Charity hits out at ethical gifts

Are you sending some alternative ("ethical") gifts this year? I was disturbed to discover that an education charity is claiming that 'give-a-goat'-type gifts "are degrading for developing countries". The Director of Worldwrite suggests that "we should ditch the ethical items in our shopping trolleys. If we want to help our peers, we need to think big and hand over the money", and this month the charity is releasing two films that claim many NGO campaigns are simply about making people feel good and not about helping people. However, the manager of Oxfam Unwrapped says that "What might feel like a fun thing to do at Christmas has an impact the whole year round.... We work with communities who, at the beginning of each year, tell us what they need and want".

What do you think? I remembered an article Getting your goat, from a couple of years ago that follows up one such give-a-goat project and reports the positive impact on the community concerned.

More on sleep

I love the serendipity of blogging... I write another post about sleep and the next day stumble across a podcast on the topic which discusses the Wellcome Collection's new exhibition of sleep and dreaming.

Cat nap or power nap?

It seems that sleep deprivation is becoming a national problem. I posted recently on the theology of sleep, but if you're still feeling tired all the time, the BBC website is offering top tips for nodding off.

Lincoln Christmas Market

If you are planning to go on the Infusion trip to Lincoln on Saturday 8 December, you may be interested in reading the Christmas Market website with dates and times, facts, and photos. You an also view a web film about the Market.

Should you have the time, inclination and money, here are some more exotic Christmas shopping trips....

Countdown to Christmas (8)

Here's an example of what Libby Purves was talking about concerning Advent calendars: while several Infusion members are diehard Doctor Who fans, I do think a Dalek advent calendar is going too far!

Tearfund uses Facebook to campaign

I was recently invited to add the Superbadger application to my Facebook profile. This is a great application which aims to unite thousands of Facebook users in the fight against global poverty. It enables you to send pre-written emails direct from your profile to those people who make key decisions affecting those living in poverty. Roughly every two weeks a new badger will be uploaded.

Whether it's badgering politicians about climate change or badgering supermarkets to stock more Fairtrade products, we all need to be in the movement of Facebook badgers!

And if this has encouraged you to sign up, then why not ask me to add you to the Infusion Facebook group as well?

Countdown to Christmas (7)

After discussing Advent reading, I was going to discuss Advent calendars but I'm not sure that I can improve on Libby Purves's posting on Advent Rage - do check it out!She also references a website offering the history of the Advent Calendar.

Guardian praises TFTD

You probably gather that I tend to listen to Thought for the Day most days, although I'm aware that opinions vary. However, I was intrigued to read a Guardian editorial today in their "In praise of...."series on TFTD. While still calling for the inclusion of "non-religious contributors", the leader says:

"while the slot may be one of Radio 4's Marmite offerings (provoking either love or hatred), the evidence shows the audience appreciates it"

Buy Nothing Day - No Purchase Necessary!

To buy, or not to buy, that is the question.....

Saturday November 24h 2007 is Buy Nothing Day (UK), It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from consumerism and live without shopping. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!

The challenge is easy - try simple living for a day. Spend time with family and friends, rather than spend money on them. Buy Nothing Day also exposes the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries - only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? It's our responsibility to look for simple solutions and Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

Advent resources

Having looked at various aspects of preparing for Christmas, surely the most important is preparing ourselves to encounter Immanuel - God with us - afresh this year. Many Christian publishers have ranges of Advent books - daily meditations or readings to use in the weeks leading up to Christmas Day (and often beyond to Epiphany). These include: BRF, CWR, and the Good Book Company. Last year the Church Times ran a review of Advent books.

There are also free web resources:

• Lifewords have a Christmas site which is loaded with useful resources for church and community (powerpoints and screensavers, audio downloads, invites, service and assembly outlines) all free to download and adapt for your own context
  
• Lifewords are also publishing Advent devotionals (1-12 December) which you can receive by email or read on the Advent blog
  
• Scripture Union publish a free to download Advent Bible Reading Guide
• The Evangelical Alliance offer an Advent Prayer Guide for 2007
• rejesus offers three short meditations on the Nativity and a range of other Christmas resources (including Christmas carol karaoke!)
• The ReSource website has some Poems for Advent
• The Cyber Hymnal can provide you with the words (and music) of many Advent hymns and Christian Aid have a Carol Sheet to download
  

Nostalgia publishing

If you've organised your Christmas gifts for others, here's a suggestion from the BBC website for people of a certain age. It refers to reprints of the "Janet and John" series of books, which were used to to teach several generations of children to read. A wave of nostalgia has gripped the publishing industry following the success of Conn and Hal Iggulden's Dangerous Book for Boys published in 2006. In an attempt to cash in on the trend for retro chic, publishers are searching out books, particularly children's stories, from the 1950s and beyond, to lovingly reprint them in facsimile editions. Alternatively they are taking modern content and giving it a 1950s feel with retro design.

The perfect cup of tea

If you're new to the Infusion blog, you'll spot lots of posts about tea, reflecting what may be viewed as an obsession on behalf of some of us. So it was with interest that I noted a British Library blog entry alerting me to the existence of a British Standard for a cup of tea. The writer comments that his is probably "the logical result of something the British do best, tea and bureaucracy"! You can read read the full scientific detail in the Standard document.

Countdown to Christmas (5)

Here’s another alternative gift scheme – this time to support developments in Kiteto, Tanzania - part of the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania which is linked with the Diocese of Leicester. Donations will be put towards purchasing special Kangas (the skirt worn by women) to celebrate the creation of a new diocese and then towards the school building project. In return you will receive a special Christmas Gift Card to give to your friend or relative. The card is a Christmas picture by Liz Minichiello, a community artist who has spent time in Tanzania, and inside is a photograph one of the Kangas and a picture of the school.

The project is being co-ordinated by members of Whitwick and Ratby parish churches on behalf of the Diocese of Mount Kilimanjaro Association with the support of the Leicester Diocese DMK Group.

Technology and mission

In Plugging the Planet into the Word, the Washington Post reports on how mission agencies are using technology for evangelism and Bible translation work: An excellent overview of 21st century mission work, the article discusses how innovative uses of

"technological devices ranging from simple cassette tapes to solar-powered audio players and an iPod-like gadget called the Bible Stick, [enable] Christian groups ... to make one of the world's oldest books accessible in remote corners of the planet."

The article also drew my attention to the Mission Atlas Project - a website with a range of resources including maps, tabular data sets, and written descriptions. It is a constantly expanding site that seeks to produce a strategically significant World Missions Atlas, and the information is helpful in assessing the current status of missions work throughout the world.

Nylon tea bags

The latest marketing push for tea will be nylon mesh teabags (according to the Patent Search Blog). The idea is that nylon teabags allow the tea leaves to unfurl within the bags (which paper-based bags don't) and experts claim that the taste is considerably improved. However, this will increase the cost of the teabag; apparently an average paper teabag 2 pence whereas a nylon one will cost about 8 pence - a 300% price increase - and the bags are also not biodegradable. It appears that 96%of tea drunk in Britain is in the form of teabags. Maybe we should return to using a teapot and loose tea for the sake of our health, our wallets and the environment!

Countdown to Christmas (4)

The BBC notes that the Church of England has welcomed the Royal Mail's return to a religious theme for its 2007 Christmas stamps. The collection of eight stamps is illustrated with pictures of angels or the Madonna and Child.

Give farmers a break! Use your LOAF

Some time ago I came cross Christian Ecology’s LOAF principle which encourages people to choose food that meets at least one of the following criteria: Locally produced, Organically grown, Animal friendly or Fairly traded.

Now the Church of England has told the Competition Commission that the pursuit of cheap food coupled with the buying power of the big supermarkets is putting farming livelihoods at risk. Making farmers pay for supermarkets’ own promotions is just one of a number of invisible and pernicious practices squeezing farm-gate prices.

The Church argues that a wider debate is urgently needed on the effects of retailers extracting ‘below cost’ supply agreements from farmers and their effect on a sustainable and flourishing agricultural sector. The call for wider debate comes in the report Fairtrade begins at home: Supermarkets and the effect on British farming livelihoods submitted to the Competition Commission by the Church’s Ethical Investment Advisory Group (EIAG).

The report encourages consumers to question the impact on farmers of very low prices and the nature of special promotions (2 for 1 offers etc) in store, who the beneficiaries are, and how supermarkets supply certain goods at reduced prices, and at whose expense. It contends that there should be a debate around a genuine fair trade “mark” for British food, reared, grown, produced and processed, that offers consumers and suppliers a fair product for a fair price.

Set your videos....

Radio Times has alerted me to a couple of programmes in the next week of interest to Doctor Who fans:

• On Sunday David Tennant crops up in Learners a comedy drama about a terrible driver who remains determined to pass her driving test. He plays Chris, a driving instructor. An earlier press release indicated that the latter role has a twist as Chris is a devout Christian with the patience of a saint. Its always interesting to see how the media portrays Christians...
• On Friday 16th, Children in Need will include a mini-episode of Doctor Who with the fifth (Peter Davison) and tenth incarnations (David Tennant) meeting up.

Countdown to Christmas (3)

Still thinking about Christmas giving, here are some alternative gift ideas (sometimes called ethical gifts). They won't clutter up anyone's home, but will make a significant contribution to the individual or community who are given the gift. New this year is Tear Fund's Living Gifts - this is slightly different to the other schemes in that the recipient (rather than the giver) gets to choose the virtual gift.

• Bible Society's Bible a Month
• Good Gifts
  
• Oxfam Unwrapped
• RSPB Virtual Gifts
• Tear Fund's Living Gifts
• UNICEF Inspired Gifts
• World Vision's Alternative Gifts
  

Finally, the Gift offset calculator will enable you to purchase carbon offsetting for driving, holidays, homes or even one person's portion of the annual UK emissions (12 tonnes of CO!).

Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord

We've been privileged in the past week to attend two different music events (not concerts as audience participation was very much encouraged!). Last Friday four Infusion-ites listened to Ian White in the surroundings of Loughborough Parish Church (great acoustics for an acoustic set!). Ian has just released a new album, Psalms Revisited, with a mix of old and new settings. Then on Tuesday we attended the first night of Christian Praise 2007 - tremendous singing and great musical settings of of solid songs. The choir clearly had a great time too, and I always enjoy picking out familiar faces.

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord Ephesians 5:19

Wainwright on your iPod

Interesting item in today's Guardian on the availability of a podcast of Wainwright guiding walkers up Helm Crag. The podcast has been devised by the Tourist Board to help visitors stay on the right path while winter walking on one of Wainwrights favourite hills – Helm Crag, Grasmere, better known as the Lion and the Lamb.

"It creates the effect that the late, pipe-smoking fell wanderer himself is guiding you on one of his favourite Lake District walks - with his craggy voice giving the instructions through your earphones as you walk over 1,100ft into the stunning scenery high above the pretty Lake District village."

The selections from Wainwright's wry notes to his maps of 1,000ft Helm Crag are read by the actor who voiced Wainwright's voice on the recent BBC TV series on Wainwright's life and favourite walks: Nik Wood-Jones. You can find the podcast here.