|
|
|
The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
|
| 06.09.2005 |
|
| LWF Council Urges Israel to End Occupation of Palestinian Territories |
| |
LWF Council Meeting in Jerusalem/Bethlehem,
31 August – 6 September 2005
Increasing Constraints on Palestinians Compel Christians to Emigrate
PRESS RELEASE N0. 12-2005
JERUSALEM/BETHLEHEM, 6 September 2005 (LWI) – The Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) has reiterated its call for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and affirmed the implementation of the Roadmap for peace as crucial to establishing a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, with a shared city of Jerusalem.
In a public statement adopted September 6 at its meeting in Jerusalem and Bethlehem, the Council said many of its members had encountered “the [Israeli] separation wall and found shocking its impact on the daily lives of Palestinians.” They mentioned the wall’s implication for among others, church members who could not attend services; farmers who were cut off from their fields; school-children delayed in or prevented from reaching their schools; and patients, who were unable to reach hospitals and clinics. The statement was presented by the Council’s Program Committee for International Affairs and Human Rights.
In the statement titled, “Challenged to a Ministry of Reconciliation in the Holy Land,” the representatives of LWF member churches from all over the world said their stay in Jerusalem and Bethlehem had opened the “eyes of many of us to the daily sufferings of the Palestinian people, often not shown to us by the media, and in which context our member church speaks boldly a message of hope and reconciliation.” This year’s Council meeting was hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) under the theme, “The Church: Called to a Ministry of Reconciliation.”
Referring to the opening worship sermon by ELCJHL Bishop Dr Munib A. Younan, the Council members said “healing must begin with truth-telling and with breaking the silence that hides the suffering of those who are vulnerable and violated.” Only such a start would allow the possibility of healing with justice and forgiveness, they noted.
The public statement also pointed to the Palestinians’ significantly compromised freedom of movement that included separation of married persons from their families because they lacked the same required residence permit as their partner or children.
It cited the lack of family reunification as among a series of pressures upon Palestinians in the Jerusalem area where houses were being demolished by the Israeli authorities and other facts on the ground were being created with the enlargement of settlements, forcing Palestinians off their land. “The prevention of home and land confiscation and the creation of additional housing is essential in Jerusalem and other areas to help maintain their human right to housing as well as the demographic status quo,” the public statement said.
The LWF Council members said increasing constraints on Palestinians were leading to a decreasing number of Christians in the Holy Land. They stressed the need for financial assistance toward education and other forms of investment in people in order to ensure the “enduring presence” of Christians in the region. “Such assistance is an investment in people’s hope for positive change and contributes to preparing a fertile ground for building understanding among Palestinians and Israelis for reconciliation now and in the future.”
They called on LWF member churches to encourage pilgrimages of peace to the churches in the region to enable people experience the living conditions in Palestinian areas and promote renewal of faith.
The Council further endorsed Bishop Younan’s call for an annual gathering in Jerusalem for prayers for peace and reconciliation involving Christians, Muslims, Jews, Palestinians and Israelis. It also stressed the LWF’s continued support for inter-faith dialogue, especially in the Holy Land.
Dalit Liberation and Caste-based Discrimination
In further actions on recommendations from the Program Committee for International Affairs and Human Rights, the Council expressed its strong support for the current initiatives of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India and its ecumenical partners in the struggle for the liberation of the Dalit people.
The governing body called on LWF member churches and related agencies to accompany and provide material support for the work of the LWF member churches and Department for World Service (DWS) programs in India and Nepal for the welfare and empowerment of Dalit individuals and communities. LWF member churches were especially encouraged to study and take appropriate action with regard to the 2004 “Kathmandu Dalit Declaration on Caste-Based Discrimination,” which provides legal means to pressure governments involved in either perpetrating casteism or ignoring its ramifications.
Appreciation was also expressed for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights decision in 2005 to authorize its Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights to undertake a study process on “discrimination based on work and descent,” with a view to drafting a set of principles and guidelines for the elimination of this form of discrimination. The Council commended this study process to all LWF member churches, DWS field programs and related agencies with relevant expertise on the situation of Dalits and other affected communities.
Millennium Development Goals May Remain Unachieved
While acknowledging the important work of the UN, the Council expressed its deep concern that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) agreed on by world leaders in 2000 are at risk of remaining unachieved with grave consequences for the poorest and marginalized globally. It affirmed the MDGs as stepping stones toward the alleviation of physical suffering, discrimination, inequality, and environmental degradation on behalf of all people.
The Council also affirmed the work of the LWF member churches and the DWS Mauritania program in addressing the issue of female genital mutilation, and encouraged further focus on this concern. (920 words)
*Around 170 participants attended this year’s Council meeting, including representatives from the LWF member churches on the 49-member governing body. Also attending were officials from LWF partner organizations, invited guests, stewards, interpreters and translators, and LWF staff. The Council is the annual governing body meeting between Assemblies held every six years. The current Council was appointed at the July 2003 Tenth Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada. It comprises the President, Treasurer and 48 persons elected by the Assembly. Other members include advisors, who are ordained and lay persons representing the different LWF regions.
|
If you want to edit this article yourself and adapt it to a given format, follow our editing information
|
|
|
|
|
|
