You could be forgiven if you thought that Iran was the biggest abuser of human rights in the Middle East since that’s where media attention is focused and has been since Saddam Hussein was toppled in Iraq. Prior to that taking place, Iraq was in the headlines and being viewed as the biggest abuser – it served the push for [...]

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
There is a great paradox in the message of Christianity that centers on the cross of Jesus, his crucifixion – that [...]

Phil Twyford MP is Labour’s spokesperson on international development and disarmament. He is running a nationwide contest to select a Youth MP for this year’s Youth Parliament who is passionate about global issues.
The fifth Youth Parliament is being held on 6-7 July, 2010. The contest is open to anyone living in NZ, between the ages of 16-18 years. Click here [...]

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
St Francis of Assisi was a man who devoted himself to poverty in order to travel and share the Gospel, the [...]

On 1 September 1939, Hitler unleashed hell on Poland with the support of the Soviet Union. It ended the following month on 6 October when Germany and the Soviet Union annexed and carved up Poland for themselves. It was the beginning of WWII.
On August 22 of 1939, Hitler gathered his generals together to explain what was about to take place [...]

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
Today, let’s consider something very specific – those who do not have enough to eat.
A large portion of the world’s population [...]

Kibera was my first experience of urban slums and sparked a personal interest in the development of slums and the contribution the model of slum living is making to some progressive modern city planners who are thinking about how cities should be built for the future.
It is estimated that 1 billion people live in slums worldwide and it is projected [...]

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
In his second letter to the Church in Corinth Paul expresses something that explains his compulsion as a disciple of Jesus. [...]

Another HC Repeat for the weekend.

This article was originally published in November 2008, not long after the last general election in Aotearoa (NZ). It touched on the social welfare system and how beneficiaries are used as a political football – it compared this with the activities of those in the corporate world in the face of the recession, which [...]

Since it’s the weekend, I thought it might be worth looking at taking the opportunity to repost some of the stuff that has appeared here on the Humanitarian Chronicle – HC Repeats. This blog has been running for well over a year and I think some of the past posts are worth having another look at now that the reading [...]

TEAR Fund NZ’s senior Programme Officer is currently in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. He is there serving our partner, Tearfund UK, and will be acting as the Director of their Disaster Response Team as they go about establishing their work in the area over the next few months. Ian has kindly agreed to share his experience through regular blog [...]

Steve, the Executive Director of TEAR Fund NZ and I discuss Capital Punishment – or more to the point, Steve discusses it while I ask questions.

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
Self denial is often seen as a practice confined to the fanatical, those who are a little extreme, yet it is [...]

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
John Wesley once said:
“The gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness.”
Often this has been [...]

It is referred to as capital punishment, not to be confused with corporal punishment. The latter involves getting a whack, the former involves death and hence its other title – the death penalty. It is often argued that it is the most just and effective means of punishing those who commit terribly heinous crimes; crimes that disturb our humanity to [...]

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.
There is a great Christian tradition that is often carried out this time of year in the lead up to Easter. [...]