A listing of all of WDPUSA's Prayer Offering Grants from 2005 through 2009 is available. Click HERE to download the report.
WDPIC's Letter Regarding Chile's Earthquake
From the World Day of Prayer International Committee
Friday, March 5, 2010— In January we heard the cry for help from Haiti. Now hardly 6 weeks later there is a cry from Chile because an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck central Chile at 3:30 in the morning of February 27. Its impact extended 70 miles south to Concepción and north to Santiago, the country’s capitol, and created a tsunami that ravaged a 435-mile stretch of Chile's Pacific coast. The official death toll reached 802 on Wednesday, March 2. Those who have survived are witnesses to the trauma of the earthquake and the destruction it has brought.
As there was with Haiti, there is a WDP linkage to Chile as we turn to them for WDP in March 2011.
Now as we are being introduced to the majestic Andes Mountains and the long, long Pacific seacoast we are also witnessing that the geological forces that shaped this land are still active and able to cause immeasurable damage.
In the worship service on the theme, “How Many Loaves Have You?,” the women of WDP Chile describe times of crisis in Chile’s history and how the people of Chile found in their faith the strength to work together and to share what they had. This message has its newest expression as they cope with the consequences of the earthquake.
-View the full letter here-
Protecting Children During Emergencies
EPCAT Posts Manual on Protecting Children from Sexual Exploitation
Tuesday, January 26, 2010, ECPAT International released its manual on protecting children from sexual exploitation and sexual violence. The manual gives information related to the vulnerabilities and experiences of children in emergencies which can make them victims of sexual abuse and violence. Many of the children of Cameroon, WDP 2010's focus country, fall victim to exploitation. The U.S. Department of Labor's 2008 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor states that "Cameroon is a source, transit, and destination country for trafficked children for the purposes of commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor."
Additionally,let us think of the many children of Haiti who, after surviving the devastating earthquake, are likely prospects for exploitation as they may have lost their loved ones and are seeking food and shelter. Looking forward to World Day of Prayer 2010: Cameroon, we want the Worshipping Community to be informed on issues pertaining to our Worship Theme.
We Pray for Haiti
Let Our Prayers turn to Action for the people of Haiti
Tuesday, January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the country's most severe earthquake in over 200 years. The epicenter of the quake was just off the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. The quake resulted in widespread damage, with many buildings collapsing due to poor structural design. An estimated 200,000 people are assumed dead.
Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontieres), an organization that has previously received grants from WDPUSA, confirmed that three of their aid centers were rendered useless in the quake, leaving many injured Haitians without care. In addition, news organization reports state the difficulty of getting the proper supplies to affected areas due to a compromised transport infrastructure.
Haiti was World Day of Prayer's host country for the year 1996. The theme, "God Calls Us to Respond," rings louder than ever. WDPUSA has and continues to support organizations helping to create positive change in Haiti. World Day of Prayer USA Committee grants have previously been given to the following organizations (2007-2008 Grants):
•House of Hope for Working Children , Haiti - $1500 was granted to the House of Hope for Working Children program of the Ecumenical Foundation for Peace and Justice in Haiti, to respond to the needs of impoverished children who must work, sometimes living on the streets.
•UNICEF and Partners in Health Project, Cange Village in Haiti - $3000 was granted to UNICEF and the Partners in Health Project (Zanmi Lasante in Haitian Creole) to provide community-based healthcare in the Village of Cange in Haiti.
•Haitian Women For Haitian Refugees Haitian Worker’s Project , Haiti - $3000 was granted to the Haitian Worker’s Project of the Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees to continue educating and organizing Haitian immigrant women through popular education and adult literacy models enabling understanding of theirs rights as workers and immigrants.
•Agricultural Missions and MUDHA (Movimento de Mujeres Dominicanos Haitianas), Bateys in Dominican Republic - $2500 was granted for support of Agricultural Missions work with MUDHA to improve the lives of Haitian-Dominican women, children and their families living in the bateys, near plantations in the Dominican Republic.
As we look forward to WDP 2010: Cameroon, we urge everyone to keep the people of Haiti in our minds and hearts.
WDP Video: WDP 2009 Worship Service in Port Moresby, PNG
Check out the Worship Service held in PNG's capitol, Port Moresby
Video production by Itiyopiya Ewart
Papua New Guinea:
The world's first climate change "refugees"
PORT MORESBY, 8 June 2008 (IRIN) - The 1,500 residents of Carteret Island, an atoll of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, are fast becoming the world's first climate change refugees.
While the Autonomous Bougainville Government (ABG) takes the plight of the Carteret islanders seriously, its options are few. "We are doing all we can, but we have limited resources," said ABG Member for Atolls, Taehu Pais. In addition, there is the problem of acquiring the necessary land to relocate the islanders.
That Sinking Feeling
CNN report on the climate issues facing the Carteret Islands
The Carteret Islands are sinking into the ocean. The locals blame global warming for the rising sea that has swallowed their food crops. Soon they’ll be forced to leave their idyllic home and live in Bougainville, an island still troubled by a civil war that claimed more than 10,000 lives.
This CNN documentary produced in 2007, gives us a look into one of the relevant many issues facing Papua New Guinea today. WDP-USA encourages the entire Worshipping community to view it and use the information to help in understanding the 2009 Worship Service organized by our sisters in Papua New Guinea.
Say NO to Violence Against Women
UN campaign to end violence against women backed by 10 more countries
Prime ministers and foreign ministers from 10 countries have signed on to the “Say NO to Violence against Women Campaign” – a move welcomed by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), which is organizing the drive.
UNIFEM’s Executive Director Inés Alberdi said in a statement that the development “strengthens political will to combat violence against women everywhere, and the United Nations Secretary-General’s call for multi-year action on this issue.”
Looking Ahead
World Day of Prayer 2009: Papua New Guinea
Friday, March 6, 2009, the women of Papua New Guinea (PNG) invite us to come with them to the Land Of The Unexpected; to come together with the confidence that In Christ There Are Many Members, Yet One Body. The women of PNG ask us to unite as one in Christ as we join with them in celebrating a unity where love is genuine, where good overcomes evil and where we are of one heart and soul.
The Young and Innocent
CNN Documentary About the Crisis Effecting Papua New Guinea's Women and Children
From CNN.com - Papua New Guinea is facing a crisis of the young and innocent. The country's morgues are filling up with tiny abandoned corpses. For every one thousand babies born in PNG, more than seventy will die before their fifth birthday. "We're hitting our head against a brick wall" says one distraught community worker. But some unsung heroes are giving the babies dignity in death and teaching young women about the threat of disease and malnutrition.
Gender Based Violence (GBV) and AIDS
Isis-WICCE and Urgent Action Fund-Africa to address the intersection between GBV and HIV/AIDS
Isis-WICCE and Urgent Action Fund-Africa(UAF-A) have set out to jointly address the intersection of Gender Based Violence (GBV) and HIV/AIDS in war and conflict situations. The two year project will target women led community based organizations in Zimbabwe, Uganda and Liberia, and fund identified women-led community based organizations facilitating women's initiatives by addressing GBV and HIV/AIDS in the participating countries. The project is expected to initiate a more informed and enabling policy discourse on the intersection between GBV and HIV/AIDS in settings of conflict and post conflict situations in Africa.
Justice for Women
Perpetrators of violence against women must be held to account
In an address to the Human Rights Council, the top United Nations human rights official stated that governments and other actors in positions of power and influence must make it a priority to bring perpetrators of violence agains woment to account. The high ranking official also stated "With the adoption of resolution 6/30, the Human Rights Council affirmed its commitment to advancing women's rights and gender equality. The task now is to translate that commitment into concrete steps and priorities to give real effect to women's rights and dignity." The Human Rights Council is holding its eigth session in Geneva.
The Worshipping Community Celebrates!
WDP 2008: Guyana "God's Wisdom Provides New Understanding."
For WDP 2008 the worshipping community came together in large numbers praying for and with the women of Guyana. Though late winter storms led to a few services being held at a later date, WDP 2008 was quite the success. We are quite pleased with the feedback we have been receiving from the worshipping community!.