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International Development Team Progress Report: First Quarter 2007

During the first quarter of 2007 good progress has been maintained on a number of key objectives surrounding stakeholders relationships within and outside the Anglican Communion and our focus on the role of the church in post conflict reconstruction and development in Africa continued.

Angola

The team was delighted to work with the Anglican Diocese of Angola to make possible to first visit of an Archbishop of Canterbury to Angola as part of the Archbishop’s provincial visit to Southern Africa and the TEAM Conference. Angola suffered greatly during a violent decolonisation process and subsequently a prolonged civil war. The church is a vital partner in the reconstruction of the country, both in terms of recovering social capital and service delivery. Lambeth has been working with Christian Aid, World Vision and the private sector to identify collaborative platforms for action with the church and its growing capacity, especially in the area of education. Warm tribute was paid both at TEAM and in Angola to the Nets for Life programme which delivers an innovative and integrated programme of mosquito net distribution and community based anti-malaria education.

Burundi

Deepening partnerships with Christian Aid, Tearfund, USPG, World Vision and CMS Ireland have also been a focus for this quarter and are opening up innovative opportunities for joint programmatic engagement. Tearfund have invested £15,000 in capacity building around education for the provincial education programme in Burundi. This will ensure monitoring and evaluation and skills training work that are essential precursors to a bigger education reconstruction programme that the Province is seeking - in partnership with CMS Ireland and Lambeth Palace. Lambeth Palace is also working with the Anglican Province in Burundi in other areas, helping to strengthen their relationships with NGOs in building disaster resilient communities with Christian Aid, and linking into regional HIV/AIDS resources and initiatives through Tearfund and Christian Aid.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

A meeting of UK based stakeholders working in Democratic Republic of Congo convened at Lambeth in late February, in preparation for a roundtable the church is holding in April and which Helen Stawski will attend. In partnership with CMS UK, Tearfund, Christian Aid and Winchester’s diocesan links, Lambeth will be working closely with provincial coordinators on strategic responses of the church to a diverse range of post conflict issues. These range from trauma counselling to voter education, health and education. All acknowledged the tension between spreading limited capacity too thinly in seeking simultaneously to address theological and organisational needs and responding with service delivery other pastoral ministries.

Sudan

Lambeth continues to work strategically with the Anglican province in Sudan, and was able to educate many at the TEAM conference on the plight of the people and the church in that vast country, by broadcasting a film produced by Lambeth Palace of The Archbishop of Canterbury’s visit to Sudan early in 2006. The Revd Joanna Udal was also there to speak at a workshop facilitated by Helen Stawski on the vital role of the church in providing education in challenging environments. Simon Lewis, works in a joint, Lambeth Palace and Christian Aid project with the Episcopal Church in Sudan. He has just completed his first few months living and working in Malakal in the Upper Nile Region of Sudan, together with his wife Keren. He is making steady progress in his role working alongside the church in order to build its experience and skills in managing larger scale education projects.

David was the guest of the diocese of Indianapolis to learn more of their three way link with Brasil’s diocese of Brasilia and Sudan’s diocese of Bor. As it was the diocese where David was baptised it was a return to his Christian roots as well as a unique opportunity to think about collaborative relationships ahead of AFRECS and TEAM meetings.

Zimbabwe

A visit to the Southern tip of Africa also provided the opportunity for engagement with the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe, as it seeks to fulfil its ministry in a troubled country. The Archbishop of Canterbury met with Archbishop Bernarnd Malango of Central Africa and Bishop Kunonga of Harare to discuss opportunities for the church to strengthen its advocacy work on behalf of the poor in a country where failing economic policy and political repression adds to devastation caused by HIV and AIDS and a collapsing social infrastructure. A clear statement was made by the two archbishops that the Anglican church in Zimbabwe must find an independent voice to advocate for the most vulnerable in the face of its political and economic crisis. For further info see: http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/releases/070307.htm

Lambeth convened key UK stakeholders at a roundtable in early April to look at how best to coordinate efforts to strengthen the church so it can in turn strengthen the people of Zimbabwe in the face of relentless environmental, political, economic and social shocks. By working through indigenous grassroots Anglican churches and their ecumenical and secular partners, the aim is to create conflict resilient communities who gain a greater degree of autonomy over their own destiny as they respond to the needs of the most vulnerable - including those with HIV and AIDS. Lambeth is working with USPG and the British Government’s Department for International Development to assist with this objective. .

Towards Effective Anglican Mission

The global Anglican conference TEAM (Towards Effective Anglican Mission) held in Boksburg, South Africa in March and attended by over 400 delegates from around the Anglican Communion, was a time to build on many of the stakeholder relationships fostered over the past two years. The Archbishop of Canterbury was a keynote speaker, opening the conference with his biblical reflections on our call to serve the poor and how it relates to the realisation of the Millennium Development Goals by the international community. The international development team was represented throughout the conference by Helen Stawski who led workshops on the role of the church in education and health service delivery as well as in food-security. The conference was also an opportunity to listen to high quality speakers from the Anglican Communion, the UN and beyond. We were particularly pleased with the call and encouragement made on the church by the UN World Food Programme through Sheila Sisulu’s address.

Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa

In February the Council for Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) launched its five year strategic plan for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria in March this year. As part of the ongoing work between Lambeth and CAPA, Emmanuel Olatunji, CAPA’s social development coordinator, will be staying at Lambeth Palace, in April, in order to visit a UK Christian and secular NGOs and identify collaborative platforms for action to implement this new five year plan.

The United Nations World Food Program

Meetings in Rome in January with WFP public affairs and programme staff on how the Archbishop of Canterbury and wider Anglican Communion can engage with the join WFP-UNICEF Ending Child Hunger Initiative were very productive. The engagement of the Deputy Executive Director at the TEAM Conference and the arrival of a new Executive Director following the departure of Jim Morris, whose leadership gave rise to the close relationship with Lambeth Palace, provides an important moment to plan next steps.

Anglicans In Development

A visit to Sydney in January was an opportunity to meet and pray with several mission, relief and development agencies to strengthen one another’s work and ministry. It was a great blessing with particular thanks to the Australian Board of Mission and Anglicord. The web based resources of Anglicans in Development continues to attract many users and put us in touch with more of those committed to more effective local and global church based responses to community needs. Tell us what is useful and what is missing. All ideas and resources are welcome. Please send any comments or questions to isabel.tredinnick@lambethpalace.org.uk

David Peck
david.peck@lambethpalace.org.uk
March 2007

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