Amnesty International has warned that the opportunity to deal with the past in Northern Ireland must not be squandered following a lack of agreement at the end of multi-party negotiations, chaired by Dr Richard Haass. Northern Ireland’s five main political parties failed to agree to a new approach to dealing with the legacy of three decades of human rights violations and abuses, among other issues. Amnesty is calling for the publication of draft proposals from the inter-party talks and for negotiations to recommence in the New Year. The human rights group’s Northern Ireland Director Patrick Corrigan said: “We are disappointed the parties failed to reach an agreement on dealing with the past, but determined to continue to press for truth and justice for all victims in Northern Ireland. “What progress has been achieved by the parties and the Haass team towards agreeing a new approach to the past must not be squandered or obscured by disagreement on other issues.
The shock of leaving the Armed Forces took its toll with alcohol and mental health problems, unemployment and family break-ups according to the Forces in Mind Trust. Veterans’ alcohol problems had the biggest effect, costing an estimated £35 million in 2012, followed by mental health problems costing £26 million. The costs are predicted to rise this year because of the loss of thousands of jobs in recent months in defence cuts. The trust, which campaigns to make it easier for veterans to settle back into civilian life, said the great majority made the jump successfully, but it was still surprised by the scale of the costs. The report found the culture shock for those leaving the forces has been underestimated. Andrew Curry, author of the report, said: “Even those who have gone through a good transition said they found their experience of civilian life and the workplace to be a shock.”
Pray: for members of the armed forces as they make the transition to civilian life and that they will receive appropriate support. (Ps.55:22)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/journalists/ben-farmer/10243464/Problems-of-Forces-personnel-switching-to-civilian-life-cost-114m.html
Problems continue for St Paul’s as protesters stay put. Anti-capitalist protesters forced the cathedral to close its doors to the public for the first time in 72 years. St Paul’s Cathedral is considering taking out an injunction to remove hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters occupying the churchyard. The cathedral has been in talks about legal action with the City of London Corporation. Around 300 protesters have gathered outside the cathedral in the last 10 days since the Occupy Wall Street demonstration went global. They continue to defy requests by St Paul’s to leave voluntarily, despite their presence forcing the cathedral to close its doors to the public for the first time since World War II. The cathedral, situated in London's financial district, is estimated to be losing around £16,000 every day in lost tourism income – revenue that is vital to the upkeep of the building. The cathedral reportedly turned away worshippers from services on Sunday. Only a scheduled wedding has taken place. The canon chancellor of St Paul's Dr Giles Fraser who has been sympathetic to the protest camp outside which has led to the cathedral's closure has resigned from his post.
Pray: that a just solution to these protests would be found. Pray that the Church would take this opportunity to witness to the protesters. (Mic.1:2)
Pro footballer: Faith is 24/7
22 Aug 2011Darren Moore, who has played for clubs such as Portsmouth, West Brom and Derby during an impressive career, revealed he converted to Christianity after Bradford City assistant boss Wayne Jacobs invited him to a Christians in Sport meeting back in 1999. ‘Even though I had become a professional footballer, I had doubts that I wasn’t good enough. But after I attended that meeting I became a Christian and I realised that God loved me, it was an amazing experience. He said: ‘This is a 24-7 thing for me. Just as you build a relationship with your partner or your wife, you have to build one with the Lord. He wants to be with you through the good and the bad times.’ In his spare time, as well as being a regular at church, he also is active in Christian charity Faith in Football along with fellow stars Linvoy Primus and Lomana Lua-Lua.
Pray: for Darren and that his witness will encourage others to seek the Lord. (1Ch.16:10)
More: http://www.christiantoday.co.uk/article/pro.footballer.faith.is.247/28463.htm
Prisons Week: A call to community
16 Nov 2013hristians across the UK are being invited to pray for prisoners during 'Prisons Week' from 17 to 23 November. The campaign, which has been running since 1975 and uses the tagline 'Stand in the Light', aims to bring attention to the issues surrounding imprisonment. With a committee made up of representatives from various Christian denominations and organisations supporting prisons ministry, it encourages churches and congregations to get involved with schemes run in their local prisons, challenging people to say ‘I'm in’. This campaign comes as recent figures released by the Ministry of Justice reveal that 200,000 children were affected by the imprisonment of a parent in 2009, which is a greater number than experienced their parents' divorce. 85,000 people are currently in custody in England and Wales, and re-offending rates are high. Organisers behind Prisons Week contend that the social impact of crime and imprisonment means that the future of a generation is at risk, and action must be taken.
Pray: for all those who are imprisoned: and for their families, especially the children. Pray for those reaching out with support and encouragement. (Rom.12:8)
More: http://www.christiantoday.com/article/prisons.week.a.call.to.community/34649.htm
Prisoners convert to Islam
13 Jun 2010
Inmates are converting to Islam in order to gain perks and the protection of powerful Muslim gangs, the Chief Inspector of Prisons warns today. Dame Anne Owers says that some convicted criminals are taking up the religion in jail to receive benefits only available to practising Muslims. The number of Muslim prisoners has risen dramatically since the mid-1990s - from 2,513 in 1994, or 5 per cent of the prison population, to 9,795 in 2008, or 11 per cent. Staff at top-security prisons and youth jails have raised concerns about the intimidation of non-Muslims and possible forced conversions. Dame Anne’s report, Muslim Prisoners’ Experiences, says that, although several high-profile terrorists have been jailed recently, fewer than 1 in 100 Muslim inmates have been convicted of terrorism. She says that prison staff are suspicious about those practising or converting to the faith and warns that treating Muslim inmates as potential or actual extremists risks radicalising. Pray: for a prison system that recognises the offence committed and matches punishment and treatment accordingly. (Ps.106:3)
Prison warder held hostage by Muslim inmates
30 May 2013Prisons have been put on alert for copycat attacks after a warden was beaten and held hostage by Muslim prisoners in a high-security jail. It is thought the prisoners behind the attack were inspired by the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich last week. The prison officer was threatened with a makeshift blade and held captive in an office for four hours at Full Sutton jail in East Yorkshire on Sunday night. He was badly beaten by the inmates and was freed only when riot squad officers stormed into the room. He was left with a broken cheekbone, while a female officer suffered slashing injuries to her arm when she tried to help him. The incident – which is being investigated by counter-terrorism police – prompted warnings that former service personnel working in jails could be at risk from radical Islamist inmates. Senior prison officials have sent an email to high-security jails and young offender institutions warning them about the threat.
Pray: that the prison officers will be protected from those who have radical tendencies and from further threats. (Ez.4:22)
More: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2331919/Full-Sutton-Jail-attack-Terror-police-called-
Prime Minister urged to support Christian cases
12 Apr 2012Christian Concern has launched a new campaign this Easter, urging Prime Minister David Cameron to back up his recent words of support for the Christian faith with some ‘solid action’. Last week,the Prime Minister held a private ‘Easter Reception’ at Downing Street, where he told a gathering of senior church leaders that the nation needed Christian values and also that he supported a ‘fight back’ against rising secularism. Mr Cameron told attendees: ‘I think there's something of a fight-back going on, and we should welcome that. The values of the Bible, the values of Christianity are the values that we need.’ However, critics have noted that this does not align with the recent Government submission to the European Court of
Human Rights, which backs the rulings against four Christians in their freedom of belief and conscience cases that are currently before the European Court.
Pray: for our Prime Minister and his government that they would recognise the importance of the Christian faith. (Tit.1:13)