This presentation was presented at the African Biblical Leadership Forum (ABLI - see http://www.abliforum.org for details). I was invited to represent the campaign 'EXPOSED - Shining a light on corruption'. You can find out more about the campaign at http://www.exposed2013.com - you can find out more about my work at http://www.dionforster.com

2. A global Biblical campaign on corruption and
poverty
or
Biblical foundations for advocacy in the areas
of corruption and poverty.
Dr. Dion Forster

3. Three important
stories.

4. 1. A global story:
Why are we poor?

5. Philip’s story

6. hunger n.
1. the discomfort, weakness, or
pain caused by a prolonged lack
of food.
2. to have a strong or compelling
desire.

7. • Globally, 854 million
people are
undernourished.1
• Annually Americans
spend $558 billion
on takeout food.2
• And, $33 billion on
weight loss
products and diets.2

8. • A child dies every 5
seconds due to
hunger related
causes.1
• Half of the world’s
population lives on
less than $2 per
day.2
• 1.6 billion people
have no access to
clean drinking
water.2
• Each day 29000
children die from
preventable
diseases.3

9. • Providing malaria
prevention to the
developing world
would only cost $4.2
billion.1
• $25 billion a year
would be enough to
give life saving medical
services in low income
countries.2
• The cost of eradicating
Global Poverty is only
1% of Global Income.3

10. Listing the challenges:
The Millennium Development
goals
•Eradicate extreme poverty and
hunger
•Achieve universal primary
education
•Promote gender equality and
empower women
•Reduce child mortality
•Improve maternal health
•Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and
other diseases
•Ensure environmental sustainability
•Develop a global partnership for
development

11. “We will spare no effort to free
our fellow men, women and
children from the abject and
dehumanizing conditions of
extreme poverty, to which more
than a billion of them are
currently subjected.”
(Millennium Declaration Sept 2000)

12. We have the knowledge and the resources to
make a change…
hunger n.
1. the discomfort,
weakness, or pain
caused by a
prolonged lack of
food.
2. to have a strong or
compelling desire.

13. We have the knowledge and the resources to
make a change…
But, do we have the HUNGER?
hunger n.
1. the discomfort,
weakness, or pain
caused by a
prolonged lack of
food.
2. to have a strong or
compelling desire.

14. 2. A Biblical story:
God’s economy.

15. God’s economy and the economic systems of
the world.
Economics:
• Oikos (οἶκος)
– household
• Nomos
(νόμος) – to
manage

16. “Both religion and politics are concerned with
how we should organize societies. Yet the
tendency for Christians has often been to
begin with the politics and work back- wards
to find religious rationale for our political
beliefs. As a result, most people read the Bible
not to challenge our deeply held beliefs, but
to affirm the decisions we've already made
with our lives.”
(Tim Suttle God’s Politics)

17. Which Jesus shapes
our faith and
mission?

18. Is this how you view the
Lord?

19. The challenge given
to my Master of
Theology students:
Read only the RED
letters.

21. “When I give food
to the poor they
call me a saint.
When I ask why
the poor have no
food they call me a
communist.”
Dom Helder
Camara

22. Unearthing the real Jesus
Historical Pre- Pauline Synoptic Popular
Apostolic
Pauline
Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus Jesus
Jesus

23. He has showed you, O man, what
is good. And what does the Lord
Prayer and justice
require of you? To act justly and to
love mercy and to walk humbly
God‟s „economy‟
with your God.
(Micah 6.8)

24. But the Lord Almighty will be
exalted by his justice,
and the holy God will show himself
holy by his righteousness.
(Isaiah 5.16)

25. “The Spirit of the Lord is
on me, because he has
anointed me to preach
good news to the poor.
He has sent me to
proclaim freedom for the
prisoners and recovery
of sight for the blind, to
release the oppressed, to
proclaim the year of the
Lord’s favor.”
(Luke 4.18-19)

26. “Justification by faith
leads to doing justice,
and doing justice can
make many seek to be
justified by faith”
Tim Keller (Generous
Justice p.140)

27. There can be no
personal
holiness without
social holiness.
(John Wesley –
founder of
Methodism, social
activist, revivalist)

28. "The chief political concern of the Scriptures is
for God's wise and loving ordering of his world
to be operative through humans who will
share his priorities, especially his concern for
the poor, the weak and the vulnerable. This
concern was embodied by Jesus in his
inauguration of 'God's kingdom' through his
public career and especially his self-giving
death, which together set the pattern for a
radically redefined notion of power."
— N.T. Wright, New Testament Scholar at
University of St. Andrews

29. "The chief political concern of the Bible is to
worship God truly."
— Stanley Hauerwas, Theologian and ethicist
at Duke Divinity School

30. "The chief political concern of the Bible is the
restoration of God's shalom on the entire
world: human and nonhuman, animate or
inanimate. That encompasses all aspects of
the human polis and thus politics but also the
entirety of creation so that nothing is left
outside this primal 'political' concern."
— Brent Strawn, Old Testament Scholar,
Candler School of Theology at Emory
University

31. "I believe that the central political question is
the management of public power in order that
there should be an economically viable life for
all members of the community. Thus justice is
front and center and some texts, especially in
Deuteronomy, are for the distribution of
wealth in order that all may be viable.
Obviously such justice is marked by mercy,
compassion and generosity. The purpose is to
create a genuine neighborhood for all the
neighbors.”
— Walter Brueggemann, Old Testament
Scholar, Columbia Theological Seminary

32. "Shalom -- the well-ordered flourishing that
God desires for all of creation, and that brings
God glory."
— James K.A. Smith, Professor of Philosophy
and Congregational ministry, Calvin College

33. "The vision of the city of God is the goal. We
work for it not by forcing it down from heaven
to earth, but by treading in the footsteps of
the crucified and resurrected Christ."
— Miroslav Volf, Systematic Theology, Yale
Divinity School

34. "God's solidarity with the poor, oppressed,
outcast and forgotten."
— Brian McLaren, Author and theologian

35. “[W]e may well be coming to the end of the
era of the sovereign nation-state as we have
known it for the past three centuries.
Economic, financial, and technical forces have
created a global system that is far more
powerful than most existing states. The secular
powers shaping human life are increasingly
transnational If the Church is to speak the
truth to Caesar, it is these powers that must be
more and more in our sights.”
— Lesslie Newbigin, Truth to Tell: The Gospel
as Public Truth p89

36. 3. A new story:
God’s story and
our story.

37. Claude
Nikondeha’s story

38. The SAME mission in an ever
CHANGING world
"The gospel must be
constantly forwarded
to a new address
because the recipient
is always changing
his place of
residence.”
Helmuth Thielicke
(German Theologian)

39. How do we do
advocacy?

40. 1. Have clear aims and objectives
• What do you dream of?
• What „wrong‟ do you want to change?
• Is there a law, policy, group that is key?
• What steps will get you there?
• What can be achieved in the next 18
months, 3 years?
• What risks are there for individuals and
organisations? How could these be
minimised?

41. 2. Understand who you want as
supporters (the pyramid of support)

42. 3. Have activities to mobilize
every level – be creative, don‟t
ask too much or too little of
supporters.

43. 4. Build key relationships/understand
who to reach to have influence
5. Have clear asks
6. Communicate, tell stories, report
back

44. 7. Link advocacy to practical action –
adds credibility and understanding
8. Assess/appraise – celebrate wins,
be honest about failings

45. 9. Be prepared to let the campaign go
viral, work with others.
10. Keep praying

46. A campaign that is:
Prayerful
Persiste
Prophetic nt
Professiona
Positive l

47. EXPOSED – A
global Christian
Story

50. Why EXPOSED?
EXPOSED is a global call to action against
corruption and poverty. It is a response of the
Christian Church inspired from the Bible and is
committed to promote practical steps for ethical
behaviour in business, government and the
Church. It aims to position Christians as advocates
of justice and transformation in the nations we are
called to serve.

51. http://www.exposed2013.com

52. Corruption has a
name.
Poverty has a
face.
You have a voice.

53. “Do a little bit of good wherever you
are; its those little bits of good put
together that overwhelm the world”
- Desmond Tutu