Webinar #168 Dr Milton Amayun - Serving the urban poor

Recorded on 28 September 2023 for ICMDA Webinars. Dr Santhosh Mathew chairs a webinar with Dr Milton Amuyan. The majority of the world’s population now lives in cities. This concentration of people in urban centers will intensify in the years to come. Many cities with populations of one million or more are added to the already long list each year. Urbanization requires investments in infrastructure, jobs, education and social services. The lack of regional urban planning has led to increasing problems of homelessness, unemployment, pollution, lack of water and sanitation, crime, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, prostitution, trafficking in persons and other illegal behaviors. It is a mission field with many challenges. Yet it is in the cities where God’s message of redemption is most needed and where Christians serving with love can make a great impact. The webinar examines some crucial opportunities for Christian service in this vast mission field, where the Gospel can transform the quality of lives of children, the youth, adults, families, and communities around the globe. Milton earned his MD from the University of the Philippines and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University. At the 1978 World Congress of the International Congress of Christian Physicians (ICMDA’s predecessor), he met his wife Dr. Raija Ebeling from Helsinki, Finland. They were married in Bangkok, Thailand in 1982 and then served in Thailand, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal, the United States, Eastern Europe, Benin and the Philippines. Dr. Raija went home to the Lord in September 2022 after a two-year long illness while they were stationed in Manila. Since then, Milton’s involvement with poverty issues has further intensified. He is currently the President of Yuchengco Center, a think tank on poverty; chairs or sits on the Board of Directors of several civil society organizations; and teaches leadership and development themes in a private university. He also leads a home church once a week. To listen live to future ICMDA webinars, visit⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://icmda.net/resources/webinars/⁠