Download Keeping Faith In Development 

In this podcast, Nigel Varndell, Intercommunity Initiatives Manager at Christian Aid, reflects on the pioneering interfaith conference that Christian Aid co-hosted with the Woolf Institute for Abrahamic Faith. He is joined by Ivan Lewis, Minister for International Development who gave the keynote address at the conference. He is also joined by members of World Jewish Relief and Islamic Relief who helped organise the conference. Additional reflections on the future of interfaith initiatives in international development are provided by conference participants including UK faith leaders and faith-based humanitarian NGOs.

The Christian Aid Week report for 2008 is called 'Death and Taxes: the true toll of tax dodging'.  The new report seeks to expose the scandal of a global tax system that allows the world's richest to duck their responsibilities while condemning the poorest to stunted development, even premature death.

Download CAWReport_final.mp3

The situation is stark and urgent. Our report predicts that illegal, trade-related tax evasion alone will be responsible for some 5.6 million deaths of young children in the developing world between 2000 and 2015. That's almost 1,000 a day. Half are already dead

To find out more, visit us on the web at http://www.christianaid.org.uk/getinvolved/christianaidweek/cawreport/index.aspx
 

Over one million poor black South Africans have been illegally forced to leave their homes and lives since the end of apartheid in 1994.  Having lost the only home and job they have ever known, they face a future with little protection and little hope.

Download Landreform.mp3

1st October 2007 is World Habitat Day - in this programme Sarah Filbey talks with Rob Cunningham, Christian Aid’s country manager for South Africa – he explains why the huge disparity in land ownership still remains.  Despite South Africa’s progressive new constitution and land reform programme, 80% of the farmland is currently owned by the white 10% South African minority.

Rob also addresses what must be done to see an end to associated human rights abuses and evictions, and shares news of the significant victories being made by Christian Aid’s partners working in solidarity with, and bringing hope to, South Africa’s landless poor.

Programme Notes

• Nkuzi Development Association
• Summary of Key Findings from the National Evictions Survey (PDF)
• Christian Aid
• World Habitat Day

It has been a long journey for Suraya Pakzan. Ten years ago she began secretly educating young girls from her own home in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. This month she is receives the 'Woman of Courage Award 2008' from the US Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice. In this podcast Suraya speaks to Rachel Stevens about the remarkable lengths she went to, to protect the young girls she secretly educated.

Download woman_of_courage.mp3

Girls’ education was illegal under the former Taliban regime in Afghanistan.  In 1998, concerned at the prospect of a generation of women growing up without an education, Suraya formed the Voice of Women Organisation and began teaching girls to read and write in the secrecy of her home in Kabul. In the beginning she had just ten students.  Two years later, Suraya and her friends were educating more than 300 girls in small, secret groups in their houses – risking death for breaking the law if discovered.

In 2001, when the Taliban government was deposed, the ‘Voice of Women Organisation’ became the first woman-run non-governmental organisation to register under the new government. Today the organisation, which is now a Christian Aid partner, promotes women’s rights across Afghanistan through awareness raising programmes and continues to help poor women earn a living.

This month, Suraya is one of eight women from all over the world to receive the Woman of Courage Award in recognition of their bravery in speaking out against injustice in their countries. 

To read more about Suraya’s story visit the Christian Aid website www.christianaid.org.uk/stoppoverty/lifeonthemargins/stories/woman_courage.aspx

On the morning of 26 December 2004, when children were playing on the beach and mothers were cooking Sunday lunch at home, the second strongest ‘megathrust’ earthquake in recorded history ripped open the ocean floor off the west coast of Indonesia. Releasing the same amount of energy as 23,000 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs, it sent giant waves travelling as fast as jet planes smashing into the countries of the Indian Ocean. Scenes of destruction were everywhere. More than a quarter of a million people died in a matter of minutes. Millions more lost their homes and livelihoods.

Download tsunami_evaluation.mp3

The cost of rebuilding was estimated at $10.75 billion, but a record breaking $13.6 billion was pledged by donors worldwide.Christian Aid raised £47 million in the appeal. By the end of 2007 we had spent £40 million – five times more than in any previous emergency – rebuilding 22,000 homes and helping 180,000 people back into work. This is a remarkable achievement by our 33 partners in Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia, especially as we are one of only three DEC agencies on course to spend our budget on time by the end of 2007.   

A recent independent evaluation looked at where the Christian Aid money went and how well it was spent. Now you can listen in to this internal Christian Aid staff podcast from December. Christian Aid's Anthony Morton King is interviewed by Antoinette Powell. Check out the programme notes below for a link to the report...

Programme Notes:

Tsunami 3 years on

The evaluation report

Hurricane diary. What's it really like when a hurricane strikes? Christian Aid's Rhian Holder was at home in Kingston, Jamaica when Hurricane Dean struck.  This is the first of three episodes looking at the recent hurricanes. Please manually download the second and third episodes from your podcatcher software (iTunes etc).

Download HurricaneDean_1f.mp3

Programme Notes:

• Christian Aid podcast on Disaster Risk Reduction
• Christian Aid website on current emergencies
• Donate to the emergencies fund

This programme was edited by Steven Buckley. Rhian Holder from Christian Aid Jamaica was interviewed by Sian Curry.