The Match Factory | Nov-Dec, 2008
Ideas for selected
Match Factory dates
over the next two months
by Lucy AitkenRead
Welcome to another installment of ideas to help you engage with some of the international commemorative dates throughout November and December. This is just a few of the dates taken from the longer list that can be found here.
November 19 | World Toilet Day
There is a public toilet in New Zealand that is regularly voted as the country’s most beautiful loo (yes, they have beautiful loo awards.) There is a public toilet outside of my university that has a plaque letting users know that it is officially London’s best toilet and, indeed, 
there are wonderful historical mosaics on the wall and relaxing panpipe tunes to enhance the experience. Fortunately World Toilet Day is a day devoted to something more worthwhile that the world’s most pleasant bathrooms. It is a day to recognise the lack of toilets around the world. It is estimated that 2.6 billion people do not have access to basic sanitation causing millions of deaths every year. It is easy to overlook the role effective plumbing systems had in the progress of countries such as the UK. Toilets are vital to development!
Promote it: Use the week leading up to World Toilet Day to get the message out there. Print this image out and stick it on the lids of toilets, on the flush handles or the roll dispensers.
Raise it: World Toilet Day is surely a day that begs youth groups to host a variety of gross events! I won’t go there but will suggest that youth workers use it for all it’s worth and hold some fundraising activities that can help organisations build toilets and plumbing systems in the world’s poorest countries. See Worldtoilet.org for an easy way to contribute funds.
Change it: For you radical readers, how about attempting a Grey Water Waste System for your home? Adjusting the way your plumbing works can greatly reduce the amount of wasted water and serve as a reminder of the millions that don’t have such a luxury as a flushing toilet.
November 22 | Buy Nothing Day
Reverend Billy and the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir have become minor celebrities state-side, regularly visiting malls and stores preaching the message of non-consumerism. While the religious language and icons maybe a rather tasteless gimmick their motivation is one not so different from that of the genuine church.
Societies in developed nations are overwhelmed with consumerism, the pressure to buy is not only wreaking havoc in our families and relationships through huge debt but is also crushing our God created earth. Buy Nothing Day has the potential to be a global examination of why and how we consume.
- In 1900, a total of $1.5 trillion was spent by public and private consumers. By 1975 it was estimated at $12 trillion. By 1998 it doubled to $24 trillion. It continues to grow rapidly.
- 20% of the world’s people living in rich countries account for 86% of total global consumer spending.
- The US and Canada, with 5.2% of the world’s population, are responsible for 31.5% of consumption. South Asia, with 22.4% of the population, is responsible for 2% of consumption.
- The average African household today consumes 25% less than 25 years ago.
- The Western world spends more on luxury products than it would cost to achieve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.
The devastating effects of our consumption is aggravated at Christmas:
- More than 8,000 tons of wrapping paper is used at Christmas, which the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates is enough to wrap the whole island of Guernsey, UK.
- The UK consume far more bottles, cans and paper at Christmas than any other time of year, with more than 3 million extra tons of waste. Our bins overflow with an extra 750 million bottles and 500 million drink cans.
- In the UK about 80,000 tons of old clothes also get thrown out every Christmas.
- Each year, Christmas leaves more than £1.2 billion-worth of unwanted presents in its wake in the UK alone.
- In 2007, UK personal debt stood at £1.38 billion and at Christmas 2005, 614 million people worldwide were still paying off the debt acquired paying for the previous Christmas
Stop it: Just for the one day give shopping a miss!
Feature it: Take three minutes in your church service the week before Buy Nothing Day. Use some of the above statistics alongside Matthew 6’s “Do not Worry” Bible verse and gently prompt your congregation to think about their consumerism and its impacts.
Host it: Buy Nothing Day is the perfect opportunity to launch your own production of the Buy Nothing Christmas Musical! The whole package is available here and looks to be a challenging and fun activity for churches and youth groups.
Screen it: For the not so easily offended of you might want to consider watching Revered Billy’s What Would Jesus Buy? documentary. Although it will be deemed as controversial by many in the church some of the points it raises are important and will certainly provoke good discussion. A trailer is available here.
Change it: Begin thinking about how you can have a low-consumption Christmas. Explore the potential for promoting more ethical consumerism; get together with some friends and draft up ideas of how to promote the kind of consumerism that can change the world. Join in with the movement of people committed to having a “different kind of Christmas” at Free Christmas or Advent Conspiracy.
November 25 | International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women has been placed on the anniversary of the brutal assassination of the three Mirabal sisters, political activists in the Dominican Republic, on orders of Dominican ruler Rafael Trujillo which took place in 1960. Violence against women is the most common form of violence in the world, spanning from domestic violence in New Zealand to the recent phenomenon in Darfur that uses rape as a weapon of war. This commemorative day isn’t an attempt to suggest that violence against men doesn’t occur but rather to highlight the particular intensity of violence against women. This day provides the chance to dialogue about this sensitive issue and to spend time praying for women across the world who suffer from violence and oppression.
Feature it: Here is a short video explaining why violence against women is a particular issue, the types of violence that women suffer, how men can get involved in the campaign and what you can do to help.
Click it: Use Amnesty International’s interactive map to see the facts and figures surrounding violence against women in each country and also to take simple actions that will help in the fight against it.
Pray it: There is a tender prayer and some ideas for worship available here.
Read it: A short and harrowing account of rape as a weapon of war in Darfur put out by Amnesty can be found here.
December 1 | World AIDS Day
The simple red ribbon is an iconic symbol that receives a high profile particularly around the 1st of December. This is the day when celebrities, anti-poverty campaigners and lesbian and gay groups unite to raise awareness about AIDS. AIDS receives a lot of media coverage and attention from world leaders, yet there is still much more to be done. Here are some statistics from the organisation Avert:
- There were 33 million people living with HIV/AIDS in 2007.
- In 2007 there were 2 million AIDS death.
- More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981.
- Africa has 11.6 million AIDS orphans.
- At the end of 2007, women accounted for 50% of all adults living with HIV worldwide, and for 59% in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Young people (under 25 years old) account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide.
- In developing and transitional countries, 9.7 million people are in immediate need of life-saving AIDS drugs; of these, only 2.99 million (31%) are receiving the drugs.
Host it: The Christian development agency Tearfund has an amazing list of resources for churches able to devote time and space to World AIDS Day. Click here for creative prayer ideas, powerpoint presentations and much more.
Feature it: Learn or show this new worship song or feature this three minute clip entitled Bring Childhood back to life.
Wear it: Buy a red ribbon from one of your local outlets (these become highly visible closer to the day) and stand in solidarity with AIDS sufferers.
Pray it: The Catholic development agency CAFOD have an excellent set of resources for churches who want to either host a prayer service or devote a short time of prayer in their service to AIDS.
Read it: We are all the same by Jim Wooten is a tender account of the life of a young boy in South Africa. It gives a glimpse of the devastation HIV and AIDs is causing in many developing nations.
December 10 | Human Rights Day
Last month a human rights organisation - who has four times anticipated the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize - honoured a Congolese church leader with their annual award for his part in alleviating the plight of the Congolese people. Despite the effective work of many like Pastor Bulambo Lembelembe Josue many Christians feel alienated by human rights discourse, perhaps in part due to the primary rhetoric being centred on women who want abortions and homosexuals. Of course, human rights involves much more than this and should be perceived as simply another way to discuss social justice. If the Church is serious about the Biblical mandate to act justly we need to be prepared to talk the language of human rights. This internationally observed day provides us with a chance to explore the entanglement of social justice and human rights and to become familiar with some global human rights violations.
Host it: Put together a one day human rights film festival. For ideas for poignant and beautiful feature films have a look at the festival held in New Zealand.
Change it: Become part of a long term movement to challenge human rights abuses and systems that allow them to occur. Amnesty International has offices in most countries across the world set up to fulfil and promote human rights. Amnesty relies heavily on local volunteer groups. Join up or start your own!
Discuss it: Stimulate some discussion on human rights in your small group. Begin by gathering together the Biblical references you can find to human rights issues. Discuss your own promotion of human rights, locally and globally, directly and indirectly. Discuss as a group any ways you can further the fulfilment of human rights across the world and consider pledging to do something! For a few biblical reflections have a look here.
December 18 | International Migrants Day
If your country is anything like the UK, immigration is a hot topic. Just when we thought the issue couldn’t possibly become any more politically volatile our economy takes a nose dive and the immigrants get the blame! This may be a slight exaggeration but it does seem that much of the British press and public devote a lot of time to the “problem” of immigration. International Migrants Day doesn’t seek be dismissive of the many complexities surrounding immigration but rather encourages us to spend some time celebrating the benefits migrants can bring to their host societies. As the church we have an important role in highlighting these benefits and to provide genuine, inclusive and hospitable communities for all.
Host it: Hold a street party and focus on celebrating the many different cultures represented. The organisation Streets Alive provide a guide to hosting a street party and have some excellent tips. Take particular note of the Stories section and the street party that created a road size map and had all the neighbours put candles in their birth place.
Pray it: In the midst of this suggested worship service from the Sisters of Mercy is a beautiful prayer. Why not share it with your congregation?
Feature it: Because of the political nature of immigration it can too easily become an impersonal issue, devoid of the faces of people who are affected. Find someone in your church who has migrated to the UK and ask them to spend a few minutes in your Sunday service talking about their experience and feelings.
Discuss it: Take the opportunity International Migrants Day presents to contact your local Member of Parliament/government official and ask them to take part in a discussion forum. Invite your church and your community to hear about the specific policies that impact migrants. Be sure to conclude with a reflection on the church’s role of hospitality and inclusiveness - whatever polices you might favour!
Please add your own ideas, plans and resources to this short list of thoughts. Contact theRubicon via a comment below or through our contact form.
Writer: Lucy AitkenRead lives in London, England where she is studying and working on the activist team of a development agency. Lucy enjoys ranting and raving and marching about various global issues. Lucy monitors, expands and writes the regular Match Factory listing on theRubicon. Visit her blog which she updates periodically.
5 Comments to The Match Factory | Nov-Dec, 2008
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happy halloween!
Thank you Lucy for that detailed article. There’s so much awareness to be raised on these important issues. The toilet one on the surface seems pretty hilarious, but the genius behind the symbol arrests people’s attention, especially when they hear how poor sanitation can actually lead to illness and even death. Great stuff. A real flusher!
Great resources and reminders… love it, love it, love it - keep it up sister.
Danielle
Happy Evacuation Day and (unofficial) welcome back: Nov. 27. Any and all interested in renouncing the George that insisted on being king for the George that refused to be, come on back and enjoy a great Thanksgiving. Or, if you can’t make it, at least you can vicariously share in the feast…
http://www.latimes.com/features/kids/readingroom/la-et-story23-2008nov23,0,7094177.story
Happy Evacuation Day and (unofficial) welcome back: Nov. 27. Any and all interested in renouncing the George that insisted on being king for the George that refused to be, come on back and enjoy a great Thanksgiving. Or, if you can’t make it, at least you can vicariously share in the feast…
http://www.latimes.com/features/kids/readingroom/la-et-story23-2008nov23,0,7094177.story