Read more of Kim Lawton’s interview about Muslims and charity with Anwar Khan, national development director of Islamic Relief Q: What is the mission of Islamic Relief? A: It’s to make this world a better place. To help those who … More →

September 7, 2007

Jazz trumpeter Terence Blanchard spoke August 17th with Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly about his recent CD, A TALE OF GOD’S WILL: A REQUIEM FOR KATRINA, when he was playing in Washington at Blues Alley: TERENCE BLANCHARD: In the aftermath of … More →

August 31, 2007

For many physicians, there’s uncertainty about when or whether they should pray with their patients, but Mark Jacobson says it would be malpractice not to. Dr. Jacobson is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and he’s been treating Africans in Tanzania for 22 years. More →

July 20, 2007

Sara Miles used to be a journalist and an atheist. But she had a conversion experience and is now a leader in her church, Gregory of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco where she feeds all who wander in and provides them with a sense of consistency and comfort. More →

May 25, 2007

Most tourists come to Tanzania to take a photo safari through a wonderland of wildlife. There are few places on earth that can match it. On the other hand, there are an increasing number of tourists who come to Tanzania to comfort a dying old lady or hold a little orphan girl. It’s called “voluntourism.” More →

April 6, 2007

Scott Neeson is a former movie executive who now runs a school for kids living in the slums around Phnom Penh, Cambodia. More →

December 1, 2006

A new report says this year Americans gave record amounts of private charitable donations. Another report says Americans donated nearly $3 billion to post-hurricane relief efforts. Yet nearly four months after Hurricane Katrina, the magnitude of the destruction is still difficult to comprehend. In the midst of it, many people here say the themes of Christmas are echoing in new and poignant ways.
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December 16, 2005

As the Gulf Coast reels from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the federal government tries to speed up its much-criticized response to the crisis, especially in New Orleans, religious groups are playing a key role in emergency relief efforts. More →

September 2, 2005

In Darfur, in western Sudan, a perfect storm of religious, racial, political, military, and environmental conflicts produced warnings of a humanitarian disaster. But that has been averted for now by a massive relief effort. The situation is still dangerous, especially because of marauding fighters called the Janjaweed, but refugees are being cared for. More →

May 13, 2005

By most standards, filmmaker Gerry Straub’s career is in a tailspin. His earnings have dropped significantly, but he’s not complaining. He believes that happiness is measured not by what you earn, but by what you are able to give away. He’s let go of almost everything except his work. Straub makes documentaries about the world’s poverty, hoping it will motivate us to do something about it. More →

May 13, 2005