President Boris Trajkovski of Macedonia was an evangelical Christian who led his country courageously in very difficult times. His death in a plane crash in late February has robbed the world a great European statesman. He more than once addressed the annual European Prayer Breakfast in Brussels very movingly. He recalled how he had had to plead with tears with the highest EU and NATO representatives to intervene with practical security assistance to help stabilise his country during its darkest hour.

President Trajkovski had to walk a tightrope between bitter ethnic and political tensions internally and strong competing external forces to lead his country towards peace, stability and economic development from the ruins of the former Yugoslavia. He drew great strength from his faith without which he freely acknowledged his task would have been impossible.

Peru Fairtrade Coffee Farmer

TEARFUND CHAMPIONS 'FAIRTRADE CHURCH' CAMPAIGN
10/3/04

Tearfund has launched a campaign during Fairtrade Fortnight (1-14 March) to encourage churches to mark the 10th anniversary of the Fairtrade Mark by committing to become a Fairtrade Church by using only Fairtrade tea and coffee at all meetings and to encourage the use of other Fairtrade products such as sugar, biscuits and fruit.

"Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of cups of coffee and tea are drunk after services every Sunday, not to mention during prayer groups and other meetings throughout the week," says Mari Griffith, Tearfund's Trade Campaign Officer. "Just imagine the difference it would make to the lives of producers if all the churches in the UK took this small step".

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