Face to face with violence and death, churches in the Philippines are helping to build peace in a country where armed conflict continues to rage, says Maurice Melanes. Christian-Muslim cooperation is an important part of the alternative agenda.

Several weeks after a brutal crackdown on thousands of democracy protesters across Burma, over a hundred Buddhist monks have taken part in the first public demonstration in northern Burma since the government's wave of repression.

With reports of hundreds of people killed by the junta in Burma, international solidarity with the pro-democracy protesters is set to continue this week in spite of the crackdown and what looks like a logjam in UN diplomacy.

A progressive church in Bradford is calling on all churches to advocate a boycott on Total garages during the present crisis in Burma - because the company is seen as an important prop to the murderous regime there.

As yet unconfirmed reports from military sources in Burma say that there is significant unrest in the army, with reports of mutinying in some areas and claims that a coup is taking place. Meanwhile the death toll of protesters has been growing significantly.

The Israeli government is no longer granting routine re-entry visas to Arab Christian religious leaders who wish to travel in and out of occupied Palestinian territories - making their pastoral activities much more difficult to carry out.

At least nine people were killed in Rangoon yesterday in continuing clashes between the military and demonstrators. They included eight protesters and a Japanese photo-journalist. Monks have been beaten and arrested in the crackdown. But the protests continue.

Even as the African country of Zimbabwe falters under a staggering inflation rate of 7,500 percent, "there is life," a Zimbabwean development workers has told United Methodists and others at a meeting in the USA.

The leader of the Anglican church in Myanmar (Burma) has offered support and prayers for the nation as thousands of Buddhist monks are taking to the streets of the capital in non-violent protests - and facing military repression.

Burma's ruling military junta has warned it is ready to "take action" against Buddhist monks leading growing protests for an end to repression within the country. But the nonviolent action has confused the authorities and unleashed massive public support.