E ngā maunga whakahī o te motu, tena rā tatou katoa, Ko James Beck tēni I’m James Beck. And welcome to this one-off episode of Ngā Here.
If you have listened to Ngā Here before, you will know that usually, I take a couple of people to some remote location, to discuss what the bible might have to say about the state of our planet, about living in a country which is working through the impacts of colonisation, and about how the church is called to respond to our aching world…
If you haven't listened to Ngā Here before, then nau mai - welcome…
This episode is similar to the first couple of seasons because I took someone up to the secluded hut hidden in native bush and surrounded by birds on Te Pataka o Rakaihoutū or Banks Peninsular…
But it's a bit different because instead of walking through a passage of the bible, we get to hear a bit of the story of someone who spent their life following Jesus into the deforested heart of Africa and searched for a way to join with God in restoring his good creation
Tony Rinaudo is an agronomist and Christian missionary who developed a method that has restored millions of hectares of degraded land in Africa. Known as "The Forest Maker," Tony has spent over three decades working in the field, primarily in Niger, where he pioneered FMNR to combat desertification, improve food security, and enhance livelihoods. His innovative approach leverages the power of local communities to restore native vegetation, sequester carbon, and boost biodiversity.
His work has earned global acclaim, including the Right Livelihood Award.
You can read a review of The Forest Underground here.
The karakia in this episode were written by Waiora Te Moni. You can purchase her incredible book He Rau Oriwa here.
Thanks to Philip Sapsford and World Vision New Zealand for organising the time with Tony.
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https://www.instagram.com/ngaaherethemanyconnections/
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