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Author: UnitingWorld

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News, Social Empowerment for Excluded Castes (India)
March 4, 2026

This International Women’s Day, the global theme is ‘Balance the Scales.’ It is a call to address the structural barriers that continue to deny women and girls equal access to justice, opportunity and political power. For UnitingWorld and our partners, it is a theme we see reflected every day in the communities we work alongside.

Anya grew up in the Mirabai settlement, a low-income community in Durgapur, in northern India. Her father works as a driver and her mother as a housekeeper, together earning around AUD$100 a month to cover all household costs for a family of five. From an early age the odds were stacked against her. The life script for girls like Anya is a familiar one: leave school early, contribute to the household, and marry young. Her parents were hoping she would marry quickly, as often happens very young in their community. Poverty and social pressure made that script feel inevitable.

But it was not.

Since 2011, UnitingWorld has supported the Church of North India – Diocese of Durgapur to run an Education and Social Empowerment project in Anya’s community. Through study centres, life skills workshops, career counselling and vocational training, the project has transformed lives for many community members, giving young people the tools to write a different story for themselves.

For Anya, that meant access to a study centre and a teacher, Sophia Lakra, who invested in her potential. With that support, Anya completed primary school, went on to further study, joined computer classes and pursued her passion for basketball. She is now enrolled in a college degree and the National Cadet Corps, and is preparing for competitive exams she hopes will lead to stable employment.

Today, she also volunteers at the same study centre where her own journey began, helping to teach the next generation. “I would have drowned in darkness,” she reflects, “if the project and Ms Lakra had not guided me to the light of education.”

Anya’s story illustrates what balancing the scales can look like in practice: not sweeping policy change alone, but consistent, community-level investment in young women’s education, confidence and agency.

There are many more children in her settlement still without access to quality education. The work continues.

If you can support UnitingWorld’s partners as they expand this work, we would love to have you alongside us!

 

This project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). Thanks to ANCP, we’re making a huge difference together; lifting families out of poverty and helping people improve their lives.

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News
January 10, 2026

Our world needs a movement of committed, courageous discipleship.

Across the Pacific, Asia and Africa, communities who have contributed least to climate change are living with its harshest impacts. Crops are failing, water is harder to find, and extreme weather is pushing families deeper into poverty. For many, the chance to recover after climate disasters feels increasingly fragile.

This Lent, you’re invited to stand alongside our neighbours and share in what God is already doing through communities responding with resilience, courage and hope.

40 days of faithful action for God’s creation.

Lent is a season shaped by prayer, generosity and everyday choices that reflect our call to love our neighbours and care for the earth.

Together with congregations across Australia, we walk in solidarity with international church partners who are supporting communities to grow food, protect water sources and build resilience in the face of a changing climate.

This is not charity from a distance. It is shared discipleship, grounded in relationship, faith and hope for the future.

Stories of hope from Timor-Leste

In Timor-Leste, Australia’s nearest neighbour and the poorest country in our region, climate change is being felt deeply. Unseasonal drought and catastrophic flooding are destroying crops that families rely on for food and income. One in four people is hungry, and half of all children are stunted due to failed harvests and lack of clean water.

Yet there is hope to share.

Through UnitingWorld’s partner FUSONA, families are restoring livelihoods, improving food security and strengthening their communities. Meet people like Martha and hear how her family’s life has been transformed through this work.

These are stories of dignity, local leadership and faith in action.

How you can take part:

  • Sign up now! Join a movement of people putting their faith in action to fight poverty and protect creation.
  • Give generously
    Your gift will support community-led responses to climate change, helping families grow food, access clean water and prepare for future shocks.
  • Share the stories
    Use the Lent Event videos, reflections and prayer resources in worship, small groups or personal devotion. They are designed to deepen connection and inspire faithful action throughout the season.
  • Take on 40 for the Future
    40 for the Future is a simple fundraising challenge you can take on as an individual or a team. Choose one change for 40 days, like the way you eat, travel, consume or use energy, and invite others to donate in solidarity with communities living with less as the climate changes.

Lent Event 2026 is designed to fit alongside whatever your church or community already has planned for Lent.

Find resources, videos, stories and ways to get involved at
www.lentevent.com.au

Together, over 40 days, we can grow hope, stand with our neighbours and live out our calling to care for God’s creation.

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News
December 5, 2025

The 2025 Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders’ Summit (PAELS) brought together young leaders from across the Pacific, Australia and First Nations communities for a week of formation, relationship-building and high-level advocacy. 

Now in it’s fourth year, PAELS is a joint initiative of Micah* and and the Pacific Conference of Churches.  

The 2025 summit included delegates from our partner churches across the Pacific, ten delegates from the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) and three UCA elders there to support in pastoral roles.  

Delegates spent the first days deep in worship, cultural exchange and advocacy training, before a day spent lobbying Australia’s federal leaders on the urgent issues that matter to them and their communities.

For many, the most significant moments happened well before meeting with the Members of Parliament. Delegates spent their early days in worship, story-sharing and cultural practice, creating a space that felt honest, vulnerable and deeply relational. 

Uniting Church PAELS delegates Raul Sugunananthan and Michael Ramaidama

Returning delegate Raul Sugunananthan (pictured left) said he continues to be shaped by PAELS. 

“The fourth annual Pacific Emerging Leaders’ Summit was yet again a profoundly transformative experience bringing together a unique combination of faith, culture and action for social justice,” he said. 

“While the day in parliament meeting federal politicians was a powerful opportunity for the prophetic voice of the Church to speak, it’s the days leading up that left a lasting impact.” 

“Those days of worship, training and talanoa are what stay with me.” 

First-time delegate and UnitingWorld Project Manager Shivani Patel described PAELS as “an incredible experience that created genuine space for connection and sharing.”  

“The delegates, alumni, and elders spanned from across the Pacific, First Nations, Pacific diaspora, and an extended Australian family, all of whom are doing meaningful, impactful work in their communities.”

She said the environment was marked by warmth, empathy and openness. 

“People listened deeply. Delegates, alumni and elders created a space where everyone could be honest and vulnerable. It felt like a community that extends far beyond the week in Canberra.” 

Uniting Church delegates and elders at the Government House reception.

Her reflections echoed the strength of the growing Pacific Australian Emerging Leaders’ Network (PAELN), which stays connected outside in-person events like PAELS.

Throughout the summit week, delegates prepared together for meetings with politicians, drawing on The Pacific We See framework, a set of priorities shaped over four years of dialogue across the region. 

The advocacy day inside Parliament House saw delegates take part in 45 meetings with MPs, senators and ministers. They shared personal stories, realities from their communities and calls to action grounded in their own experience. 

“Meeting politicians was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Shivani.  

“PAELS delegates shared their stories and daily realities during meetings, creating a bridge between Pacific and First Nations communities and Australian leaders. The politicians my group spoke to were open and respectful, and were interested in understanding how they could work with us.” 

Two major events complemented the advocacy: a reception hosted by Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and an evening at Government House with the Governor-General, Ms Sam Mostyn AC, alongside senior government and opposition figures.  

UnitingWorld Program Manager Shivani Patel with Governor General, Ms Sam Mostyn AC

Delegates shared culture, conversation and song in Indigenous and local languages, moments that affirmed the significance of the network and the maturity it has developed in just four years. 

Beyond the formal program, delegates connected over shared meals, kava evenings and a vibrant cultural night, where dances and traditions from across the Pacific were performed with pride. 

Shivani left feeling energised for the work ahead. 

“PAELS left me feeling inspired and motivated in my own work,” she said.

“It reaffirmed the power of locally led action. Local communities have generations of experience and a deep understanding of their challenges. Our role is to listen first. This week offered a rare chance to learn from one another in a deep and meaningful way.” 

 

Foreign Minister Penny Wong hosted PAELS delegates at Parliament House.

PAELS 2025 highlighted again the leadership, wisdom and courage rising across the Pacific and First Nations communities, as well as the growing recognition from Australian leaders of the essential role churches and faith-based organisations play across the region. 

*Micah is supported by a coalition of Australia’s leading Christian international development agencies, including UnitingWorld. Find out more.

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Blogs, Social Empowerment for Excluded Castes (India)
November 11, 2025

When Sohadi Soren received a single goat through her local self-help group, she never imagined how much her life could change.

A mother and grandmother from a small rural village in eastern India, Sohadi was struggling to make ends meet after the sudden loss of her husband. Her family survived on a small plot of land, growing rice and vegetables mostly for their own table. Money was always tight.

Then came the goat.

The gift was part of a community development program supported by UnitingWorld through the Church of North India, Diocese of Durgapur. With training and encouragement from her group, Sohadi began to raise and breed goats. One became two, then three, and before long, she had a small herd.

Over time, Sohadi sold goats to pay off her family’s debts and even buy back land that had been mortgaged. The income helped her invest in cows and a threshing machine for her crops. Today, she provides for her grandchildren, pays for their schooling, and helps others in her village do the same.

“With that one goat I was able to change my family’s life,” Sohadi said. “I wish more people could have the same opportunity.”

Her story is just one example of how practical gifts—simple as a goat, a water pump, or a handful of seeds—can grow into lasting hope.

Through Everything in Common, UnitingWorld’s annual gift catalogue, every card and donation represents love in action. Goats that become herds. Seeds that become gardens. Clean water, education, small business support and more — all helping families overcome poverty and build brighter futures.

This Christmas, you can help more families like Sohadi’s turn small gifts into life-changing opportunities.

Choose  that fight poverty and build hope
www.everythingincommon.com.au

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Women's Empowerment and Peace Building (Maluku, Indonesia)
October 30, 2025

In Ambon City, Maluku, Linda Narua’s love of gardening began as a quiet hobby. Today, it’s helping her neighbours eat well, earn more and reduce reliance on imported food.

Through training and seeds provided by UnitingWorld’s partner, the Sagu Salempeng Foundation (SSF*), Linda turned her backyard into a thriving kitchen garden. She now grows kale, tomatoes, mustard greens and chillies, building food security in her community and cutting the need for foreign imports, a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

When her vegetables started flourishing, Linda began sharing them with neighbours, who praised their freshness and flavour. Encouraged, she attended further training, learned efficient farming techniques, and started selling her produce locally. Her friendly approach and excellent quality soon won loyal customers, and she even began promoting her garden on social media to reach more people.

Now, her once-small hobby is a source of family income and community pride. Linda inspires other women in her village to plant their own gardens, reminding them that even small spaces can feed families and strengthen local resilience.

“I’m proud that my garden helps others,” she says. “We can all make something good grow.”

Supported by UnitingWorld, the Maluku Livelihoods and Peacebuilding helped 577 people like Linda start a kitchen garden in 2024-25. Six village governments were assisted to organise a kitchen garden competition that attracted an additional 120 participants. SSF also worked with villages to plant 2179 trees for disaster mitigation and adaptation. 

*The Sagu Salempeng Foundation is the development agency of our partner, the Protestant Church of Maluku.

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News
October 16, 2025

Our new Everything in Common Gift Catalogue has arrived for Christmas and it’s full of gifts that fight poverty and build hope through the power of shared generosity.

Every card represents a real, practical way to help families overcome poverty and create a more secure future. Goats that grow into herds, seeds that become food gardens, small business support, clean water and more.

When you choose a gift for a loved one, you’re not just giving a card, you’re sharing love in action and helping our global neighbours build livelihoods, access clean water, and adapt to the changing climate.

Browse the full range and order physical cards, e-cards or print-at-home options today.

And if you’re part of a Uniting Church, you can take generosity even further by hosting an Everything in Common gift stall this Christmas. We’ll send you everything you need to make it simple and inspiring. Register to host a gift stall today!

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News, Partnering Women for Change (Pacific Region)
August 11, 2025

UnitingWorld launches regional initiative to support faith-led collaboration on gender justice

UnitingWorld and its church partners in the Pacific have launched the Oceania Faith Communities Advancing Safety and Equality project, with support from the Pacific Women Lead at the Pacific Community (PWL at SPC) program.

Each of our church partners brings unique strengths to efforts to end gender-based violence and promote equality and, by collaborating more closely, they can build on each other’s progress and create greater impact together.

The project meets the need expressed by the churches for stronger networks and opportunities to learn from one another by establishing a new Community of Practice (CoP) for Pacific churches working to advance gender equality, safeguarding and theological change.

The CoP will serve as a regional hub for collaboration, joint learning and advocacy, connecting women leaders, theologians and safeguarding focal points to share and develop resources, strategies and training. There will also be mentoring by theology experts for key gender leaders in the region.

Women and girls will be the ultimate beneficiaries, as churches deepen their commitment to safety, inclusion and the promotion of women’s leadership.

When theology is life-giving and affirms the dignity of all people, it becomes a powerful force for change, says Reverend Siera Bird, UnitingWorld’s Manager for Gender Equality and Safeguarding:

“Churches are already deeply embedded in their communities. By building their capacity and connection across the region, we’re equipping them to lead efforts for gender equality, social justice and family safety in ways that are culturally grounded and sustainable.”

The project is driven by a steering committee made up of leaders from seven Pacific church denominations* as well as the Pacific Conference of Churches and the Pasifika Communities University. The broad collaboration has the potential to reach more than 989,000 people across the region.

The CoP will co-create theological and practical resources, including a new biblical-theological framework exploring gender, masculinity and femininity, and support joint campaigns for gender equality and social change. It builds on years of UnitingWorld’s partnership with Pacific churches and is one of the first regional initiatives of its kind to bring faith-based actors together around these goals.

The first online event, taking place this August, will explore the intersection of gender and climate. It is an opportunity to explore how climate change affects individuals differently depending on gender, and share experiences and practical solutions, helping build stronger collaboration around gender equality in climate resilience work.

*Denominations: Methodist Church in Fiji (MCiF), Presbyterian Church of Vanuatu (PCV), Kiribati Uniting Church (KUC), United Church in the Solomon Islands (UCSI), United Church in PNG (UCPNG), Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu (EKT) & Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga (FWCT).

You can help make a difference for women and girls in the Pacific
through gender justice – donate now!

The Oceania Faith Communities Advancing Safety and Equality project is an initiative of UnitingWorld and its Pacific partner churches, with funding and technical assistance from the Pacific Women Lead at the Pacific Community programme.

The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Australian Government, The Pacific Community (SPC), nor any affiliated organisations.

 

Pacific Women Lead (PWL) aims to promote women’s leadership, women’s rights and increase the effectiveness of regional gender equality efforts. The Pacific Community (SPC) is the key implementing partner of the regional Pacific Women Lead portfolio, through its PWL at SPC program.

 Pacific Women Lead is supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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News
July 21, 2025

Dr Sureka Goringe, National Director of UnitingWorld, recently joined around 60 civil society leaders from across the Pacific, Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand at the Civil Society Climate Summit in Suva, Fiji.

Convened by the Pacific Islands Association of NGOs (PIANGO) and the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), with support from WWF, the gathering brought together diverse voices to coordinate regional advocacy ahead of COP30 and COP31— the latter set to be hosted by Australia.

“Everyone agrees on the high-level demands,” said Dr Goringe. “We’re all calling for strong mitigation, an exit from fossil fuels, a just transition and investment in loss and damage, adaptation and climate migration. The real challenge lies in how this advocacy happens, and who gets heard.”

Pacific civil society organisations have long collaborated to raise a united voice on climate justice. Their key call is for a COP31 presidency that ensures real influence and access for Indigenous and grassroots leaders, not symbolic participation.

“What Pacific and Indigenous leaders want is a seat at the table, not the side show,” said Dr Goringe. “They’re seeking a COP process that makes space for civil society to help shape decisions, not just respond to them.”

Meanwhile, Australian civil society acknowledged significant gaps in First Nations representation, raising difficult but necessary questions.

“Many First Nations communities are sensing yet another vital conversation happening without them,” Dr Goringe shared. “Everyone wants to centre First Nations voices, but the path to doing that well is complex. It requires time, trust and tangible support. There’s a real commitment to try, but no easy answers.”

“Justice is about the ‘how’ as much as it is about the ‘what,’” she reflected. “Relationships, trust and good process are what build lasting change.”

Australian delegates made two key commitments:

  1. To support the Pacific’s climate justice agenda through their own advocacy, and

  2. To work actively to remove barriers that prevent Pacific civil society from participating meaningfully in COP31, through lobbying, funding and platform-sharing.

“This is where solidarity becomes real,” said Dr Goringe. “It’s about sharing resources, stepping back, and making space for others to lead.”

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News
May 20, 2025

See possibility in the face of poverty and climate change

UnitingWorld has launched its 2025 End of Financial Year Appeal, inviting supporters to see possibility where the world often sees only poverty.

This year’s appeal supports a bold initiative in Zimbabwe, where our local partner, the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, is transforming rural schools into hubs of resilience. The program tackles hunger, water scarcity and climate change by installing solar-powered water systems, growing school gardens and training families in climate-smart agriculture.

Thirteen-year-old Tanaka Chiza is one of the students already experiencing the change.

“Before, it was hard to concentrate in class when I was hungry,” she said.

“But now we have a garden and food at school. I’m learning how to grow vegetables and I want to teach my mother so we can eat better at home.”

The impact reaches far beyond school gates. Rev. Junior Paradza, a former lawyer turned minister, is helping lead the project.

“Water means everything in these villages,” she said.

“Now, families have enough to grow their own food. We’re seeing real change, and people are full of hope.”

Please give generously before 30 June.

Thanks to UnitingWorld’s partnership with the Australian Government, gifts can go up to six times further to support life-changing work in Zimbabwe and across the Pacific, Asia and Africa.

Visit unitingworld.org.au/possibility to learn more and make a tax-deductible donation.

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Pray
May 12, 2025

UnitingWorld and the Uniting Church in Australia (UCA) are calling on UCA members to pray for peace as tensions rise dramatically between India and Pakistan, deeply impacting the lives of people living in border communities.

On May 6, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” a series of airstrikes targeting locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir. The strikes were in retaliation for a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, which killed 26 civilians. Pakistani officials report at least 31 people killed and dozens more injured in the strikes.

Security has been tightened across northern India, particularly in Punjab. Schools have been closed in Amritsar, Ferozepur, and Pathankot districts, and panic is spreading as people stock up on food and fuel. A nationwide civil defence drill has been conducted across 244 districts to prepare for possible escalation.

A U.S.-brokered ceasefire was announced on May 10, bringing a temporary halt to the worst fighting between the two nations in decades. However, sporadic violations have been reported, and many civilians remain displaced, hesitant to return home due to ongoing fears.

UnitingWorld’s partners in the Diocese of Amritsar report that all community development and education activities have been suspended, and staff are staying in close contact with local leaders to assess needs and offer support.

“The primary concern is the safety of communities residing in the border areas,” wrote Samson Ram, Project Officer for the Diocesan Social Empowerment and Education Project. “The prevailing atmosphere of uncertainty and fear has caused panic… people have started stocking up on food items, fuel, and other items of necessity.”

In a powerful display of unity and compassion, the Christian community of Amritsar, led by Bishop Manoj Charan, held a candlelight march to honour the 26 victims of the Pahalgam terror attack and express solidarity with their grieving families (header image and below). Bishop Manoj Charan said at the event,

“Let us unite in prayer, compassion, and solidarity, standing together against all forms of violence and hatred. In this time of grief, may the love and peace of our Lord be our guiding light, and may we emerge stronger and more united in our pursuit of peace and humanity.”

UnitingWorld’s National Director Dr Sureka Goringe is urging all supporters to hold the people of India and Pakistan in prayer, especially our partners in the Church of North India.

“As followers of Christ, we are called to respond to fear with faith and to conflict with compassion. We stand with our partners in prayer and love, believing in God’s peace that surpasses understanding,” said Dr Goringe.

The President of the Uniting Church in Australia, Rev. Charissa Suli, has sent this message of solidarity:

“In this time of escalating tension between India and Pakistan, our thoughts and prayers are with our cherished partners in the Diocese of Amritsar and the communities they serve. We know these rural border communities are under immense stress, with schools closed, daily life disrupted, and anxiety rising.

As the Uniting Church in Australia, we stand beside you in faith and compassion. We honour the courageous work of your leaders, who continue to bring light and care even in these difficult days. You are not forgotten. You are held in prayer.”

Please join us in prayer:

A Prayer from Rev. Charissa Suli

God of Peace, draw near to your people in Punjab. Wrap each family in your protection. Calm hearts gripped by fear, and guide leaders with wisdom and care. Strengthen your church to be a witness of peace and hope. In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.

We walk with you in love, hope, and unwavering solidarity.

A Prayer from Rev. Dr Apwee Ting

God of peace,
God of all peoples and nations,

We lift before You the people of Pakistan and India, especially as tensions rise along their shared borders.

Lord, in Your mercy, bring wisdom and courage to those in leadership.
May efforts for peace prevail over the threats of conflict.

Lead both nations toward a path of reconciliation, justice, and mutual respect.

We remember the communities who live in the shadow of uncertainty—in Kashmir, Punjab, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur.
You know their fears, their hopes, and their daily struggles.
Be near to them, O God.
Protect their homes, sustain their livelihoods, and restore their sense of safety.

We also pray for the Church in North India, especially the Diocese of Amritsar.
Strengthen their ministry, bless their projects, and empower them to be agents of healing, hope, and compassion in their communities.
May their witness be a light in the darkness and a refuge for the weary.

God of comfort, surround all who are anxious and afraid.
In the midst of tension and turmoil,
may Your peace take root.

Where there is despair, sow hope.
Where there is division, build bridges.
Where there is fear, pour out Your love.

We place our trust in You, O God—
Maker of peace,
Bearer of hope,
Giver of life.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.