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 trouble with politics

    Posted by Amanda

    24 November, 2011

    The trouble is that politicians are always looking to the next poll, the next election, the next emergency solution rather than making brave long-term and sustainable decisions. It’s often called the 'Eisenhower Principle' after his saying: "What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important." So earlier this month in Cannes, when leaders of all the major economies in the world gathered for the G20, short-term interventions to fix the urgent Eurozone crisis sucked the air and media attention from innovative important ideas. Greece, a nation of 11 million people, has managed to distract and frustrate G20 leaders. I wonder if other nations of 11 million outside Europe would have the same ability to attract bailout money of €200 billion / AU$275 billion (this is the total promised by the 2010 bailout and the latest package). Chad, Guinea and Tunisia all have a similar population but their poverty, their debt and their challenges go largely ignored. Haiti, a country with a population about the same as that of… read more

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  • Just the way it's always been

    Posted by Amanda

    31 October, 2011

    Leaders of the biggest economies in the world will meet in France later this week to discuss (and try to resolve) some big financial issues. The G20 will bring together leaders from 19 nations (plus the EU) who together represent 90% of the world’s GDP, 80% of the world’s trade and 66% of the world’s population. Fears about the health of the U.S. and European economies will inevitably be at the top of the political and media agenda. Of course, private meetings between bureaucrats and Ministers have been going on for months now to decide what the leaders will agree when they jet into Cannes. And in that lengthy process of negotiation and compromise, ideals inevitably get watered down – it’s a matter of what can be achieved much more than what should be achieved. In the 2005 film, “The Girl in the Café”, about an imaginary G20-type meeting, Lawrence, a consummate bureaucrat confesses, “We get into the habit of compromising and therefore we are always compromised.” President Sarkozy, who will… read more

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  • Ordinary Prophets

    Posted by Amanda

    18 October, 2011

    Last month over 230 ‘ordinary' people in Australia took four days off work, study or family commitments to visit Parliament House in Canberra for the Voices for Justice gathering. They prepared in prayer then knocked on doors to talk, listen and debate about global poverty with the leaders of their nation - these Micah Challenge supporters are a powerful and prophetic voice on the Millennium Development Goals. All over our world, ordinary Christians are discovering their prophetic advocacy role on justice and righteousness issues. It's a faith tradition that somehow got lost in some parts of the Church last century but Old Testament figures like Daniel, Joseph, Moses and Nebuchadnezzar had no issues dealing with kings to get things done for God and to make life more godly for all. And throughout the history of the Church, people motivated by biblical truth, have tried to right wrongs. Elizabeth Fry is a personal favourite on my list of prophetic Christians. An ‘ordinary' mother and wife, living very comfortably, she yearned for God to… read more

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  • Joining heads and hands

    Posted by Tabitha

    16 August, 2011

    Earlier this year, some inspiring young leaders from Papua New Guinea who were in Australia as part of the Archer Leadership program paid a visit to the Micah Challenge office. The Archer Leaders spent time with several different Aussie campaigns to learn about social change that's happening here in Australia, and to get them thinking and dreaming about what could happen in PNG. The visit to Micah Challenge office stood out for one PNG leader, Nellie. Nellie (pictured centre) was encouraged by the Christian connection she shared with us, and she wrote me an email thanking us for meeting with them: "I bring to you greetings from Papua New Guinea. I am Nellie Hamura-Oa, one of the Archer Leadership Scholars that paid visit to Micah Challenge during our exchange program in Sydney. The visit to Micah Challenge was significant as I am a church minister myself. After graduating with a BA in Theology in 2004 from Pacific Adventist University, I spent a few years in pastoral work. Later this year I will graduate with a Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry, majoring… read more

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