Utkal Christian Council observes Kandhamal day - Sadbhavna Padayatra and Prayer

The Utkal Christian Council observed Kandhamal Day on 25 August to mark the sixth year anniversary of communal violence in Kandhamal in Orissa State of India in Berhampur, Ganjam going round the town on a Sadbhavna Padayatra. The Kandhamal communal violence claimed an estimated 100 lives, displacing around 56,000 people and saw the destruction of 295 churches and worship places. Bodies of those who were killed were not claimed; no one was there to offer prayer or bury the body.

Scholarship for Dalit Christian Students

The Government of India have issued notification for Pre-Matric, Post-Matric and Merit Cum Means based Scholarships for the year 2014-15 for all minority students including Christians.

It is noted that some of the schools are discouraging DALIT CHRISTIAN STUDENTS in applying for this scholarship. Please report if this happens anywhere this year. We will take this up with the Minority Commission. 

1.Pre- Matric Scholarships of GOI: All Christian Students studying in 1st class to 10th class and whose parental annual income is less than 1.00 Lakh  may apply in online portal <www.epass.cgg.gov.in> . Last date for applying online is 10-09-2014. Online applications should submitted through www.epass.cgg.gov.in  portal.

2.Post- Matric Scholarships: Christian Students studying courses from  Inter upto Ph.D, except Professional, Technical and Self Finance Courses, and whose Parental annual income is less than 2.00 Lakhs  may apply online. The last date  for applying online for fresh students is 30-09-2014 for renewal last date is 10-10-2014.

3.Merit Cum Means Based Scholarships: Christian Students studying in Professional, Technical, Self Finance Courses and Management Quota Candidates are also eligible, and the annual income of the parents should be less than 2.50 Lakhs. All the desirous candidates should apply online and the last date for applying for fresh students is 30-09-2014 and for Renewal students last date is 15-11-2014 .After filling the online applications, the applicants should submit all the hard copies along with all related documents in the O/o Executive Director, Minorities of concerned district. For GOI Pre Matric Scholarship students should apply from the following website: <www.epass.cgg.gov.in>. For GOI Post Matric and Merit Cum Means Based Scholarship students should apply in <www.momascholarship.gov.in>  website. The link for the above websites is provided in the Christian Corporation Portal <www.christianminorities.ap.nic.in> .For more information the students may contact 040-23391068, 1800-425-1068. And Mail Id is <tscmfc@yahoo.co.in>

4.Central sector Scheme Scholarship, by Ministry of Human Resource New Delhi. Eligibility: Students who Pass with 80% in 10+2, will be given monthly Rs.1000/- for degree course & PG 2 years Rs.2000/- to the poor students. Income Criteria:the income ceiling is Rs. 4.5 lakhs (revised to Rs. 6 lakhs) per annum. A fresh income certificate each year will not be called for provided the scholarship fulfils all other terms and conditions stipulated for the renewal. Scholarship will be paid only to those students whose parent’s/guardian’s income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 4.5 lakh (revised to Rs. 6 lakhs) per annum, for all categories under the scheme. for more details and online application please copy & paste below given link.

<http://www.cbse.nic.in/Scholarship/Webpages/Guidelines%20and%20AF.html> 

Kandhamal : Never Again

PRESS RELEASE

KANDHAMAL: NEVER AGAIN!

Kandhamal Day observed across country to demand justice for victim-survivors of anti Christian violence in Orissa in 2008

Jantar Mantar rally draws Artists, Activists

Kandhamal Day was observed in the national Capital, New Delhi, as well as in major cities  and tribal areas on Monday, 25^th August to demand justice for the victim-survivors of the Anti Christian violence which began this day in the Kandhamal district of Orissa in 2008.  State chief minister Mr. Naveen Pattnaik had told the Legislative Assembly that the violence was carried out by activists of the Sangh Parivar.

In New Delhi, the rally was held  at Jantar Mantar, marked by performances by artistes and  speeches against communal violence, for justice and harmony by social, civil society, gender, Dalit, Tribal and religious freedom activists and leaders of Christian groups. [The list of the main speakers and organising groups is attached for reference.] Similar programmes were held in Kandhamal, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and other cities.

NCCI - COCR PHOTO CONTEST

Images. They are so compelling that we cannot not watch them! Research supports the idea that visual communication can be more powerful than verbal communication, suggesting in many instances that people learn and retain information that is presented to them visually much better than that which is only provided verbally. The psychologist Jerome Bruner of New York University has described studies that show that people only remember 10% of what they hear

Appeal from Christian Council of Guinea

Greetings to you all in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I just returned from a mission to assess the magnitude of the situation of Ebola haemorrhagic fever and repost the churches response to the disaster in the most affected areas in Forest Guinea, which borders Liberia and Sierra Leone .

The situation is serious in the field and we are about to be cut off from the rest of the world.

Statement made against Atrocities in Iraq

The National Council of Churches (NCCI) and North West India Council of Churches (NWICC) in the joint meeting held at Bible Bhavan, Khan Market, New Delhi on 19th August 2014 have recorded strong protest against, and deep concern over, continuing massacre and merciless persecution of minorities like Christians, Shias, Yazidis & Kurds.

Statement
The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), which is the united forum of about 30 Protestants and Orthodox Churches in India, representing 13 million Christians in the country) strongly condemns brutal persecution of religious and ethnic minorities in Iraq. NCCI considers the attacks and ongoing slaughter of innocent lives highly barbaric, inhuman and uncivilized.

Mr. Samuel M. Isaac former CCA Executive passes away

NCCI learns with sorrow the passing away of Mr. Samuel M. Isaac. He was residing in Chennai. 

Rev. Dr. Henriette Hutabarat Lebang, General Secretary, Christian Conference of Asia, writes:

"Sam is very close to the hearts of many church leaders and ecumenical friends in Asia, especially through the development programs that he was co-ordinating.  Sam came to CCA as Secretary for Inter-Church Aid & Development from 1971 - 1975 with a passion for assisting the churches across borders to support each other especially in enabling Asian churches to address economic difficulties and poverty in Asia, by facilitating various development programs in Asian communities.

KANDHAMAL: NEVER AGAIN- AUGUST 25, 2014

- PLEASE ENDORSE AS CO-ORGANISERS: confirm by Monday August 18 BY 3pm -

INVITING ARTISTS, INTELLECTUALS, NGOS, CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS TO JOIN 

Kandhamal: Never Again

Orissa witnessed unprecedented violence against the Christian minority in August 2008. On August 23, 2008, Swami Laxmananand along with his four followers was killed.

Immediately, on August 25, 2008, anti-Christian violence began on a big scale. It was systematic and widespread. It sounded as if preparation was already there just the pretext was being awaited.

PRESS REPORT August 10th Black Day For Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims

Jointly Organised by

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF INDIA (CBCI), NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN INDIA (NCCI) and NATIONAL COUNCIL OF DALIT CHRISTIANS (NCDC)

The Constitution (Scheduled Caste) order 1950 was signed on 10th August 1950 by the then President of India which says that “No person who professes a religion other than Hinduism shall be deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste” which was later amended to include Sikhs (1956) and Buddhists (1990) in the Scheduled Caste net. This order is against the Secular nature (Preamble of the Constitution) of the country, against Article 14(Equality before the law), article 15(prohibition of discrimination of any citizen on ground of only religion), Article 25 (Freedom of Conscience and free to profess any religion), Article 26 (equality before the law and equal protection of the law) and against the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which India is a party.

Black Day 2014 demanding the inclusion of Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims in Scheduled Caste list

Organised by the Commission on Policy, Governance and Public Witness of National Council of Churches in India and the SC/ST Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.

CNI Bhawan, Pandit Pant Marg, New Delhi. 

'Black Day' was observed by the Indian churches and Christian organisations across India under the auspices of the National Council of Churches in India and the Catholic Bishops Conference of India demanding the repealing of the infamous Presidential Order in 1950 to exclude the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims from the Scheduled Caste list.

As part of the observance Church leaders and the Christian lay leaders along with the Dalit Muslim leaders conducted a protest meeting at the CNI Bhawan in New Delhi on the 12th of August 2014. 

International Youth Day "Youth and Mental Health", August 12, 2014

Nearly 1/5 of the global population is comprised of youth aged 15-24 years. On a global level approximately 20% of them experience a mental health condition each year. Let us increase awareness about the lives of youth with mental health conditions and reduce stigma. "Let us talk about mental health the same way we talk about our overall health".

International Youth Day, August 12- ESSAY WRITING COMPETITION. Last date for Submission, August 11, 2014

Essay Writing Competition

Black Day to protest injustice towards Dalit Christians

Respected Moderator/Bishop/General Secretary/Executive Secretary/Director/Executive committee member of NCCI/General body member of NCCI,

Greetings from the National Council of Churches in India!

We are writing this mail to humbly request you to proactively participate in observing the ‘Black Day’ on 10^th of August 2014 to raise our protest about the continual negligence of the authorities to the cry for equal rights of Dalit Christians.

The infamous Constitution (Scheduled Caste) order 1950 was signed on 10th August 1950 by the then President of India which says that