Micah Challenge Australia Blog

 

The Micah Challenge blog is a space for discussion and debate about the issues of global poverty, faith, advocacy and justice and the Millennium Development Goals. This blog aims to provoke thought and challenge you to learn more about the issues discussed. We welcome your comments.

Micah Challenge is a global campaign of Christians speaking out against poverty and injustice. Click here to visit the Micah Challenge website.

  • The shocking image of Aylan and 60 million reasons to act

    Posted by Benn

    9 September, 2015

    Over the past week, a single image of a drowned child went viral. Aylan Kurdi who, along with his mother and brother, drowned after attempting to reach Europe to escape persecution is one of almost 60 million people displaced by conflict, persecution and war. Among that crowd, this image of Aylan has shaken many in Australia, being shown in candle-light vigils, being mentioned in Parliament, and contributing to an upsurge in a compassion and generosity in our public discourse about refugees and about aid that we were beginning to think lost. We believe this tragic image and the fate of one small child can provide a turning point to discuss how we should act as fellow humans, why we should act as Christians and what we should do as global citizens. Responding with more compassion and practical support for refugees and asylum-seekers is clearly part of what must happen. We should also increase humanitarian and other forms of aid which help those who have been displaced, and can work to reduce the pressures of conflict and violence. Last century, the… read more

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  • Calm before the storm

    Posted by Ben

    9 July, 2015

    Maybe it seems that Micah Challenge has been a bit quiet lately. Maybe you're wondering if that silence represents inactivity and uncertainty. In our case, it’s more the silence that falls as the clouds gather and before the deluge is finally unleashed. Since 2005, Micah Challenge has worked to raise awareness and action on global poverty and to equip Christians to become advocates for the poor. We have called on Australia’s political leaders to live up to their Millennium promise to “spare no effort” to free men, women and children from abject poverty and contribute our fair share to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Now in 2015, the target year of the MDGs is upon us and globally, the world has seen remarkable progress against some of the worst aspects of poverty, ensuring improved health, education and opportunity for millions of people around the world. Our voices, raised together, have helped drive Australia’s contribution to this process. There have certainly been setbacks – but our past campaigning, in… read more

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  • The comfortable nation that couldn't...

    Posted by Ben

    13 May, 2015

    The Little Engine That Could is a wonderful story of a small, and struggling, train engine (enchantingly alive as things so often are in children's stories) pushing the limits of its capacity and endurance to succeed despite its own small size and the odds stacked against it. This wonderful story of homeless and unemployed people in Victoria pooling together what little they have to help those who are suffering or seeking to help in response to Nepal's recent earthquakes reminds me of that little engine that could. Little to their names, the odds stacked against them in so many ways, and yet they found a way to reach for resources they barely have for themselves in order to help others. In stark contrast, Australia – one of the world's wealthiest nations with a $1.6 trillion dollar (and growing!) economy and the sixth lowest level of debt in the developed world – last night decided that we are the comfortable nation that couldn't . Or, rather, the comfortable nation that wouldn't . While Government expenditure continues to… read more

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  • JB's Final Thoughts

    Posted by John

    22 December, 2014

    After 10 years of helping Christians and churches hold governments around the world to account for their promises to halve world poverty by 2015, the first phase of the Micah Challenge campaign will come to an end this month. The overwhelming sense amongst our wonderful partners is that beyond 2015 and the end date for the MDGs there will be much to do. (These messages from 7 kids born in the year 2000 is an inspiring reminder of why we need to finish what we started.) We feel deep in our hearts that a real opportunity exists to take this work to another level, so we will be reopening these doors again in the first half of 2015. Our supporters and the public will see a fresh brand and a new vision, but they will experience the same commitment to ensuring that Christians are advocating for and with the global poor. As Micah Challenge closes its doors, it’s also time for me to move on to new things. I have had the enormous privilege of helping to guide this work for almost 6 years. Now it’s time to say farewell. I know that Ben and the team here will… read more

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