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Wesley Owen needs your
help!
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| From 29th March to 30th May we are
collecting all spare Bibles that you no longer want and sending
them to India where they will be a treasured gift. |
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"There are a great couple of verses in
Isaiah 55, 'So it is with my word that goes out... it will not
return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire, and achieve
the purpose for which I sent it.'
"All you need to do is bring them
or post them to your local Wesley Owen Bookshop. Click
here to find your nearest store.
"Be part of this exciting promise of
God. Hand in your spare Bibles and we will send them to India to
bless our Christian brothers and sisters there. Go on... strip
those bookshelves bare!"
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Malcolm Stockdale,
Managing Director of Wesley Owen
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FREE Dalit Freedom Network clay
cup |
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...for all who participate in the Bibles for
India mission.
The Dalit Freedom Network has chosen the cup as a visual
representation of the the Dalits' brokenness and oppression.
Collect one when you drop your Bible at your local store (while
stocks last).
Please see below If you are interested in the
Dalit Freedom Network and for further details on how you can get
involved.
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Abolish Caste - Now and
Forever!
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The Dalit people make up a staggering 25% of the
total population of India. These 250 million people are the
'outcastes' of Indian society - the 'untouchables'.
The Dalit are among the poorest of the world's poor; they are
stripped of their basic humanity, are denied basic human rights,
and are entrenched in a system that gives them no freedom.
The ruling caste tells them they are Hindu, yet they are denied
access to the temples, cannot become temple priests, and due to
lack of education, cannot even read their scriptures. Dalit women
are sold into bonded prostitution. Even finding a place to bury
their dead is a problem. Seventy percent of Dalit live below the
poverty line. Only two to three percent of rural Dalit women can
read and write.
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On November 4, 2001, thousands of Dalit travelled
to New Delhi from all over India to denounce the oppressive system
under which they have been living. Even though the government tried
to block the ceremony, these Dalit declared they were leaving
Hinduism for religions that allowed them freedom and gave them
equality. Since then, Dalit have regularly been identifying
themselves with other faiths.
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| The Dalit are crying out for holistic
reformation: ending untouchability will require entire villages
being transformed from the inside out. The Dalit Freedom Network
(DFN) began in 2002 to respond to the cries of Dalit for help in
their quest for freedom from caste slavery. DFN has wholly embraced
the idea of village transformation. Our goal is to see 1,000
villages in India holistically transformed over the next decade. In
order to achieve this we are focusing on four key
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Education
As the majority of Dalit are illiterate and most are unable to
attend school because of discrimination or financial problems, few
Dalit children have a hope for a better life. The Dalit Freedom
Network has committed itself to building Dalit Education Centres in
Dalit villages so Dalit children have hope for the future.
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Health care
Dalit people need basic medical care, which DFN is establishing
through local village healthcare workers and regional healthcare
centres.
Economic development
Dalit parents need economic opportunities in order to provide for
their family. DFN offer these opportunities through micro-loans,
economic education, and Self-Help Groups.
Social justice
Finally Dalit need protection from physical persecution. The Dalit
Freedom Network is the only organization wholly devoted to the
protection of Dalit human rights. With a presence in Washington,
DC, London, and throughout India, DFN and DFN's partners are active
advocates for the rights of Dalit men, women, and children across
India.
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Change a Life and
Transform a Community
Why Sponsor a
Child?
Without education many of the children of the
Dalit communities of India will be condemned to a life of bonded
labour, begging, continual abuse and hopelessness. An English
medium education opens the doors to opportunities that would have
been forever denied to them. Base this education on a Christian
Worldview and value system and you lift these children out of the
oppressive caste inferiority mindset and endue them with spiritual
freedom, social equality and personal dignity. This will transform
a society!
By being a willing sponsor the educational costs of an Indian Dalit
child you will not only be impacting the child’s life
forever, but also be supporting the Dalit Community in its fight
for freedom and dignity.
You can sponsor a Dalit child for as little as £12 per month per
child. If you would like to sponsor a child please go to www.daliteducation.org/wesleyowen. You can also
make a donation to the Dalit Freedom Network via Wesley Owen in
store or online. Simply add the amount you want to donate to the
shopping basket.
For more information on the Dalits visit www.dalitnetwork.org or contact Dalit Freedom Network, 39 Honor Oak Road,
Forest Hill, London, SE23 3SH
Tel:
020 8699 6077, Fax: 020 8699 7160
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