ASSISTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, HUMANITARIAN AID & DISASTER RELIEF
Recognizing the roles of law and justice as key to structures for national growth, and economic and social prosperity;
Using legal channels to ensure that Aid and Relief get to the right people in the right way, and that War Criminals are brought to Justice
INTRODUCTION
This Advocacy-Justice Service Area actually consists of two parts: I.) Sustainable Development, and II.) Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief. The first part deals with longer term situations, while the second deals with short term, emergency situations. They share a unity in the sense that each involves giving aid to persons in need, and both as expressions of restorative justice (one is about long term aid, and the other short term). Some organizations curated below are engaged in both aspects (I. and II.). Still, it seems helpful to share resources on this page, according to these two parts. So that is what we have done.
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (SD)
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Genesis 1:28
BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
In Genesis, God twice tells us to be fruitful, increase in number, to take care of the earth, and to be stewards of His creation. He said so once before the Flood, to Adam and Eve (Ge 1:28), and once after it, to Noah and his family (in a slightly different way; see Ge 8:17; 9:1-7). This original charge is sometimes called the Dominion Mandate, or Cultural Mandate (as in cultivating the world, and tending to it properly).
While we, as humans, have been given dominion over the earth, we are expected to cultivate it and use it wisely, not destructively or wastefully, and not to defile it, or harm those who use it. In today’s world, with intense global competition in commerce and trade, and plain human greed, many companies use short-sighted, destructive production methods that not only defile and deface Creation, but they pollute, waste, and abuse our created, natural resources (i.e., slash and burn farming, dumping chemical waste into rivers and farmland, invasive mining, and so on).
Short-sighted stewardship not only destroys the beauty of Creation (making things aesthetically worse), but kills Creation itself, as in its living things. That includes humans who get sick or die from polluted air, water, land, and food, along with other living things (plants, animals), and whole ecosystems that are impacted. Such damages are due to the insensitivity, negligence, or selfishness of others – all in a spirit completely contrary to the biblical charge to properly steward the earth and all that is in it.
Incidents such as these involve illegal conduct, and require legal action to remedy them (all of which calls for careful study toward appropriate advocacy and solutions). Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has in the past made some strides in self-management and policing these problems, but is only voluntary. Other corrective actions in law have to be taken. Sadly, CSR has also become increasingly preoccupied with false new notions of so-called “social justice,” involving required acceptance and support in businesses, of distorted sexual ideologies, identities and sinful practices in the workplace: “anything goes,” (i.e.,“wokeness”).
Still others caring for the earth are Climate Change fanatics, espousing a new ‘religion,’ often lacking in facts and truth. Advocacy Resources in this space are intended to steer you away from such departures from true, biblical stewardship, as those noted above.
(Authors: © Patrick and Kathy Talbot, August 5, 2023)
Advocacy Groups
Organizations listed here do advocacy and combat injustice in a different way, instead of mainly by litigating or legislating. They do this typically by addressing long term human needs and building capacity to improve lives in the communities in which they serve. The nature of their work associates them with seeking justice and rights for the poor, needy, and oppressed, by definition; but we have listed them separately to highlight their long-term sustainable and systemic development and capacity building approaches.
HUMANITARIAN AID AND DISASTER RELIEF (HAD)
The greatest command is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, strength and your neighbor as yourself. Luke 10:27
(Story of the Good Samaritan)
BIBLICAL CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW ON HUMANITARIAN AID AND DISASTER RELIEF
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus taught us the importance of helping our wounded neighbor in his/her time of acute crisis, in need of urgent care (an immediate, short term response). He shared this parable to illustrate what it means to fulfill the Greatest Commands in Scripture, to love God and our neighbors as ourselves. Sometimes a disaster or crisis befalls an entire community of people. The cause could be natural, like an earthquake, flood, a storm, or disease. Although it is true God may send these to judge a wicked and disobedient nation (see Jer 27:8; 29:17-18 (sending sword, famine, plague against rebellious nations)), Jesus reminds us in the NT to care for those suffering in their time of acute need, and even to love our enemies (Matt 22:39).
At other times human disasters may be caused by the cruelties of war (international, civil war, and of course genocide). This often results in displaced peoples, refugees (as in Syria recently), death, poverty, woundedness and sickness. Victims and casualties of war (just or unjust) still need our care.
Sometimes, the human agents of war commit unspeakable atrocities, engaging in unjust war tactics, even against civilians. They need to be brought to justice. See, biblically, Is 10:8-19 (punishing Assyria); Jer 25:14 (punishing Babylon); Amos 1:13 (punishing Ammon for ripping open pregnant women). Prosecution of war crimes today is according to international standards, and we consider many such standards to be biblically sound (not all). This work is also an international legal specialization, often involving special training for cases before the ICC, and similar tribunals (some resources here can help).
Resources
Coming Soon
Advocacy Groups
Groups listed here, similar to the immediately preceding Section i.), also assist the poor or needy, but they do so by addressing immediate crises, giving restorative and emergency aid. In that way they are also improving the lives of sudden victims in the communities in which they serve.
HAND (Indonesia, S.E. Asia) International Organization for Migration (IOM) (Global, U.N.)
Jubilee Campaign (UK, International)
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