Thursday, September 26, 2013

Think About It: Volunteers Needed

We have a request for you to consider.

Each year our team has a face-to-face meeting somewhere.  This year it was in North Carolina following the CBF General Assembly, because all our team members were in the U.S.  Next year, our Romany Team will meet with the Albanian-Ukrainian team on March 27-31, 2014 in Palma de Mallorca, an island off the coast of Spain.

There are many logistics involved in such a meeting, of course.  But there's one important question that we, as parents, think of immediately:  While the M's meet, what will the MK's be doing?  It's an important question for two reasons.  First, the adults will need to give their full attention during the meeting times.  But even more important for us is that this time can be a real ministry to our MK's.  Seldom do they get to meet and play together, with other kids who can completely understand what it's like to be an MK.

We're looking for someone to love our children during these days.  It's an opportunity to minister to these MK's and to their parents, as well as a chance to visit a place that (from all we can tell) is absolutely gorgeous!

Think about it.  Pray about it.  Let us know (contact the Parks - jparks AT thefellowship DOT info) if you're interested - or if you have an idea of someone else who might be.  See the description below for more information.

Childcare worker needed!

Who: Couple or individual to provide childcare for four children of CBF Field Personnel (one preschooler who loves LEGOs, one 2nd grader who loves math, and two 3rd graders who love to chase pigeons)

What: Childcare during team meetings – programming can range from just kind-fun activities to VBS-type ideas. Depending on the volunteer’s comfort level, some sightseeing or museum visiting, etc. with the kids is also possible.

When: March 27-31, 2014 (Actual dates of the meetings)

Where: Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Why: To serve God through service to these missionary families. To have fun with some awesome kids. To learn more about how CBF is serving around the world.

Costs: Because this is a volunteer position, it is necessary that all expenses be provided by the volunteer.

  • Lodging for a couple - $280; includes breakfast and lunch during meetings and 4 nights hotel stay (dinners are not included in this cost) 
  • Transportation – flight estimates from ATL to PMI (just to give an idea) are around $1000 per person. 
  • Other fees to consider – local transportation during meeting, any activity expenses, other meals, souvenirs, etc.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

ROMA FAMILIES FORCIBLY EVICTED IN ROME

Condensed from a press release dated 12 September 2013:

Around 35 Romani* families are being evicted from the informal settlement of Via Salviati, Rome, this morning, and taken to a segregated formal camp. Amnesty Italy, Associazione 21 Luglio and the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) have observers at the operation, and are concerned that the action does not meet human rights standards or procedural safeguards.
Today's action is the result of an order by Mayor Marino, 5 August 2013, which ordered the immediate transfer of the people and their property to the large formal camp, Castel Romano. This is the second time the Roma have been evicted from Via Salviati, which is just a few kilometres from the centre of Rome.
The Roma community sent an open letter to Mayor Marino, clearly stating that they don’t want to live in a ghetto. Castel Romano is a Roma-only mega-camp around 25 kilometres from the city. It is extremely difficult for Roma to access jobs and education from the location. The Roma community of Via Salviati has repeatedly asked the city of Rome’s authorities for dialogue. In the open letter to the Mayor, they asked to work towards policies for genuine inclusion. As far as the NGOs are aware, the request has not been followed up by the authorities.
The forced eviction is an undeniable backwards step from the positive commitments made in the National Strategy for Inclusion of Roma, Sinti and Caminanti, which emphasizes the need to overcome the model of the "camp" to combat isolation and promote social inclusion.
For more information contact:
Sinan Gökçen
Media and Communications Officer
European Roma Rights Centre
Tel. +36.30.500.1324
sinan.gokcen@errc.org

Paola Nigrelli
Media Officer
Amnesty International Italia
+39.06.449.0224, +39.348.697.4361
press@amnesty.it

*Roma, Romani, and Romany are all acceptable terms.
This press release is posted for information only, not as a blanket endorsement of any NGO's listed or involved.