Displaying items by tag: social action

The twentieth Mitzvah Day in the UK demonstrated the power of shared service to strengthen interfaith relationships at a time when tensions have risen nationwide. Volunteers from Jewish, Christian and Muslim communities joined together in more than 200 projects, including preparing food for night shelters and refugee support at Alyth Synagogue in Golders Green. Organisers emphasised that practical cooperation builds trust where dialogue alone can struggle, particularly following strained relations linked to conflict in the Middle East. Founder Laura Marks, who also co-created the Nisa-Nashim network for Jewish and Muslim women, celebrated ongoing friendships and urged continued collaboration beyond the annual event. Leaders, including Rabbi Josh Levy and Bishop Anderson Jeremiah, noted that initiatives like Mitzvah Day help to deepen community bonds and provide resilient foundations for future peacebuilding. Participants said that acts of kindness reflect religious responsibility to seek the good of others, even amid political or social division.

On 16 April university students had a day of action to demand fee refunds because Covid-19 has affected their education. When they signed up for university they were promised sufficient access to facilities, course equipment, and social contact to help them achieve their degrees. But they were limited to internet zoom lectures of variable standard and still expected to pay the full price. The Write Off, Right Now (WORN) group is applying pressure on the government to refund fees because they did not receive value for money. WORN asked students nationwide to ‘take over’ social media to spread the message of the unfair demand for full fees. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson instructed the Office for Students ‘to take swift action where quality and academic standards have dropped’. An online petition, calling for tuition fees to be cut had received over 580,000 signatures in three days.

Worship songs and heartfelt prayers filled the streets of neighbourhoods across South Africa on Freedom Day, Saturday 4 May, as believers celebrated their freedom in Christ and prayed for change in the country. Over 80 Jesus Marches took place in small towns and in big cities. Many participants were armed with black bags to clean the streets while praying. At the 10am start of the marches a prayer for the nation that was streamed to all the march venues via mobile phones. The central theme was John 8:36 - ‘Who the Son sets free is free indeed’. Many referred to the event as celebrating ‘True Freedom Day’, as only Christ can truly set us free and no government or worldly system can provide all the answers to society’s problems. Christians were encouraged to wear white on election day - Wednesday 8 May. See also the next article, on the elections.