News in Brief
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Young People Volunteer to Benefit Brazil's Karajás Indians
More than 400 young people participated in a four-day volunteer project to benefit the Karajás Indians of Bananal Island, Tocantins State, Brazil.
Bananal Island, Tocantins State, Brazil
New Spirit of Tolerance Needed in Indonesia, Says Leader
Deadly religious conflicts in Indonesia can only be avoided by "building bridges of understanding" between the country's different religious and ethnic groups, says Ulil Abshar Abdalla, senior officer of the Indonesian Commission on Religion and Peace.
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
Micro-Loans Give Communities New Economic Life
Representatives from more than thirty countries attended the first Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) Economic Development Summit in Prague, Czech Republic, June 25 to 29, where participants focused on economic development programs that are revolutionizing communities around the world.
Prague, Czech Republic
Anti-Drug Effort Stepped Up in Southeast Asia
Seventh-day Adventist Church health leaders in the Southern Asia-Pacific region have established 19 new regional and national branches of the International Commission for the Prevention of Alcoholism and Addictions (ICPA) as part of an effort to stem rising rates of drug use in Southeast Asia.
Manila, Philippines
Serbian Churches Protest Proposed Religion Law
A proposed religion law that appears to favor some religions over others has drawn protests from members of Serbia's religious community.
Belgrade, Yugoslavia
Adventist Leader Condemns Tobacco's Industry of Death
The world's largest manufacturer of cigarettes has issued an apology for a study commissioned by one of its affiliates showing that the Czech Republic saves money on health care, housing, and pensions due to smokers dying prematurely.
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Thousands Baptized as Papua New Guinea Evangelistic Series Concludes
Some 2,300 people were baptized on Ela Beach in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, at the end of the ACTS 2001 satellite evangelistic program, July 21.
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Nigeria: Religious Tension On the Rise, Says Adventist Leader
Implementation of Islamic law, or Sharia, in 11 northern Nigerian states presents increasing challenges to church workers and members in those areas, according to Joseph Ola, president of the Adventist Church in Nigeria.
Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria
Adventists Monitor Progress of U.S. Faith-Based Initiative Bill
The Faith-Based Initiatives bill, a proposed law aimed at expanding federal government funding of faith-based welfare programs, has passed its first legislative hurdle, gaining approval of the United States House of Representatives July 20 by a vote of 233 to 198.
Washington, D.C., United States