Input Sought for the Proposed Global Anglican Relief and Development Alliance (GARDA)
January 12, 2010
Episcopal Relief & Development is taking the lead in drafting a response to the proposed Global Anglican Relief and Development Alliance (GARDA) on behalf of the Episcopal Church. The Alliance grew out of a desire expressed by the Bishops of the Communion at the 2008 Lambeth Conference to enhance collaboration and mutual accountability among Anglican relief and development agencies and Church organizations working in development. It has been endorsed by the Primates Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council.
If approved, GARDA can be a crucial way for members of the Anglican Communion to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs have been a priority of the Episcopal Church since 2003 and gained the Church’s renewed commitment at General Convention 2009.
“The truth is that there are fewer and fewer problems in our world that are just local,” said Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams during his New Year’s message. “Suffering and risk spread across boundaries, even that biggest of all boundaries between the rich and the poor.”
“That’s why the Millennium Development Goals summed up for a lot of us the hopes we had for a new look at our world,” Williams continued. “Let’s respond just as we do when our immediate family is in need or trouble. We may be amazed by the difference we can make.”
As Episcopal Relief & Development formulates a response to the GARDA proposal and continues to work toward the achievement of the MDGs, the organization would like to invite Episcopalians to share their feedback. Episcopal Relief & Development hopes to develop a unified response from members of the Episcopal Church.
This survey is available for members of the Church and others concerned with humanitarian work to share their insights. Completed surveys must be received by Wednesday, January 20, 2010, and the results will be collated into a formal response by the end of February.
To learn more, visit www.episcopalrelief.org or call 1-800-334-7626, ext. 5129. Gifts can be mailed to Episcopal Relief & Development, PO Box 7058, Merrifield, VA 22116-7058.
Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church of the United States and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Together with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners, Episcopal Relief & Development strengthens communities today to meet tomorrow’s challenges. We rebuild after disasters and empower people by offering lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.
