Dear CEDAR friends and supporters,
July marks the beginning of a new ministry year for CEDAR. Reflecting on the past year fills my heart with gratitude. Responding to the needs of a world marked by turmoil, our humanitarian relief and community development work has continued to grow. This is possible only by God’s grace and provision and your faithful support.
The United Nations described the current state of global disorder as a ‘polycrisis’ — a convergence of ecological, social, economic and political crises, each compounding the impacts of the other and triggering a domino effect of disasters. Recent budget cuts by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have brought many global programmes in education, healthcare and environmental protection to an abrupt halt. According to an international community development expert, at least 23 million children are at risk of losing access to education, while up to 95 million people may be denied basic healthcare, thus potentially leading to over three million preventable deaths each year. The action by the U.S. administration has also triggered a snowball effect. As reported by Forbes, other Western countries have followed suit, slashing their humanitarian and international aid budgets. For instance, the Netherlands, Belgium, France and the United Kingdom are reducing their aid by as much as 25 to 40 per cent.
These cuts have not only further weakened the already fragile global humanitarian system but also intensified competition for resources within vulnerable countries. In nations with strained interethnic and/or intergroup relations, such external pressures can easily spark new conflicts or intensify those that are already ongoing.
CEDAR has long been committed to ‘Peace and Reconciliation’ projects in the hope that all peoples and nations may experience the shalom of God. In April, one of our staff members travelled to Rwanda — a country once torn by genocide to visit a local partner engaged in reconciliation ministries and to meet with the project’s beneficiaries. He also took part in the commemorative event marking the Rwandan genocide. I hope that his sharing in this issue of SHARE may deepen your understanding of peacebuilding efforts. This year’s ‘CEDAR Barefoot Walk’, to be held on 8 November will feature the theme ‘Long-term Assistance to the Conflict-Stricken Poor’. We hope that the Walk will raise public awareness of fragile communities affected by war and violence, and we invite you to join us in providing practical and tangible support for these war-torn communities. Please refer to the attached document for details.
What CEDAR is able to do may seem like a drop in the ocean when measured against the vastness of global needs. Yet we are reminded not to stop doing good simply because the act seems small. The Lord has already ‘reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation’ (2 Corinthians 5:18). In an increasingly chaotic world, even the smallest act of compassion is a step towards His shalom. May these acts of compassion, kindness, and justice bring healing to wounded hearts and point people to the ‘Prince of Peace’, who ‘reconciles to himself all things’ (Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 1:20).
May the peace of the Lord be with you in these turbulent times.
Your sister in Christ,
Winnie Fung
Chief Executive
