24 Sep 2014 Study Guides for Women’s Empowerment, Peace and Poverty Reduction in Pacific Churches and Communities

Communication for Ecumenism and Inter Religius Dialogue

New Zealand

Manahine Pasefika was founded in early 2006 by an ecumenical group of theologically trained Pacific Islands’ women. Manahine seeks to enable its members to publish their own theological work and to produce empowering study materials for laity in their churches. This project will address both the need for theologically trained islander women’s prophetic voices to be heard (since they are largely silenced by their churches and cultures), and the need for grassroots lay people (especially women and youth) to have access to praxis-oriented study materials which address urgent problems in church and society. The purpose of this project is to produce a series of Study Guides over the next three years which will address specific needs in Pacific churches and societies – including the need to recognise women’s ministries and leadership in the church, the need to address conflict and build peacemaking skills, and the need to address the root causes of poverty. The target group for the Study Guides will be laity in the Pacific churches – particularly church women’s and youth groups. Because these groups are poor, there is a need to be able to disseminate our Study Guides free of charge. Not only will these recipients benefit, but Manahine’s members will also benefit, as they grow in capacity-building. The intended outcome and impact of this project is that members will be able to make use of their theological training, since most are under- or non-utilised by their churches, and that Pacific church women and youth will become better equipped and inspired to speak and act pro-actively and prophetically to address their needs.

Annual Report

Interim Report