DMD Themes
Advocacy
Mission and Advocacy
As a serving and healing community the church seeks justice, transformation, peace and reconiliation. © LWF/S. Lim |
The church in mission understands its participation in God’s mission as contextual, addressing faithfully the challenges of ever changing and complex contexts. Mission is comprehensive and holistic, and its aim encompasses the whole of creation, the whole of life and the whole human being (i.e., all people and the whole person). As a serving and healing community, the church seeks justice through advocacy, effects transformation through empowerment, and works for peace and reconciliation. Every church is responsible for mission tasks in its locality, but should also be prepared to cooperate with others in different localities when called to partnership.
Click for more information in the LWF Mission Document Section 2 – Theology of Mission (point 2.3.2). (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) 
Giving Shape to Advocacy
Human rights concerns in the face of oppressing Indigenous people. © LWF/J. Schep |
The LWF views engagement with the critical issues of social and economic justice and the promotion of human dignity as fundamental elements of a holistic Christian ministry and witness. Many principles and practical concerns help give shape to advocacy in various contexts.
- Human rights concerns relate to international standards of human rights that have been accepted by governments (e.g. in the face of oppressing Dalit and indigenous people, and the using children as laborers and soldiers).
- Pastoral concerns about the continued subjugation and impoverishment of our societies and people.
- Ethical concerns about mechanisms of corruption operating in government, market and other systems.
- Concern to fight impunity, related to human rights violations under oppressive regimes but continuing today in international systems, for example, lending and borrowing.
- Concern about sustainability of societies based on denial of access rights, the systematic drain of resources and systems of globally connected corruption.
Making Connections for Advocacy
Advocacy is the effort to influence those in power to use their power in a different way, and to change power structures and relationships. In its programs and projects, DMD promotes and supports initiatives for advocacy.
Sunday School - My God is so BIG! © QLC |
The LWF is a part of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA) and encourages member churches to relate to this broad ecumenical network for international cooperation in advocacy on global trade and HIV and AIDS. Joint efforts through the EAA strengthen challenges to policies and practices of governments, international institutions, corporations and our own communities in order to bring about a more just, peaceful and sustainable world.
The LWF Guiding Principles for Sustainable Development (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) affirm that sustainable development is people-centered, concerned with the lives and well-being of people ("the whole person") in their communities, rather than with narrow economic indicators.
The 2002 LWF Global Consultation on Prophetic Diakonia affirmed that diakonia is more than social service - it always includes social change. The consultation highlighted the need for churches to address governments, expecting them to carry out their fundamental responsibility to provide for the basic needs and rights of their people.
The 2002 LWF action plan on HIV and AIDS, with the theme "Compassion, Conversion, Care: Responding as Churches to the HIV/AIDS Pandemic," (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) affirms that LWF’s formal HIV-related advocacy work will be undertaken ecumenically within the framework of the EAA. The primary focus of advocacy is to work for the dignity and rights of people living with HIV and AIDS and for an attitude of care and solidarity that rejects all forms of stigmatization and discrimination.
DMD works closely with the LWF Office for International Affairs and Human Rights and the DWS Advocacy and Communications Desk.
Examples of Advocacy
Water for baptism - water for life. © QLC |
The Latin American churches are lead players in advocacy in their region. Churches are lobbying with governments for rights to universal access to HIV and AIDS treatment, care and prevention. The church in Costa Rica is especially active in the campaign against restrictive patent rights.
The WICAS Desk is the focal point for initiating and supporting advocacy in specific areas: advocacy for the equal participation of women in church and society; advocacy against water being turned into a commodity and; and advocacy for churches to say “No” to violence against women.
For further information please contact:
DMD Director
Rev. Dr Kjell Nordstokke
E-mail: kno@lutheranworld.org
Administrative Assistant
Stefan Niederberger
E-mail: sni@lutheranworld.org
