Dear anamed friends, scattered over many parts of the world,

We send you many greetings for Christmas. We thank you very sincerely for your energy and commitment to serving your families and communities with your knowledge and skills, and we thank you for working together with us in anamed.

It is a great joy and a massive encouragement to know that there are so many people in so many countries who are part of the anamed network. We hope that, with the help of an occasional newsletter, you can feel to be not only an important member of your local and national anamed groups, but also of the international movement, anamed international. As the network develops, we can learn ever more from each other.

Regarding Artemisia annua anamed, we are sometimes overwhelmed by the accounts that come of remarkable acts of healing. We have known for a long time that it greatly strengthens the immune system of AIDS patients (usually together with moringa leaf powder). We also hear, for example, about it at least helping with asthma, bladder infections, arthritis and some cancers.

We are also excited to receive feedback regarding many different medicinal plants.

We are encouraged by many exciting developments in many countries. For example, in Uganda anamed trainers have run some seminars for school teachers, during which they have established a school gardens. In Cameroon anamed partners are even establishing a village on anamed principles. In South Sudan, after diagnosis a clinic gives patients the option of conventional or natural treatment.

In several countries committed anamed people are establishing anamed centres which include a training room and a clinic.

Today our anamed work is more important than ever. For several reasons:

• 1. Because of the economic difficulties in Europe and North America, there is less money available. That means less money for development aid, less money for research into tropical diseases and, maybe more importantly, less money for the Global Fund. This fund has supported many large projects fighting malaria, TB and AIDS.
• What does this mean for us? It is even more important that local communities learn how to treat these serious diseases by developing and using their own resources. In our opinion, that is by far a more effective and certainly more sustainable way to work. One can never hold one’s head up high whilst depending on foreign aid, and there is always the risk of being let down.
• 2. Because of the increasing wealth and power of the big corporations, many of which have absolutely no regard for human welfare. Both genetically modified seeds and convenience foods are being aggressively marketed throughout the world, and increasingly in Africa and Asia.
• Jesus was born into a situation of occupying powers. The powers that be were exploiting the common people. In 2000 years, little has changed! Then the powers were military, political and religious. Today economic interests also exert enormous power.
• What does this mean for us? It is even more important that each family increases naturally the fertility of the soil in the garden. Then we use our own seeds to grow our own nutritious fruit and vegetables. Healthy foods from healthy soils give us healthy bodies! If our soil is naturally healthy, then the food we grow will contain many vitamins, minerals and proteins.

We believe that small-scale local self-sufficiency is the key to healthy development; self-sufficiency in food and, as far as ever possible, self-sufficiency in the prevention and treatment of disease.

Jesus inspires us to love one another - and that means caring also for our environment. We must care deeply for our communities, our earth and our plants and trees.

May God bless you all. We look forward to another year in which we join hands across many countries and work together for the benefit of all people in all nations.

We wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and every blessing for the New Year.

Martin Hirt, Keith Lindsey and the anamed international team

Martin Hirt and Keith Lindsey
anamed international (Action for Natural Medicine)
Emails Martin, Keith.
Address: Schafweide 77, 71364 Winnenden, Germany
Web: www.anamed.net