|
|
|
The Lutheran World Federation
Lutheran World Information |
|
| 26.03.2007 |
|
| Act to Restore Hope in Zimbabwe, LWF Council Appeals to International Community |
| |
PRESS RELEASE NO. 16-2007
Support for Local Churches Peace Initiatives
LUND, Sweden/GENEVA, 26 March 2007(LWI) - At the end of its 20-27 March meeting in Lund, Sweden, the Council of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) unanimously adopted a resolution calling on the international community to respond to the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe, and “to act to restore hope, and to promote peace.”
Responding to a recommendation of its Program Committee for International Affairs and Human Rights, the Council, noted that in the midst of celebrations of the LWF’s 60th anniversary in Lund, Sweden, “[it] laments the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe.”
The Council expressed its strong support for the initiatives taken by churches in Zimbabwe to open a ‘sacred space’ for national dialogue toward a resolution of the current political and economic crisis in the Southern African country.
Zimbabweans are struggling to survive in a country said to have an inflation rate of over 1,500 percent, widespread unemployment and poverty, as President Robert Mugabe, in power since independence in 1980, resists calls for political reforms and change.
The LWF governing body particularly affirmed the Ecumenical Peace Initiative in Zimbabwe, a group of churches and related organizations, that came up with a document on a national vision titled, “The Zimbabwe We Want: Towards a National Vision for Zimbabwe.” The group has condemned the national security forces’ use of violence as a means to suppress opposition against the current regime and its policies.
The LWF Council also endorsed a call made by LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko, who in a 15 March letter to the African Union, urged the pan-African body to take up a stronger role in promoting positive change in Zimbabwe.
The LWF Council called on all LWF member churches to uphold the people and churches of Zimbabwe in their thoughts and prayers, and to act in solidarity with those who suffer from injustice, oppression, violence and poverty in that country.
Poverty: Governments Called to Accountability
Concerning government responsibility and the mission of the church with a view to poverty, the LWF Council “affirmed that in a world of plenty, the persistence of poverty, especially extreme poverty was a scandal and an outrage.” The governing body declared that the first and most fundamental responsibility of governments was to assure the basic welfare and protect the God-given human dignity of their citizens and of all persons under their authority.
The Council commended a new program in the LWF Department of Theology and Studies – “A Responsibility of the Churches with Civil Society,” and expressed hope that the program would assist the churches in holding governments accountable to this fundamental responsibility.
The Council also welcomed the outcome of the September 2006 LWF Consultation on Poverty and the Mission of the Church in Africa, held in Arusha, Tanzania, and encouraged member churches in Africa (and their partners around the world) to implement the Arusha Action Plan, which among others, proposed a coordinated strategy for confronting poverty in Africa.
The Council expressed its support for initiatives by member churches to address poverty in their own contexts, and recognized especially the work of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Republic of Namibia in the coalition to promote the establishment of a ‘Basic Income Grant’ in Namibia. It encouraged the LWF member churches to consider the potential for such an initiative in their relevant contexts.
The Council expressed grave concern at the many reports of extra-judicial killings, disappearances and other serious human rights violations in the Philippines, including the recent report issued by the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), “Let the Stones Cry Out: An Ecumenical Report on Human Rights in the Philippines and a Call to Action,” March 2007).
The LWF general secretary was asked to write a letter to the Government of the Philippines calling for serious consideration of the issues identified in the NCCP Report, including the promotion of human rights in the country.
“We call upon LWF member churches to pray for and act in solidarity with the people and the churches of the Philippines and to support and empower the Lutheran Church of the Philippines in its essential ministry to enhance human dignity,” said the statement.
On Darfur, western Sudan, the LWF Council called the attention of the member churches to the LWF statements on the situation in Darfur, as an expression of the Lutheran communion’s concern for and commitment to a just and lasting solution to the crisis there.
Apart from its long-held advocacy on Sudan and its peace building initiatives mainly through its Nairobi-based Department for World Service (DWS) country program for Kenya/Sudan, the LWF provides further support to internally displaced people in western Sudan through the Darfur Emergency Response Operation (DERO), a joint initiative of Action by Churches Together (ACT) International and Caritas Internationalis. The LWF and WCC founded ACT, a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies. (834 words)
* * *
An estimated 500 people including over 100 church leaders are attending this year's Council meeting, church leadership consultation and the LWF 60th anniversary celebrations. Also attending are officials from LWF partner organizations, invited guests, stewards, interpreters and translators, LWF staff and co-opted staff, accredited media and participants in the three-year LWF international training program for young communicators.
The Council is the 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, lay and ordained persons, representing the different LWF regions.
During the Council meeting, the LWF Office for Communication Services can be reached at mobile tel no. +46/76-276 1311.
|
If you want to edit this article yourself and adapt it to a given format, follow our editing information
|
|
|
|
|
|
