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Eco Camp at Kleinmond

ECO CAMP KLEINMOND At the beginning of the Season of Creation an Eco Camp was organised by A Rocha ZA which brought together campers from different denominations. A group of three Green Anglicans from the Parish of St Matthews Delft and 3 from St Joseph’s Macassar joined the group at VCSV Campsite in Kleinmond. There were tremendous activities but the main two activities that stood out were the hike in the Kleinmond mountains where camps were taught about  fynbos and lot of plant species . The second wonderful activity was  rock pools when campers were given  a manual of the species they should look for like sea urchins,  etc .T On the Saturday evening groups had to present their group names and gave a short description about it. We shared what we have been doing in Delft, the clean ups, the veggie garden etc. Sunday 8th September 2019 the camp end with a worship service in mother Natur We had a fantastic time  with A’Rocha Diego Adonis

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The Episcopal Diocese of Washington Adopts the Season of Creation

THE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE OF WASHINGTON ADOPTS SEASON OF CREATION The  Episcopal Diocese of Washington in January 2019 adopted a resolution at its annual convention encouraging parishes within the Diocese to celebrate a Season of Creation.  his action followed the visit to Washington last October of Bishop Ellinah from the Diocese of Swaziland and the Rev. Dr. Rachel Mash, Canon for the Environment for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa.    We are pleased to report that Bishop Mariann has now approved five Season of Creation liturgies for use within the Diocese of Washington (this October or at any time during the year) addressing topics of water, land, biodiversity, stewardship of God’s creation, and dishonoring God’s creation.  The liturgies can be found at https://www.edow.org/forms-and-resources/liturgy-sacraments  The Southern Africa Links Committee and the Environmental Network developed these resources over the summer and the Bishop authorizes them for use in our congregations this October, or at any other time of the year. The resource includes a letter from the developers, and extensive lectionary on with different thematic focus, and prayers for various parts of the Eucharistic liturgy.  We have borrowed from the foundational work of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa in preparing these liturgies. Abbott McCartney Southern Africa Link Committee Episcopal Diocese of Washington

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Green Anglicans Team at Taize

GREEN ANGLICANS TEAM AT TAIZEThe Taize Pilgrimage of Hope took place in Cape Town. The Green Anglicans team were hard at work right through the Conference, collecting, waste, recycling and caring for Creation in actionThe team also ran a workshop on Caring for Creation. The workshop started with a funny drama from the group from Pretoria. Rev Rachel shared some of the theology of caring for creation and we broke into groups for Bible study. We then looked at the root causes of certain environmental challenges such as plastic, air pollution, water pollution – using the problem tree methodology.. Fr Lasarus Ngube shared the reality of drought in Namibia Yolanda shared some of the actions they have taken in Mzimvubu such as spiritual environmental hikes and clean ups and JP shared about the big beach clean up held with False Bay. Thankyou to the team for their hard work! Yolanda Ursh Mcaula Azola Ludidi, Kalipa Bavuyise Naledi MaBhala Mdingwa Kgosietsile McKagisho Phetlho Lakhe Dwenga Kagisho Dladla Semakaleng Mabena, Moses Mogapeloa, Sakhile Matiwane, Ayabulela Pinzie and the team leader John-Paul Roberts

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Never again must young people beg us adults to care for creation

Never, never and never again must young people beg us adults to care for creation. Archbishop Thabo Makgoba addressed the over 2000 Taize pilgrims at the closing Evening Prayer of the Pilgrimage of Trust in Cape Town Please, young people, don’t wait for the rest of us. Show us the way as you Please, young people, don’t wait for the rest of us. Show us the way as you have  always done. Show us what unity in action means. Show us what hope means. Show us what just economic relationships mean. Show us the hope means. Show us what just economic relationships mean. Show us the way on climate justice. Show us that there is no Planet B.   Show us that the poor will suffer most when water levels rise. Show us that serving how us that serving  Mammon will only lead to our destruction and that we should speak out on behalf of the trees and the birds and the animals.  Ecological destruction is all around us and if we are not careful, we will soon not have enough fish all around us and clean air and clean water. Help us to defend and preserve this.   When Nelson Mandela  was inaugurated as our president, he declared that ““never, never never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another.” ” Never, never and never again must our disunity be a stumbling block Never, never and never again should we suffer corruption and the abuse of power in Africa or elsewhere; ; Never, never and never again must one person think of him or herself as more important than others; as more important than others; Never, never and never again must young people beg us adults to care for creation. Always live the joy and the hope that Christ has planted in your hearts And let me conclude with a prayer  adapted from Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu: God bless our world Protect our children Transform our leaders Heal our communities Restore our dignity And give us peace For Jesus Christ’s sake, Amen.

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The Anglican Church of Southern Africa calls for parishes to install water tanks

THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF SOUTHERN AFRICA CALLS ENVIRONMENTAL INTEGRITY The following resolution was passed at the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa 5.11 ENVIROMENTAL INTEGRITY This Synod noting that: 1. The Diocese of False Bay at its fourth Session of Diocesan Synod held in 2017, unanimously adopted guidelines regarding Environmental Integrity; 2. Canons 28 of Parish Councils and Canon 29 of Church Wardens include Care for the Environment amongst the functions; 3. The gravity of how modernisation, industrialization and technical advancement have contributed to high levels of land, sea and air pollution and the resultant environmental crises; 4. Our Church as a Province is urgently required to seek solutions to resolve or ease the crises facing us. Resolves to: Adopt the following responsible behaviour measures and respectfully request the Archbishop and the Synod of Bishops to ensure its implementation: 1. Every Parish does its very best to invest in rain-water tanks by 2022. 2. Parishes, where possible, establish food gardens; 3. Each Diocese to appoint a Diocesan Environmental Chaplain together with Archdeaconry Chaplains and Parish environmental officers (whilst bearing in mind Resolution 14 of Provincial Synod of 2016 to promote Anglican Youth involvement); 4. To become more and more “paperless” by installing interactive electronic media as enviro-friendly ways to communicate; 5. To aim to have each Parish, cost-permitting, utilising solar energy and borehole water; 6. Bishops, Diocesan Chapters and Finance Boards to investigate the feasibility of the appointment of Diocesan Environmental Officers. 7. Progress of this programme to be reported to next sitting of Provincial Standing Committee.

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The Anglican Church of Southern Africa calls for a ban on single use plastic

The Anglican Church of Southern Africa passed the following resolution 5.8 PLASTIC This Synod noting that: The equivalent of one garbage truck of plastic enters our oceans every minute and by 2050 there will be more plastic by weight in the ocean than fish; Plastic is killing marine animals and seabirds, destroying the marine environment as well as people’s livelihoods, infiltrating the human food chain and causing cancers and birth defects. Scientists have found plastic in tap water and even in salt. Microplastic enters our lungs; South Africans use 8 billion plastic shopping bags per year; By contrast 28 African countries, such as Kenya, Rwanda, Morocco and Cameroon, have banned the use, manufacture, importation and distribution of disposable plastic bags. Acknowledging that: Plastic debris not only results in high cleaning-up costs but also brings huge losses for the tourism, fisheries and shipping industries. It threatens our health, constitutional rights, water resources and climate. Resolves to: Call on ACSA to become a #zerowaste Church and call on Parishes and Dioceses to commit to becoming Zerowaste by; Not using plastic bottled water; Not using Styrofoam; Reducing paper as much as possible; Setting up compost heaps and food gardens where possible; Installing recycling bins for church and, if possible, for community; Not using plastic cutlery, cups, water bottles and straws; Displaying a #zerowaste signs at the church; Calls on the governments of South Africa, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique and St Helena to ban single use plastic as a matter of urgency.

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