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Author: CEDAR Fund

Forgotten pain

In the past year, the political situation in the world has undergone some unprecedented changes. Just as we are witnessing the recent war between Russia and Ukraine, many people in other parts of the world also suffer from war and homelessness. Therefore, in addition to serving the immediate needs of the refugees in various places, CEDAR’s partners also assist in community development so that traumatised groups can rebuild their lives. The Myanmar military authority overthrew the democratically elected government on 1 February 2021. After the establishment of the military government, the military was mobilised to suppress opposition demonstrations and to conduct arrests. Al Jazeera, citing a monitoring group, said 1,700 people died as of March this year. The

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Keeping watch on the unquenchable fires of war

At the beginning of the Russian-Ukrainian war, CEDAR responded immediately and allocated HK$240,000 to support an overseas partner in providing medical assistance to the refugees. CEDAR’s partner arrived at the Polish-Ukrainian border on 1 March 2022 to provide refugees with humanitarian aid, health services and psychological and emotional support. In Poland, our partner also provided support to local families hosting refugees, such as distributing daily necessities to them, setting up information stations in shelters and providing services and financial assistance for Ukrainians who had fled to the area. On the evening of 1 April, we invited friends who are concerned about this tragedy to join a prayer meeting online via Zoom. In the meeting, we explained the needs

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THE LETTER FROM CEDAR | APR 2022

Dear supporters,  A new film is being widely discussed called ‘Don’t Look Up’, in which human beings, for various reasons, regard a crisis of the earth’s destruction as a rumour and thus do nothing to save it, and everybody ends up dying together.  The story is, of course, fictional, but it also gives me something to reflect upon – there are many things that we know in our hearts. Still, because of our sinful nature (unwilling to make changes and reluctant to tackle our problems), we often end up having to eat the bitter fruit of living our own ways.  When the Lord created the heavens and the earth, He saw that everything was good. As God’s stewards,

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Agricultural Revolution in Progress

Written by Lai Ka Chun (Senior Programme Officer)  ‘Around three years ago, my fields looked just like this,’ said James Shawa, a farmer from Zimbabwe, Southern Africa, pointing to a neighbouring cornfield with withered, yellow leaves. For days, he worried that he would not have a good harvest. However, when he adopted a new farming method, his corn grew after hard work and dedication. The crop James had wished for finally arrived. ‘We use the resources that the Lord has given us, and we receive His blessings,’ James said while putting freshly picked corn onto the firewood. Through the smoke, James and his children smiled. Nearly 70% of the African population rely on farming for a living. A

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Happiness is Caring for Creations

Written by Ness Ma (Communications Officer) Caring for the created world is a significant and complex issue. We may have lost hope and motivation because of living in the Apocalypse. Nonetheless, our Chief Executive, Dr. Chan Pui Si, shared the encouragement and acknowledgement of her poverty alleviation and environmental protection work in an online talk, ‘Caring for the Created World in the Apocalypse Regardless of Success or Failure’, on 6 January evening. Pui Si noted that disasters happen every day and around us, and the difference is whether they are in front of us, in the news report, or not even reported. She exemplified the floods and droughts in India last year that anthropogenic climate change certainly plays

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Witness the Struggles in Mountain Areas

Written by Ness Ma (Communications Officer) Many tribes live at the country’s border in Northern Thailand, mostly farmers. Because of poverty, many of them have never received a good education or learned any effective farming method. They live in mountain basins and receive no services or support from the government. In addition to the worsening extreme weather events because of climate change, river floods in rainy seasons cause soil erosion, and droughts lead to a lack of water sources. Both circumstances affect the harvest. To continue farming, farmers have to purchase more chemical fertilisers, increasing their financial burden and damaging the lands. CEDAR Fund has been supporting Upland Holistic Development Foundation (previously Upland Holistic Development Project) since 2013

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Response to Climate Change Victims

Written by Wendy Fung (Church pastor) 5Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?15Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.16If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:5, 14-17

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‘Share’ 244 – Agricultural Revolution in Progress

Today, climate change is no longer just a textbook term. Recent studies have shown that global warming directly impacts grain production, with developing countries being hit the hardest. This issue of SHARE introduces Zimbabwe’s farmers’ new initiative to earn a living – the ‘agricultural revolution’. In addition, we will enter the mountains in northern Thailand and learn how local villagers deal with frequent natural disasters. Through Chief Executive Dr Chan Pui Si’s experience in poverty alleviation and verses from the Bible, we hope to encourage everyone to stand up for the poor, for who the climate crisis has severely struck. ARTICLES OF THIS ISSUE Agricultural Revolution in Progress Agricultural Revolution in Progress Written by Lai Ka Chun (Senior

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Cultivating peace by listening

Written by Ness Ma (Communications Officer) We had all wished for peace in the world when we were young, but as we grew up, we let go of this thought, and it began to fade out. We all experience how brutal reality is and realise how powerless we are. As a result, we could only watch relationships break when people cannot mutually understand each other. Tony, our colleague, encountered these issues as he participated in the Cultivating Peace scheme collaborated by CEDAR Fund and the Centre for Sino-Christian Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University. ‘Cultivating peace’ is an act of exploring the best way to make peace in Hong Kong through active listening, emotional caring, and non-violent methods.

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Peace in Turbulent Regions of Myanmar

Written by Edward Lai (Senior Communications Officer) ‘Our dream has come true! We may have our new house very soon. We now come here every day to help build the house.’ Mg Byar Woo, a ten-year-old boy in Myanmar said excitedly.  He invited CEDAR Fund’s partner, Fullmoon Family Foundation (FMFF), to his current temporary shelter and said, ‘every family has only a small living space. We sleep and cook in the same room.’ His family slept on the same narrow bamboo bed with neatly folded sheets.  Though the temporary shelter was crowded, at least he and his family were safe. In his mind, not only his family was safe, but also over 40 other Lisu families, who had

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