Displaying items by tag: Global

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) is the UN’s authoritative voice on the behaviour of the Earth's atmosphere, its interaction with land and oceans, and the weather it produces. On 6 November WMO predicted 2017 to be among the hottest years recorded. A few days earlier NASA revealed maps of Greenland's coastal seafloor and bedrock beneath its ice sheet having up to four times as many coastal glaciers at risk of accelerated melting as previously thought. We are in a long-term warming trend with the highest ever recorded CO2 in the atmosphere and many unusual meteorological events this year, seemingly due to climate change. These issues were discussed at the COP 23 climate talks (6 to 17 November) in Bonn. Justin Welby wrote to the delegates to say that the Anglican community supports their work and recognises addressing climate change as an urgent priority requiring immediate attention. See

42 million people is more than the entire population of Iraq. Abortion is not just confined to one region or people group. It is a global tragedy, with roughly 83% of all abortions taking place in developing countries and 17% in the developed world. It is being called the silent Holocaust. This year’s ‘40 Days for Life’ campaign finishes on Sunday 5 November.

In June, Iran was responsible for a ‘brute force’ cyberattack on Parliament lasting over twelve hours. It was initially thought that Russia was behind the attack, but intelligence officials now conclude Iran was responsible. It was Tehran's first significant cyberattack on the UK. Hackers repeatedly probed ‘weak’ passwords of politicians and aides, forcing parliamentary officials to lock MPs out of their own email accounts as they scrambled to minimise the damage. The network affected is used by every MP, including the Prime Minister and her cabinet ministers. Nine thousand email accounts were affected. The revelations come after Britain, Germany, and France tried to keep the nuclear deal with Iran, agreed in 2015, on track after President Trump’s refusal to back it.  Trump stopped short of ripping up the deal, but said that it would be terminated unless measures were taken to ‘toughen it up’. He believes the international community is being ‘naïve’ in its dealings with the regime.

Hinduism is the third largest religion in the world. The majority of Hindus have never heard the name of Jesus, and less than 2% of Protestant missionaries are serving among them. Centred mostly in India, Hinduism is much more than a religion; it is a way of life, a cultural identity. Acts of violence and intimidation by militant Hindus against other religions are on the rise, particularly against Christians. Barriers to the Gospel are many. But prayer opens doors! Join Christians around the world praying for Hindus between 8 and 22 October . During this time, Hindus celebrate one of their most important holidays, the Festival of Lights (Diwali). Despite candles and fireworks, millions remain separated from the only true source of light - Jesus Christ. Hindus are coming to Christ. In one instance an entire village turned to Christ after hearing God’s Word preached in their language!

Port Elizabeth, South Africa, will have its first Walk For Freedom on 14 October. The walkers will join people in hundreds of other cities across fifty nations, who will be participating in this global anti-human trafficking fundraising and awareness campaign. Between 8am and 12pm people will be dressed in black, walking silently, in single file, in popular locations such as the Eiffel Tower and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They all have one thing in common: a desire to abolish slavery in a world where millions are enslaved as a result of the $150-billion human trafficking industry.

The map of disasters is immense, according to agencies tracking changes in climate and disaster events. In south Asia 45 million people have been adversely affected by floods and mudslides, with 16 million children and their families needing life-saving support. Pray for emergency aid to reach areas cut off by the floods and against the spread of waterborne diseases, such as cholera, amongst communities living in temporary shelters. On the African continent, 500 lives were lost in Sierra Leone and many are still missing after mudslides.  Hurricane Harvey caused flooding and devastation on the Gulf Coast, and Florida has declared a state of emergency as Hurricane Irma moves in its direction. According to reports, 95% of the island of Barbuda in the Caribbean has been ‘apocalyptically’ destroyed, and its prime minister blames this on climate change. He criticised world leaders who deny global warming. See also

Former defence chief General Sir Richard Barrons says the rise of military ‘killer robots’ is almost inevitable. He stated, ‘The advantages of artificially intelligent war machines that can make decisions, learn and open fire without human control will see countries face growing pressure to adopt the technology, despite ethical misgivings.’ In his opinion a proactive international ban, such as the one called for by technology experts recently, is likely to be flouted by unscrupulous countries. He spoke after over a hundred technology leaders wrote an open letter calling the UN to outlaw ‘lethal autonomous weapons’, the use of which will lead to more civilian casualties and abuses. On 27 August the Bishop of Oxford discussed the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence on Radio 4. To listen, go to

On Wednesday, the director-general of UNESCO remembered the universal demand for freedom that led to the 1791 insurrection by slaves in what is now Haiti. Irina Bokova emphasised the importance of teaching this history to young people. ‘We are counting on the teaching of this history to place tomorrow's citizens on the path to peace and dignity. Everyone must know the scale of the crime of the slave trade, the millions of lives broken and the impact on the fate of continents up to this very day’, she said. UNESCO has played a leading role within the UN system in fostering understanding and recognition of the slave trade. See also http://www.un.org/en/index.html

When locusts descended on the American Midwest in 1875, they didn’t just devour crops and forests. They destroyed years of hard-earned progress from settlers struggling to build a better life. In the same way, everyday violence is destroying the efforts of millions trying to rise out of poverty today and, because they are unsafe, the poor cannot benefit from the world’s best efforts to help them thrive. There is an undercover plague that the world is ignoring or has failed to see. The violence crisis is silently undermining the fight against poverty. For the poor, violence is as much a part of life as hunger, illness or unemployment - but it is less visible. Without effective justice systems to protect them from violence (like rape, trafficking and police brutality), the world’s poor live in a state of constant fear.

Christians are being killed and imprisoned in Iran, Tajikistan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Pakistan, and Nigeria, to name but a few and persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Asia is forcing tens of thousands of families to flee for their lives. In India, for example, violent persecution of Christians in 2016 was over 800 and there have been hundreds of attacks so far this year. It is time to pray for charities and organisations that are working in dangerous conditions to provide corridors of escape to safe havens, for those providing aid and support to those living in camps, for those training and educating families for a new life, for those giving medical and counselling services for those who have been tortured and imprisoned for their Christian beliefs. We can pray also for those speaking out on behalf of the persecuted church in the media, at the UN and in government circles. See also articles 3 and 4 below.