"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered."
Proverbs 21:13
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"If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered." Proverbs 21:13 |
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| After the Tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004 Partners sent teams to help survivors with medical needs, trauma therapy, reconstruction, business development, and meeting many other crisis related needs. Partners continues to reach out to the survivors of the Tsunami and earthquakes paying particular attention to the needs of children. | |
Indonesia, with an estimated population of 241,973,879 (July 2005 est. CIA World fact book), is the 4th largest in population of countries in the world; however it is the largest Muslim nation. In the 13th century trade routes accessed Aceh Province, whose capital city of Banda Aceh was hit hardest by recent earthquake/tsunami, became the "Gateway to Mecca" as it is referred to now. A multitude of islands from Sumatra to Irian Jaya makes up this archipelago, along with the dominant religion of Islam, there are small areas of Christian, Hindu and traditional belief.
With 90% of the country devoted to Islam, some areas are known for intense 'faith based wars' and church burnings and brutal bloody battles have brought many to fear these areas including Sulawesi and Lombok. Only a couple of the smaller islands are allowed to host open air events, however it is illegal to proselytize.
While most areas have adopted a 'reasonable to friendly' coexistence of religions other than Islam, there are areas of radical militant extremist behavior which remain a smoldering hotbed. Sulawesi, whose geographic location to the radical extremist groups of the southern tip of the Philippines, is continually in the news regarding bombings, kidnapping and other human rights violations. Primarily the victims are pastors and members of Christian churches. The reality is of all the religions on the earth, Muslims and Christians are the two most devoted to converting the world.
War within its own borders and the actions of both military and police have kept Indonesia on the Human Rights Watch radar. East Timor made the split from Indonesia, Aceh Province has been struggling for almost thirty years to become a free state, and additional armed separatists in Papua seek the same freedom.
The December 26, 2004 historic earthquake/tsunami and the March 28, 2005 8.7 earthquake have opened doors for Partners to serve people on the most basic level of human compassion. Please read more about our work with an entire new group of people labeled IDP's (Internally Displaced People) and Refugee's on our programs page.
Partners Efforts in Banda Aceh and Nias
Team Member Reflections after the Tsunami of Dec 26
Contact Partners in Indonesia - sharon@partnersworld.orgYou need Acrobat Reader to view these documents. Download
HERE 
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