06.08.2005
LWF Calls Member Churches to Provide Long-Term Assistance in South East Asia
"Communion Tsunami Fund" EstablishedGENEVA, 6 August 2005 (LWI) - The General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, has appealed to LWF member churches to enter into a long-term engagement for the rebuilding of infrastructure in the tsunami-affected areas of South East Asia.
In a letter to the LWF member churches, Noko expresses gratitude toward churches and church-related organizations for their swift action by providing assistance in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. These countries were hardest hit hardest by the violent tidal waves that broke out 26 December 2004, following an undersea earthquake that affected several other countries off the Indian Ocean. Millions in South East Asia were displaced and rendered homeless, while destruction of property and livelihoods was extensive.
The impact particularly on Nias Island in Indonesia, calls for a long-term rehabilitation process, according to the LWF general secretary. "A major effort will be required on the part of the LWF constituency to provide funds for the reconstruction of destroyed churches and other buildings," he writes to the churches. More than 1,300 churches were affected, 50 percent of which are completely damaged, not to mention other facilities. It is estimated that over USD 1 million will be needed to rebuild the infrastructure.
Diaconal Fund for Reconstruction of Church Buildings, Schools
In order to facilitate this long-term rehabilitation, the LWF Project Committee supported the establishment of a "Communion Tsunami Fund," which will be coordinated by the Department for Mission and Development (DMD) in cooperation with the Department for World Service (DWS). The diaconal focus of the fund is response to human suffering, especially in cases where needs cannot be catered through the regular assistance mechanisms.
Money from this fund will go to churches in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, and will mainly be used to reconstruct church buildings, schools and houses. Additional areas of focus include women's counseling, leadership training and children's scholarships. A pastoral support team comprising members from neighboring countries and churches, for example Malaysia, will visit the Indonesian churches and accompany their reconstruction process. A consultation on inter-faith relations in the affected region is planned as a long-term accompaniment program. DWS has seconded a person from Australia to facilitate the member churches' response through the Action by Churches Together (ACT) International mechanism, and in the process contribute to building the member churches' capacity as well.
Empowering Communities to Change the Social Dynamics
Neville Pradhan, DWS Program Officer for Emergencies, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons explains the impact of the tsunami disaster on the population in South East Asia: "Such a catastrophe affects mainly the poor and marginalized as they survive on the edges of society. It is as if they are knocked down into a ditch. We don't only want to pick them up and put them back on the edge, but to work together with them to reduce their vulnerability to such disasters in the future."
The rehabilitation assistance by the LWF, churches and related agencies goes beyond restoring the livelihood of communities and churches: "We work to empower and change the social dynamics in our operational areas, which we recognize is a difficult task," says Pradhan. He cited some of the fisherfolk communities in India as a good example-unlike before the tsunami disaster, they now own their fishing boats and can keep the profits earned. By working together they also recognize their own strengths. A majority of those assisted are members of communities that belong to the lower strata of Indian society.
The DMD and DWS partners include the Wuppertal (Germany)-based United Evangelical Mission and Indonesian churches on Nias Island namely: the Protestant Christian Church (BNKP), Christian Communion of Indonesia Church in Nias (Gereja AMIN) and the Protestant Christian Batak Church (HKBP) Diakonia Department. For relief assistance, the LWF will work through ACT and its local implementing partners. (650 words)
(By Julia Heyde, youth intern, LWF Office for Communication Services.)
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