A message from the executive director.Dear Partners, EVERY aspect of the work of PWRDF PWRDF Primate's World Relief and Development Fund is based on the principles of partnership, whether it is in the way we work with development partners in Canada Canada (kăn`ədə), independent nation (2001 pop. 30,007,094), 3,851,787 sq mi (9,976,128 sq km), N North America. Canada occupies all of North America N of the United States (and E of Alaska) except for Greenland and the French islands of and in countries around the world or with members of our volunteer networks in parishes in Canada. It is so much a part of our daily being as a community of staff and volunteers that we rarely take the time out to think about the meaning and implications of the term partnership. As everyone knows, the best way to learn about something or to really reflect about its profound meaning is through direct experience. PWRDF Board members and staff had just such an opportunity recently through participation in a roundtable meeting with our Brazilian development partners to discuss future directions for PWRDF involvement in social justice work in Brazil Brazil (brəzĭl`), Port. Brasil, officially Federative Republic of Brazil, republic (2005 est. pop. 186,113,000), 3,286,470 sq mi (8,511,965 sq km), E South America. . PWRDF has supported programs in Brazil for many years. In the mid 1990s, a great deal of care and effort was made to develop the basis for an expanding program of support to ecumenical organizations working on popular education, social mobilization mobilization Organization of a nation's armed forces for active military service in time of war or other national emergency. It includes recruiting and training, building military bases and training camps, and procuring and distributing weapons, ammunition, uniforms, , economic development, basic community services to marginalized urban populations as well as to Brazil's isolated communities of indigenous peoples The term indigenous peoples has no universal, standard or fixed definition, but can be used about any ethnic group who inhabit the geographic region with which they have the earliest historical connection. . Due to an extended period of financial constraints CONSTRAINTS - A language for solving constraints using value inference. ["CONSTRAINTS: A Language for Expressing Almost-Hierarchical Descriptions", G.J. Sussman et al, Artif Intell 14(1):1-39 (Aug 1980)]. on the PWRDF program, it has never been possible for PWRDF to expand its presence in Brazil's popular movements for social justice to the degree which we would have liked. At the suggestion of our Brazilian partners, the timing seemed right to hold a roundtable, to spend time together, to better understand our organizations, our programs and the contexts in which we are working. With this shared understanding, we will be able to discern dis·cern v. dis·cerned, dis·cern·ing, dis·cerns v.tr. 1. To perceive with the eyes or intellect; detect. 2. To recognize or comprehend mentally. 3. the best way forward for PWRDF and for our Brazilian ecumenical partners. Andrew Ignatieff Executive Director The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund The Primate's World Relief and Development Fund was founded in 1959 by the Anglican Church of Canada. It is the only fund for overseas relief and development work that is endorsed by the Anglican Church of Canada. |
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