Temperatures have dipped below freezing during the nighttime hours around Kabul and the first snow has been reported in the Paghman Hills north of Kabul. "In this cold weather, tents, blankets and sleeping mats are as important as food," states Amy Hilleboe, Catholic Relief Services' Emergency Response Team representative. "Studies note that people sleeping directly on the ground in these conditions, without insulation, lose body heat more quickly than food can generate it, which leads to hypothermia and death. Many relief agencies are talking about the snow cutting off supplies to certain areas in Afghanistan - and this is certainly a critical concern - but the cold weather alone will be deadly without urgent assistance." To combat the onset of what will be a long winter, CRS/Pakistan is planning to distribute blankets to 200,000 people in the Central Highlands region of Afghanistan.

Distribution priority will be given to widows, female-headed households, the disabled, and those who have fled their homes. Catholic Relief Services, in close collaboration with a local partner, is hoping to expand its peacebuilding efforts in Pakistan by sponsoring radio programs that examine the root causes of violence and promote peace and tolerance among peoples of all religions and ethnicities.

CRS continues its work with grassroots organizations to promote peace through the education of youth leaders for peacebuilding work and by sponsoring workshops and seminars that examine the social teachings of Islam and Christianity, especially as they relate to reconciliation and forgiveness.

OTHER CRS PEACEBUILDING INITIATIVES

Catholic Relief Services supports and promotes peacebuilding initiatives around the world in several areas of programming, including education, microfinance, and civil society. Highlighted below are three country programs that focus on interfaith and ecumenical peacebuilding activities. Please visit the Catholic Relief Services web page to find other examples of our work: http://www.catholicrelief.org/what/overseas/peace/index.cfm.

Indonesia: In 2001, CRS staff worked with partners in Central and East Java to support peacebuilding activities, which included interfaith dialogue to identify sources of tension and conflict and programs promoting interethnic tolerance and civic education. CRS also worked with interfaith groups in Yogyakarta and Jakarta to explore root causes of conflict and to develop joint approaches to peace.

Philippines: The Bishops-Ulama Dialogue Forum has been supported by CRS since 1996, encouraging dialogue between high-level Christian and Muslim leaders. Together they seek ways to promote peace in the violence-torn region of Mindanao and to break down misunderstandings and misconceptions between Christian, Muslim and the indigenous Lumad communities. CRS also supported grass roots inter-religious dialogue projects between Muslim and Christian women and between Christian and Muslim clergy.

Cameroon: The Democratic Peacebuilding Project aims to support the local Ecumenical Service for Peace in its efforts to create a vibrant and participatory civil society based on Christian and human rights values through programs that promote peace and educate men and women to be conflict resolution trainers.

ACTION NEEDED

****Catholic Relief Services needs your assistance to aid the people of Afghanistan. As always, the most expedient way to assist is with financial contributions rather than in-kind donations. Donations collected at the diocesan level can be sent to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17220, Baltimore, MD 21298-9663. If you would prefer parishes and individuals to send contributions directly to CRS, please publish the following address: Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090.

***Bishop John Ricard, SSJ, CRS' Board Chairman, has called the CRS community around the world to fast one day a week until Christmas, as a witness to peace and as an act of solidarity with our brothers and sisters around the world, especially those whose lives have been irrevocably changed by war and violence. Bishop Ricard suggests we fast on Friday, as Friday is the traditional day of fasting for Christians and is considered a holy day for Muslims, who will be fasting during the month of Ramadan. We invite you to join us in this fast.

****Continue your prayers for a just and peaceful resolution to this crisis. Pray for the men, women and children who have been displaced by war and famine. Pray for an end to the cycle of violence in all war-torn areas of our world, and for the safety and security of all who are working to bring much needed humanitarian aid to the people of Afghanistan under very difficult circumstances.

****Collaborate with your diocesan colleagues to support and promote peacebuilding initiatives and global solidarity in your area. Share your ideas and experiences with your peers through the BEST PRACTICES section of the Diocesan Director Resource Page. www.catholicrelief.org/ddinfo.html.

****Stay connected to the work and needs of Catholic Relief Services through our website at www.catholicrelief.org. Information is updated on a regular basis and can be found on the Afghan Refugee emergency page and on the Pakistan and Afghanistan country pages. You can also call Karen Smith (410-625-2220, x3647) or Laurie Latuda (410-625-2220, x3422).