Monthly Archives: July 2008

Expectations – International Aids Conference is about to start

Posted on July 28, 2008 by | 2 Comments

In a few days, the International Aids Conference in Mexico City starts. It is the biggest global gathering of scientists, advocacy groups and policy makers in the field of HIV and Aids. Already a few days prior to the main conference, the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance brings together Christians fighting Aids in a Pre-Conference.

In both conferences, LWF Youth is represented by Vivian Boateng, a 23 year old Lutheran from Ghana. Here she writes about her expectations for the conference: Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa, Church, Ecumenism, Faith, HIV/Aids, Life, LWF, Youth, Youth participation

Who am I?

Posted on July 27, 2008 by | 4 Comments

I can tell you lots of thing about myself. I’m a girl, I live in Poland, I like ice cream and chocolate, strawberrys as well :) I hate hypocrisy and ignorance. Not enough? You want to know something more? So… I’m a Christian. Yes, I am a CHRISTIAN! Ok, so what does it mean for me? Oh… it could be a long long post if I would like to write about it :) By now more important question is: WHEN I’m a Christian?

I’m quite active person in my parish. I’m a teacher of sunday schools, sometimes I have workshops with teenagers, I meet with lutheran students and so on. I like to spend time with people form my church, I like to work with them. My friends, not lutheran friends, know that church is important for me. Time to time someone is asking me about lutheran church, life of this church, how it looks like and many other things. It makes me glad that they are insterested in it, even just a little, because in that way they can also understand me and know me beter, me as a Christian. Ok, great. Now it’s quite easy for me to be a good member of community. I live in lutheran family. The way from my home to church takes 20 minutes walking or 7 by tram. I’m in touch with people from church by emails, sms’s or I just meet them on a street. I feel that I have support, that these people understand me very good.

In 3 weeks I’ll be gone to Greece for 6 months to study there. The place where I’ll be living is no lutheran or other protestant church. What kind of testimony I will be there? WHO AM  I?  Am I Christian in full meaning of this word? Do I live in Jesus and do Jesus lives in me? Am I strong enough to be a good testimony of God wherever and with whoever I am?

What about you? Who you are?

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Posted in Faith

Christian Internships in Geneva 2009

Posted on July 22, 2008 by | 128 Comments

Update 21 May 09: The internship for 2010 has been announced. Please click here.

Spending on year in a totally different enviroment, to work together with people from all around the world, to live for ten month in the smallest metropolis of the world: All this offers a internship with the Lutheran World Federation.

For 2009, we are offering two internship positions. One is working with the Desk for Women in Church and Society in the preparation for a major conference. The other supports the Office for Communication Services in journalistic tasks – mainly in French. More information and the application form can be found here. All internships require a church endorsement.

While I obviously encourage you to apply with the Lutheran World Federation, some of our partner organizations offer also internships for the next year. Ecumenical learning and accompaniment will be organized in close collaboration with them. The World Council of Churches has already announced its interships.

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Posted in Church, Life, LWF, Youth, Youth participation

Youths Take ACTION – Battle against Climate Change (2)

Posted on July 8, 2008 by | 5 Comments

This time I am going to introduce you my friend Evariste Mamadou, a 23 year-old young man from Central African Republic. After graduating from high school, he has been working for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Central African Republic (ELCCAR). His major duty is to audit the projects implemented by ELCCAR.

Evariste told me that the concept of climate change has not been very well developed in his country. ‘ The situation in my home context is that, most people do not have any information or idea about climate change. They are cutting down tress, putting fire on the grass without knowing that such behaviours will contribute to climate change.’

Evariste Mamadou, was reflecting on climate change and god\'s creation during a bible study session in the PreCouncil Youth Workshop

Evariste was reflecting on 'Sabbath of Land' in relations to Climate Change during a bible study.

Evariste said since 3 years ago, the average annual rainfall has been decreasing. ‘Our people didn’t realize it could be a consequence of climate change and they are parts of those who are contributing to the problem. ‘

After attending the Pre-Council Youth Workshop, Evariste knew a lot more about climate change and the ways we should do to fight it. The first step he will do is to educate the members in his church. ‘I will cooperate with the leaders of each congregation of my church. They will then educate their parishes what is climate change and what we can do about it’.

 As youth leader in his church, Evariste said he will lead sessions about climate change in young christians’ fellowshop on every Monday and Saturday. With limited access to the internet, Evariste is also going to invite those youths who can afford to go to internet cafe to gather latest information about climate change and then educate people round them.

Here is Evariste’s vision: ‘ I wish that at least 50% of the people in my church will be aware of the problem within 2 years. Those families who are inspired could plant 10 trees as visible action to fight climate change.’

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Posted in Africa, Church, LWF, Youth participation

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Finally Rescued !

Posted on July 4, 2008 by | Leave a comment

Past July 2nd 2008 , were rescued by the Colombian army 15 Colombian soldiers including the three Northamerican men and Ingrid Betancourt (ex candidate for Colombian Presidence), who were kidnapped some of them for 6 and 10 years.

This new it was for us a big surprise because, to be honest, we thought they were going to be kidnapped for even more time because  the FARC, which is the Colombian guerrilla, have been doing all kind of evil things, including narcotrafic, murders and tortures not only with soldiers and politicians but with common people, like peasants and even children, for so long, and they have never showed a real commitment with our government for peace. They have been involved in this war for almost 50 years.

These days we have been hearing many versions of what really happened with this rescue. The president´s version is that it was a militar intervention without using violence, Colombian Army deceived kidnappers. Some other say that everyhting was planned already between guerrilla and government. And even that the guerilla was paid for the releasing of these people.

Nevertheless, we as Colombian citizens are very happy, specially for the soldiers who were separated from their families in such a violent way, leaving their families and their life as soldiers.

I can see that many people pays more atention to the most known people but not to common people, so I think it is very important to pray for everyone not only politicians or famous people only, because everybody deserves to be free, no matter their status.

As Christians we  believe that God has the power to convince people from their mistakes when they are acting against life and  make things go for good to his believers.

When soldiers were able to speak to the media yesterday, said they never lost the faith in God and certainly God never failed them. And in the same way I and many other brother and sisters around the world not only Colombians continue praying for the ones who still living in captivity.

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Posted in Life

Youths take ACTION – Battle against Climate Change (1)

Posted on July 4, 2008 by | Leave a comment

I guess you have already read about the youth message on climate change - http://lwfyouth.org/2008/06/28/a-call-to-engage-climate-change/ - which was presented in the LWF Council Meeting during the opening hearing of climate change.

In the coming days, I am going to share with you all the stories I have heard from the participants of the Pre-Council Youth Workshop.  Since there are too many stories, they will come one by one in a series.

Let’s begin with our youngest participant of the workshop - Hanitriniaina Nathalie Rahelimalala (We call her Nathalie), 19, a young lady from Malagasy Lutheran Church.

Nathalie is a university student studying Marketing and Banking. She lives with her parents and younger brother in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagarscar.

‘The situation in my country is that people do not know much about climate change. Some of them burn trees in order to create farmland or mistakenly think that it would make the land fertile. They don’t know it will contribute to climate change’, said Nathalie.

Nathalie has set 2 goals for herself for the next half of this year.

 (1) Write a song carrying message about climate change.

 (2) Plant Trees with her classmates in a Lutheran school where she learns English.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Church, Life, LWF, Youth, Youth participation

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