CSW’s Annual Report offers a holistic snapshot of the year’s activities; including key advocacy achievements, events, fundraising activities, recent publications and other innovative projects. The publication also highlights specific examples of how prayer, protest and provision have changed the lives of persecuted Christians.
Click on a report below to download the PDF file
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Annual Report 2007-08Download the full report
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A voice of hope - CSW's Annual report 2007/08
By Anne Coles, CSW Board Member
We worship and serve a God of love and justice, and He graciously co-opts us into his plans for the broken world we live in. Both prayer and action (or as James (2:17) put it: faith and works) is what it's all about at CSW as we all join together to see God's love and justice plan for His persecuted people accomplished.We worship and serve a God of love and justice, and He graciously co-opts us into His plans for the broken world we live in. Both prayer and action – or as James (2:17) put it: faith and works, is what it’s all about at CSW as we all join together to see God’s love-and-justice-plan for His persecuted people accomplished. Below are some of God’s successes this year. We are thrilled about them and all the glory should go to Him! As you take in what He has done in 2007, let’s be invigorated in 2008 to carry on his work with renewed faith and zeal!
May 2008 sees the launch of our new Annual report, detailing the work of our highly trained team of advocates and CSW’s successes over the past year.
In 2007, CSW stepped up it’s advocacy work like never before, seeing a flurry of activity and calling firmly for religious freedom worldwide. We made a huge impact: raising awareness, forging key relationships, challenging opinions and even changing laws.
Successes
In this line of work, it’s rare to see immediate tangible results. Often it is only through sustained, persistent lobbying over a number of months or years that change becomes apparent. That said, we were delighted in 2007 to see several dramatic breakthroughs.
North Korea
Many supporters prayed and wrote letters to the Chinese authorities concerning Mr Yoo Sang-joon, a North Korean activist who faced trial in China for his work in helping North Korean refugees. After just four months’ detention, Mr Yoo was released, and is now safely back in South Korea. Mr Yoo has expressed his heartfelt thanks for all the care and action focused on him during his imprisonment, saying, “I am grateful from the depths of my heart to CSW and CSW supporters for all the deep concern, prayer and advocacy on my behalf while I was in prison.” Another success in 2007 was the launch of CSW’s report North Korea: A Case to Answer, A Call to Act, described by Geoffrey Robinson QC as ‘groundbreaking’.
Burma
In 2007, CSW, with the help of John Bercow MP, campaigned extensively to ensure that the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) changed its stance on cross-border aid into Burma. As a result, the House of Commons International Development Committee agreed to hold an inquiry into DFID’s Burma policy, and finally, DFID agreed to lift its restriction on the use of its funds. In its report, the House of Commons International Development Committee adopted all of CSW’s recommendations, paving the way for more aid to reach those suffering inside Burma.
India
Another huge step for CSW in 2007 was the screening of India’s Hidden Slavery, a documentary film highlighting the plight of India’s Dalits. The film, produced in association with CSW and the Dalit Freedom Network (DFN) was launched in Leicester Square. Guest speakers included CSW’s President Jonathan Aitken and DFN President Dr Joseph D’Souza.
Congo
In July 2007, CSW saw the release of Marie-Therese Nlandu, a Christian human rights lawyer who had been imprisoned in the Congo since November 2006. Seemingly a race against time as her health rapidly deteriorated, CSW pulled out all the stops in lobbying for Marie-Therese’s release and mobilising supporters to pray on her behalf. Following months of consistent hard work, staff and supporters were able to welcome Marie-Therese back into the UK following her release.
Supporter involvement
We firmly believe that the efforts of our supporters are imperative in reinforcing and strengthening our voice, making sure that the concerns of the persecuted are heard on a much larger scale. We are indebted to those who have campaigned alongside us and supported our work over the past year; many of the successes we have seen would never have been achieved without their help.
Sending messages of hope
Every year, CSW encourages its supporters to build bridges of solidarity with the persecuted Church through our address list resource, Connect and Encourage. We have received many notes of thanks from persecuted Christians who have been sent letters of encouragement from CSW supporters.
One such person is Eritrean Gospel singer Helen Berhane who CSW helped to safety in Denmark after two years of imprisonment; she alone received over 400 cards last Christmas.
Campaigning
In 2007 supporters outdid themselves in helping us become a louder voice for the voiceless. Letters were written, placards were waved and prayers were said consistently throughout the year. In response to the thousands of Cut the Chains postcards which supporters sent to David Miliband on behalf of prisoners of conscience, CSW received a letter from the Foreign Office addressing our concerns for prisoners of conscience around the world.
Supporter’s efforts change lives
In Response 146 (May 2007) we told supporters about the plight of Eritrean and Somali refugees in Kenya, who have not only lost their homes and livelihoods as a result of displacement, but have faced further problems while trying to register at the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). We asked supporters to write letters to the UN High Commissioner in Geneva, alerting him to the problems persisting at a local level.
On a recent visit to Kenya, Eritrean contacts were thrilled to report to us that the Eritrean Church in Kenya had been contacted by the local UNHCR office in order to discuss their need for amendments in the registration process, to address other concerns and to establish a relationship with church leaders.
Together CSW and our supporters have changed lives in 2007;
please help us to continue to be a voice for the voiceless in 2008 and beyond.
Ann Coles is on the leadership team of New Wine with her husband John. She is also on the staff of the north London, multi-cultural church, which they built up. She is on the board of trustees for CSW and loves the worldwide church.
To view the CSW annual report 2007, please click here
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