“In a year when most of our friendships have been ‘remote’ ones, it’s hard to think of a more opportune or important time to build friendships with the people of Palestine.” Amos trustee Madeleine McGivern writes about making friends in Palestine.

“Last Monday was International Women’s Day, a global day intended to celebrate women. Just 8 days ago. Karin Joseph writes about a very difficult week for women in the UK.

It was the year of lockdown, of finding new ways to engage, to tell stories and to fundraise. As we look ahead to 2021, we’re going to first look back at the year we’ve just left behind — a year of creative fundraising and emergency appeals, of presenting webinars and publishing books, of cementing old friendships and fostering new ones. This is the Amos staff team’s review of 2020.

“I know I will still occasionally be phoning Garth. I also know that through the Garth Hewitt Foundation, he will still be creating and recording new songs, and publishing prayers and reflections. I have no doubt that retiring from Amos will not dim his passion or his creativity — if anything, I think it will focus him even more.” Chris Rose writes a tribute to Amos Trust’s Founder, Garth Hewitt.

Coronavirus first entered the main population in Gaza at the end of August and is now spreading rapidly. The official figures show that in the last two weeks the number of recorded cases in Gaza has tripled with 12,000 new cases and 62 fatalities. However this vastly under-estimates the actual numbers.