This blog post vaccinates 95 children

Right now, UNICEF is searching for a health specialist to conflict areas in Afghanistan. The job includes for example mass vaccination of millions of children against tetanus, polio and measles.

I would love to do that, but since I’m quite busy with some other things, I publish this blog post instead. Then I’ll vaccinate 95 children around the world together with the Swedish farmaceutic Company Apotek Hjärtat. That’s pretty nice as well.

I stand together with UNICEF in the fight for every kid. Do you also want to change the lives of children? Enter www.supportunicef.org for ways to donate and spread the message. And do you also want to vaccinate 95 children for free with your blog? Copy this post, publish it on your own site before may 13th and ping it at Twingly. Then Apotek Hjärtat will donate for 95 more children.

Original text in Swedish: unicef.se/sprid-budskapet/bloggkampanj

#sahelNOW – Sound the Alarm to Save the Lives of One Million Children in the Sahel!

As I reported three weeks ago, the Western Sahel Region in Africa is suffeing from a severe humanitarian crisis. The Guardian, which has made the infographic above, writes:

According to figures published by the UN last week, more than 13 million people are at risk of hunger in the Sahel, with more than 10 million now considered food-insecure. More than 1 million children are at risk of severe malnutrition.

“Millions of people are on the threshold of a major crisis,” said Mamadou Biteye, Oxfam regional director for west Africa. “All signs point to a drought becoming a catastrophe if nothing is done soon. The world cannot allow this to happen. A concerted aid effort is needed to stop tens of thousands dying due to international complacency.

“We witnessed last year the situation spiralling out of control in east Africa as the aid community failed to act swiftly. The worst can be avoided and thousands of lives will be saved if we act now. It’s that simple.”

Help us stop the severe hunger crisis in Sahel!

13 million people will be affected by the upcoming hunger crisis in the Sahel region in Western Africa. The crisis could be similiar to the one in the horn of Africa last year if we do not act quickly to help organisations that are active with securing food and treating diseases in the area. As Christians, we are commanded not to ignore the needy, but if we have worldly possessions, we have to share them (Deut 15:9, 1 John 3:17). It is urgent that we do this, and that we do it now.

The humanitarian news agency IRIN writes:

There is still time to avert wide-scale crisis, said Oxfam’s Hazard, citing some positive factors: “Early warnings are coming very promptly; affected governments are acting early this year… and some donors have also responded early to avert crisis.” […]

Other donors must follow suit, said Cockburn. “We have no excuse to make the same mistakes as in the past,” he told IRIN.

Support Oxfam, Unicef, Doctors without borders and Christian organisations active in the region so that we can save the lives of all the men, women and children who are in desperate need of nutritious food and health care. And pray ernestly for the crisis to stop. If prayer can stop LRA soldiers from killing, it certainly can stop a famine. Thank you for your help. And please spread this text so that many will know about this!

A life filled with good works

A life filled of good works – sermon by Micael Grenholm, Mosaik March 20^th 2011

In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul talks a lot about lifestyle. Christians are to live a righteous and holy life, filled with good works. And what I found when I was reading Ephesians for this sermon is that we shall do this not only because it benefits our fellowmen but also because there is a strong connection between our lifestyle and spiritual warfare. There is a relationship between, for example, how much you give to the poor and how successful you are in casting out demons.

In Ephesians chapter 4 verse 1 Paul writes: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” A righteous and holy life is not optional, is not a bonus-thing. Of course, we cannot be saved in doing good works (Eph 2:8-9), we cannot compensate for our sins with doing some good as well, the only way we can get eternal life is handing over our sins to Jesus and letting Him take our punishment on the Cross. Then we will receive eternal life with God. But since this is the greatest gift a man can get it becomes absurd when Christians live as everyone else. We have to live “a life worthy of the calling” we have received.

What does that life look like? “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (vv.2-3). Note that unity is a good work, just as humbleness, gentleness and patience are. And it is a unity of the Spirit. Paul stresses the importance of this unity, saying: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (vv. 4-6). There is one body and one Spirit. There are not several churches – because there are not several holy spirits! There is one Holy Spirit of God that fills one body of Christ – the church. That is why we should make every effort to keep “the unity of the Spirit”. And because it is a unity of the Spirit, charismaticism – when we let the Holy Spirit perform signs and wonders among us – is vital in ecumenism – the unity of the church.

Press Release: The images showing that Rev. Jean Kabuidibuidi was deported to torture

Pator Jean

Yesterday, Jonas Bergström, a Swedish refugee activist, recieved an email from pastor Jean Kabuidibuidi with pictures showing the damage that he has received since he was deported to the Congo. The images were displayed on TV4 News broadcast at 14:40. In the email rev. Jean wrote:

This is what has happened to me: I have been severely tortured and beaten, and there are pictures of damage that will show you the scars that will remain. I have been locked for security reasons, the person who has helped me to convey this message, I reserve myself to talk to you more and will talk to you in a video in more detail.

If the statement of Pastor Jean Kabuidibuidi is true, which very much suggests, it is a clear violation of the Swedish Utlänningslagen (Alien Act), Section 12 § 1.

If Jean has been subjected to torture, it is also a violation of the “Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, human or degrading treatment or punishment”, which Sweden ratified the in 1985. Sweden has been criticized by the UN to violate this convention 12 times, according to Amnesty.

“Crackdown in Kinshasa”

What an awful timing. The same day that Jean Kabuidibuidi have been deported to Kinshasa I recieve this newsletter from the human rights organization Enough, which is active in the Congo, Uganda and Sudan:

Crackdown in Kinshasa: Congo Government Bans Peaceful March, Cuts Broadcast Stations

Tensions in Congo’s capital are rising as the Congolese government took swift action this week to suppress opposition voices.

The government banned a peaceful march organized by Catholic religious leaders yesterday to commemorate the 20^th anniversary of what is known as the “Christians Massacre” and to protest the recent botched presidential and legislation elections. The anniversary marks the day in 1992 when several Christians were killed during a pro-democracy rally against the closure of a national conference to debate the Mobutu Sese Seko regime. Yesterday, soldiers met peaceful demonstrators with tear-gas and arrests. Congo’s Voice of the Voiceless rights group reports that three priests and two nuns have been imprisoned, and soldiers and police fired tear gas into church compounds to prevent people from participating.

Press Release: Death Threatened Dissident Expelled from Sweden During Great Secrecy

This picture was taken on the repository in Flen December 2011. Jean Kabuidibuidi spent 130 days in the repository in Flen before he finally was expelled yesterday, 23 February 2012. Photographer: #PastorJean team. Media may use the image freely.

A government critic from Congo Kinshasa was expelled during great secrecy last night from Skavsta airport, despite loud protests from Christian groups and human rights activists. The man, named Jean Kabuidibuidi, is the pastor of a Congolese church in Stockholm and has become known for openly criticizing the regime in his homeland. The police conducted the deportation despite the fact that Kabuidibuidi’s representative Claes Strömvall did not receive this confirmation until this morning, a procedure that the lawyer perceives as strange.

– The police did not give me any details yesterday, and when I asked why they said “security reasons”. We wanted to get information about when Jean Kabuidibuidi’s plane will land in Congo Kinshasa for friends to meet up at the airport, says Claes Strömvall.