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TEAM PODCAST 7

Arguably the very best one yet! Yinka, George, Angel, Faith, Karl and Phil talk about the things we all talk about but never admit!
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And before you starting seeing pessimism where none was intended: the point I make here is that entertainment should only be one of many pathways to one of the core Christian tenets of evangelism.

Another key area that desperately needs more prime time in the contemporary common consciousness is social action.

Social Action...
And on that latter point it’s particularly encouraging to see the number of compassion projects entering the UK Black gospel space.

And unlike previous years the evidence is more apparent: MOBO winner Jahaziel was happy to team up with Christian Aid to record a video in aid of the recent Burmese Cyclone disaster, and Guvna B has just put on a free concert in aid of the African Caribbean Leukemia Trust (ACLT).
 
And it isn't just the glamour of the high profile gig that holds sway. There's also stuff going on that you've probably never heard about: relative newcomers Da Fellowship are donating £1 from the sale of their debut CD 'Music For The People' (their song 'The Appeal' perfectly illustrates how seriously they take it), and Street Symphony, set up by Silas Zephaniah has been working very closely with the homeless and the disadvantaged very seriously in recent months.

Platform2
If Silas' name sounds familiar it would probably be because until recently he was one-third of Royal Priesthood, a group that refuses to separate social action from the very heart of how they operate in music.

And the connection continues as Royal Priesthood's Femi Iloyi announced back in November 2008 that they were directly involved in the Department for International Development (DFID)'s new global volunteering scheme, Platform2, run on DFID's behalf by Christian Aid, Islamic Relief and international volunteer organisation BUNAC.

Opportunity
Platform2 offers 18-25 year olds who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity to volunteer overseas the chance to live and work overseas in a country affected by poverty, and do something positive to help their own communities on return to the UK.

It aims to unlock the potential and develop skills of young British adults who wouldn't normally have such an opportunity, giving young British adults from less advantaged backgrounds the chance to spend 10 weeks volunteering in Peru, India, Ghana or South Africa and do something positive in their communities back home.

Engaging: Development Issues
Young people are being encouraged to engage in development issues, allowing them to spread the word amongst their communities, and get them involved in campaigning and fundraising.

Making a difference: home and away
The intention is to help young people make a difference overseas: raising awareness of HIV/Aids amongst young people; building schools, community centres, wells, tap stands and hand pumps; developing allotments, sports pitches and ecological centres.

The experience will in turn feed back into raising awareness back here in the UK, as the volunteers will be given support to produce videos and take part in music and sport road shows to tell their stories to other young people and the wider UK community in schools, youth groups, churches and temples.

Personal Development
And the personal development targets are laudable too: DFID hopes participants use and develop skills and talents, ranging from practical building to creative media skills and team working, while gaining valuable work experience in a different country.

Then there's the whole thing around promoting understanding of global issues and social cohesion: young people will see first-hand the poverty challenges different countries face, and how aid is making a difference.

Mixed groups from diverse backgrounds will travel, live and work together, giving them a unique opportunity to get to know and respect one another.

What are you waiting for...?
The question is: what are you going to do about it? Is this something you (or someone you know) should be involved in?
  It's a major project, robustly funded by the government, and a genuine opportunity for our young people.  Don't just read this and leave it there. Spread the word! Get yourself (and at least one other person) involved.

Royal Priesthood (and not to mention the Government) is waiting to hear from you...

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Ekklesia - Happy (new single)

In March 2010 Ekklesia wrote and performed a new song HAPPY with over 2000 children at the Queen Elizabeth Hall - its success led to Ekklesia rerecording it for release on 23 May 2011 - Get it on iTunes!!

PUBLICATION DATE: 30 Jan 2009

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