Four weeks ago I was in the Nineveh Plains, a province once home to the largest concentration of Christians in Iraq.
I saw horrific devastation and heard heart breaking stories of Christians, Yazidis and others violently attacked and driven out of their homes and communities. I saw many Christian towns and villages lying in ruins, and Yazidis living in tents in the mountains. I met kids like Luke, (below), who loved playing with our camera but who faces a very bleak future.
As I visited one ruined village after another, the sheer scale and complexity of the situation sank in.
Restoring hope and building a future for Iraq that establishes genuine respect and trust between the different religious communities requires a coordinated response from the international community. And I believe CSW has a meaningful role to play in this process, particularly in advocating for a long-term solution.
We are already well advanced in planning our response to the need we heard time and again on our visit: for training in documenting and reporting abuses, trauma counselling, and giving people the tools they need to speak up for themselves.
A gift of £20 will pay for one hours' counselling.
A gift of £50 will mean we can provide training in communication techniques for one person
A gift of £250 will pay for one days training in documenting abuses
Thank you so much for what you have already helped us to achieve in so many other countries.
Yours as ever in Christ,
Mervyn
