Dear CEDAR friends and supporters, The UN Humanitarian Affairs Office (OCHA) reported in November that ‘2024 is the deadliest year ever for humanitarian workers’, with 281 killed globally. Relief work is getting more and more dangerous. At the same time, the violence against aid workers also reflects the fact that more civilians are being killed in conflict zones. Indeed, according to the United Nations, civilian deaths in armed conflicts surged by a shocking 72% in 2023. Four in ten civilians killed in conflicts are women, and three in ten are children. Conflict-related sexual violence against women and girls rose by 50% in 2023, an appalling increase. The Institute for Economics & Peace reports that we are living in…
Dear CEDAR friends and supporters, Have you ever wondered why Christians give? The National Christian Foundation (NCF) has just published one of the largest research studies on Christian giving (a), i.e. giving done by Christians to both faith-based and secular causes. They find that givers aged 45 and above give because they ‘feel greater purpose in life’ and ‘feel grateful’. Those aged 44 and below give because they ‘feel more fully alive’, ‘feel closer to God’, and ‘feel more hopeful’. NCF finds that the overwhelming driver for Christian givers is their desire to ‘be good and wise stewards of what God has given them’. When asked about the most important characteristics they look for in a charitable giving…
Dear CEDAR friends and supporters, At the time of writing, Hong Kong recorded its hottest summer solstice in more than 40 years as temperatures reached 34 degrees. I was on a call with our field partner in India, and he was sharing how they had just experienced a record temperature of 50(!) degrees. ‘It’s not a human level of heat.’ 192 people have died in Delhi within a 9-day period this month due to the heat wave. Even at nighttime, people can barely sleep because of the suffocatingly high temperature, and this has led to increased stress on people’s bodies. The extreme heat is particularly difficult for people living in refugee camps and informal housing, as well as…
Dear CEDAR friends and supporters, Someone once speaks of the difference between charity and justice: ‘Charity makes people happy but keeps them in an unjust system, while justice frees people from that system.’ At CEDAR, we believe both charity and justice are what God has called us to fight for, as together, they pertain to a vision of human flourishing that is part of God’s will for His creation. We are most grateful for each of you who is partnering with us in this Kingdom work. We believe in the power of partnership, networks and collaboration. We are delighted to partner with 58 churches and schools this year in our annual Red Packet Campaign to raise funds to…