I58-Network

The Director of the World Evangelical Alliance has emphasised the need for evangelicals to work with other Christians, following a meeting with the head of the World Council of Churches.

A British Quaker who worked against Nazism in the 1930s has been honoured by the UK government, undermining the common perception that Quaker pacifists failed to stand up to tyranny.

Seeing the report today in the Times about church leaders in Camberley who have joined together to protest against plans for a mosque near the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, I was reminded of a similar situation which was handled rather differently by a group of Christians in a rather more tense situation in Northern Ireland.

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The poor are becoming poorer and the rich need to step in and redress the balance, the Salvation Army said yesterday.

A trebling of fairtrade towns would be needed if Scotland was to become a 'fair trade nation', MSPs have heard in an affirmative debate in the Scottish Parliament.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) has highlighted gender inequality in the media as a pressing issue for International Women's Day and beyond.

Australia - described in the 19th century by a Scottish church minister as "the most Godless place under heaven" - will get its first Catholic saint later this year.

An international panel of pastors and theologians is drafting a 'manifesto' on church unity and social justice for a new global organisation of Reformed churches.

Local authorities have written to the nuclear watchdog following new concerns over the design safety of nuclear reactors planned for the UK, and fears of a Chernobyl-type accident.

The 2010 general election will see a mixture of two contrasting approaches from the churches to politics. One we might term ‘Christendom’, the other ‘post-Christendom’.

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Human rights advocates have called for a same-sex couple in Malawi to be recognised as prisoners of conscience after they were arrested for holding a traditional engagement ceremony.

The World Council of Churches has urged its members in the United States to lobby President Barack Obama to abandon "Plan Colombia", a package of financial and military assistance to Colombia's repressive government.

A charity has expressed concern at the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers after three people plunged to their deaths from the 15th floor of a block of flats in Glasgow.

Following recent brutal attacks on women in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Christian Aid is calling for more to be done over the voluntary demobilisation of armed groups there.

A range of faith group representatives are attending the 54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) held at the United Nations HQ in New York.

As the global community honours the work, struggles and achievements of women on International Women’s Day, says Lesley Crosson, one way to spotlight their status and the issues they face is to look at recovery efforts underway in earthquake-stricken Haiti.

On March 5th 1990, Nottingham City Council, then as now Labour-led, met to set the Poll Tax rate for the city. Protesters burst into the council chamber dressed as Robin Hood. Several councillors were custard pied and the campaigners were arrested by the police. Despite expert evidence that custard pies were not dangerous, the Magistrate failed to see the funny side and two of the campaigners were sent down. This action was part of a wave of protests, disruptions and riots at council meetings across the country which set the scene for the famous riot in Trafalgar Square at the end of March, the day before the tax was to come into force in England and Wales.

To mark the 20th anniversary of this event, Nottingham Radical History Group organised an event to look back on the struggle. This is part of a wider project to make available documents from the time and to record interviews with some of participants in the struggle so that the lessons of the campaign are not lost.

Upcoming event: Wednesday March 31st 3pm Trafalgar Square to commemorate 20th anniversary of Poll Tax Riot. "Open loud hailer, top speakers, Class War, misty-eyed memories, pub afterwards!"

On the newswire: The Poll Tax: twenty years on

Links: The Sparrow's Nest | Nottingham anti- Poll Tax 1989-91: press cuttings, newsletters & leaflets | Notts Indymedia History newswire

The Salvation Army has announced that its 'hostels' - residential centres for homeless people - are being rebranded 'LifeHouses'.

The official charity of England's football players have today (8 March) announced their support for the Deloitte Street Child World Cup competition.

Britain's main Free Churches are joining with charities, unions and campaign groups to lobby for a fairer deal for the country's 3.5 million workers.