General News and Announcements

January 13, 2011

Four new overseas personnel have been appointed by the United Church to serve with global partners.

Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel

Lenora Yarkie from St. Albert, Alberta, and Patricia Mercer from St. John's, Newfoundland, have been appointed by The United Church of Canada to serve as Ecumenical Accompaniers in the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).

Lenora and Patricia will serve in Israel/Palestine for a three-month appointment as part of the EAPPI’s Group 39, February through May 2011. The EAPPI’s mission is to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in their non-violent actions and advocacy efforts to end the illegal occupation and support a just peace in the Middle East. The United Church of Canada has participated in this global initiative of World Council of Churches since its establishment in 2002. As of January 2011, the EAPPI has received over 800 Ecumenical Accompaniers (EAs) from 16 countries, who have served in small teams for three-month periods in various locations in the West Bank, including Jerusalem. The United Church has sent 12 EAs to date.

More information on the program is available on the EAPPI website.

ADES (Social and Economic Development Association) in El Salvador

Lynn Macaulay from Hamilton Conference has been appointed to serve ADES (Social and Economic Development Association) in El Salvador, for a period of 18 to 24 months.

ADES is a rural community development organization in northern El Salvador. The United Church has worked with ADES and the communities in the northern part of the department of Cabañas near the border with Honduras since the civil war in the 1980s. This work began with accompaniment of one community, Santa Marta, during the war and has since evolved into support for the more formal structure, ADES.

The current work of ADES focuses on support for the local economy, alternative communications media, and education, training, and community organization. The main goal is providing knowledge and tools that are necessary for defending the rights of residents and promoting local development.

Kenya Alliance for the Advancement of Children 

Lauren Hodgson from British Columbia Conference has been appointed to a theological internship with The Kenya Alliance for the Advancement of Children (KAACR).

KAACR was started in 1989 as a lobby group to advocate for the implementation and domestication of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and has been a United Church partner since 1992. Their primary mission is to develop a culture that respects human rights, values the rule of law, practices gender sensitivity, and provides equal opportunities to girls and boys in all spheres of development. They work to promote sharing of information and co-operation among children's organizations, to educate national opinion on the rights and well-being of children in Kenya, and to advocate for laws and policies that enhance the rights of children.

Take a look at letters from United Church of Canada overseas personnel.

For more information, contact:

• Patti Talbot
  Program Coordinator, People in Partnership
  Partners in Mission Unit
  The United Church of Canada
  3250 Bloor St. West, Suite 300
  Toronto, ON  M8X 2Y4
  Phone: 416-231-7680 ext. 4018
  Toll-free: 1-800-268-3781 ext. 4018
  E-mail: People in Partnership