Haiti: Relief workers face challenges distributing deluge of supplies Port-au-Prince/Haiti | 31.01.2010 | ADRA More than two weeks after the earthquake, relief agencies are fighting blocked roads and lack of centralized organization while attempting to distribute food and fresh water to Haitians around the capital of Port-au-Prince, workers said. Tasks that would take a matter of hours under normal circumstances can take days, said Dan Weber, a videographer working with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). "Once you find out where [supplies are] sitting at the airport, you have to
New smoking ban in Finland expected to pass by summer Helsinki/Finland | 31.01.2010 | Health & Ethics The Finnish government took further measures for public health earlier this month by proposing a ban on smoking in private cars with underage occupants and prohibiting stores from displaying tobacco products. While government statistics report that only 20 percent of the Finnish population smokes, the goal is to eliminate smoking entirely, said state Health Ministry secretary Ilkka Oksala in an interview with the BBC. Health experts for the Seventh-day Adventist Church supported the move,
Haiti: Tensions Ongoing Among Survivors Desperate for Aid Port-au-Prince/Silver Spring (USA) | 27.01.2010 | ADRA While aid has started to flow into areas of Port-au-Prince, tensions among survivors seeking food, water, and basic necessities continue to be a serious issue among displaced populations, reported the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) International. “It’s been difficult finding food. People push you to get something to eat,” said Michele, a young woman who is eight months pregnant and currently living in a camp for internally displaced persons in Carrefour, a neighborhood of Port
First Adventist church planned for Gulf region Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates | 26.01.2010 | International Seventh-day Adventists in the Middle Eastern Gulf region anticipate worshipping in their first permanent church building by year's end, local church officials said at a January 8 groundbreaking ceremony. Victor Harewood, church leader for the United Arab Emirates and Oman, along with some 250 local members met on the plot in Ras Al Khaimah to unveil the building's cornerstone, officially opening the construction site. Ras Al Khaimah is one of seven emirates in the UAE. Its crown prince a
Adventist Church President Jan Paulsen speaks to Haitian Adventists: 'Don't lose courage' | 26.01.2010 | International In a statement aired on the Seventh-day Adventist Church's television station, the Hope Channel, church President Jan Paulsen urged Haitians to not lose courage in the aftermath of the earthquake. "Your brothers and sisters around the world, they think about you, they pray for you, they want to be involved and want you to know that they are your family," Paulsen said during the televised statement. Paulsen's words came hours after a magnitude 6.1 aftershock struck Haiti, renewing anxiety
Adventist headquarters for UK, Ireland nears completion after fire Stanborough Park/UK | 26.01.2010 | International Administrative offices for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in the United Kingdom and Ireland are nearing completion 14 months after a fire gutted previous headquarters. The final phase of rebuilding -- including a foyer, training rooms, boardroom and additional offices -- is expected to take place within the year, regional church officials said. The fire started November 16, 2008 in the roof space above the boardroom and quickly spread to 75 percent of the building. Employees moved back
ADRA Emergency Response Team Arrives in Haiti Jimani/Haiti | 16.01.2010 | ADRA An international emergency response team from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) arrived in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, this afternoon after entering from the Dominican Republic, bringing with them water treatment systems, tents, mobile clinics, and medical personnel to help alleviate a growing humanitarian crisis. The group, which departed the Dominican Republic’s capital of Santo Domingo early Friday, January 15, arrived at the border town of Jimani, about 150 miles from Port-au-
Survey: Most American Protestant Pastors Find Islam Dangerous Nashville, Tennessee/USA | 15.01.2010 | Religious Liberty Two-thirds of American Protestant pastors believe Islam is a "dangerous" religion, according to a new survey from by LifeWay Research, a Southern Baptist-affiliated research group. The survey of more than 1,000 Protestant clergy found that 45 percent strongly agree with the statement "I believe Islam is a dangerous religion" and another 21 percent agree somewhat with it. Evangelical pastors were more likely to agree with the statement than mainline Protestant pastors--77 to 47 percent. L
ADRA Commits US-$ 1 Million to Earthquake Response in Haiti Washington D.C./USA | 15.01.2010 | ADRA As the humanitarian crisis continues to grow in quake-hit Haiti, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) has expanded its relief efforts by committing $1 million worth of emergency aid to assist survivors in the hardest hit areas. ”As an organization, we recognize the urgency that this disaster demands, and press forward to meet the most immediate needs of survivors,” said Charles Sandefur, president of ADRA International. “We will continue to do everything possible to alleviate t
Adventist Relief Response Underway in Quake-hit Haiti Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 14.01.2010 | ADRA The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is launching an immediate response following a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake on January 12 that leveled much of Haiti’s capital, affecting an estimated 3 million people, and raising fears that up to 500,000 have died, according to preliminary news reports. “Many, many have died,” said Ketteline Israel, administrative assistant for ADRA Haiti, in a message from Port-au-Prince. “The country is devastated.” “Accessibility has been diff
Adventist World Church president celebrates 75th birthday <br> <br> Paulsen sees church embrace diversity, engage community Silver Spring, Maryland/USA | 06.01.2010 | International As Seventh-day Adventist Christians worldwide gear up for a new decade, their world church's president, Jan Paulsen, celebrated on January 5 his 75th birthday, affording the veteran leader an opportunity to reflect on a different decade -- the nearly ten years he's spent at the helm of the global Protestant denomination with 16-million adult baptized members. During those years, Paulsen said he has seen Adventists unite to focus perhaps more deliberately than ever on their mission to spread
