Thank you for your Generous Donations to the Peace & Global Witness Offering

Thank you for your generosity in supporting the Peace & Global Witness Offering! First Presbyterian's portion of this offering will go to assist the Batwa People of the Congo Basin through our Global Missions committee. 

The funds will help protect the Batwa from violence, discrimination, and displacement, while also supporting their efforts to safeguard their homeland, which includes the world’s second-largest rainforest and the largest continuous peatland on earth. As the original inhabitants and indigenous hunter-gatherers of this vast forest, the Batwa hold traditional land rights to one of the most resource-rich regions on the planet. 

However, these rights are not being recognized as powerful forces seek to exploit the area’s resources. The Batwa face violence and harassment from their government, which is allowing logging and mining companies to destroy the forests and peatlands. This forest, often called the "Lungs of Africa," plays a crucial role in global climate health, and its surrounding peatlands store 30 billion tons of carbon—more than one year of global carbon emissions. Indigenous communities like the Batwa are key to preserving these lands and combating climate change.

Thank you for your help and support.