Anglican Communion NetworkWith a pledge to work together in addressing pressing environmental concerns in East Asia and the Pacific, representatives from several Anglican provinces and mission agencies met March 23-26 in Hong Kong for a consultation on climate change, co-sponsored by Episcopal Relief and Development, the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Province of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui.
The consultation was inspired by several conversations in 2008 with Episcopal Church partners and church leaders primarily from East Asia and the Pacific Rim, said Kirsten Muth, ERD's senior director of Asia, Pacific and New Initiatives, who noted that the purpose of the gathering was to focus on "climate change as it relates to poverty, and identifying how we can work together more effectively in areas of sustainable development."
Around 30 participants attended the gathering from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Polynesia, Solomon Islands, the U.K., the U.S. and Vanuatu.
For the Rev. Keith Joseph of the Anglican Church of Melanesia, the issues addressed at the gathering could not have been closer to home, where climate change in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu has resulted in some islands with large Anglican communities having been submerged by sea.
"Flooding and severe weather impact us significantly," he told ENS in an interview. "We cannot deal with these problems on our own, so it was very good to attend this gathering and tell our story."
Rachel Parry, East Asia and Oceania regional desk officer for the U.K.-based mission agency USPG, said it was "really powerful to hear voices from Pacific islanders sharing their vivid stories of the climate change realities with which their communities are living, helping us all grow in our understanding of the urgency of the issue."
More here-
http://acen.anglicancommunion.org/news/index.cfm/2009/3/31/In-East-Asia-and-the-Pacific-Anglicans-commit-to-action-on-climate-change
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