U.S. Federal Court Rules For Sabbath-keeping Worker Fayetteville, Arkansas/USA | 30.06.2006 | Religious Liberty A United States federal district court in Fayetteville, Arkansas, has ruled for a Seventh-day Adventist who sought accommodation for his Sabbath-keeping beliefs. The worker was awarded U.S. $311,166.75 in lost wages and punitive damages. It is believed to be one of the few such cases in which punitive damages - designed to "reform or deter the defendant," as one definition puts it - have been awarded to a Sabbath-keeper. Todd Sturgill, age 41 and a resident of Springdale, Arkansas, was a 19-
Adventist Missiologist Joins Edinburgh 2010 Planning Group College Place, Washington/USA | 28.06.2006 | International The upcoming centenary of the Edinburgh 1910 World Missionary Conference, the first worldwide missionary conference. representing most denominations, is proving to be a suggestive moment for many people who are seeking direction for Christian mission in the 21st century. Several different constituencies within world Christianity have begun to plan significant events in the centenary year. Since 2005 a number have been working collaboratively under the aegis of “Towards 2010”. This initiative see
ADRA Partners with UN to Fight Human Trafficking Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 28.06.2006 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) leadership from its office in Thailand met recently with representatives from the United Nations to discuss ADRA’s Keep Girls Safe Project, an initiative that combats human trafficking in Thailand. With approximately 800,000 prostitutes under the age of 18, and 200,000 of these aged 12 or younger, Thailand is one of the sex trade’s worst offenders. The Keep Girls Safe Project works to reduce the threat of commercial sexual exploitation to vul
Kenya: 30,000 Adventists Join in Thanksgiving for Rain Nairobi, Kenya | 20.06.2006 | International Nairobi's Uhuru (Freedom) Park resounded June 17 with prayers of thanksgiving for rain that recently ended a three-month drought in Kenya. The drought resulted in the deaths of numerous people and animals, and caused heavy crop losses. Pastor Geoffrey Mbwana, leader of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the region led a spiritual convocation that brought together some 30,000 believers to "give thanks to our God for hearing His children as they petitioned Him to end the suffering of so many.
Nepal: Adventists Welcome Secular State Declaration Kathmandu, Nepal | 20.06.2006 | Religion + State Protestant Mainstream Seventh-day Adventists in the Himalayan nation of Nepal are among those welcoming a recent series of reforms, including the designation of the country as a "secular" state. Previously, Hinduism had been the religion of Nepal. The changes followed what one media report called a decade-long armed conflict between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and previous governments, the 2002 suspension of the nation's democratically elected government and a 19-day protest in the
ADRA Helps Survivors Rebuild after Typhoon Caloy Hits the Philippines Manila/Philippines | 16.06.2006 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is helping families in the Philippines rebuild homes destroyed in Typhoon Caloy. The powerful typhoon swept through the country in mid-May, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in agricultural and infrastructural damage. Typhoon Caloy, also called “Chanchu,” first made landfall on May 12, 2006, at Northern Samar in central eastern Philippines. More than 50,000 residents have been affected by the typhoon, whose destructive path cut through
ADRA Expands Aid To Thousands in Quake-Affected Indonesia Yogyakarta, Java/Indonesia | 16.06.2006 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is expanding its medical and emergency aid response for survivors of Indonesia’s May 27th earthquake. Implementing projects totaling nearly US$500,000, ADRA is providing relief kits to 1,670 families in the heavily affected Bantul region of Java. To provide temporary shelter for survivors, ADRA is distributing shelter kits to 835 homeless families. The kits contain a large tarpaulin, ground cover, bamboo poles, and rope. Kits including mattre
ADRA Builds Food Storage to Combat “Hunger Months” in Zambia Lusaka, Zambia | 09.06.2006 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has built a food storage shed in the Namwala District of Zambia, helping vulnerable communities survive through the lean “hunger months” that threaten Zambia between the months of August and December. The project will improve agriculture marketing in the Namwala district, through increasing farmers’ capacity to store food, their access to markets, and their ability to market their produce. It will also help community members collaborate to ad
ADRA Delivers Joy to Children in Tajikistan Dushanbe, Tajikistan | 09.06.2006 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) presented gift packages filled with school supplies and toys to 500 children the Rasht area of Tajikistan. ADRA delivered packages to 13 area schools. The ADRA office in Tajikistan worked closely with the country’s Department of Education to identify recipients most in need. The majority of the children selected to participate in the project come from large families, poor families, or single parent homes. Many were orphaned in the country’s c
ADRA Brings Relief to Flood and Mudslide Survivors in the Philippines Manila, Philippines | 09.06.2006 | ADRA In response to heavy rain that swept through the southeastern region of the Philippines in mid-May, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) provided food aid to families driven from their homes by massive flooding and mudslides. Of the six southeastern regional provinces that flooded, Agusan del Norte in northern Mindanao was the most affected, with more than 20,000 families forced from their homes. A massive mudslide in the province of Southern Leyte also buried the village of
ADRA Completes Upgrades to Skills Training Program in Zambia Lusaka/Zambia | 06.06.2006 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has completed an improvement project for its Life Skills Training Program, whose students are orphans and vulnerable children living in Kabwe, a large district in central Zambia. Improvements included finishing a carpentry workshop and establishing increased employment opportunities for the program’s graduates. Using funds received from ADRA International, the ADRA office in Zambia completed construction of the facility’s carpentry workshop,
ADRA Medical Care Reaching Remote Villages in Indonesia Jakarta/Indonesia | 05.06.2006 | ADRA Continuing its initial response to aid victims of the deadly 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is enabling injured survivors to receive 24-hour medical care through mobile clinics and a clinic located at ADRA’s base camp in the hard-hit region of Bantul. Casualties continue to climb, with the death toll topping more than 5,800 at last report, with at least 36,300 left with severe or minor injuries. An estimated 500,000 island res
