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Launch of the State of the Great Commission Report (April 19, 2024, Lausanne Movement)
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INDIA: Is this the end of religious tolerance in the subcontinent? (March 26, 2024, Release International)
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Celebration of Easter in Asian countries with tradition and rituals (March 19, 2024, Travel and Tour World)
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This is the happiest country in Asia, according to the World Happiness Report (March 19, 2024, CNBC)
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Make Nepal Hindu Again: Christians Concerned by Rising Religious Nationalism (April 12, 2024, Christianity Today) (Subscription Required)
In an “alarming” development, Indian Hindutva ideology and politics have begun to spread throughout the country, as local experts and journalists report. This proliferation has resulted in a recent spate of attacks and restrictions on Christians reported within the country of 30 million.
Should Christians be neutral about Israel/Palestine? (March 21, 2024, Mission Network News)
Conversations about the conflict between Israel and Palestine are laden with political tensions. Violence has triggered debates and arguments across the globe. The only thing everyone can agree on is that they disagree.
Uzbekistan Turning Down The Volume On Islam (September 20, 2023, Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty)
But sources that attended the meeting and spoke to RFE/RL's Uzbek Service on condition of anonymity said that along with the supposed rise in radical interpretations of the country's main religion, officials raised alarms about an increase in polygamy and the emerging problem of citizens -- including state officials -- attending prayers during working hours. Officials should either "choose religion or work for the state," Aripov said, according to the sources.
25 Countries with the Highest Muslim Population in the World (July 29, 2023, Yahoo Finance)
By 2050, the share of Muslims in the world’s population will come close to that of Christians, 10% of Europe will comprise of Muslims, and India will retain its Hindu majority but will surpass Indonesia to have the largest Muslim population in the world for any country.
A guide to Thailand’s next Senate and ‘the most complicated election in the world’ (April 17, 2024, Thai PBS World)
After the 250 junta-appointed senators complete their five-year term on May 10, they will be replaced by a 200-member Senate elected from thousands of candidates via a complex voting system that excludes full public participation.
Week of Iran-Israel Strikes Marks a Mideast ‘Game Changer’ (April 17, 2024, Bloomberg) (Sign in required)
“It’s a new Middle East, it’s a Middle East in which Israel every day must wonder if some action might provoke an Iranian missile attack or drone attack on Israel’s territory directly...
The Road Ahead of Algeria’s Elections: A Changing Status Quo? (March 28, 2024, Arab Reform Initiative)
The 2019 protest movement left its mark on Algerian society as a new generation of Algerians emerged with unique demands and aspirations. While the 2019 elections were essentially focused on sociopolitical stability, candidates for the December 2024 presidential race are expected to provide concrete reforms on domestic affairs and foreign policy.
War in Sudan is 'a crisis of epic proportions' as atrocities abound (April 19, 2024, The Manila Times)
Over 14,000 people have been killed and tens of thousands wounded, half the country's population – 25 million people – need lifesaving assistance and more than 8.6 million people have been forced to flee their homes, including 1.8 million refugees.
The $2bn dirty-money case that rocked Singapore (April 12, 2024, BBC)
How did these men, some of whom had multiple passports from Cambodia, Vanuatu, Cyprus and Dominica, live and bank in Singapore for years without drawing scrutiny? It has sparked a review of policies, with banks tightening rules, especially around clients who hold multiple passports.
Sri Lanka cultivates sustainable fashion for an economic revival (March 5, 2024, Nikkei Asia) (Subscription Required)
Hosting an International Climate Change Forum last November, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe spoke of plans to transition to a clean economy and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.
China's Xi says nobody can stop 'family reunion' with Taiwan (April 10, 2024, Reuters)
Chinese President Xi Jinping told former Taiwan President Ma Ying-jeou on Wednesday that outside inference could not stop the "family reunion" between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and that there are no issues that cannot be discussed. Since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war to Mao Zedong's communists, no serving Taiwanese leader has visited China.
Winning Hearts on a Korean Island (April 8, 2024, China Media Project)
A recent series of events on South Korea’s remote Jeju Island offers a glimpse in miniature of China’s vast global media diplomacy campaign to paint the most pleasant picture of Xinjiang, where the country has been accused of serious human rights abuses.
China’s universities just grabbed 6 of the top 10 spots in one worldwide science ranking – without changing a thing (April 2, 2024, The Conversation)
Where once the list of universities with the highest scientific impact would have been dominated by U.S. and U.K. schools including Cambridge, Stanford, Harvard and MIT, the new top 10 list of universities with high scientific impact includes six universities from China.
How China’s People With Disabilities Are Confronting the Future of Work (April 1, 2023, Sixth Tone)
Can a social enterprise dedicated to employing people with disabilities point the way to a better future for all workers?
Official Protestant Groups Plan Next Five Years of Sinicization (April 3, 2024, ChinaSource Blog)
What are we to make of last year’s announcement that the official Protestant group leadership, the national Three Self Patriotic Movement association together with the China Christian Council, gathered to discuss a five-year plan for 2023–2027? Do China’s official churches typically have five-year plans like any other Communist Party organization? What is new about this five-year plan?
Rising Strong: A Journey of Faith and Growth Amidst the Pandemic (April 2, 2024, Chinese Church Voices)
During the pandemic, God had been helping and teaching us. It became a testing ground for the faith of our local church, especially as most of the foreign missionaries had to leave. We realized this as a moment of faith testing.
From Auspicious Dragon to Christian Devil: The Metamorphosis of Myth into Faith (April 1, 2024, ChinaSource Blog)
In his reflection on cultural heritage, Rev. Chow acknowledges that while no one has physically seen a dragon, it stands as a potent spiritual symbol for the Chinese, embodying a complex and profound mix of emotions—a reverence filled with honor and dignity.
Not a Shred of Peace: Testimony of God’s Grace and Call (March 21, 2024, China Partnership Blog)
Shortly after Covid-19 began to spread across the world, Wu Jinyang, a Chinese missionary serving in eastern Europe, contracted the virus. He eventually died of the virus, leaving behind his wife and young children. His widow and children have now returned to China, where the local Chinese house church supports and cares for them.
Ex-Taiwanese President Ma visits China to help build social and cultural links (April 1, 2024, NBC News)
Ma left Taipei on Monday with a student group on an 11-day trip that underlines continued interactions in education, business and culture despite Beijing’s threat to use military force against the self-governing island democracy to achieve unification.
Video: Where Will China’s Economy Go in 2024? (March 23, National Committee on U.S-China Relations)
Economists are split on whether the Chinese economy is stable or on the edge of a debt crisis. In this program on March 14, 2024, National Committee President Stephen Orlins joins Amy Celico and Barry Naughton to help make sense of different economic and policy projections for China’s economy in 2024 (and beyond).
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Joann Pittman is Vice President of Partnership and China Engagement and editor of ZGBriefs. Prior to joining ChinaSource, Joann spent 28 years working in China, as an English teacher, language student, program director, and cross-cultural trainer for organizations and businesses engaged in China. She has also taught Chinese at the University …View Full Bio
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Blessing Asia
In October-2022 more than 500 Christian leaders from across Asia gathered in Thailand for the Asia 2022 Congress, sponsored by the Lausanne Movement and various partnering organizations. I had the opportunity to participate in the Congress virtually and was mightily blessed. From Bible exposition to K-pop worship, and through seminars and workshops, the participants were encouraged by the stories of what God is doing in countries all over Asia. Clearly, God is on the move.
A beautiful vision was portrayed in a video of the popular worship song The Blessing, featuring singers from all over Asia. Here it is:
Many of the sessions have already been posted on their website and to their YouTube channel.
One that I found particularly helpful considering all that is going on in China was a presentation titled Church and State Relationship in Asia Today. You can see the video here.
I encourage you to spend some time on their website; there are fantastic resources for understanding God’s work in Asia today.
Original link: https://www.chinasource.org/resource-library/blog-entries/blessing-asia/
Image credit: Andrea Brucker, via Unsplash
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