Page 31 - PC Fall 2023

presbyterian.ca
FALL 2023
Connection
PRESBYTERIAN WORLD SERVICE & DEVELOPMENT
PRESBYTERIAN
31
PWS&D Partner Spotlight: CWSA
Marvin Parvez, regional director at CWSA, visiting a community project support- ed by PWS&D, with Leslie Scanlon, the Canadian High Commissioner to Pakistan. PHOTO CREDIT: CWSA.
By the Rev. Dr. Ta Li Hsieh, minister at Vancouver Taiwanese Presbyterian Church
There are about 110 million refu- gees and forcibly displaced peo- ple around the world as of 2022. This number is an historical high. How can a church respond to the call of hospitality this situation re- quires, working together to be the witness?
After the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Government of Canada pledged to welcome 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada. To date, over 30,000 Afghans have arrived in Canada.
Afghan refugees have been welcomes to Canada under dif- ferent immigration streams, one of which is the Blended Visa Office-Referred (BVOR) program. Under this program, the costs for the sponsorship are shared with the Canadian government. The sponsoring group commits to a full year of social, emotional and settlement support, as well as six months of financial support. The government provides the other six months of financial support.
Since September 2022, Ker- risdale Presbyterian Church and Vancouver Taiwanese Presbyteri- an Church have been working to- gether to undertake a sponsorship under the BVOR program. With support from refugee program staff at PWS&D, we applied for a BVOR sponsorship. Each con- gregation will take on one quarter
of the full expense of the partner- ship, which is about $14,000 for one year of financial support. The joint committee formed by the two congregations worked very diligently, including arranging housing, daily living support and documents to prepare for arrival and a smooth transition into a new home.
On May 5, 2023, we met our long-awaited new friends at the Vancouver International airport— a gifted young couple from Af- ghanistan. The members of the Refugee Committee took them to the home that had been prepared for them—for a peaceful rest af- ter the long journey. Since their arrival it is very exciting to see our new friends adjust well—finding work and entering the job market. They are beginning new dreams in their lives.
Refugees leave their original homes, and finally reach their new homes. As it says in Romans 15:7, “Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has wel- comed you, for the glory of God.” On Sunday, June 11, the two congregations had a welcoming potluck lunch for the newcomers and introduce them to the congre- gation members. The room was filled with good food, joy, warmth, caring, laughter. The compassion took over the worries.
To learn more about how you could take part in a BVOR refu- gee sponsorship, please contact sponsorship@presbyterian.ca.
By Karen Bokma, PWS&D Communications
Marvin Parvez is the regional director at Community World Service Asia (CWSA)—a long- time partner of PWS&D. Based in Pakistan, Marvin provides leadership to CWSA’s staff of ap- proximately 300 people, primarily based in Pakistan and Afghani- stan. PWS&D works with CWSA to provide emergency relief, food security, health, education and livelihoods programs.
Starting work in the development and relief sector in 1990, Marvin Parvez was motivated to serve from a young age. High school involvement with the YMCA and his local church fed his desire to work for the church. Marvin joined Church World Service after completing university and has been serving communities in Asia, the Pacific and Central Asia ever since.
Today, as regional director of CWSA, Marvin has overseen the organization transition from being par t of the global Church World Service program to becoming a fully nationalized operation. CWSA is a Pakistani-Afghan par tnership, with leadership, management and governance coming from those two countries.
What do you love most about your work? Iloveditfromdayoneandcontin- ue to love what I do. It comes from my faith and what I understand service to be—the servant King— ultimate humbleness is when you
wash the feet of the disciples or, in our case, the communities.
Why is the model for how CWSA works so important?
A lot of our work comes from mis- sionary movements, where the relationship with the local commu- nity and local families was central. The communities are the hear t of our work and part of our DNA. National organizations like CWSA understand the local context and are the most capable first respond- ers. We are on the ground. It helps when we have a national team.
How does the partnership with PWS&D impact your work?
This partnership is a way of practicing stewardship. I love the word stewardship. It’s how we treat each other, it’s how we manage resources, it’s how we manage creation. Stewardship is what should dictate the decisions we make in the work.
It’s an empowering model for the whole sector. There are more resources available to us, more technical support. And it’s more than that. I like the terms where people are talking about decolo- nizing so that you’re actually sharing power, which is difficult.
In the past several years, the sit- uation in Afghanistan has been especially complicated. How have you dealt with that?
The situation in Afghanistan is the worst humanitarian crisis and no one is talking about it. Every- body’s talking about Ukraine, so we don’t talk about Afghanistan
In June, a welcoming potluck lunch was hosted to introduce the newcomers to the two congregations.
anymore. Jesus had strong soli- darity and love for marginalized people, and I see some of that same thing when I think about Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is an example of why being a national organization is so important. If we were totally dependent on expatriate staff in Afghanistan, after the Taliban takeover we wouldn’t have been able to function. I’m not saying the lives of my Afghan colleagues weren’t at risk, but they under- stand the language, the culture, the tribal linkages.
We also have a gift which we didn’t have in the ’90s—digital media, social space. Unfortu- nately, not every young woman in Afghanistan has a smartphone, but many do. Compared to what we could reach in the late ’90s, our capacity is much bigger today to reach many more people.
What keeps you hopeful in this work, despite the challenges?
I do get frustrated. I don’t see voices of peace or talk of rec- onciliation. The sadness comes from the fact that I don’t see global leadership for the peace initiative. But I was encouraged by seeing a delegation of African heads of state go to Ukraine. I’d like to see Christian leadership do the same.
Ultimately, to serve communi- ties in need with love is the most important thing. Love is the most important commandment, and we should focus on that. Obvi- ously, we have to be strategic and smart about it, but everything is possible. When we work together, when countries work together, we can do big, hard things.
Despite ongoing challenges since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, CWSA remains committed to girls’ education in the country. PHOTO CREDIT: CWSA.
Members of the sponsorship group welcomed an Afghan couple who arrived in May.
Welcoming New Friends