Climate risks in West Africa: Bobo-Dioulasso local actors’ participatory risks management framework

The paper focuses on the role of multilevel governance in climate change adaptation and risk management, and draws out lessons from the implementation of the UN Habitat Cities and Climate Change Initiatives (CCCI) in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. It describes the process for the formulation of a participatory risk management framework for local actors drawing from empirical investigations undertaken in Bobo-Dioulasso. The paper argues that adaptation needs to be mainstreamed and implemented at local level and to include risk management. Moreover, regulatory capacity of public authorities and balance of power and resources play a major role in this process. After presenting the specific knowledge on climate and environmental challenges and CCCI implementation in Bobo-Dioulasso, the paper describes challenges and opportunities in the implementation of the participatory risk and management framewor

Spiritual Gifts, Pastoring, and Gender: an Ongoing Dialogue

in Joel 2:28-29, god promises an innovation regarding how he will make his Spirit available in the last days ... god promises to give his Spirit and gifts without discrimination to both genders (“your sons and daughters,” and “both men and women”), young and old, from all walks of life, races, and social strata. in Acts 2:16-21, the apostle Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 to assert that the equal filling of the Spirit for the 120 disciples (among whom were women, cf. Acts 1:14) was an element of the fulfillment of god’s promise through the prophet Joel. he also points out that, from then on, the pouring out of god’s Spirit on believers will be an ongoing process: “the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our god will call” (Acts 2:39)

For All Peoples: A Biblical Theology of Missions in the Gospels and Acts [review]/Keener, Craig S.

This is a book review by Boubakar Sanou

Ethnicity, Tribalism and Racism: A Global Challenge for the Christian Church and its Mission

Ethnic, tribal, and racial identities are a challenge not only to society in general but to the christian church in particular. as bearers of cultural differences, ethnic and racial differences are often seen as a difficulty to overcome rather than a gift from God to be treasured. Barreto (2011) puts it this way: Ethnic and racial differences are not the problem. Prejudice and racism inject our differences with the sinful notion that our difference leads to superiority and inferiority or the distorted belief that our differences are merely cultural cues for determining who is in and who is out, rather than emblems of God’s gift of diversity. (p. 129) Ethnic, tribal, and racial differences have been successfully used either to build up or tear down communities and neighborhoods. the purpose of this paper is to explore issues related to ethnicity, tribalism, and racism and the consequent challenge they pose to the christian church in general. Because mission always involves the crossing of ethnic and cultural boundaries, it is important that the issues related to ethnicity, tribalism, and racism be addressed and put into the biblical perspective