UN

Land degradation intensifies agricultural economic losses, disorganizes local and regional food markets, and causes social and political instability. To combat it there is an increasing push towards sustainable agriculture - the ability of a farm to produce food indefinitely, without causing irreversible damage to ecosystem health. And now there are lots of creative ways you can help support this work from giving a can of worms to a Bolivian farmer through to helping create a farming conservation plot in Zimbabwe.

Christians have given evidence to the United Nations concerning the estimated two million refugees that have fled Iraq since the invasion in 2003, urging Britain and US to open their doors to them.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu of South Africa has urged the drug company, Novartis, to stop its court action against patent laws in India, which he says will harm the interests of the poorest and most vulnerable in society.

Scientists' grim predictions of an even worse rate of global warming means the world must act immediately to help poor people cope with the now inevitable ravages of climate change, says international development agency Chrsitian Aid.