Church conference in Lebanon seeks response to migration
Thirty
participants including migration activists, leaders of migrant churches and
representatives of ecumenical organizations from Africa, Europe and the
Middle East are currently seeking an ecumenical response to migration at a
World Council of Churches (WCC) conference in Beirut, Lebanon.
They are
addressing cross-cutting issues of global migration, which are causing
appalling situations for the displaced communities and posing numerous
challenges to which churches must respond from an ethical view point.
“The Arab
uprising has made the question ‘Who is my neighbour’, theme of this
conference, even more significant,” said Seta Hadeshian, director of the
Diakonia and Social Justice desk of the Middle East Council of Churches.
“For churches this theological question has deep social, political and
economic implications.”
“The answer to
this question lies in positive dialogue. As Christians we are faced with
similar challenges, created by the political turmoil and uncertainty in the
Middle East, as are people of other faiths, despite of our different
contexts,” she said.
Participants
also stressed the topic “reframing the rhetoric of migration”. In a European
setting, Dr Gerrit Noort, director of Netherlands Mission Council said,
“Churches need to accept and promote diversity, which is an outcome of the
multi-cultural realities of our region. By engaging in debate we also need
to address divisions between the churches in order to create more coherent
communities.”
Sydia Nduna, WCC
programme executive for
Migration and
Social Justice
also emphasized the significance of churches supporting migrant communities.
“The mandate of
finding an ecumenical response to the issues of migration has a special
urgency and relevance to us as Christians today. In our meeting in Beirut, I
hope that together we will be able to bridge the gaps based on different and
unique political contexts of the regions,” she said.
The Global
Ecumenical Network on Migration conference is organized by the WCC
Just and
Inclusive Communities
programme, in collaboration with the
Middle East
Council of Churches,
All Africa
Conference of Churches
and
Churches’
Commission for Migrants in Europe.
The conference
will continue till 7 December at the Near East School of Theology in Beirut,
and will be followed from 8 to 9 December by a working group meeting to
prepare a theological statement on migration to be shared at the upcoming
10th Assembly of the WCC, which will take place at Busan, Korea in 2013.
More
information on the Global Ecumenical Network on Migration
7 December 2011
World Council of Churches
Equal rights for all the measure for
assessing freedom of religion
An international
study process developed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) is preparing
a report on freedom of religion as a fundamental human right for all.
The fundamental
rights of freedom of religion or belief are often violated by both
governments and individuals, acting either on their own behalf or as members
of majority groups. Despite significant initiatives taken by states and the
international community, religious minorities in several parts of world are
becoming the targets of discrimination, acts of violence or hostility and
persecution because of their religion.
The extent to
which freedom of religion or belief can be considered as an absolute right
in pluralistic societies, as well as its relation to various aspects of
human rights, was the centre of discussion among experts who participated at
an international consultation organized by the WCC's Commission of the
Churches on International Affairs (CCIA).
Equal rights of
all individuals in any society should be the broader parameter which should
be seen beyond legal measures when addressing the issue of the Freedom of
Religion and belief in today’s global context: This was the principle
emphasized by thirty experts from 23 countries in Africa, Asia, the
Americas, Europe and the Middle East.
The consultation
was held in Istanbul, Turkey from 28 November to 2 December and hosted by
the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
Metropolitan
Gennadios of Sassima, vice-moderator of WCC Central Committee, opening the
international consultation, stated that “the role of all religions and their
adherents must take special interest in protecting the rights of all
individuals irrespective of their religious affiliations. Protecting the
rights of believers of all religions must be important in fostering peace
with justice and equality.”
Ambassador
Theodoros J. Theodorou of Greece said in his keynote presentation that
“Nations must take seriously the provisions of international human rights
treaties by integrating them into their own legal systems. More systematic
efforts need to be made so that governments around the world enact the
meaningful legislation designated to curb religious persecutions.”
Religious
freedom a historic focus of WCC
The history of
the WCC’s contributions in addressing concerns related to freedom of
religion and human rights was recalled by CCIA director Dr Mathews George
Chunakara.
He pointed out
that the CCIA, which was formed in 1946 jointly by the International
Missionary Council and the structure preparing the foundation of the WCC,
undertook as one of its first tasks to press for international standards on
religious freedom. WCC’s contribution to drafting article 18 of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) has been widely recognized.
“All countries
and their governments which ratified various human rights declarations or
conventions and covenants, including the 1981 UN
Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of
Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,
are obliged to uphold the human rights of all citizens. But in reality this
is not being observed and more and more people are facing serious threats to
their right to freedom of religion and the right to exist as religious
minorities,” said Mathews George.
A report on
religious freedom will be presented to the next CCIA meeting which is to be
held in the People’s Republic of China in June 2012.
Christina
Papazoglou, WCC programme executive for human rights, said that the “study
consultation has analyzed reports from 27 countries in five regions, and
several examples of violations have been highlighted from various countries
as well as positive responses showing ways to protect freedom of religion.”
“In moving
forward,” Papazoglou added, “the participants in the consultation have
encouraged the full participation of church leaders in public life and the
involvement of political, religious and social institutions in upholding the
right of religious freedom. Furthermore, they emphasized the need for
strengthening the existing protection mechanisms and devising effective
safeguards against violations of national and international law relating to
religious freedom.”
The study
process on Freedom of Religion and Rights of Religious Minorities was
initiated by the CCIA in its 50th meeting held in Albania in
2010, and a special working group has been formed by the CCIA to evaluate
the study.
More
information on the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs
Read
also:
Ecumenical
Patriarch highlights freedom of religion and minority rights
(WCC press release of 1 December 2011)
6 December 2011
World Council of Churches
Israel
inaugurates 'Gospel Trail' to follow Jesus' steps
Perched on Tel Kinrot, a hill
above the Sea of Galilee, Winston Mah turned his face toward the warm sun
and took in the tranquil view before him.
To his right, the Christian
pilgrim from San Diego saw banana groves at the edge of the calm fresh-water
lake; to his left, on the opposite hill, rose the majestic Mount of
Beatitudes at Tabga, where, according to Christian tradition, Jesus
delivered his Sermon on the Mount.
"This is a unique experience,"
Mah said, gazing at a lone fisherman on the water's edge. "This is the view
Jesus must have seen, the path he might have walked, the water he walked on.
It's a privilege to walk in his footsteps."
It's one thing to read about
biblical sites while seated in a church pew back home, Mah said. But "it's
another thing entirely to be in the actual place, just as it's described in
the Bible," he said, his voice full of wonder.
Religion News Service reports
that Mah and his church group were among the first hikers on the newly
inaugurated Gospel Trail, 39 miles of integrated paths leading from Mount
Precipice on the southern outskirts of Nazareth to the site of ancient
Capernaum on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Developed by the Israeli
Ministry of Tourism and the Jewish National Fund, the project has the
enthusiastic support of local Christian leaders, whose flocks depend on the
tourist trade.
"It is our hope that this trail
will bring many more Christian pilgrims to the Galilee, where Jesus lived
and had his ministry," said Bishop Boutros Muallem, the Melkite archbishop
emeritus of Galilee, who attended the trail's festive opening aboard a boat
on the Sea of Galilee.
Roughly 150,000 Christian Arabs
live in Israel, the vast majority of them in the Galilee region, in the
north of the country. As elsewhere in the Middle East, many Holy Land
Christians have emigrated in search of economic stability and peace.
Now that the political situation
is relatively quiet, and a record number of tourists are flooding into
Israel and the Palestinian-ruled territories, local Christians are
benefiting and emigration is slowing, according to government statistics.
Two out of three tourists who
visit Israel are Christian, according to the tourism ministry. Leading a
group of journalists down a section of the trail on horseback, Tourism
Minister Stas Misezhnikov said the Gospel Trail "represents a major means
for maximizing the tourist potential" of the Sea of Galilee region.
"It will encourage economic
growth in the north through the creation of new jobs," he said, "and an
increase in income from the visitors."
The Gospel Trail isn't the first
Christian-oriented hiking/cycling trail in the region. The 40-mile Jesus
Trail begins in the city of Nazareth, the home of Mary and Joseph, and ends
at the Sea of Galilee. Though the trails overlap in many areas, the Jesus
Trail winds its way through more Christian, Muslim and Jewish population
centers and already has an infrastructure.
In the coming months, the
government hopes tour operators will provide itineraries and transportation
to and from various sites along the Gospel Trail, and that local business
owners will provide everything from accommodations to bathrooms.
In the meantime, visitors need
to make their own arrangements or request special arrangements from a tour
operator.
Both trails capitalize on the
beauty of the Galilee region. One of the only truly green places in Israel,
the hills are dotted with towns and villages, cows, sheep and olive trees.
Proficient hikers can make the
entire journey in about four days.
The Gospel Trail includes the
Arbel Cliffs, which served as the backdrop of many ancient battles; the
ancient ruins of Beit Saida (Bethsaida), a biblical-era fishing village and
the birthplace of the disciples Peter, Andrew and Philip; Capernaum, the
starting point of Jesus' ministry in the Galilee; and Kfar Kana (Cana),
where Jesus healed the nobleman's son.
Also along the route: Migdal/Magdala,
identified in the Gospels as the home of Mary Magdalene; and the Mount of
Beatitudes, where a picturesque church, surrounded by greenery and special
areas for prayer, overlooks the sites related to Jesus' ministry. The late
Pope John Paul II held a large Mass on a nearby knoll in 2000.
Whenever possible, the trail
leads through unspoiled vistas full of indigenous plants and small wildlife.
Israel, and especially the Galilee region, is a top bird-watching
destination.
At Tel Kinrot, which was part of
the major trade route between ancient Egypt and Syria on the northwestern
shore of the Sea of Galilee, an Italian pilgrim named Stefano gazed at the
archaeological ruins.
"I'm very happy to be on this
trail, to see the sites where Jesus lived and the archaeological sites," the
26-year-old said. "It helps me to thank God for what he does in my life."
7 December 2011
Ecumenical News
International
www.eni.ch
Vatican Official Calls for World Day on Anti-Christian
Persecution
Says as Many as 200M
Christians Suffering Discrimination
A
Vatican official is calling for a World Day to mark anti-Christian violence
and persecution, saying there might be more than 200 million Christians
suffering discrimination.
Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, the Holy See's secretary for Relations with
States, addressed the 18th Ministerial Council of the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held today and Tuesday in Vilnius,
Lithuania.
The
archbishop addressed the Organization's commitments in defense of
fundamental freedoms and human rights, one of which is the right to freedom
of religion. "The right to religious freedom, despite being repeatedly
proclaimed by the international community, as well as in the constitutions
of most states, continues to be widely violated today," he lamented.
Benedict XVI himself recalled, in his message from this year's World Day of
Peace, that Christians "are the religious group which suffers most from
persecution on account of its faith," the prelate noted.
According to Archbishop Mamberti, "there may be more than 200 million
Christians, of different confessions, who are in difficulty because of legal
and cultural structures that lead to their discrimination." For this reason,
he proposed the institution of an International Day against persecution and
discrimination of Christians as "an important sign that governments are
willing to deal with this serious issue."
Trafficking, migration
Archbishop Mamberti also spoke
about the problem of trafficking in human beings, especially of women and
minors, for sexual exploitation as well as for labor exploitation and
domestic servitude, which has become a "powerful global business involving
many countries of origin, transit, and destination. To counteract the
scourge of trafficking in human beings with greater determination and more
concrete results, a convergence of efforts is necessary: a mentality that is
centered on the unique dignity of every person, a sure punishment of
traffickers, the fight against corruption, ... and the fairness of mass
media in reporting the damages created by trafficking."
And, regarding the topic of
migration, the prelate noted the need to support migrants' reunification
with their families since "the family plays a fundamental role in the
integration process, in giving stability to the presence of the immigrants
in the new social environment. ... Migrants, aware of their rights, can be
more secure in offering their services and talents, and the receiving
community, well-informed and respectful of these rights, will feel freer in
extending its solidarity in order to build together a common future."
7 December 2011
Zenit International News
Agency
www.zenit.org
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