Contents divided into five main sections: Introduction -- Section I: The Local Context -- Section II: Far-Reaching Concerns -- Section III: The Church in Areas of Civil/Regional Conflict -- Section IV: Principles Shaping Work in the Communion.
Contents: APJN Participant -- A Beginning -- Report from Aotearoa/New Zealand -- A Special Place -- Globalization and Poverty -- HIV/AIDS -- Justice and Peace Issues in the World -- Young People in the Anglican Church -- Environmental Issues -- Justice for Women -- Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances (CEDC) -- Death Penalty -- Overview: Areas of Special Concern -- Great Lakes Region -- Burundi -- The Zimbabwean Situation -- Role of the Church in the Sri Lankan Conflict / Kumara B.S. Illanasinghe i.e. Illangasinghe -- Overview: Principles Shaping Work in the Communion -- Theological Education -- Toward Interfaith Understanding.
The Anglican Church of Canada was represented by Ms. Cynthia Patterson and the Rev. Canon Eric B. Beresford who is also "Ethicist for the ACC" i.e. Anglican Consultative Council.
"In December 1992, the Archbishop of Canterbury, accompanied by his wife Eileen and Canon Roger Symon, visited the Church in Sri Lanka . This Church is extra-provincial to the See of Canterbury." A description of the visit, with special emphasis on the consecration of Bishop Kenneth Fernando, Bishop of Colombo, and the outreach work of the Church of Ceylon.
The author describes a visit to Sri Lanka which is still recovering from the effects of the December 2004 Tsunami which left 900,000 people displaced. In addition to the post-tsunami challenges, however, "the people of Sri Lanka now live in fear of another tsunami: this time the crushing waves of yet another civil war". The author describes the political unrest and violence which is particularly severe in the interior where the Tamil Tigers have their greatest strength. "All the churches in Sri Lanka see their primary task as that of building bridges, fighting poverty and helping the peace process forward. Despite their modest numbers in this predominantly Buddhist and Hindu country, the Church in Ceylon is strong and vibrant both in building up the faithful and in mission and outreach. Many of the clergy are overworked and exhausted. With large congregations of all ages representing the rich ethnic mix, in many ways the Church provides a parable of the Kingdom. With tri-lingual services in Tamil, Sinhalese and English it is a picture of unity in diversity around the Lord's Table".
There will be an international NIFCON consultation in Bangalore, South India, in September 2003. On 11 September 2003 Archbishop Rowan Williams will attend the third meeting of a Christian-Muslim Commission established by Archbishop George Carey at the Islamic University of Al Azhar in Cairo. These meetings are sometimes known as the Al Azhar dialogue after the university where they first met. NIFCON has recently expanded its web site to provide monitoring of Christian Muslim relations around the Communion.
Report also contains the full text of a story on the current political and interfaith context in Sri Lanka which has been moving toward real peace and interfaith cooperation. The article, written by Andrew Wingate, originally appeared in the Church Times of 20 September 2002 and highlights the interfaith work of Bishop Duleep de Chickera, Anglican Bishop of Colombo in the Church of Ceylon.