The call to care for our global neighbours: Big Hearts
On Sunday, thirty churches across our movement took action to call for generosity towards our global neighbours.
Anglican Movement is a supporter of the Big Hearts campaign led by Oxfam, World Vision and Christian World Service. The campaign is calling on the New Zealand government to boost funding for overseas development assistance and climate finance in Budget 2021 – a critical moment when the next three years of funding for overseas aid and climate finance will be set.
During our church services, hundreds of us took time to write personal messages to Minister of Finance Grant Robertson and Minister of Foreign Affairs Nanaia Mahuta, urging them to boost aid funding. We reflected on the difference that New Zealand aid can make for communities responding to Covid-19 on top of poverty and climate change, and prayed that politicians would consider the needs of the world’s poorest people when deciding budget priorities.
In Wellington, twenty young people championed the cause. The team met for breakfast at Blueprint then went out to speak at church services. One of them was David Prendergast from St James Lower Hutt, who reflected, “I really enjoyed doing this with a bunch of people from around the diocese. It was awesome to see others wanting to do something about the injustices in the world.”
Rev. Karl Dickson of Waiwhetu parish was blessed and challenged by hosting discussion in their morning service, "It was a real privilege to be led/invited/challenged (once again) by our some of our wider Dio whanau – this time it was our sisters Zoe and Maya. Their presence with us, and their korero was not taken lightly by anyone, and their passion and commitment to our global sisters and brothers was treasured by us, here in Waiwhetu.”
The messages we wrote were on consistent themes:
“As a nation we have much. We need to give to those that don’t. It’s a simple message and obligation,” wrote a parishioner in Waikanae.
“I believe we can be generous to whãnau struggling in our country AND be a good neighbour to our international whānau… It’s time to honour our commitment to giving 0.7% of our gross national income,” wrote a Newtown church member. That was a commitment New Zealand made in the 1970s; fifty years later our overseas aid still sits at 0.3% of GNI, less than half of what we promised.
Anglicans’ messages will be personally delivered to the relevant ministers and local electorate MPs over the next few weeks.
Anyone who wishes to stay updated with this campaign can sign the petition at bighearts.org.nz.
By Kate Day
