Christian World Service

<typohead type="2">Recommendations

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That the Assembly encourages parishes to promote and support CWS’s Christmas Gift Appeal and its emergency appeals.

That the Assembly notes the changes in the CWS’s constitution and affirms its commitment to CWS.

That the Assembly encourages all parishes to select a layperson to be the Parish Link for CWS.

That the Assembly notes the availability of education and study group materials for adults, young people, and children, and encourages parishes to make use of these.

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<typohead type="2">Report

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<typohead type="3">1. Presbyterian support for Christian World Service</typohead>

1.1 Presbyterian support for Christian World Service continues to be very high with over two thirds of all Presbyterian and co-operating parishes supporting the annual Christmas Gift Appeal in 2003. The average amount raised by Presbyterian parishes was $780 (an increase from the 2002 average of $652).

1.2 Many Presbyterians are also contributors to CWS’s work via direct debit or other regular contributions. We are very appreciative of these, because they enable us to assure our project partners of ongoing funding and thereby enable them to make long term plans.

1.3 Generous support also came from individuals and parishes for the emergency appeals (see below) launched by CWS and in response to @world our magazine sent regularly to our supporters.

1.4 Parish links, volunteers who promote the work of CWS in their parish and the wider community, are invaluable in keeping the work of CWS before parishioners. Approximately a quarter of all Presbyterian parishes have parish links, and we would very much like to increase that number.

<typohead type="3" class="western">2. Working with the Association of Presbyterian Women (APW)</typohead>

2.1 Every year the APW in conjunction with the Methodist Women’s Fellowship (MWF) ‘adopt’ a CWS partner as their special project. We are very appreciative of this support and collaboration. The funds raised make a significant contribution to the partner project, and it also provides us with an opportunity to speak to groups around the country on the project, on the importance of development assistance, and on key issues in the struggle to overcome poverty. Since 2000, the APW/MWF have raised over $164,000. When the VASS subsidy is added this has enabled over $750,000 to be sent to the supported projects.

2.2 The APW/MWF’s two most recent projects have been the New Sudan Council of Churches’ project on peace building in that troubled country, and the work of the Women’s Development Resource Centre (WDRC) in South India. The WDRC works with Dalit (untouchable) women and tribal women helping them work to achieve economic sustainability and social justice. The next project of the APW/MWF is to support the Middle East Council of Churches’ work with Palestinian refugees in camps both inside and outside Palestine.

<typohead type="3" class="western">3. Supporting Development Partners</typohead>

3.1 CWS is currently supporting 31 development programmes in 21 countries throughout the world. In addition to the examples given above, programmes range from an HIV/AIDS awareness and training programme run by the Church of Uganda; to a women’s development and anti-domestic violence programme in El Salvador; and a literacy programme for adults and children in Bougainville.

3.2 Including support that we receive under the Government’s Voluntary Agency Support Scheme (VASS) CWS provides of the order of $2,000,000 per year to projects.

<typohead type="3" class="western">4. Emergency Appeals</typohead>

4.1 In addition to the planned support to our project partners, CWS also runs emergency appeals. Such appeals are usually launched in response to a crisis caused either by war or natural disaster. However our policy is only to launch an appeal in situations where we have a partner in the affected area to whom we can send the money raised. Often we are supporting an appeal by ACT International (Action by Churches Together) the body within the World Council of Churches family responsible for co-ordinating international church response to disasters (e.g. the earthquake in Bam, Iran and the aftermath of conflict in Iraq) and sometimes it is a request by one of our member churches who has a partner in the affected area (e.g. Cyclone Heta in Niue). On occasions, as with our support for the New Sudan Council of Churches, what starts as an emergency appeal, moves on to be a partnership for peace building and evolves into a development partnership. Funds raised are often supplemented by grants from NZAID.

<typohead type="3" class="western">5. Campaigning for Change</typohead>

5.1 CWS is committed to advocacy in the conviction that every human being is entitled to life in all its fullness, and on the Biblical tradition of advocacy which is articulated by the prophets and embodied in the life and ministry of Jesus.

5.2 We recognise that the elimination of poverty involves structural change and we therefore see campaigning for change as a necessary concomitant to the work with our development partners. We have been actively involved in support for the United Nations Millennium Development goals, and particularly the campaign for New Zealand to meet its commitment to contributing 0.7% of its Gross National Income (GNI) to development assistance by 2015 (currently it is 0.23%). We are also involved in the Trade for People not People for Trade campaign for fair and equitable international trading rules. A position paper, Talk Trade presents the basis for the new trade campaign and is available from CWS. We continue to be the lead New Zealand agency for the Jubilee 2000 work on the cancellation of unrepayable debt owed by the poorest nations.

5.3 CWS is concerned over the issues raised by the Foreshore and Seabed debate and the parallels between these and the situation that a number of our overseas partners face. This concern led us to work with the Ecumenical Coalition for Justice to help them put together funding to support their preparation of resources and other materials to help congregations gain a Christian perspective on the issues involved. CWS has also made its own submission to Government.

<typohead type="3" class="western">6. Changes in CWS</typohead>

6.1 New Director

6.1.1 There have been two major changes in CWS over the last two years. Firstly, Jill Hawkey, who had been the National Director (or its equivalent) for ten years resigned in March as she and her family had decided to move to England to be nearer the children’s grandparents. Jill’s contribution to CWS is inestimable. It is largely because of her leadership that CWS is where it is today; a respected aid, development, and social justice agency whose work and analysis is much admired.

6.1.2 Jill was replaced after an extensive selection process by Jonathan Fletcher, a Christchurch Quaker who came to the job after a thirty-year career in engineering, both as a consultant and as a public servant working for central and local government.

6.2 A Charitable Trust

6.2.1 The second change is that CWS is now a Trust Board under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957. There are a number of reasons for this change including: uncertainty over the future shape and direction of CCANZ; the desirability of providing better legal protection for Council and Board members; anticipated changes in the accounting and accountability regime for charities; the increasing size and complexity of the work that CWS undertakes; and it makes it possible for all churches to become involved with CWS.

6.2.2 This change strengthens the links between the churches and CWS in that the constitution formally establishes CWS as the churches’ development, justice and aid agency. It also provides for member churches to be represented on the CWS National Council (its governing body).

6.3 Education Resources

6.3.1 An important part of the work of CWS is the provision of educational resources designed to help church congregations understand better the work of our project partners, the important issues that impact on the elimination of poverty, and how people in New Zealand can make a difference. These resources are available free of charge from the CWS office and we are keen to encourage congregations, study groups, youth groups and Sunday Schools to make use of them. The range of material available includes:

6.3.2 World Watch: Our longest running publication. It is produced twice yearly and designed for primary school aged children. Each one includes stories drawn from the work of a CWS partner and a number of study exercises, games and puzzles, designed to help the children understand the issue from a Christian perspective. It comes with a leader’s kit. The most recent topics covered have been food and peace.

6.3.3 Youth Topics: These are A2 poster size resources designed for teenagers. On one side is a poster, and on the other a set of activities designed to help a group study, research, reflect on the Christian response, and act on the issue. The last two topics covered have been stewardship of the world’s resources, and hunger.

6.3.4 Video Study Series: Every year we produce a video and associated study guide. The current one is The Global Banquet: Food for Everyone, which explores the issues around food security and sovereignty.

6.3.5 Video Library: We have built up an extensive collection of videos, many with supplementary study resources which are available for borrowing on request.

6.3.6 Update: A monthly ‘no frills’ newsletter giving information about our partners and developments that affect them. This is available to our supporters either by post or in electronic form.

6.3.7 Miscellaneous Publications: From time to time we publish information materials on important aid and development issues. A recent example is Talk Trade our position paper on the importance of fair trade.

<typohead type="3">7. Youth Programme</typohead>

7.1 In addition to the publication of the resource materials referred to above, CWS has given priority in the last three years to developing a youth programme. This has included developing Wipe Out Poverty Week a participatory fund raising exercise where youth groups are encouraged to sign up to raise funds by doing some useful work. Projects last year ranged from car washes and cleaning halls to undertaking odd jobs for parishioners. A comprehensive resource kit supports participation. Wipe Out Poverty Week this year begins on 6 September.

7.2 In 2003 CWS had a keynote slot at Presbyterian Connect, the annual Presbyterian youth event.

7.3 CWS has also had a stand for the last three years at the Parachute Christian Music Festival. In the first year it featured the debt cancellation campaign and involved a photo-petition. The second year focused on Fair Trade with coffee as the example (and samples supplied). This year featured the campaign for increased development assistance and as a result over 2000 young people signed postcards to the Minister asking the Government to increase its support for aid and development.

Jonathan Fletcher
National Director, Christian World Service

Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

Christian World Service