Korea: Adventists Set Health Goals for Coming Decade

Seoul, Korea ... [Tadaomi Shinmyo/ANN] Seventh-day Adventist health professionals in the Northern Asia-Pacific region of the church met February 25 and 26 to consider disease trends throughout Asia, and to commit to making a difference in helping reverse these trends over the coming 10 years. Delegates from Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Mongolia and Taiwan met at Eden Sanitarium, a hospital near Seoul, Korea. The most common lifestyle-related diseases in these countries include heart disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, and obesity.

Adventist Receives Grammy Award

Los Angeles, California, USA ... [ASN/Unaspress and the State of the Paraná/ANN] Among the winners of the 44th Grammy awards on February 27 was Seventh-day Adventist Alexandre Klein, who was also the only Brazilian to win an award. Klein won in the Instrumental Soloist category for performing as oboist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A graduate of the Curitiba Fine Arts School and the University of Sao Paulo, Klein directed the Curitiba music workshop in January.

Media Interest Builds in Philippines Religious Liberty Congress

Manila, Philippines ... [IRLA Staff/ANN] The International Religious Liberty Association and its upcoming World Congress on Religious Freedom made headline news in Manila February 21, with two top-selling daily newspapers running front-page reports on the event. Each article focused on current world concerns over religious extremism, and included interviews with Jonathan Gallagher, IRLA deputy secretary general, who was in Manila to promote the event. “Religion can be easily exploited by some people for political gain,” said Gallagher, who is also United Nations liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist world church.

The three-day congress will start June 10 and will bring together diplomats, experts, and religious leaders to examine “Religious Freedom: A Basis for Peace and Justice.” Speakers include president of the Philippines Dr. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, United Nations Undersecretary General Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance Professor Abdelfattah Amor. For more information go to www.irla.org.