to visit projects with PWRDF partner. Adele returns to the office on January 25.

Richard Librock is traveling from January 17 to March 2 to Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda and on to Berlin for an Oikocredit meeting while Zaida Bastos will be in South Africa, Mozambique and Rwanda from January 30 until February 23.

Bart Dickinson is traveling from February 5 to the 28 to Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Zaida, Richard and Bart will be visiting partners, monitoring and evaluating programs and setting up PWRDF’s new joint program with Global Affairs Canada (GAC). PWRDF will contribute $2,654,612 over five years towards the $17,697,412 project that will focus on maternal and child health in 350 villages in Burundi, Mozambique, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Resources:

Lent 2016

PWRDF’s 2016 Lent Resource was written by Rev. Laura Marie Piotrowicz with a focus on the 5 A’s of Food Security. We invite you to order Lent 2016 for your parish and dig deeper into issues of food security and food sovereignty.

View the resource online.

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