UCB Broadcast Oct 2006 
Hello and welcome to the Parliamentary prayer update, my name is Gareth Wallace and I work in Westminster for the Evangelical Alliance Public Affairs Department.
Stop Climate Chaos ‘I count’ rally
A coalition of UK environment, development and women’s charities are organising a demonstration in London against climate change.
The Stop Climate Chaos coalition includes several Christian charities including Evangelical Alliance member charity Tearfund.
The ‘I count’ rally will take place in Trafalgar Square on Saturday the 4th of November and aims to petition the Government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3% annually. The rally is timed to coincide with the United Nations summit on climate change to be held in Nairobi from the 6th to the 17th of November.
It is anticipated that the Queen’s speech in November will include provisions involving a climate change bill. Campaigners hope that this rally will put pressure on the Government to not only reduce emissions through such a bill but also take responsibility for the impact that climate change has on developing countries.
Give your support to this campaign by joining the rally if you can from 1-3pm in Trafalgar Square, London. A church service will be held before the rally at 12.30pm in St Martin-in-the-Fields, with worship led by Andy Flanagan from Youth for Christ and a talk given by Bishop James Jones.
Details of the rally can be found through Tearfund.
Please pray that international leaders agree strong measures to tackle climate change at the UN summit in Nairobi and that the ‘I count’ rally has real political impact on our own Government as they consider a climate change bill.
Equality Act
The Evangelical Alliance has worked extensively on the recent Equality legislation and the Government’s consultation on Sexual Orientation Regulations aimed at outlawing discrimination. The Alliance is concerned that amid competing sets of rights under the new Equality Act, individual Christians, charities, churches and others may be adversely affected.
Secretary of State for the Department of Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly, has announced that the Government’s response to the public consultation on Sexual Orientation Regulations, originally expected in September, will be delayed probably until next year.
The Government reputedly has been taken aback by the wide unanimity amongst religious groups of all descriptions alarmed by the religious liberty implications of the proposals with over 3000 responses to the consultation.
Ruth Kelly has been under a negative media spotlight because of her Christian convictions.
Please continue to express your views on this issue by writing to your MP.
Please consider writing to the Prime Minister in support of Ruth Kelly.
The Guardian newspaper refused to print a letter of support that the Evangelical Alliance wrote. Please see Public Affairs Breaking News for a copy of the letter.
Please pray that the Government will not simply delay its proposals, but will actually change them and grant Christian groups the reasonable opt outs they have sought.
Set all Free and Stop the Traffik
2007 is set to be an important year for Christians highlighting the historic contribution of Evangelicals to political justice. William Wilberforce will be remembered for the prominent role he played in helping to abolish the trade in slaves. 2007 is the 200th anniversary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Bill which became law on the 25th of March 1807.
Set all free has been established by Churches Together in England to commemorate the 200th anniversary in ways which challenge modern society to engage with Christian values.
The project aims to highlight how the abolitionists’ values can transform our relationships on an individual, community and society level.
Set all free aims to remember the abolitionists, black white male and female, and to remember the churches role, both its involvement in slavery and in the abolition. We are also asked to reflect on the consequences of slavery on, for example, racism and underdevelopment. Finally we are called to respond and take action.
One way to respond and get involved is the Stop the Traffik Campaign which aims to tackle the modern day slavery of global trafficking, often connected with the sex trade.
Stop The Traffik is an initiative of Justice for Children International and will resume their campaign under their original name in September 2007.
Stop the Traffik’s aim is to raise awareness and take action on global people trafficking. Individuals can get involved by signing the Stop the traffik Declaration and adding your voice to this global petition. This will help demonstrate the strength of feeling around the world culminating in the petition being delivered to the United Nations and our Government after Freedom day on the 25th of March 2007.
Stop the Traffik is a growing global coalition involving clubs, schools, faith groups, businesses and charities from around the world. The coalition covers over 40 countries.
More information and to sign the declaration please go to Stop the Traffik
Please pray for all the events that are taking place to commemorate the anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade act.
Pray that individuals and governments will be inspired and encouraged to take action against modern day slavery.
Further Prayer and Action
For further insights on these and other issues The Evangelical Alliance Public Affairs department produces a monthly parliamentary magazine, PQ, and a monthly ‘Prayer and Campaigns’ action and prayer sheet.
If you have any questions please e-mail the public affairs team at pub-aff@eauk.org
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