This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Adventist Development and Relief Agency—ADRA—was mentioned in a syndicated piece from the Washington Examiner, entitled, “First-class flights, seven-figure salaries: How NGO bosses are living good on the taxpayer dime.” Author Robert Schmad writes, “A constellation of nonprofit organizations collectively receiving billions of dollars from government agencies such as U.S. Agency for International Development shower their executives with lucrative compensation, luxury travel, generous contracts for family members, and top-tier office spaces, a Washington Examiner review of public records found.” ADRA is mentioned thrice in the article. In the second paragraph: “The government has tasked prominent nongovernmental organizations such as ACDI/VOCA, Adventist Development and Relief Agency International, and the American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences with disbursing billions of dollars in taxpayer funds, primarily through foreign aid programs related to food security and public health.” The author claims that “taxpayer-funded nonprofit organizations” such as “Adventist Development and Relief Agency International… provided their leadership with mid-to-high six-figure salaries while raking in federal funding.” “On top of their generous salaries, Mercy Corps and Adventist Development and Relief Agency International paid for first-class travel for their high-level employees.” The Washington Examiner is considered a conservative paper. The essay appears to be written in support of President Trump’s cuts to USAID. Schmad quotes Elon Musk as saying, “There are quite a few people in the bureaucracy who have ostensibly a salary of a few hundred thousand dollars but somehow managed to accrue tens of millions of dollars in net worth while they are in that position, which is, you know what happened to USAID …. I think the reality is that they’re getting wealthy at the taxpayer expense.” At the time of reporting, AT had been unable to get a comment from ADRA. ADRA has since clarified that claims of “mid-to-high six-figure salaries” and routine first-class travel for leadership are inaccurate. ADRA’s 2023 filings show the CEO’s total compensation at $180,148, including benefits, and its policy prohibits first-class travel, though airline upgrades may occur. We stand by our role in reporting on public discourse, but note ADRA’s position for accuracy. We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze our traffic. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution. The Israeli-Palestinian film No Other Land is nominated for an Oscar for best documentary at this year’s awards It follows the struggles of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank community of Masafer Yatta to stay on their land amid violent attacks by Jewish settlers aimed at expelling them Since the film’s nomination was announced in January with co-director Basel Adra sharing video on social media of settlers rampaging through the village under the protection of Israeli soldiers says the goal of the documentary was not just winning awards but “to get to the people’s hearts” through film to see what’s going on in my community Masafer Yatta but [also] in all the West Bank.” where Israel is reportedly planning to build nearly a thousand new settler homes in the Efrat settlement near Jerusalem The Israeli settlements are illegal under international law “to establish facts on the ground that will destroy the chance for peace and compromise,” unquote This comes as Israel’s ongoing military operations in the West Bank have displaced at least 45,000 Palestinians the Oscar-nominated Palestinian director Basel Adra shared video from the occupied West Bank of Israeli forces storming and demolishing four houses in Masafer Yatta Basel Adra himself filmed armed and masked Israeli settlers attacking his community of Masafer Yatta Israeli soldiers on the scene did not intervene to halt the crimes Basel Adra’s Oscar-nominated documentary No Other Land is about Israel’s mass expulsion of Palestinians living in Masafer Yatta “Anyone who cared about No Other Land should care about what is actually happening on the ground: today our water tanks 9 homes and 3 ancient caves were destroyed Masafer Yatta is disappearing in front of my eyes Only one name for these actions: ethnic cleansing,” he said we want to play the trailer from his Oscar-nominated documentary BASEL ADRA: [translated] You think they’ll come to our home MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 1: [translated] Is the army down there NEWS ANCHOR: A thousand Palestinians face one of the single biggest expulsion decisions since the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories began BASEL ADRA: [translated] This is a story about power I grew up in a small community called Masafer Yatta MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 2: [translated] I need air MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 3: [translated] Don’t worry MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 2: [translated] I don’t want them to take our home YUVAL ABRAHAM: [translated] You’re Basel MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 4: [translated] You are Palestinian MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 5: [translated] He’s a journalist MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 4: [translated] You’re Israeli MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 5: [translated] Seriously BASEL ADRA: [translated] We have to raise our voices not being silent as if — as if no human beings live here BASEL ADRA: This is what’s happening in my village now IDF SOLDIER: [translated] Who do you think you’re filming YUVAL ABRAHAM: [translated] It would be so nice with stability one day AMY GOODMAN: That’s the trailer for the Oscar-nominated documentary No Other Land, co-directed by the Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham and our next guest, Basel Adra, Palestinian activist and journalist who writes for +972 Magazine, his most recent piece headlined “Our film is going to the Oscars we’re still being erased.” Basel has spent years documenting Israeli efforts to evict Palestinians living in his community If you can talk about your film and also what’s happening right now You recently were barricaded in your house filming what was going on We are four people — two Israelis and two Palestinians who’s my friend and living in Masafer Yatta We’re just activists and journalists And me and my friend Hamdan spent years in the field and in our communities and communities around us the cutting of our water pipes and the bulldozing of our roads and our own schools and trying to raise awareness from the international community on what’s going on to get political impact to try to stop this from happening and to protect our community And then we decided together that we will start working on No Other Land as a documentary that showed the whole political story through personal individual stories of people who lost their life and homes and school and properties on this like in the last years and also in the decades of the occupation We released the movie in the Berlinale 2024 your film has received an Oscar nomination but you haven’t been able to find a distributor in the U.S What do you know about this refusal of any company to pick up your film to distribute it can it be seen in the West Bank or in Israel itself it’s sad that we don’t find a U.S but the people and the audience and to get to the people’s hearts to see what’s going on in my community the daily life under this brutal occupation it’s the tax money that the people are paying there It have something to do with the home destruction that we are facing the building of the settlements on our land that does not stop every day and the cameras were confiscated from my home by Israeli soldiers And I was physically attacked on the field when I’m going around and filming these crimes to show to the people and to let the people know about what’s going on But it’s sad that the distributors in the U.S so far do not want to take a little bit of risk and to show this documentary to the audience that there is no big distributors taking No Other Land and showing it to the American people It’s very important to reach to the Americans we are doing it independently on the cinemas JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And your co-director is Israeli Have you come under criticism for working with Israelis on the film I’m not receiving any criticism for working with Israelis working together is because we share in somehow the same values that we reject the injustice and the occupation and the apartheid and what’s going on and we want to work pro-solution and pro-justice and to end these Can you get a visa to come into the United States But my family and the other Palestinian co-director does not have yet and they will be able to join us in the Oscar since it’s so difficult to see your film here in the United States I want to go to another clip of No Other Land filming the eviction of a Palestinian family BASEL ADRA: [translated] A lot of army is here YUVAL ABRAHAM: [translated] They plan a big demolition BASEL ADRA: [translated] We don’t know They’re driving towards one of my neighbors MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 1: [translated] Aren’t you ashamed to do this YUVAL ABRAHAM: [translated] I speak Hebrew MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 2: [translated] I hope that bulldozer falls on your head MASAFER YATTA RESIDENT 3: [translated] Why destroy the bathroom AMY GOODMAN: That’s Israeli bulldozers destroying a bathroom are attacked by Israeli forces even as you try to show them you have media credentials BASEL ADRA: [translated] I’m filming you ISRAELI SOLDIER: [translated] If he gets closer BASEL ADRA: [translated] You’re expelling us BASEL’S FATHER: [translated] Don’t hit my son BASEL’S FATHER: [translated] Shoot me BASEL’S MOTHER: [translated] Get an ambulance Your mother is hanging onto you as you’re being dragged What do you want the world to know about Masafer Yatta BASEL ADRA: I want the world to really act seriously The international community should take measures and act seriously to end this demolitions and ethnic cleansing that is happening everywhere in Gaza reasons that the Israelis try to separate out that they want to steal more and more of our land because every Palestinian community being erased there is settlements growing in the same place And the world just keeps watching and not taking serious actions this amount of violations of the international law it’s very clear that it’s violated every day by the Israelis they kept receiving weapons and money and relationships and —  look forward to interviewing you and Yuval in the United States co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary No Other Land You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Agency calls for environmental stewardship based on biblical principles United States | ADRA International and Adventist Review The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) reaffirms its commitment to environmental stewardship and disaster recovery in recognition ofEarth Day (April 22) and Arbor Day (April 25).ADRA recognizes the vital responsibility of preserving God’s creation especially in the face of increasing natural disasters and ecological deterioration ADRA is committed to nurturing and protecting the earth so that all may live as He intended,” said ADRA International’s vice president for Humanitarian Affairs Imad Madanat as we celebrate the crucial responsibility of caring for our planet ADRA stands in solidarity with communities worldwide equipping them through sustainable solutions that reflect our shared calling to care for both the environment and one another.” Hadija in her COVID-19 response community garden in Tanzania As wildfires and weather-related disasters grow in intensity and frequency ADRA responds with compassion and innovation Through such initiatives as Community Garden Kits and helping communities build long-term resilience and in response to devastating wildfires and soil contamination in Yellowknife ADRA Canada launched the Community Planter Box Project to promote food security through urban gardening This initiative helped spearhead a national campaign encouraging eco-based gardens that promote health and environmental awareness ADRA partners with local churches to provide communities with seeds and training to create sustainable household and community gardens preparing families to grow their own food and share sustainable practices As part of its commitment to disaster response and long-term recovery ADRA prioritizes reforestation as a powerful tool for environmental healing and resilience ADRA’s emergency response teams integrate reforestation into its global disaster mitigation program by actively engaging in planting native seedlings to help restore natural habitats This makes reforestation an essential step in rebuilding ecosystems and strengthening community resilience after disasters strike Forest fires demand immediate assistance and long-term plans of reforestation and communities to#GoGreenWithADRA by promoting environmental stewardship through hands-on initiatives Green projects include land rehabilitation (garden and tree-planting projects reduce erosion and restore damaged ecosystems) and sustainable food sources (community gardens empower local food production in areas with access to fresh produce) They also include conservation education: ADRA partners with local organizations to raise awareness and teach sustainable practices and community healing Canadian community members participate in a garden project © 2025 General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Find out about the most important news and events happening in our division You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Llanberis in Northwest Wales is dense with routes that give the region arguably the best climbing in Britain But ascending the lines of the green and grey Cymru hills is more than just technical delves into the long history of Welsh climbing and its importance to local identity Friends Lewis Perrin-Williams and Zoe Wood grew up on the cliffs of Llanberis they take the viewer along on various iconic local climbs climbers wore heavy boots and used railroad ties for protection Lewis’s father, mountaineer and author Jim Perrin, recounts the neglected history of native Welsh climbers. Recorded first ascents during earlier eras went to famous English climbers like Noel Odell, who used the hills of Wales as a proving ground before moving onto the Alps and Himalaya. But local Welsh copper miners were the true pioneers of many routes. The first recorded ascent of ‘Slanting Gully,’ above, was in 1897. But Jim Perrin believes Welsh copper miners made the true first ascent. Photo: Screenshot Older climbers like Jim Perrin draw a connection between the daring, “devil-may-care” attitudes of climbers in the 1980s and the rise of Margaret Thatcher. Thatcher’s tenure is remembered with intense hatred in Wales. Her economic policies left millions unemployed, and the violent police response to the 1984-5 miners’ strike shocked the nation. Adra explores how climbing was counter-cultural in 1980s Wales. “My climbing came from not being subject to social conditioning,” explains John Redhead. Many of the young people in the area were out of work. They started climbing as a way to escape their daily anxieties. Lewis explains that climbing isn’t just a sport but a way of celebrating and communing with his homeland. Adra means “home” in Welsh, a language that was illegal to speak in court until 1942. Celebrating the Welsh language, heritage, and, yes, climbing history is an act of resistance to centuries of British rule. Lewis on ‘The Rainbow of Recalcitrance,’ a route first climbed by John Silvester in 1984. Climbing the route, Lewis says, is a way of paying tribute to Silvester, a local climber who passed away last year. Photo: Screenshot Climbing, Adra explains, is ancient and indigenous in Wales. But it also nourishes an immediate, living community. Sign up to receive ExplorersWeb content direct to your inbox once a week. by Johnny Yu It’s also a unique and fairly rare crafting material used to upgrade unique weapons and armor To upgrade unique items across quality tiers you’ll need adra from to increase the quality tier of a unique from Common to Fine but you’ll need awakened adra to level it up from Fine to Exceptional and you’ll need a lot to upgrade all of your unique items Here’s a breakdown of all adra tiers in Avowed Adra will rise in quality as you progress to a later zone from adra (the lowest tier) to adra bán (the highest) Check out the list below to see all tiers of adra Adra can be found as loot from challenging enemies it may take a while to find adra if you’re hoping to come across it spontaneously there are a few guaranteed ways to get your hands on some adra: Higher-quality adra can be found in earlier zones and lower-quality adra can be found in higher zones but you’ll primarily find these adra in their associated zones It’s also possible to upgrade your adra to a higher tier but we’ll touch on that in the sections below Adra is sold by most merchants regardless of the items they’re selling they’ll usually have two to three adra for sale The price will vary depending on the quality and its price can be fairly steep depending on your progress so make sure to sell your hoard of gems to get some gold Unique items are items that have their own stories and powerful enchantments it can be hard to separate yourself from them and break them down for materials you’ll find a lot of unique items throughout your journey across the Living Lands so we suggest to hold onto unique items you see yourself using and break down the rest for crafting materials To see what materials you’ll receive for breaking down an item check the “Break Down” section in the item’s description You can get adra from dismantling unique gear or dismantle your adra into lower tiers if needed interact with the workbench and select the “Crafting” tab Scroll down to the bottom of the list to find adra It requires three adra of one tier to craft an adra of a higher tier such as using three adra to create one awakened adra and so on for the higher tiers you can downgrade it at the workbench as well select the mortar and pestle icon to switch to the “Downgrade” tab Downgrading a higher tier adra will create three adra of the lower tier downgrading an awakened adra will create three adra Each zone across the Living Lands contains one Strangled Adra — a giant adra monolith covered in vines Once you find and interact with that region’s Strangled Adra you’ll learn a little more about the voice behind the adra and receive one adra The adra’s quality tier will vary depending on the zone you’re in so you’ll receive higher quality adras the more you progress in Avowed For more Avowed guides, here’s how to get Paradisian ladder, or see our full Avowed walkthrough. The best of Polygon in your inbox, every Friday. The Godless Executioner is one of many bosses that give out adra Here are the best places to find this special material so you can upgrade your gear While you’ll find your inventory overflowing with all sorts of gear upgrade materials in Avowed If you want to brave everything the Living Lands has to throw at you it’s necessary to increase both the quality tier of your weapons and armour as well as each gear level as you progress further Doing so requires you to find heaps of this precious crystal as there are a handful of ways to get adra in Avowed many of which can be done as soon as you arrive in Dawnshore you can’t take a chunk out of the massive adra pillars that serve as base camps throughout your adventure (though I did try) There are three main ways to get adra in Avowed: Now, you’ve likely seen the in-game tooltip explaining how to upgrade uniques across quality tiers, including how to get your hands on adra. Sounds simple enough, right? Wrong. This tooltip is somewhat misleading as you’re not guaranteed to get adra for breaking down unique items, nor does it specify what “areas of high challenge” really are. After exploring every inch of the Living Lands, here’s how to actually get adra. Lastly, you get one adra every time you cleanse a Strangled Adra. These are adra pillars that you can find while exploring that are tangled in roots, often requiring you to complete a few puzzles or parkour your way up to them first. Nevertheless, interact with these to cleanse them and earn your adra. As you progress, the quality of adra increases all the way up to adra dan, the highest tier. There are five Strangled Adra locations to find, one in each zone: Since adra generally spawns in set locations or is given as a reward for certain milestones, you can quickly stock up once you know where to look. Here are the easiest locations I’ve found to get adra early on in Dawnshore: After you’ve collected these easily accessible adra and have levelled up a bit, I recommend completing sidequests like Dawntreader, various bounties (like Ralga), and exploring further to the southeast in areas like Castol’s Folly and the Emerald Stair Gatehouse. Once you reach the second major region, Emerald Stair, you will begin to earn awakened adra, a higher-tier upgrade material used to upgrade equipment from Fine to Exquisite quality. This trend continues as you progress, so if you’re ever wondering why you can’t seem to find any quality-improving materials, perhaps you just need to do some main story quests and enter the next region. Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Guides WriterRory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once and somehow still finding time for everything in between He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end Yesterday, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) released a statement announcing that Michael Kruger will step down after nearly a decade with ADRA International and four years as president when he will take on a new role as Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Adventist Healthcare White Oak in Calverton Kruger worked in the financial sector for 23 years He later served as a board advisor of Loma Linda University Medical Center and Loma Linda University Health and as a board member of Andrews University before joining ADRA in 2014 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) ADRA implemented a new strategic framework for its network and increased its focus on innovative global initiatives while continuing to provide lifesaving aid and long-term development support to millions in communities worldwide.” ADRA promises a smooth transition and keen discernment for the person who will take over the role Kruger has immense respect and love for the organization: “Serving with ADRA has been one of the greatest privileges of my life I have been deeply blessed to work alongside such a dedicated and compassionate team and I am grateful for the opportunity to have contributed to ADRA’s mission I have no doubt that God will continue to guide and bless this organization thank you for your unwavering commitment to serving humanity.” We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience and analyze our traffic This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé presented the leader of the global humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church with a small stained glass depiction of the Book of Mormon’s tree of life story Bishop Caussé said there’s no better way to describe the work of the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) “What is the greatest manifestation of love from God if it is not the gift of His Son manifest in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ?” Bishop Caussé said to ADRA President Michael Kruger and others gathered on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building “This is the tree we all want to approach and share with others ADRA’s purpose is to “serve humanity so all may live as God intended.” The Adventist community has 21.9 million members hundreds of thousands of churches globally and the world’s largest integrated healthcare and education network They deliver relief and development assistance to people in more than 120 countries Other ADRA leaders present at Thursday’s lunch were Matthew Siliga ADRA vice president for strategic operations and growth ADRA’s director of corporate and social partnerships the Church of Jesus Christ was represented by the entire Relief Society General Presidency (President Camille N along with Bishop Caussé’s counselors (Bishops W The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been collaborating with ADRA for nearly 30 years This began in 1995 on a project to feed the hungry in Ecuador they have combined their influence to bless many lives through 335 projects in 85 countries “We are committed to helping alleviate suffering and prioritize the well-being of all God’s children,” said Blaine R managing director of Welfare and Self-Reliance Services “Our collaboration with ADRA exemplifies our shared values and dedication to serving humanity we can achieve remarkable things and bring hope to those in need.” where the Church of Jesus Christ has built sustainable clean water systems provided food relief and improved infrastructure ADRA was key in providing personal protective equipment sanitation and medical equipment and supplies in many locales ADRA has helped with the migrant response in Colombia Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has visited some of these projects ADRA has also created a dashboard that lets the Church see in real time how these projects are doing Church leaders welcomed ADRA representatives on Thursday to thank them and strengthen bonds ADRA leaders witnessed firsthand the heart of the Church’s humanitarian work at Welfare Square and the Bishops’ Central Storehouse (a 500,000-square-foot warehouse stocked with food and other critical supplies for those in need) In the afternoon they met with Elder Bednar President Kruger praised the Church’s commitment to serving those in need — especially in what he has seen at the Bishops’ Central Storehouse ‘You guys really need to go to Salt Lake,’” he said It speaks to your faith and it speaks to your values It is something you can be justifiably proud of.” President Johnson told ADRA leaders that the Bishops’ Central Storehouse represents more than just the items available for distribution to those most in need “It also includes our people and our like-minded friends [like ADRA],” President Johnson said “We’re so thankful to have you in the Bishops’ Central Storehouse with us — resources we can draw upon when needs have been identified President Kruger said ADRA will continue to treasure its relationship with the Church of Jesus Christ “We know that we are called to minister to others For us to find like-minded organizations is exceptionally critical and crucial to us because we find that you share the same values,” he said You are about to access Constant Contacts (http://visitor.constantcontact.com) You are now leaving a website maintained by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints We provide the link to this third party's website solely as a convenience to you and security practices that differ from those on our website By referring or linking you to this website we do not endorse or guarantee this content If you would like to stay on the page you are viewing please click Cancel To download media files, please first review and agree to the Terms of Use. Download a photo or video by clicking or tapping on it. To download all photos or videos related to this article, select the links at the bottom of each section. Adra is one of the most important resources you can acquire in Avowed, so what are the best ways to get it in the Living Lands? There's one resource that plays a major role in every facet of Avowed: Adra green rock is at the center of most issues in the Living Lands as well as any animancer that you come across If you want to ensure your gear is always at its highest level then you'll need to gather quite a lot of Adra in Avowed There are three primary ways you'll be able to add Adra to your inventory in Avowed All three methods can be taken advantage of right from the opening hours of the game when you stumble into the Living Lands and the first map in Dawnshore you shouldn't expect to get a massive amount of Adra at any point in Avowed as the resource is quite rare regardless of how you go about getting it if you use the three methods we go over effectively you won't have to worry about upgrading gear in Avowed for most of your playthrough By far the most lucrative way to get Adra is by salvaging unique pieces of gear you don't plan on using but it has specific text that says "unique" when you hover over its icon in your inventory Most pieces of unique gear will yield you one piece of Adra when you salvage it which isn't much but it's a way to lessen your carrying capacity and receive other materials besides Adra in the process hover over the gear's text/icon in your inventory and look at the bottom right corner of the screen You'll see the option to "Stash in Camp/Break Down" along with a button next to it Breaking down the item requires you to hold that button for a few seconds while still hovering over the gear in your inventory you'll get a prompt that says "Are you sure you want to break down the gear?" Click yes on this prompt and you'll get the materials that come with breaking down the gear you'll often get some type of wood or other resource depending on how rare the unique gear is but just make sure it's a piece of gear you won't want to end up using later on in Avowed The next way to get Adra is likely pretty obvious You are fully able to loot some Adra by opening chests and lockboxes that you find while exploring or doing quests in Avowed chests and lockboxes with a gold glow to them will have a chance to have Adra Any chest or lockbox that glows another color Finding Adra this way just requires you to explore all of the maps in Avowed There is no shortage of lootable chests on the map so you should be able to find a few stacks of Adra as well as a plethora of other materials and gear The final way to effectively obtain Adra in Avowed is to buy it from traders directly but a few of the more general traders will often stock one or two of them for sale but that can vary depending on the trader you're visiting and your point in the story This is the method I would rely on the least as only a handful of traders stock Adra and it costs a pretty penny that you could otherwise use to buy gear if you just need one Adra to upgrade your favorite weapon this method is one you should keep in the back of your mind And that does it for all the ways to get Adra in Avowed It's not the easiest material to get your hands on but it's highly important to have a sufficient source of it Obsidian is no stranger to crafting compelling RPGs. For more help on the team's latest effort, use our Avowed guides hub Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com ESCLog in to comment "data-img-src" : imgSrc } = buylink %> />><%= itemTitle %> and deals sent to your inbox Monday to Friday General Conference president Ted Wilson addressed three major points regarding the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) during the Spring Meeting of the General Conference Executive Committee (EXCOM) a heartfelt farewell was extended to former ADRA President Michael Kruger Although Kruger is moving on to a new position in Adventist HealthCare he leaves behind a legacy of dedicated leadership within the organization The second point discussed was a more painful change within ADRA that is expected to have global implications. In an article in the Adventist Review Wilson stated that due to “certain developments here with the United States government,” many programs not only those of ADRA but also those of numerous non-governmental organizations that serve humanitarian purposes Wilson specifically referred to the collapse of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) The loss of government support for humanitarian aid presents a significant financial challenge for organizations such as ADRA He explained that USAID funds have been crucial for sustaining “the infrastructure and framework of ADRA’s work globally.” Recently, the financial status of ADRA has become the subject of unfounded rumors and allegations. Claims have circulated on social media and in unreliable publications suggesting that ADRA is involved in illegal immigration that board members’ salaries have doubled and that the organization’s president earns an inflated salary in the millions While many other faith-based organizations have faced similar gossip ADRA had not been the target of such misinformation until recently Kruger and Wilson addressed the false claims one by one Kruger acknowledged that “ADRA does work with migrants and people on the move,” emphasizing “These are some of the most desperate people on the planet.” He shared that the largest intervention assisting migrants occurred in Ukraine ADRA collaborates with agencies and governments to support displaced families and individuals “The accusation that ADRA works basically as a ‘coyote’ at the southern border of the United States is patently false It’s not the way that we work; it’s not what we do.” The rumor about double salaries stemmed from misinterpretations of the 990 tax return form filed by ADRA in the United States Allegations regarding the president’s salary were also proven false by Kruger Such untruths can negatively impact the reputation of the organization particularly in terms of losing the trust of donors which is even more critical given the recent funding cuts While he acknowledged the agency’s challenges Lopes remained focused on faith and the mission ahead “We are not intimidated by [the current challenges] one of the four co-directors of the film No Other Land was born in the Palestinian community of Masafer Yatta an area of 20 small villages in the mountains of the West Bank The fields of Masafer Yatta have limitless horizons Its hills are dotted with historic stone dwellings which “appear on maps from the 19th century.” Masafer Yatta can be seen on British maps of the area as recently as 1945.  the Israeli state does not recognize that the community exists and thus it does not appear on Israeli maps And land that is supposedly vacant is ripe for occupation Israel turned its military sights on Masafer Yatta due to its strategic proximity to the border as Adra and co-director Yuval Abraham recounted in a piece published in The Nation in 2023 The IDF began attempting to displace the residents of the community to make room for an Israeli tank training facility These military “firing zones,” as later admitted by the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon were a tactic to vacate and then reserve land in the West Bank for Israeli settlers Adra was born to a family of activists who knew the power of a camera as a legal tool His father began prolifically filming soon after Basel was born as did many other activists in the community When matters of violence against Masafer Yatta’s inhabitants by the IDF were taken to court the perpetrators would flatly deny carrying out these actions so it only made sense to have a visual record on hand This continued process of documenting resulted in a considerable archive of footage before production of No Other Land had even begun and many examples of such videos appear in the film Most of the video is meant to capture illegal road closures or IDF soldiers forcing Palestinian occupants off their own private land and unconstructive flyby by former British Prime Minister Tony Blair also makes an appearance.  as Israeli construction vehicles appear on the hillsides in the dead of night and prepare to drive out residents by systematically demolishing Masafer Yatta’s infrastructure who is greeted with terse but polite suspicion from Adra’s family Among the other activists and journalists who began to frequent the village as it strived to oppose occupation were Hamdan Ballal a neighboring village in the South Hebron Hills The three began to stay with Adra frequently at which point Ballal suggested the four collaborate on a longform documentary as by that point the four had spent a considerable amount of time together and developed a sense of trust.  the four committed to a decision-making process that required the agreement of all parties—if any of the four directors objected to a shot or sentiment Abraham was interested in the caste system of the Israeli workers sent into Masafer Yatta to demolish its homes and infrastructure—those in command were of European descent and those expected to do the physical labor were from Arab countries Adra countered that this was of no interest to him as a Palestinian—they were all Israeli settlers who had come to destroy his home after all—and this aspect of the film was dropped.  I tell Abraham and Adra that this level of nonhierarchical co-directing is nearly unheard of in Western nonfiction They remind me that the making of the film was not born of any particular desire to be documentary filmmakers—none of the four had any experience in doing so—but of a simple necessity to record the encroaching settler forces upon the West Bank “Often people think about filmmaking in a capitalist way,” Abraham admits “as if there is one ‘genius’ director making the film but our experience was entirely communal.” the Israeli high court officially ruled against the protests of Masafer Yatta’s residents If the IDF is successful in their still-ongoing onslaught it would be the single largest mass expulsion of Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank since 1967 While Israel’s current siege on Gaza displaces hundreds of thousands West Bank Palestinians are driven from their homes by a variety of legal pretexts Israeli wrecking crews demolish the homes of Masafer Yatta’s families the families attempt to rebuild the structures with whatever materials they have available the IDF returns to confiscate the building material Fast-forward to 2024—I am speaking with Adra and Abraham before the film’s first screening at the New York Film Festival Hamdan Ballal could not obtain a visa to exit the West Bank to attend the festival and was also choosing to stay in Susiya where his family was at that moment facing expulsion at the hands of the IDF regardless of whatever prohibitive circumstances were thrown their way an equal number of Palestinian and Israeli co-directors would speak to the press at all times and so Rachel Szor abstained from the interview Adra and Abraham both appear exhausted: Abraham’s family has faced constant aggravated harassment since the film first premiered the filmmakers signed a still-growing call by NYFF participants for the festival to divest from Bloomberg Philanthropies a partner in the Bloomberg-Sagol Center for City Leadership bolstering infrastructure in Israeli settlements in the West Bank that were declared illegal by the International Court of Justice the word “timely” plagues conversations and writings about No Other Land despite the film’s refuting these claims by grounding its narrative in several decades of footage In Isabella Hammad’s pre-October 7 lecture Recognizing the Stranger: On Palestine and Narrative the novelist speaks of writer and theorist Edward Said’s interest in the elusive narrative structure of apartheid: “We hope for resolution or at least we hope that retrospectively what felt like a crisis will turn out to have been a turning point.” No Other Land—despite its expertly defined and engrossing narrative—does not have a resolution and neither does the moment into which it was birthed the film has a stated hope for a resolution “If we are active and we document on the ground it will force the United States to pressure Israel… to stop the expulsion.” introducing the second screening of the film at NYFF Abraham announced that the collective would not be staying for the post-screening Q&A and that their remaining appearances would be canceled due to escalating violence in the region as the IDF advanced upon Lebanon Abraham and Adra had spoken to their families and decided that “it felt wrong to stay here as things were deteriorating and escalating back home.” Abraham reiterated a statement that he had given me a few days earlier that while the film documented a war crime in-progress that had been going on for “a long long time,” both the film and the existence of their Israeli-Palestinian coalition are pleas “for a different future”; a future of “no occupation” and “mutual security.” The specter of time—patience and memory—haunts the film Abraham frets that the articles he is writing are not getting enough views “I feel you’re… a little enthusiastic,” Adra says tentatively as if you came to solve everything in 10 days and then go back home.” There’s a brief pause and then he continues: “This has been going on for decades describing well-meaning human rights activists—much like Abraham—visiting Palestine: I ask the two co-directors if there were ever discussions around how to best utilize the footage during filming as they were documenting a dangerous and rapidly unfolding situation over the course of five years—should their work be saved and hoarded for the benefit of the feature film that they are producing or broadcast out on social media channels in real time Abraham and Adra point to an especially brutal and tense sequence in the film as a case study for their approach: in November of 2022 the IDF targeted a local elementary school for destruction on a day when class was in session “[the IDF] had avoided targeting schools because they were afraid of the way it would harm Israel’s image.” The attack on the school is shown in No Other Land from the perspective of someone standing inside Soldiers and two bulldozers surround the building and the older students help the younger ones escape through windows “When we filmed this happening,” Abraham remembers “it was clear to us that we would not ‘save’ this for the film We immediately posted it.” This event is also recounted by the two in their 2023 article for The Nation “But a film is not a snapshot,” Abraham continues we constantly see these snapshots of violence Even if this material was already published online [in a film,] a scene gets its meaning from the scene before it and the scene after it… You see the development over the years; you know Basel and you know he is the one holding the camera.”  No Other Land switches freely between informative action images and longer usually capturing intimate conversations that reflect Abraham and Adra’s developing friendship are what sets the film apart from other “protest docs.” As documentary editors we are often warned about the easy production value but staid numbing narrative effect of scenes of banners when images of brutality by authoritative forces are so easily and readily captured and traded they can blur together into a cacophony: Gunshots The heavy breathing of the cameraperson! These long somber moments of camaraderie show that the collective knows that simply exposing contemporary violence is not enough.  successfully utilizing what little light is available (typically the construction lamps erected for the eventide rebuilding) and holding on shots for a considerable amount of time and wonder about the possibility of running away together Both men are certainly media-savvy—the film shows montages of them appearing on viral Instagram stories and Democracy Now—but they are both naturalistic and believable subjects clearly torn between their duties as activists and their protectiveness toward their families.  detained at Los Angeles International Airport when he attempted to attend the Oscar ceremony while Davidi still referred to the film as “Palestinian.” This is a distinction between what Hammad would refer to as “anagnorisis”—the moment an Israeli recognizes that a Palestinian is a human being—and first-person self-narrativization true self-narrativization meant no involvement by the Israeli film industry The quartet looked elsewhere for fiscal and material support “most of what we did was volunteer work.” Szor was able to take the footage that the collective had shot and apply for support from the Close Up Initiative an organization based in Belgium that provides development and mentorship opportunities to filmmakers in the Middle East is that it is entirely independently funded—the four had concretely decided to not accept any funds tied to investments from the Israeli state Participation in Close Up connected Szor to the Norwegian production company Antipode Films which opened up postproduction funding for the project gave the filmmakers a feeling of solidarity and companionship as they met and learned beside other documentarians from Iran While the Israeli co-directors could travel freely during postproduction Ballal and Adra were not allowed to leave the West Bank which presented a considerable challenge for a documentary prescribed to an ideal of collective decision-making It was decided that the film would be edited in Masafer Yatta As Adra’s home had been demolished by Israeli forces work was carried out in the cave beneath his home In addition to the usual delays caused by a collaborative approach to story breaking and scene editing this “was not always so easy,” Abraham regales dryly Electricity to the community was consistently being cut Raids happened frequently during the night Hard drives had to be hidden away and stashed in bathrooms Adra was already a known target for his family’s hosting of activists and journalists something the IDF “hated,” Adra says with emphatic stress Five cameras and a laptop were confiscated resulting in a several months-long legal battle to get them back “When you’re editing,” Abraham reminded me solemnly “you’re looking at violence on screen while it is ongoing outside as well No Other Land arrived at the New York Film Festival—at the time of writing still without American distribution—just under the one-year anniversary of the events of October 7 The filmmakers could not participate in the CPH:DOX screening as Adra did not receive a visa while accepting the Best Documentary Award at the Berlinale in February 2024 Abraham restated the film’s portrayal of legal systemic inequality between himself and Adra only to receive a wave of death threats against himself and his family.   “We made this movie imagining a horizon of political change,” Adra says to me but things are moving in the opposite direction The situation on the ground is very bad… More demolitions more communities fleeing from their homes in the area.” Even writing about the film’s transcendent triumphs in style and narrative has become a temporally uneasy task. No Other Land should not be so simply slotted as timely but as a timeless example of empathetic collaboration and the presentation of a radical choice for the future: equity or destruction Mackenzie Lukenbill is an audiovisual archivist and documentary editor They have contributed writing to The Baffler, BOMB Magazine Would you like to receive event invitations and other updates from the International Documentary Association © 2024 International Documentary Association Privacy Policy Leaders from the Adventist Development and Relief Agency met with general leaders and officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City on Thursday ADRA is a humanitarian agency operated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church that provides relief and development assistance in more than 120 countries They met with ADRA President Michael Kruger and others from his organization on the 26th floor of the Church Office Building At the conclusion of the lunch, Bishop Caussé presented Kruger with a small stained-glass depiction of Lehi’s vision of the tree of life from 1 Nephi 8 in the Book of Mormon The tree represents God’s love (see 1 Nephi 11:22) Bishop Caussé said there’s no better way to describe the agency’s work manifest in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ?” Bishop Caussé said While the Bishops' Central Storehouse is a huge warehouse with food and other critical supplies for people in need President Johnson said the building represents more than the items inside “It also includes our people and our like-minded friends [like ADRA],” President Johnson told the group “We’re so thankful to have you in the Bishops' Central Storehouse with us — resources we can draw upon when needs have been identified During their time in Salt Lake City, ADRA leaders also met with Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When Elder Bednar ministered in Peru and Ecuador in August 2024 he met with ADRA officials there to officially announce more than $1.6 million in donations to help migrants in both countries to develop self-reliance Several news media outlets were at the events where Elder Bednar explained why the Church prioritizes such efforts then we should serve our brothers and sisters,” Elder Bednar said then adding that this cause motivates organizations to join forces regardless of religious differences “What unites us is much stronger than what could divide us.” Kruger said ADRA will continue to treasure its relationship with the Church We use cookies to personalize content and ads and to analyze our traffic and improve our service Following the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israel Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has unleashed lethal force upon the Palestinian people and the momentum of this genocide has accelerated every day Very little attention has been paid to what has unfolded in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Palestinians there live under a system of apartheid facing the brazen destruction of their homes at the hands of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) and Zionist settlers and Hamdan Ballal about the IDF’s demolition of the Masafer Yatta village in the West Bank premiered at the Berlinale Festival in Germany Abraham received death threats for his acceptance speech which was labeled anti-Semitic by newscasters in Israel; Adra called on Germany to end its arms sales to Israel With the latest screening at the New York Film Festival Abraham said something about how it would be hard to feel festive at this festival It reminded me of a remark by filmmaker Jean-Marie Straub who wrote of the Venice Film Festival in 2006 during the United States invasion of Iraq: “I wouldn’t be able to be festive in a festival where there are so many public and private police looking for a terrorist so long as there’s American imperialist capitalism there’ll never be enough terrorists in the world.”  Conor Williams I’d like to know more about how your friendship began I know you’ve both written articles for +972 Magazine Yuval Abraham We met a little over five years ago bulldozers came to destroy a house in Basel’s village We were filming together; Rachel and I began coming more and more “Why don’t we try to make a film?” That’s how we began a very very long process that has recently ended with No Other Land CW What was your relationship to cinema like before you made this film YA I remember two specific documentaries that I watched Five Broken Cameras (2011) and Arna’s Children (2003) which were also made by Israeli collectives I feel there is a power in film that doesn’t come through in the same way when you’re reading an article or watching a video CW What has the experience been like for you both leaving home and touring this film in different countries Do you know whether it will actually be safe to return home This is the third time we’ve been together since we released the film and it’s not easy being here now with the intense amount of violence in these really you posted the other day that your father was kidnapped by Israeli soldiers Basel Adra He was released on the same day after hours of being held under the sun by soldiers in a settler outpost just three hundred meters away from my community CW How has the dynamic continued to evolve between the two of you BA It was very important for us to not just show friendship but to also show how the lives of Palestinians and Israelis are different YA We wanted to look at what we were doing The film is a five-year documentation of ongoing war crimes this community where Basel lives is being destroyed every week We look at ourselves: Basel can never come to me CW What were your thoughts about what you wanted to convey cinematically YA The occupation really has become normalized The military occupation is based on daily occurrences of violence that can get people to look at something in a different way It’s a very ugly film because it depicts violence and I hope it’s through the beauty that people can see things that they are not able to see otherwise CW One of the people we see in the film is Harun We later find out that Harun passed away from his injuries You and other journalists visit him after the incident One of the journalists apologizes to Harun’s mother BA Palestinians don’t really believe that human rights organizations can help them What changed from last time you came and documented this The work you do is not changing what’s really happening it’s revealed that the destruction of these Palestinian buildings at the hands of the Israeli Defense Forces was not actually meant to make space for a military training ground What can people in the United States do to fight back against the occupation that was set to be totally destroyed by the Israeli occupation a few years back There was a very large protest by Palestinian activists Obama called Netanyahu and warned him not to do it Just that phone call stopped the destruction of that village We want to see freedom for the Palestinian people and we want to see a future where Palestinians and Israelis can have political rights Masafer Yatta is literally being destroyed as we speak If Kamala Harris would tell Netanyahu that for every Palestinian house that you destroy we will refuse a million dollars from AIPAC the consequences of that would be very severe There are so many tools that the United States could use to end this The US has not even recognized a Palestinian state CW Some writers are boycotting and protesting the New York Film Festival this year because certain figures on Lincoln Center’s board have financial ties to corporations and organizations that aid Israel’s military What are your thoughts on the role that capitalism plays in this struggle What would you say to other artists about how they can use their platforms BA It’s really important for festivals to not have relationships with organizations that aid [Israel with] weapons that are used to kill civilians in Palestine YA We’re happy that the New York Film Festival gave us the platform no festival should make it normal to have individuals who are supporting the settlements this is really a main question: How is it possible to make a change We hope that the film will be seen by millions of people but we hope it will be seen all around the United States and by people who don’t necessarily agree with us politically or might have different ideas I would even say we made the film for them The idea is not to convince the people who are already convinced but to really try to have a dialogue and impact people from a variety of political opinions No Other Land won the Documentary Award at the 2024 Berlin International Film Festival and screened at the New York Film Festival Conor Williams is a filmmaker and cultural critic who has contributed to Interview There are four types of Adra to be found on your journey. Each one correlates to a specific quality level to which you can upgrade equipment. Additionally, they’re introduced along with every region you unlock. While your basic Adra can be found everywhere, Corrupted Adra will only be found in the last two regions. Here is the introductory area for each: Pretty much every type of Adra can be acquired through the methods following. Just keep in mind that the region you’re in will determine what type you get. Screenshot: Obsidian Entertainment / KotakuThe first method you’ll likely come across for gathering Adra is defeating bosses. These are any powerful enemies with full-screen health bars you encounter during quests or as bounties. Although not all of them drop the precious resource, there is a high likelihood that you’ll be able to find some nearby. So many of these side quests and bounties occur in off-the-beaten-path areas that are perfect for great loot, after all. Interacting with the first four will give you the Adra introduced in that region The last one doesn’t give anything but will count toward the Pillars of Eternity achievement Emergency response teams are activated to provide support to communities affected by the disaster The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is responding to the aftermath of a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on Friday The earthquake’s epicenter was located near the city of Sagaing ADRA’s emergency experts are already on the ground Myanmar has declared a state of emergency in six regions affected by the catastrophe the death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams continue to search through the debris Many of the injured are waiting for treatment in overcrowded hospitals or public spaces as several medical facilities have been severely damaged the strongest to strike the region in over 100 years with parents desperately searching for missing children among the wreckage Tremors were also felt in neighboring nations where a building under construction collapsed killing at least 10 people and burying scores more beneath the rubble authorities declared the Thai capital an emergency zone closing schools and evacuating residents from high-rise buildings ADRA’s emergency teams are working swiftly to assess the situation and determine the most effective ways to assist those impacted in Myanmar and Thailand “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life and widespread destruction caused by this earthquake,” ADRA International’s Director of Emergency Management “Our response teams are closely monitoring the situation and traveling to affected communities to establish the best strategy for our relief operations as well as collapsed buildings and bridges which could impede access to damaged areas and delay relief efforts ADRA remains dedicated to ensuring that crucial assistance reaches those in greatest need Please keep Myanmar and other afflicted countries in your thoughts and prayers.” ADRA expects to provide immediate and long-term relief to address the needs of affected communities With over 40 years of experience in Myanmar and Thailand ADRA has a long history of providing humanitarian support and disaster response during natural disasters The global humanitarian agency has collaborated with the local Seventh-day Adventist Church and health departments in these regions to assist vulnerable communities Join ADRA in bringing hope and relief to earthquake-affected communities by supporting ADRA’s emergency efforts Donate today at give.adra.org to help transform lives in the aftermath of this disaster and other global emergencies 2025Get email notification for articles from Hanin Majadli FollowFeb 13 2025"This is the worst period we have ever lived through It's hard to say anything encouraging because the situation is so terrible," says Basel Adra He canceled the sanctions that had been imposed on some settlers [by the Biden administration] he has no compunctions about officially handing the West Bank over to Israel Neither international law nor moral justice will prevent Israel and the United States from expelling us." This is an official website of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Learn More about Adventists the town of Swannanoa in Western North Carolina reels in the wake of devastation caused by Hurricane Helene Many structures were either completely destroyed or severely damaged including the Swannanoa Adventist Spanish church located there Photo: FEMA Photo by Madeleine Cook/Released About three weeks after Hurricane Helene — and a week after Hurricane Milton — swept across the Southeastern U.S. efforts to help residents in the path of the two storms continue Adventist Community Services (ACS) is one of the organizations that has mobilized to help beginning preparations before the mighty storms made landfall ACS Disaster Response (DR) across the impacted area assessed where they could best serve the communities.  The death toll from Helene has climbed to more than 250; rain and strong wind from Tropical Storm Helene pounded the Southeast U.S. impacting the Carolinas severely with major flooding and mudslides—in some cases wiping out entire towns The death toll from Milton currently stands at more than 20 Power continues to be restored to the more than 3.2 million across Florida the Carolinas and southern Virginia who lost power during Helene and Milton with at least 1 million still without electricity as of October 12 Thousands of people do not have running water Many are without power in Florida as Milton barreled across the state churning up at least 45 tornadoes and record storm surge The states with the most significant storm damage are Florida Lea shared that NAD ACS and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA International) officially agreed that ADRA will contribute financially to the ACS efforts in the affected areas “The NAD and the Southern Union will ensure that the use of this money is as intended and we thank our ADRA International partners for their support,” said W NAD ACS director. “ACS and ADRA are uniting for one mission: to bring hope and relief to the hard-hit communities in the Southeast ACS serves in the North America Division and ADRA works globally we unite as one body to serve and uplift those in need.” we will identify the churches that will use the funding on immediate needs within the community. This assistance will ensure help is given now as the recovery continues.” ACS DR teams from the Southern Union — Georgia-Cumberland and Gulf States conferences — are working across the Southeastern U.S post hurricanes Helene and Milton touching down in those areas And ACS teams from other parts of the country have mobilized as well Rocky Mountain Conference and the North Pacific Union who will send volunteers to assist as needed Lea shared some of the reports given by the ACS leaders on the ground in the affected areas distribution sites and warehouse management was functioning in Georgia Local ACS reports are summarized below.  Volunteers from the local non-profit ABIPA at the Asheville downtown distribution center are partnering with the South Atlantic and Carolina conferences in this warehouse Photo provided by Adventist Community Services/Carolina Conference These two conferences are working together as the affected area is too large for a single conference to cover The ACS “strike team” is maintaining ACS distribution in Asheville They received a 26-foot U-Haul truck from Fayetteville packed with supplies They were on standby and ready to manage warehouse operations and distribution once the warehouse contract had been finalized Two of the ACS warehouse management teams are in Mooresville distribution of supplies started at an Asheville site “It has been profoundly a blessing to serve alongside so many wonderful people helping others It has also changed the lives of those who are serving,” shared David Graham Donated items include water, baby products (formula ACS volunteers begin set up at a distribution site to help the community in recovery after Hurricane Helene ravaged the area Photo provided by Adventist Community Services The conference was initially asked to set up a warehouse in Georgia While details were still being worked on for the warehouse two ACS shower trailers began operating at shelters run by the American Red Cross in Valdosta Conference coordinators are now managing a large distribution site; and plans are in final stages to open and manage an additional multi-agency warehouse in Augusta.  Working together the conferences opened a multi-agency warehouse in Ocala The conferences are also partnering to operate four or five distribution sites at churches “This will ensure that we have direct contact with the community we are serving in Florida,” explained Lea we are trying to encourage our leaders to always couple any warehouse we run with distribution sites set up by us The public should know that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is serving directly in their community.” Churches are locations for distribution of supplies — First University church and Bethany church each received two trailers of supplies. Donated supplies from church members will be organized and secured for distribution at these and other churches and ACS will stay connected in the local communities we are in throughout the year,” added Lea “We are proud to be of support in these areas where we live The need will continue for many months we are grateful for all the support and prayers.” Click here to learn more about the Hurricane response; click here to donate to Adventist Community Services.  In a seen played out across the Southeastern U.S ACS volunteers organize supplies in the gym at the Foster Seventh-day Adventist Church in Asheville These supplies are for community members affected by Hurricane Helene Andrews University hosted the third annual North American Hyve International Conference from March 27–29 ministry leaders and businesspeople networked with fellow innovators and pitched their ideas Through various workshops and programs on campus practicing entrepreneurs shared their experiences and advice on how to cultivate a strong business in a way that glorifies God Christian Record Services (CRS) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Tandi Perkins as the new Director of Development Perkins brings a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector having served with distinction for over five years as the director of development for the Alaska Conference of Seventh-day Adventists a team of 19 students and five nursing faculty and staff from Pacific Union College provided physicals and regular physician office and dental care to 311 patients in Mana It was oboist Afonso Bittencourt Brito’s first time back in his native Brazil since leaving 18 months earlier to study at La Sierra University he toured the South American nation and visited his hometown as a member of a La Sierra University Chamber Winds quintet that gave performances and master classes Diné Adventist Radio's first full-power FM station—KDHH 89.5 FM—went live and the Western Agency of the Navajo Nation It was a quiet but powerful breakthrough for a project years in the making The death toll of Myanmar’s powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake continues to climb. Fatalities number over 2,000, with limited resources slowing humanitarian efforts. Adventist Disaster and Relief Agency (ADRA) immediately mobilized after the quake struck on Friday The earthquake’s epicenter was located in Myanmar’s center The quake’s magnitude caused a ripple effect leading catastrophic destruction across the surrounding regions and sending tremors as far as Thailand ANN reported on the incident: “Our response teams are traveling to affected communities to establish the best strategy for relief operations,” said Mario Oliveira “Despite collapsed infrastructure and communication barriers we remain committed to reaching those in greatest need.” Members of the Adventist Mission there leaped into action, with reports of Adventist aid workers helping in the evacuation efforts Hundreds of buildings collapsed under the intensity of the natural disaster The quake occurred during Ramadan; over 700 Muslims reportedly died in their place of worship 200 Buddhist monks were crushed by a collapsing monastery Broken telecommunications means the full extent of the damage is yet to be determined ADRA and other humanitarian aid groups have been offering necessary support as best they can: medical care The filmmakers discuss what making the documentary taught them about the nature of power “I am Israeli, Basel is Palestinian, and in two days we go back to a land where are not equal.” So said Yuval Abraham as part of an acceptance speech at this year’s Berlinale, where No Other Land won two awards another of the four credited directors on the project he continued: “This situation of apartheid between us A clip of the speech quickly made the rounds in Israel’s media with prominent outlets seizing on Abraham’s choice of the word “apartheid” to declare the speech antisemitic the journalist and filmmaker stood by both the speech and the documentary If their detractors thought that their criticism would bury No Other Land The film’s profile only grew from the controversy as it toured the global festival circuit throughout 2024 though it notably remains without a distributor ahead of its week-long run at New York’s Film at Lincoln Center that give No Other Land such undeniable power along with fellow co-directors Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor unflinchingly train their lens on scenes of horror and humanity occurring within an occupied community in the West Bank the film captures several years in Adra’s home of Masafer Yatta as his fellow villagers fight against their forced displacement at the hands of the Israeli military From this atrocity grows a tenacious activism one modeled in the documentary’s own making by an Israeli-Palestinian filmmaking collective committed to a future defined by equality and justice I spoke with Abraham and Adra when the two co-directors were in town to present No Other Land at the New York Film Festival—a trip cut tragically short by their need to get home in the wake of escalating tension between Israel Our conversation covered how their friendship came to be such an integral component of the documentary’s narrative why it was important to ensure the edit captured more than just violence in Masafer Yatta and what making the documentary taught them about the nature of power from early on we know your history with image making and how it was tied to your parents’ activism How do you think about the camera as a tool now I understand that people are talking about [how] there are so many images and they’re shown so much footage [in the world] But I think we should not give up on documenting it I keep up the hope that one day there will be consequences and those who commit crimes will pay the price through their documentation in the photos At what point in making No Other Land did you realize that your friendship would be as much the subject of the film as the events that you were capturing Yuval Abraham: The relationship between me and Basel and the friendship that developed over the years shows the power imbalance that exists between Palestinians and Israelis It was such a fundamental characteristic of working on the film together We had to edit it in a cave in Masafer Yatta just for the main reason that Basel cannot leave the occupied West Bank There’s a moment in the film when we speak about the license plates—I and the green cars can only stay in the West Bank because they live under military control There were a lot of conversations between us about the film thinking about what we’re doing in co-resistance and about the future They can also balance the very difficult and intense moments of violence that are seen it’s a reflection of our collective as well We’re a collective of Palestinians and Israelis who are opposed to the military occupation and are calling for a political change that will ensure mutual security Instead of just saying that as a statement—which I said right now and it’s probably not a very interesting statement—it’s more interesting to explore with images and in a much more intimate way in the film Is embodying that future of Israeli and Palestinian coexistence a feature you realized you wanted to model from an early point in making the film we wanted to show the reality of the military occupation That was the primary goal of making the film and the Masafer Yatta communities are still being destroyed as we speak especially looking at the material and thinking about what was more interesting You’re involved in citizen journalism through social media Did you envision No Other Land as an outgrowth of those dispatches BA: All these years I’ve used the camera to follow and document events I was always thinking about [putting] people in a position to know and understand what’s happening Using social media has the same goal for me They should know that Masafer Yatta is an area that exists and the kind of life that we’re living That is part of why the support goes from here to Israel and how Using social media and making No Other Land it’s really so people should understand—and so politicians should see what’s happening and take action The footage capturing the lived reality of Masafer Yatta is so immediate What were the discussions around the level of context you wanted to provide rather than letting the images speak for themselves But gradually after watching the film and sharing it with people we attempted to speak to much deeper layers of the human consequences of military occupation the intimate complexities of working together When you look at a person’s face watching their own house being demolished I’m not sure you need at the beginning of the film to hear a narration that says Israel rejects 99% of the building permits that Palestinians ask for and this is why their houses are being destroyed as part of the plan to increase settling in the area But what they don’t know is the look in a mother’s eyes when she’s sitting with her son in a cave and the son was shot because he held on to a generator and they cannot build a normal house because the military will not give them a permit We realized that that was the power of what we were doing Where was the balance in depicting that level of tragedy without dwelling too heavily on the pain BA: We wanted to show all parts of life in the community: the violence and oppression that it’s facing from Israeli soldiers and settlers but also its traditions Despite this bad and miserable situation that people are going through They’re trying to find a life with weddings We wanted to be able to feel the humanity of the people in Masafer Yatta Is that something that informed how you shaped the final edit beyond organizing it chronologically such as following the military prison with a sequence of the community in celebration and you have to keep in mind not only the classic narrative of one event leading to another where we’re thinking about taking the audience on a journey We were intentional in the way we structured it so that there would be a rollercoaster of emotions in a way and that was intentional as a representation of the circle of violence It’s such an integral part of the community and we wanted to let the audience feel that But we aimed to make it with enough of a variety of emotion so that the viewer can finish the film feeling more than one thing and can actually watch 90 minutes that have quite intense scenes How did you all capture that perfectly composed image of Basel lying down in the grass as a bulldozer passes by in the background Did you recognize its power to define the film She was filming it when you were lying there Did you notice she was filming you when you were there Those were the moments [after] my father was arrested in the night I woke up following [the arrival of] the bulldozer That was the longest day of demolition I ever can remember I seriously couldn’t take more of filming the bulldozer moving and destroying tents YA: If you film a lot and work hard to film—Rachel she’s an amazing cinematographer who spent hours and hours filming—you catch moments that reality scripts “This is a story about power.” How do you think about the origin of that power Is it something that the Palestinian people have and need to feel empowered to use it’s very hard to speak about power in moments like this I feel very exhausted from what’s going on and with everything changing It’s exactly as we show in the positive images of the community in order to continue living for it and to try and [increase] it The power of this movie is really to show people the power that we want We want to mobilize people to be on our side against what’s happening Your final conversation is striking because you’re talking about the future—getting married The context has changed following October 7 but how important is it to ensure your activism doesn’t lose sight of the joy that might await when everyone has equality And I think the tricky thing about envisioning a political vision that’s centered around equality between Israelis and Palestinians and an end to the military occupation is that we can see the goal very clearly as we sit there in Masafer Yatta But we’re struggling with how we can get there What action can we take in the world as activists and journalists that will be part of that wave of political change and allow us to reach this destination that we agree on One cannot think about the United States in that regard and the importance of showing this film here that the United States [should] have changed its foreign policy toward Israel and Palestine a long time ago But there are so many steps that the next administration can still take starting with recognizing the Palestinian state Security Council resolutions that are calling for a Palestinian state The International Court of Justice recently ruled the military occupation under which Basel lives is illegal cannot continue to condone this and not apply sanctions I think with power comes responsibility—it’s a cliché is using its power in a way that’s extremely harmful it’s also against the long-term interests of Israel I hope that this film contributes to a conversation that might end up changing at least some of that in the future Have there been any discussions about reopening the edit to account for more events that have followed since the premiere YA: I think it wouldn’t have been truthful to what we’re doing because so much has changed over the past year Our film ends after October 7 when so many Israeli civilians were killed and so many people in Gaza began to be killed six entire Palestinian villages were depopulated by settler attacks and military violence What was the response to your screenings of the film in Masafer Yatta and they were happy to see the archive footage They all talked about those moments because they had forgotten them from a very long time back from all the activism to winning the award [at the Berlin Film Festival] Marshall Shaffer is a New York-based film journalist and other commentary on film also appear regularly in Slashfilm 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