by Keith Miller, Christian Aid organiser for Keighley Churches Together

CHRISTIAN Aid is a Christian Agency working with all who are committed to standing alongside the poor, whatever their faith.

It supports grassroots programmes in around 60 countries, helping the world's poorest people to improve their lives in the longer term.

Christian Aid campaigns to 'change the rules' which keep poor nations poor, such as unfair trading terms, and as a member of the Jubilee 2000 Coalition it is working to cancel poor countries' unpayable debts by the turn of the millennium.

Some of the poorest countries in the world are struggling under the burden of huge external debts.

The size of their debt repayments means that there is little or no government money left for basic health care and education, or for building up a rural economy after a period of conflict.

Poor people are unable to meet these costs themselves. Many depend on local initiatives to survive.

So for the poorest countries it really is a matter of 'Life or Debt'.

Christian Aid Week this year asks all who care to show in their response that life does come before debt, focusing on the debt crisis in three countries, Mozambique, Jamaica and Tanzania.

So I take this opportunity to thank, in advance, all those who will take part in next week's house-to-house collection in Keighley and those who will again give as generously as they can in the envelopes that will be provided.

Jesus said 'Love one another'.

Through Christian Aid we can offer love to our fellow human beings. Remember last year's Hurricane Mitch in Central America and the tremendous practical support given to the poor devasted people there?

Now we have the plight of the refugees in Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro, where Christian Aid is working with local partners to help the refugees.

Our Christian concern for our fellow human beings must never waver, and must continue so long as there is one poor individual crying out for help.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.