Oxfam warn climate change will worsen food shortages

In a report issued at the beginning of the UN climate talks being staged in Durban, Oxfam have warned that surges in food prices caused by storms and droughts could be a "grim foretaste" of what lies ahead when climate change worsens.

The British charity reminded delegates that recent spikes in wheat, corn and sorghum prices were triggered by extreme weather.

The effect of this drove tens of millions into poverty over the past 18 months.



"This will only get worse as climate change gathers pace and agriculture feels the heat," insisted Oxfam's Kelly Dent.

"When a weather event drives local or regional price spikes, poor people often face a double shock.



"They have to cope with higher food prices at a time when extreme weather may have also killed their livestock, destroyed their home or farm, or stripped them of their livelihood.



"This toxic mix of higher prices and lower purchasing power has driven many people into crisis this year," said Dent.



"If we don't act in Durban, this pattern could become even worse."



Oxfam explained exactly how these price hikes were affecting the poor.



"For the poorest who spend up to 75% of their income on food, price rises on this scale can have consequences as families are forced into impossible trade-offs in a desperate bid to feed themselves," it said.



"More frequent and extreme weather events will compound things further, creating shortages, destabilising markets and precipitating price spikes, which will be felt on top of the structural price rises predicted by the models."

Created in Joy! Created for Joy!

I am an avid reader. I tend to devour everything that piques my interest - just at the moment I am reading Walter Isaacson's biography on Steve Jobs. It has been of the most engaging, and saddening, books I have read in a long time.

Steve Jobs seems to have been a person who had a few very 'rough edges'. Whilst I can certainly see elements of enlightenment in his character and desire, there are some very aspects of his person (most frequently expressed in his fears and behaviour) that show that in spite of enlightenment he was a rather tormented and unhappy person.

I suppose that in some senses success comes at a cost - in this case the cost is real closeness to other people. While there is little doubt that many people admired (and still admire) Steve Jobs for his vision and drive, there is also little doubt that there are many who have been left in the wake of an unrelenting and even destructive personality.

In contrast to what I am reading in the Isaacson biography I came across this beautiful quote from Frederick Buechner, the American born writer and theologian:

"God created us in joy and created us for joy, and in the long run not all the darkness there is in the world and in ourselves can separate us finally from that joy, because whatever else it means to say that God created us in his image, I think it means that even when we cannot believe in him, even when we feel most spiritually bankrupt and deserted by him, his mark is deep within us. We have God’s joy in our blood." (Frederick Buechner).

Indeed, I can see aspects of 'driveness' in my own life. Those who know me will testify to the fact that I am quite a driven person. Once I have a particular goal in mind, or an aspiration toward which I am striving, it tends to occupy my mind and direct both my actions and my thoughts.

For example, I had been working on my doctoral research for about two and a half years when one day a catastrophe occurred - in an attempt to keep up to date copies of my working file (the actual text of my dissertation) I accidentally copied an old version of my work over the latest versions. Of the 4 completed chapters (out of 6) in my doctoral thesis I lost 3. Basically all I had left was my research proposal, which would later become the first chapter of my thesis.

As you can imagine I was devastated! After much anger, disappointment, disbelief and more anger, I made a choice: I said to myself that I would give this project one last effort. I decided to wake up each morning and work from 4am to 6.30am every day of the week (7 days) until I could not do it anymore. I kept to that discipline and ended up completing my dissertation in just over a year. I was consumed by the desire to complete it.

However, I have been working very hard in recent years to be transformed from being driven to being called. It is a subtle, but significant distinction. Driven people do things for themselves. Called persons respond to an invitation from another. I am attempting to live far more as a person of calling, on who is dedicating his life to a vocation rather than a career.

This reminds me a great deal of this quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer, whose biography 'Bonhoeffer, Pastor Martyr, Prophet, Spy', I read last month:

"Vocation is responsibility and responsibility is a total response of the whole man to the whole of reality." (Dietrich Bonhoeffer).

As I have taken this delicate and often painful journey of living in spite of my weaknesses and brokenness I have discovered a great deal of blessing and joy. I am beginning to become much more accepting of the truth that I was created in joy, and created by God for joy!

__________
Dr Dion Forster is an ordained Minister of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. He is a theologian and author. He was formerly the Dean of the Seminary of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, John Wesley College. He currently serves as a consultant and spiritual adviser / Chaplain to the Global Day of Prayer and Unashamedly Ethical movements and their founder, Graham Power. You can read Dion's blogs on www.dionforster.com.

Tutu urges support for 'extraordinary' Climate Change Concert

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has urged South Africans to join world faith leaders, political leaders and music stars at an “extraordinary” mass rally and afternoon concert on November 27 at the King’s Park Stadium in Durban.

The Archbishop is to host the “We Have Faith - Act Now for Climate Justice” rally and concert, at which he will lead a call to world leaders attending the COP17 climate change talks in Durban that they should reach a fair and legally binding agreement to curb climate change.

Musicians including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Arno Carstens, rap star HHP and Kenyan Gospel rapper Juliani have confirmed they will perform at the rally, which will be free. The COP17 talks start in Durban the day after the rally.

Faith leaders including Pope Benedict XVI, Chief Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks and Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, have also been invited. Those who cannot attend have been asked to send video clips of support.

Environmental campaigners and motivational speakers Lewis Pugh, the “human polar bear”, and Braam Malherbe, a 50/50 presenter, will be among the many who will address the crowd.

“Apartheid seemed an overwhelming challenge that could not be defeated but we mobilised and defeated it. We need the same passion and determination to defeat climate change,” says Tutu.

“Climate change is an even greater threat to us than apartheid was, because as temperatures rise, millions of Africans will be deprived of water and crops. This will cause enormous suffering. It is something we simply cannot allow.

“In the face of such a huge threat, many of us feel numb and throw up our hands, believing we can’t make a difference. But we can make a difference - come to the rally. It will be an extraordinary event. And if you cannot come, please sign our petition on www.wehavefaithactnow.org. We want to have over one million signatures on these petitions at the rally to hand over the world leaders.

“Along with the many other faith leaders in the campaign, I appeal to you all - don’t hesitate to join us. Your support could help make a world of difference in keeping our planet cool.”

At the rally, Archbishop Tutu will hand over the petition to COP17 Chair, South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, who has confirmed she will attend to receive it.

UNFCCC executive secretary Christina Figueres has confirmed she will attend the rally, and President Jacob Zuma is among the many key politicians who have been invited.

The “We Have Faith” petition calls on world leaders to commit to a fair, ambitious and legally binding agreement, for a renewal of the Kyoto Protocol, and for funding to help Africa adapt to climate change.

Learners from dozens of schools throughout KwaZulu-Natal will also participate in the rally, presenting environmental-themed posters and messages to the leaders and performing song-and-dance numbers.

The faith leaders participating in the campaign are reiterating scientists’ predictions that that if greenhouse gas emissions are not curbed, by the end of the century average world temperatures will rise between 2˚C and 4˚C, and up to 6˚C in parts of Africa.

Climate change is already causing unpredictable, extreme weather across the
world, they say. Large numbers of people, especially in Africa, are struggling to survive amid increasingly severe droughts, floods and other disasters. Although Africans have done very little to cause climate change, they will be among the most devastated. A new climate change treaty is crucial to prevent enormous suffering and loss of life.


The rally starts at 2pm. Doors open at noon, and there will be local entertainment until 2pm. The event is free and all are welcome! However, as a safety and security precaution, tickets will be required to enter the Rally. Tickets will be available from November 11 at The Shark Tank Shop, the Diakonia Council of Churches and various other organisations ahead of time.

Tickets can also be collected on the day at the stadium ticket office.

For more information, log on to www.wehavefaithactnow.org, follow the campaign on Facebook (“We Have Faith - Act Now” community) and Twitter (“COP17ActNow”). Watch the YouTube video of Archbishop Tutu’s call to people to sign the petition, on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEcOT34ORXE &feature=feedu

For public queries about the rally, contact: The campaign Faith Secretariat on (031) 310 3500 / 3512.

South Africa’s ‘Secrecy Bill’ passed despite fierce resistance

Widespread opposition failed on Tuesday to prevent South Africa’s National Assembly passing the highly controversial Protection of State Information Bill.

The Bill has been challenged since its inception due to the many question marks surronding its constitutionality.

The Bill includes a Secrecy Law that gives up to 25 year jail sentences for anyone holding classified information; removes any protection for whistleblowers; has no public interest clause; and has no independent appeals mechanism.

The ANC dominated 400-member House voted the Bill in with 229 in favour and 107 against, despite opposition parties using every process available to them to halt it.

The Bill has been halted before but was pushed back onto the floor by the ANC after a sham public consultation this weekend that was only announced on Friday evening.

Avaaz.org described it as a “draconian bill that puts a shroud over government and undermines South Africa's hard won freedoms.”

Congress of the People leader and former ANC minister Mosiuoa Lekota raised concerns that the African National Congress would, like the apartheid state, suffer the shame of jailing journalists and whistleblowers who alerted the public to wrongdoing.

"I shudder to think that the men and women who say that money is being stolen will be locked up in the name of the African National Congress," he asserted to loud applause from the opposition benches and a packed public gallery.

Democratic Alliance parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko vowed that her party would continue to fight for incisive amendments to the Bill in the second house, and if that process failed to petition President Jacob Zuma not to sign the bill, but to send it back to Parliament.

"But if this bill is signed into law, I will lead an application to the Constitutional Court to have the act declared unconstitutional," Mazibuko added.

SA National Editors' Forum (Sanef) chairperson Mondli Makhany said that editors were "broken inside" over the Bill.

"All of us here, we are broken inside," Makhanya who was surrounded by the editors of some of South Africa's largest news organisation.

"We never thought we would come here dressed in black to witness the Constitution of our country being betrayed by those who built it."

Makhanya also vowed to continue battling the Bill with every possible resource at his disposal.

"We believe as Sanef that it was a sad and tragic day in the history of our republic."

Treasure our children, urges Archbishop

The leader of the global Anglican communion, Dr Rowan Williams, has urged Christians to pray for the world's children.

The Archbishop of Canterbury made this call on The World Day of Prayer and Action for Children, which has the backing of UNICEF, Religions for Peace, and Save the Children.

The day stands as a reminder of what a treasure children are within our communities and how they all deserve to grow up in loving and safe environments.

"In every faith community, our children are the treasure that we value beyond price," said the Archbishop.

"A child born into health and safety is a sign of hope in our common life. In children we recognise the preciousness and dignity of the human being as well as a vulnerability which calls for our care and protection.

"

The main focus of this year's day of prayer is to put an end to violence against children.

In line with this, the Archbishop insisted all forms of violence against children demand action and prayer and mentioned specifically those children caught up in situations of armed conflict.

"I met children who had suffered unimaginable horror, attacked, abducted, forced into brutalising ways of life - and yet, amidst the anguish, I also encountered precious flames of hope, where local churches and communities strove to protect and restore the lives of their children," he said.

"Many said to me: 'The church never gave up on us.'"

The Archbishop was also deeply impressed with the determination of communities to keep rebuilding their schools after the destruction wreaked by conflict.

"They said that their children and their children’s future were far too precious not to act, and act again," he said.

"I urge us all, in churches and other faith communities all around the world, to unite in this World Day of Prayer and Action for the protection and flourishing of our children.”

Geron halt embryonic stem cell trials

Geron Corporation, a major research company based in California, has halted clinical trials using embryonic stem cells to focus on cancer research instead.

A press release by Geron states the decision was made “after a strategic review of the costs, value inflection timelines and clinical, manufacturing and regulatory complexities associated with the Company’s research and clinical-stage assets.”

The decision has been met with disappointment by pro-choice organisations and embryonic stem cell researchers.

“Geron’s decision was driven by private business considerations,” insisted the Rev. Dr. Carlton W. Veazey, president and CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC).

Veazey said that Christian and Jewish members of the RCRC “strongly endorse life-saving research with stem cells from embryos that would otherwise be discarded by the individuals who created them for infertility treatment.”

Dr. Timothy J. Kamp, professor of medicine and director of the Stem Cell and Regenerative MedicineCenter at the University of Wisconsin, was also left disappointed by the news.

“The decision is a disappointment to most in the field because Geron has been a pioneer in advancing this promising research to clinical applications and completing a first clinical trial would be a milestone,” said Kamp.

“Researchers will continue to be driven by the scientific results to make progress in advancing new therapies using whatever cell sources are most effective,” he added.

“In some cases, there remains strong rationale for using human ES cells as a promising cell source, so I expect that work will continue.”

In stark contrast, pro-choice groups saw Enron’s decision as a victory.

Americans United for Life’s staff counsel Mailee Smith argued that the decision was “a blow to proponents of destructive embryo research.”

“Once again, researchers utilizing cells from destroyed embryos have failed to advance any cures or treatments,” said Smith.

“Geron was the first company to attempt human clinical trials using embryonic stem cells. Its failed attempt to produce any results could chill further requests to attempt such risky and unethical research.”

Dawn McBane, bioethics analyst for the family advocacy organization CitizenLink, also believed this was a “huge victory” for pro-life activists.

“Pro-lifers have been saying for years that embryonic stem cell research is a dead-end road for research – from a scientific, financial, and ethical standpoint,” said McBane.

“Even though Geron was unconcerned with the ethical problems of killing young human embryos, the overwhelming unlikelihood of getting useful treatments out of embryonic stem cell research eventually led them to reconsider their efforts.”

Both Smith and McBane added that adult stem cells, or stem cells that are not harvested from human embryos, were a much more worthy investment in terms of research.

“There are no treatments or cures using embryonic stem cells, yet there are over 70 cures and treatments using adult stem cells,” said Smith, insisting that adult stem cells “hold the key to medical advancement.”

“Not only do embryonic stem cells not work … adult stem cells continue to demonstrate that they are capable of treating dozens of diseases and injuries for thousands of patients around the world,” said McBane.

New York churches throw open doors to Occupy Wall Street protesters

After being evicted from Zucotti Park by local police, Occupy Wall Street protesters have found a new place to sleep in churches around the area.

The Middle Collegiate Church was one of the churches who gladly threw upon their doors to welcome the protesters in.

"This is what we do," said Jacqui Lewis, senior minister of the church. "It's not new to us."

"We're going to try to recharge their batteries," she said. "The Gospels have such a clear mandate for how we’re supposed to treat one another."

The church said they could accommodate around 75 protesters, and would also offer bagels in the morning.

Lewis added that she hoped the Occupiers will be allowed to have their tents and sleeping gear back so they can continue their work.

Another church who offered a place to sleep for protestors was the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew.

"We’re doing it because that's what a church is supposed to do," said Giovanny Mondesir, assistant building manager.

Mondesir was unhappy that the New York city decision makers had evicted the protesters from camping near the World Trade Center.

"They’re trying to do something great for all of us and they're being kicked out,"he said, before adding the church would offer the protesters sandwiches and rice as nourishment during their stay.

"We’ve been getting a lot of positive remarks, especially about our reverend [James Karpen]," who came up with the idea to house the demonstrators, Mondesir added.

Freedom and responsibility

In recent months a great deal has been said about freedom - particularly in light of the emerging freedom of persons in Northern African countries such as Egypt, and most recently Libya.

However, this freedom is in danger of succumbing to a new form of tyranny. Tyrants are smart. They prey upon the desperate and the idealistic. Without the 'free' even knowing it they find their 'freedom' replaced with new forms of oppression and abuse.

Southern Africa has gone through this cycle more than once. Perhaps the most vivid example is to be found in the once 'freedom fighter' Robert Mugabe and the abuses that he has inflicted upon the people of Zimbabwe. I was born in the beautiful country. However, I have been a citizen of South Africa for some time now. Sadly, the liberators of this new home, many of whom received my vote, and my energy before and after the end of apartheid are turning out to be self obsessed tyrants in the making.

Perhaps we, you and I, need reminding that freedom is not the end. Rather it is just the beginning of what we desire (and need). Freedom is the moment where we pass from one kind of labour into another, from working for liberation to working for reconstruction and restoration.

The following quote from Victor Frankl was particularly inspiring in this regard:

"Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness." (Victor Frankl).

[Photo from file - April 27, 1994 - a long line of people line up towards a polling station in the black township of Soweto outside of Johannesburg in the nation's first all-race elections.]
__________

Dr Dion Forster is an ordained Minister of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. He is a theologian and author. He was formerly the Dean of the Seminary of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, John Wesley College. He currently serves as a consultant and spiritual adviser / Chaplain to the Global Day of Prayer and Unashamedly Ethical movements and their founder, Graham Power. You can read Dion's blogs on www.dionforster.com.

Majority of scientists believe religion and science can coexist, says new survey

A recent five-year long study released by Rice University has found that despite popular public perception, a majority of scientists believe that religion and science are not always in conflict.

The study included in-depth interviews with scientists at universities whose fields range from biology and chemistry to social sciences like political science and economics, reports the Huffington Post.

“When it comes to questions about the meaning of life, ways of understanding reality, origins of Earth and how life developed on it, many have seen religion and science as being at odds and even in irreconcilable conflict,” said Rice sociologist Elaine Ecklund.

Instead the majority of scientists Ecklund and her colleagues interviewed accepted both religion and science as “valid avenues of knowledge.”

In the 275 tenured and tenure-track faculty members from 21 different research universities in the United States who were interviewed, only 15% believed religion and science were always in conflict, while an equal percentage saw the two as never being in conflict. The majority, 70%, said religion and science are only sometimes in conflict.

The scientists interviewed were pulled from a broader survey of 2,198 scientists, with about half of those saying they identified with a particular religion, while the other half did not.

“Much of the public believes that as science becomes more prominent, secularization increases and religion decreases,” Ecklund said. “Findings like these among elite scientists, who many individuals believe are most likely to be secular in their beliefs, definitely call into question ideas about the relationship between secularization and science.”

Ecklund also discovered that the way scientists view the compatibility of religion and science is influenced by how they view religion itself. Those scientists who find no compatibility between the two disciplines are more likely to have a narrow view of religion, identifying it only with the more conservative strains of Christianity.

"For some scientists, maybe a particular strain of evangelicalism is conflict with science, but spirituality and other religions are not," Ecklund stated.

Those scientists who believed religion and science were compatible most often cited the example of Francis Collins, the physician and geneticist who is the director of the National Institutes of Health. Collins openly speaks about his Christian faith and has written a book entitled: “The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.”

The 5,000 page report is entitled “Scientists Negotiate Boundaries Between Religion and Science,” and it was published in the September issue of the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion.

Sex before marriage ... why wait?

In a recent article written for Relevant Magazine, blogger and author Ally Spotts tackled the rather difficult and emotive issue of Christians having sex before marriage. Spotts began by saying that while Christians are supposed to wait until marriage for sex, they don’t do a very good job of it, since statistics show that up to 80% of Christians in their 20s admit to engaging in premarital sex.

Spotts confesses that she is one of those Christians, despite the fact that the abstinence message was drummed into her from a young age. Spotts believes that one of the reasons she and so many other Christians failed to wait, despite their best intentions, is because she spent too much time wrestling with all the wrong questions. Spotts insists that while she knew she was supposed to wait, she didn’t really know why and because of this she spent a lot of energy struggling with issues like, ‘How far is too far,’ instead of ‘Why am I supposed to do this?’

Spotts is convinced that dealing with the wrong questions sent her in the wrong direction and as a result she spent years nurturing insecurities and growing in confusion and guilt. She adds that even when she did ask the right question (why am I doing this) the trite answers given to her were rarely satisfying. Spotts then began to work on finding out for herself why God would ask Christians to be abstinent outside of marriage when sex itself is declared a ‘good’ and healthy act.

Spott summarises her findings as a list of reasons why God asks us to wait for marriage for sex:

“1. It Builds Trust. Trust that your spouse is the kind of person who can control his or her sexual urges. Trust that your spouse values his/her sexuality enough to guard it until marriage. Trust that your spouse values you and your needs above anyone else. Trust that your spouse understands the concept of self-sacrifice and delayed gratification.

Trust takes time to build. You might as well start now.

2. It Builds Friendship. Sex in addition to friendship creates a really lasting bond in a relationship—one that is hard to break. Sex without friendship is fragile and explosive. It’s like an expensive vase set on an unsteady table. Just give it the slightest bump and it will tumble and break.

How are you working to be friends first?

3. Happiness Isn't Everything. If the purpose of my relationships is happiness, then any time I feel unhappy or uncomfortable the temptation will be to end my relationship. If the purpose of my relationship is holiness, then I’ll see every discomfort as an opportunity to work toward becoming more whole.

Are your relationships making you happy, or are they making you whole?

4. You Are Valuable. Strong physical boundaries speak to your value. You are worth more than a movie ticket or a cup of coffee or a couple of dinners out. You are not that easily accessible. It takes more than that. Let your physical boundaries speak to the value you place on your sexuality.

Are you communicating the right message about your value?

5. Lust Is Not Manageable. If you think you can entertain lust in a dating relationship (or as a single person) and stop when you get married, you’re in line for a rude awakening. Lust does not have a light switch.

Do you want to get rid of lust now or later?

Whether you waited for marriage, are sorting out your sexual history or just need a reminder your wait is worth it, we can address the questions of sex directly, with honesty. Let’s start asking the right questions.”

(You can read this article in full at www.relevantmagazine.com).

Budget airline plans to offer inflight porn apps

Budget airline Ryanair has raised public concern after announcing plans to develop apps to enable passengers to view adult film content during flights.

The British based airline wants to design the apps to allow passengers to log into and pay for adult movies via their iPads or smartphones.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “I’m not talking about having it on screens on the back of seats for everyone to see. It would be on handheld devices.

“Hotels around the world have it, so why wouldn’t we?”

Ryanair is also thinking of similar apps to allow in-flight gambling.

Morality in Media (MIM) is planning to mobilise opposition to Ryanair's plans.

"We will stop this outrage before it gets started," insisted Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of MIM.

"Ryanair, which hopes to expand its market to US destinations as well, is creating an unsafe environment for every individual who travels on their planes.

"Can you imagine how uncomfortable most women passengers and female flight attendants will feel with several men viewing pornography in the small space of an airplane?” Hawkins added.

"In an office workplace, this would constitute a clear case of sexual harassment."

Aid finally arrives for Bangkok flood victims

After weeks spent living in unsanitary conditions, including filthy chest-high water, victims of the floods in northern Bangkok have finally been sent aid.

A relief caravan of 32 trucks laden with fresh water arrived in flood-deluged neighbourhoods that are still overflowing with uncollected rubbish and are without electricity or running water. 80 garbage trucks and vehicles carrying water filters and food trucks were also in the convoy.

During the floods water bubbled out of sewers and those residents who could not escape in time were left living in severely unsanitary conditions that also attracted swarms of mosquitoes. No major disease outbreaks have been reported as yet, according to Reuters.

Thai officials dropped purifying balls into flooded areas in an attempt to fight possible disease.

Thai government officials also sent 100 trucks carrying floating toilets to be used until floodwaters drain, along with 1,000 portable toilets and 60 trucks carrying medical personnel. Evacuation busses to assist moving flood victims to safer areas were also sent into the area, according to the TNA.

"It's definitely a big challenge because of the quantity or mass of water that's coming through. I don't think we've ever had to deal with such large amounts of water," said Rekha Hanvesakul, a doctor at BNH Hospital in Bangkok who was shocked by the conditions.

Deadly attack on churches in Northern Nigeria

Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme of Maiduguri has accused the Nigerian government of failing to protect people following a spate of violence in the north of the country.

Churches were the targets of these attacks in towns like Damaturu, Maiduguri and Patiskum, with at least nine churches being attacked in Damaturu alone and over 100 people being killed. It is believed that the religious extremist group Boko Haram is behind the attacks.

The Bishop said that priests were forced to run for their lives when St Mary’s Catholic Church came under attack by militants.

“The church was completely burnt to ashes,” he said. “It was one of the biggest churches in the diocese.”

The Bishop added that local politicians were using the extremist groups for their own personal agendas.

“Religion is a very sensitive issue and the politicians can whip up hatred and suspicion very easily,” he said.

He urged the Nigerian government to beef up security, and make a “concerted effort” to restore law and order.

“If security had come earlier, this wouldn’t have happened. The police have let the people down.”

Human Rights Watch has condemned the sectarian violence as an “indefensible attack on human life”.

Recently discovered Da Vinci ‘Christ’ painting to be revealed

A Leonardo da Vinci painting is due to go on public exhibition for the first time since its discovery in 2005.

The painting is entitled ‘Salvator Mundi’ (Saviour of the World), and shows Jesus with his right hand raised in blessing while his left hand holds a transparent globe.

The painting disappeared in the 17th century and was found hundreds of years later in a private collection. Experts believe it is the most precious art acquisition of the century, with the net worth being estimated at around $200 million. There are only 15 paintings by Da Vinci still in existence, including his more famous works ‘Mona Lisa’ and ‘The Last Supper’.

Now that the 500-year-old work has now been properly cleaned and restored, it will be on display at London's National Gallery in a special exhibition for the next year.

"As a painter, Leonardo aimed to convince viewers of the reality of what they were seeing while still aspiring to create ideals of beauty – particularly in his exquisite portraits – and, in his religious works, to convey a sense of awe-inspiring mystery," the exhibition description states.

The painting will also be featured in a special CNN series called ‘Leonardo - The Lost Painting.’

(Image from CNN).

Running 15 marathons in 15 days to fight poverty

The founder of Christians Against Poverty, John Kirkby, is presently engaged in a ‘marathon’ endeavour to raise money and awareness around the plight of the poor.

Starting on Tuesday, Kirkby plans to run 15 marathons in 15 consecutive days. The first marathon is in Edinburgh, followed by runs in Newcastle, Nottingham, London and Bradford, before Kirkby jets off to Australia for five more marathons, and then to New Zealand for the last five.

Kirby’s marathon effort has already raised close on £300,000 in donations but he is hoping to break the £500,000 barrier by the last marathon.

“I'm doing this run to remind us all that no matter how bad things get for the majority of us, they are so much harder for people living with real poverty,” said Kirkby, who founded CAP 15 years ago.

“When you haven't got a lot to start with, it takes very little to throw your finances into crisis and it is up to all of us to make sure that even when times are hard, we don't give up helping those who struggle to achieve the most basic standard of living.”

CAP presently runs a network of 190 debt help centres in the United Kingdom carrying £71 million of clients' secondary debts. CAP provides debt counselling through local churches and also opened new centres in 37 different locations last month.

CAP’s CEO Matt Barlow said: “Our experience shows that there will be people in each of these areas who think there is no hope and in fact, our research shows most people wait to get debt help because they don't think there is any available. Creditors will be ringing all day, the letters will be piling up and their sleep, health and relationships will all be suffering.

“The fantastic news is that due to the commitment of their local church, we will be able to support each client by seeing them in their own home, contacting their creditors on their behalf, setting them a budget and staying with them until they are debt free.”

You can follow John's progress at www.cap15.org


World famous evangelist Billy Graham turns 93

Billy Graham, who is arguably one of the world’s most famous evangelists, turned 93 on Monday. The preacher has enjoyed a career spanning six decades, and recently admitted he fought against the idea of growing older.

"I fought growing old in every way," Graham wrote in his latest book "Nearing Home," a book filled with advice on the dealing with the changes of life caused by age. "I faithfully exercised and was careful to pace myself as I began to feel the grasp of Old Man Time. This was not a transition that I welcomed, and I began to dread what I knew would follow."

Graham is world-renowned for the massive crusades he led as a younger man where whole sports stadiums would be booked out to hear him preach. While Graham has always been associated with the evangelical movement, he is immensely respected by people from all sorts of different faith backgrounds.

"It's his influence on the broader public that's intriguing," Grant Wacker, a professor at the Duke University Divinity School, who's working on a biography of the evangelist told the Huffingtonpost. "There are a lot of people who are not evangelicals who really admire him."

Wacker believes the respect that Graham has gained across the spectrum is partly because his longevity, partly because of a well-earned reputation for integrity and trustworthiness, but also because he has shown the ability to evolve in his belief systems. Wacker cited Graham’s movement from a strident anti-communist early on to a position advocating nuclear arms control in the 1970s as an example of this.

"He's acquired first a national and then an international vision over the years," Wacker said. "Whether or not they like his theology, people admire anybody who can grow into a wider vision."

Remember your Scriptures, Tutu urges Israel

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has issues a challenge to the nation of Israel to remember their own scriptures when it comes to the suffering the Palestinians are presently enduring.

"They have forgotten their own history. They have forgotten what their own prophets have said about our God," the Archbishop insisted in his opening address to the International Russell Tribunal on Palestine.



"We worship a God that is naturally biased in favour of the suffering, the underdog, those who are suffering underfoot... God is always on the side of the oppressed. In the Holy Land, the Palestinian people are the ones suffering.



"There is a great deal of preventable suffering being caused by people who themselves suffered so deeply... who have gone through a crucible of suffering.



"Those of us who are Christian have been influenced very greatly by what one might call the Jewish scriptures. The biased God of the past is the biased God of the present... and if God is to be God, watch out," he warned.

"This is the anguish that I bear."



The International Russell Tribunal is an international forum attempting to promote peace and justice in the Middle East. The tribunal is meeting until Monday at the District Six Museum. Panel members include Holocaust survivor Stephane Hessel, author and poet, Alice Walker, Irish Nobel peace laureate Mairead Maguire and former South African Cabinet minister Ronnie Kasrils.



Some Jewish organisations, including the SA Jewish Board of Deputies, have disregarded the tribunal as nothing but a kangaroo court, according to News24.com.


Call for prayer for Pacific island threatened by rising sea levels

The Bishop of Polynesia has made an urgent call for prayer after visiting the island of Tuvalu in the Pacific.

Archbishop Winston Halapua said that on his visit he saw children wandering the streets because their schools have closed due to water shortages.

Sea water has contaminating drinking wells on the island, and also poisoned traditional food sources such as breadfruit, banana and coconut trees.

The Archbishop said that his visit to the island provided him proof of the problem of rising sea levels.

“For me, to go to Tuvalu – that’s all the information that I need,” he said.

“For me, seeing is believing. What I have seen is the reality of sea rising.”

The Archbishop added that immediate relief is only a “tiny part of the story”.

“The bigger story is this: please do something about climate change,” he said.

Archbishop Halapua urged Christians all over the globe to pray for rain in Tuvalu, climate change and rising sea levels.

World’s poor under threat from pollution and drought, says U.N.

The United Nations has issued a challenge to prosperous countries saying they have not fulfilled promises to aid the poor.

In its annual report on global quality of life, the United Nations Development Program pointed out that the poor often suffer because of polluted water, drought and other environmental factors. The report also asserted that more should be done to address environmental concerns and that sustainability needs to become a part of daily life as the world population continues to increase.

"Sustainability is not exclusively or even primarily an environmental issue," UNDP Administrator Helen Clark wrote in the report's introduction. "It is fundamentally about how we choose to live our lives, with an awareness that everything we do has consequences for the seven billions of us here today, as well as for the billions more who will follow."

The report added that while aid to poorer countries has grown to 23 percent from 2005 to 2009, this still was not enough.

"Rich countries have consistently failed to meet their stated pledges," including promises made by the G-8, the European Union and the United Nations to donate $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the impact of climate change in developing countries.

"The pledges fall well short of estimated needs, and disbursements fall well short of pledges. Most of the 'new and additional' funds pledged at the 2009 U.N. Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen have not been delivered, and less than 8 percent of pledges for climate change were disbursed in 2010," the report added.

In the survey of 187 nations, Norway, Australia and the Netherlands topped the annual Human Development Index while Congo, Niger and Burundi were at the bottom.

What do Angry Birds and the Bible have in common?

Angry Birds may have long dominated the digital scene as one of the most downloaded apps of all time, but now it faces a stiff challenge from the Bible.

The Bible had long been the top hard copy bestseller, so it was only a matter of time before it began making inroads into the digital scene. However, this is the first month the Bible has beaten Angry Birds leading Publishers Weekly to say that we are in the midst of a “digital Bible explosion.”

These Bible apps all have hands-on, personalized features making them extremely popular with Christian readers. iPhone Life magazine stated that Logos Bible Software was the fourth most popular Bible App download, while “BibleReader broke into the top 10 highest grossing book apps for the iPad earlier this year.”

Another popular Bible app download is YouVersion, which hit the 30 million download mark in October. YouVersion designer Bobby Gruenewald said he created the app by using “the best of today’s and tomorrow’s technology to help the world fall in love with God’s word.”

Dan Pritchett, vice president for Logos Bible Software, said the new apps and software made the Bible more accessible to people, especially in those moments when they “turn to their phone to keep them occupied.”

Protests outside St Paul's result in further clergy resignations

The situation with anti-capitalist protesters camping in tents outside St Paul's Cathedral has become so volatile and complex that yesterday the situation claimed another clerical ‘victim,’ as the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles resigned from his position as Dean.

Upon announcing his resignation, Knowles, who has been Dean for the last four years, said: "The past fortnight has been a testing time for the chapter and for me personally.

"It has become increasingly clear to me that, as criticism of the cathedral has mounted in the press, media and in public opinion, my position as Dean of St Paul's was becoming untenable.

"In order to give the opportunity for a fresh approach to the complex and vital questions facing St Paul's, I have thought it best to stand down as Dean, to allow new leadership to be exercised.”

Knowles is the third priest to resign, with Canon Chancellor of St Paul's, Rev Dr Giles Fraser, and part-time chaplain Fraser Dyer handing in their notices earlier, although the last two did so in protest at how the Cathedral was handling the affair.

In his first comments on the protest since it began, the Archbishop of Canterbury admitted "urgent issues" had been raised.

Dr Rowan Williams stated: "The events of the last couple of weeks have shown very clearly how decisions made in good faith by good people under unusual pressure can have utterly unforeseen and unwelcome consequences, and the clergy of St Paul's deserve our understanding in these circumstances.

"Graeme Knowles has been a very distinguished Dean of St Paul's, who has done a great deal to strengthen the pastoral and intellectual life of the cathedral and its involvement in the life of London.

"The urgent larger issues raised by the protesters at St Paul's remain very much on the table and we need - as a church and as society as a whole - to work to make sure that they are properly addressed."