Trinity Episcopal Church, Concord, MA

Beijing Circle: Women of Faith Changing the World

Are you interested in issues that face women around the world? Have you wondered how you can make a difference to women at home and abroad? Have you wondered what this has to do with our faith? If so, consider joining us the Trinity Beijing Circle. Funny name? Yes indeed. But one that links our faith with the realities that women face every day.

Maranyundo School, Nyamata, Rwanda

The Beijing Circle began their study in January 2011 with a study guide for International Outreach supporting women and children worldwide, developed by a group of Episcopal clergy. Through the use of this guide the women at Trinity decided education for women and girls and possibly a microloan program were the areas where they wanted to concentrate their efforts. Now the question of where and how to contact those in need was the next hurdle to overcome. Enter Burch Ford.

We were introduced to Maranyundo School by Burch Ford, a Trinity parishioner, who presented her experience with the school at a forum in the spring. She is a former head of Miss Porter’s School, CT and she served as U.S. Program coordinator at the Maranyundo School from May through October 2010. Her presentation was compelling, she had direct contact with the initiative who built the school and this initiative is based in Newton, MA. We invited her to our next meeting and after further discussion with Burch we have decided to concentrate our outreach efforts to this all girls school in Rwanda.

The school is only three years old and is already ranked 3rd overall and First among girls’ schools on Rwanda’s National Exam Scores! This was the first time that this school took the national exams and all its 9th grade students have been offered access to secondary schools. Maranyundo School serves those girls who otherwise would not be able to attend school for financial reasons.

The Maranyundo Initiative has set up a scholarship program in Burch’s honor and a matching grant was announced at the end of July that would match any contribution sponsored in the next 30days. $500 sends a girl to school for 1 year. Trinity Beijing Circle made a contribution of $1000.00 and with the match we will be providing four years of tuition. We want the entire parish to become involved in this outreach and will be introducing the wish list and ways to involve the Sunday school in supporting this school.

History of the Beijing Circle

In 1995, Beijing was the site for the Fourth World Conference on Women sponsored by the United Nations. It was there that the Beijing Platform for Action was produced. Ten years later, in reviewing the progress made on the areas of concern identified in that Platform, a small group of women from the Episcopal Church were so deeply moved by their experiences at the 2005 gathering of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW - Beijing +10), that they dedicated themselves to inviting others in their part of the world to share in their discoveries. To share their yearning for justice, their hope for a global consciousness and their attention to the realities of women in their own country and in the countries part of their Episcopal Province of the Anglican Communion.

The group called itself Episcopal Women Changing the World, and adopted a mission statement that reads:

As women in the Episcopal Church [in the United States], in solidarity and mission with our sisters throughout the Anglican Communion, we seek to further our Gospel conviction for justice and peace through our presence at the United Nations. We believe that the United Nations is an important instrument for implementing those convictions. We also commit to implementing the goals of the Beijing Platform for Action both in our church and our country/ies, as well as alongside our sisters in the rest of the Communion.

Creating a Beijing Circle is one little step toward change, one step toward hope, and one way to commit again to bringing our love of God to action.

We meet twice/month (2nd and 4th Sundays) from 4pm-6pm in the Trinity library. We invite you to join us.