Over three hundred Christians from all over Australia are so convinced that ending extreme poverty is achievable that they are going to meet Australia’s leaders face-to-face to call on them to participate in the solution.
The group will converge on Canberra from 19-22 June as part of the fifth annual Micah Challenge ‘Voices for Justice’ gathering. They will pray, learn and call for the Government to meet its commitments to the Millennium Development Goals, a global strategy to halve extreme poverty by 2015.
Voices for Justice will include four key events at Parliament House and thirty workshops. The keynote international speaker is Roshan Mendis, the Executive Director of LEADS, a faith- based Sri Lankan Development Agency which has been working in relief, child protection and Community Development for over 25 years. Speakers also include Micah Challenge National Coordinator, John Beckett; Social Activist, Dave Andrews; and Performance Poet, Cameron Semmens. Co-Chair of Make Poverty History Tim Costello will also join participants in Canberra to launch a new report from Micah Challenge entitled The World We Want to See, outlining a clear roadmap for Australia’s giving to overseas development through to 2015.
Micah Challenge National Coordinator Mr. John Beckett said that progress towards ending poverty had already been made, but there was much work to be done. “The reality is that 20 years ago, 42 percent of the world was living in extreme poverty. Today that figure has dropped to 19 percent. Each one of those percentage points represents lives saved and families released from poverty,” he said.
For the first time in decades, researchers are also reporting a significant drop worldwide in the number of women dying each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Between 1980 and 2008 maternal deaths decreased by about 35 per cent.
“However last year 8.8 million children still died before their fifth birthday,” Mr Beckett said .“This is an appalling statistic, especially when most of these deaths are from easily preventable causes like diarrhoea or malaria.”
In this election year, Voices for Justice participants want to see a timetabled, pre-election commitment from both major parties to increase the aid budget to 0.7% of Gross National Income - just 70 cents in every $100. This is the amount Australia and other rich nations have promised under the UN Millennium Development Goals. Australia’s aid contribution is currently at just 0.33% GNI.
“This year we have unprecedented access to Politicians in Parliament House. We are issuing a call to prayer on Sunday, 20 June. We want thousands of voices bringing us before God as we bring the message of justice for the poor before these leaders.” said Mr Beckett. “Pray that our message will be heard and our government will take the action that is needed to overcome poverty in our region and beyond to end the pointless suffering of millions. Pray that we will all be transformed to live more justly and with compassion.”
Voices for Justice participants will demonstrate the power of a unified voice with all major Christian denominations represented. There is also great unity in the cooperation of Micah Challenge Australia coalition partners who represent more than fifty Christian aid, development and mission groups.
In the coming months and in the lead up to the election, Micah Challenge supporters will continue to raise their voices to God and our nation’s leaders on behalf of the poor, through participation in the 10.10.10 campaign (on 10 October 2010), in Election Forums and Survive Past Five ‘Birthday’ Parties across the country. To sign the Micah Call petition, which will be presented during Voices for Justice, or to find out how you can get involved in Micah Challenge actions, visit www.micahchallenge.org.au.
“This is a moment in history of unique potential, when the stated intentions of world leaders echo something of the mind of the Biblical prophets and the teachings of Jesus concerning the poor, and when we have the means to dramatically reduce poverty.” - Excerpt from the Micah Call
Ministries
Three hundred Christian voices for justice
Micah Challenge Australia
Wednesday, 9 June 2010, 0:27 (EST)
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