Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches
P.O. Box 2100
U.S.A.
Tel. +1.212.867.58.90
table of contents i
Foreword 23
abbreviations 24
Moderator’s introduction 26
director’s introduction 28
INTERNATIONAL ISSUES AND TRENDS 31
Ecumenical Policy 31
Memorandum and Recommendations on the Application of Sanctions 31
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 31
Trends 42
Message of the CCIA Consultation on Church, Community and State in the Contemporary World 42
Consultation to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, Seoul, Korea, 15-17 July 1996. 42
Note on the Contemporary Role of the Church in International Affairs 48
Commended to the member churches by the Central Committee, Geneva, 12-20 September 1996. 48
Issues 57
Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide 57
Letter to H.H. Karekin I, Catholicos of All Armenians and to H.E. the Locum Tenens, 19 April 1995. 57
Environmental Justice 58
Climate Change 58
Petition Campaign on Climate Change 58
Letter to member churches and related national councils of churches in the industrialized countries, 3 March 1996. 58
Building a Just and Moral Economy for Sustainable Communities 62
Statement to the Fifth Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development, New York, 10 April 1997, cf. p 116. 62
Statement to the High Level Segment of the Third Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 62
Presented by the WCC delegation to the Kyoto Summit on Climate Change, Kyoto, Japan, 9 December 1997, cf. p 109. 62
Statement on US policy reversal on climate change targets 63
Press release issued in Geneva, 23 October 1997. 63
Global Economy 64
A jubilee call to end the stranglehold of debt on impoverished peoples 64
Statement issued by the Eighth Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 64
Statement on Globalization 68
Issued by the Eighth WCC Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 68
Resisting Domination – Affirming Life: The Challenge of Globalization 70
Document commended to the churches by the Eighth Assembly as essential background to its Statement on Globalization. 70
HUMAN RIGHTS 78
Ecumenical Policy 78
Declaration on the Occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 78
Adopted by the Eighth Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 78
Statement on Human Rights 81
Adopted by the Eighth Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 81
Death Penalty 91
Appeal for clemency for Sarah Balabagan in the United Arab Emirates 91
Letter to H.E. Sheik Zaid ibn Sultan an Nahayan, President of the United Arab Emirates, 21 September 1995. 91
Appeal to commute the death sentences passed on Ken Saro Wiwa and his co-defendants Nigeria 92
Letter to General Sani Abacha, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2 November 1995. 92
Ecumenical appeals for clemency for Mr. Sylvester Adams in the USA 93
Letter to the Rev. L. Wayne Bryan, Executive Minister of the South Carolina Christian Action Council, 11 August 1995. 93
Appeal for stay of execution of Karla Faye Tucker in the USA 94
Letter to Mr. John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 3 February 1998. 94
Appeal on the application of the death penalty in Rwanda 95
Letter to H.E. Pasteur Bizimungu, President of the Republic, 23 April 1998. 95
Indigenous Peoples 97
Appeal to accelerate adoption of the draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples 97
Letter to H.E. José Urrutia, Ambassador of Peru to the UN in Geneva and chair of the UN Inter-sessional Working Group on Indigenous Peoples, 24 May 1996. 97
Rights of the Child 98
Call to churches to defend and protect children 98
Decision of the Central Committee, Geneva, 12-20 September 1996. 98
Statement on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 98
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 11-19 September 1997. 98
Racial Discrimination 99
Joint statement on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination 99
Issued jointly by Mr. Jean Fischer, General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches, the Rev.. Dr. Ishmael Noko, General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation, the Rev. Dr. Milan Opocenski, General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser of the World Council of Churches, 19 March 1997. 99
List of UN Interventions 100
PEACE AND DISARMAMENT 101
Ecumenical Policy 101
Statement on Nuclear Testing 101
Adopted by he Central Committee, Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 101
Statement on Child Soldiers 103
Adopted by the Eighth Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 103
Peace Concerns 104
Message on the Anniversary of the end of World War II 104
Sent to member churches, 21 April 1995. 104
Christmas Message 1997 109
Issued by the Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser, General Secretary. 109
Landmines 110
Appeal to Member Churches to join the International Campaign to Ban Landmines 110
Letter sent 11 April 1996. 110
Message to the Oslo Diplomatic Conference on Landmines 111
Letter to H.E. Amb. J.S. Selibi, President of the Diplomatic Conference, 15 September 1997. 111
Central Committee Statement welcoming the award of the Nobel Prize for Peace to the International Campaign To Ban Landmines 113
Issued in Geneva, 10 October 1997. 113
Small Arms 114
Congratulations on British vote to ban privately-owned handguns 114
Letter to H.E. Prime Minister Tony Blair, 12 June 1997. 114
Nuclear Weapons 114
Appeal to the Government of France 114
Letter to H.E. President Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, 15 June 1995. 114
Call to fast and pray for a halt to nuclear testing 118
Letter to members of Central Committee, member churches, national councils of churches and regional ecumenical organizations, 18 August 1995. 118
Appeal to the Government of the People’s Republic of China 121
Letter to H.E. Jin Yongjian, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations in Geneva, 18 August 1995 121
Appeal to the United Nations on French Nuclear Testing 122
Letter presented at the Palais des Nations to H.E. Vladimir Petrovsky, Under-Secretary-General and Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva, by the Officers of the World Council of Churches, 21 September 1995. 122
Statement Addressed to the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference Preparatory Committee 123
Jointly submitted by the World Council of Churches and Pax Christi International to the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2000 Review Conference of the parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Geneva, 27 April - 8 May 1998. 123
Appeal to the Government of India 126
Letter to H.E. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, 13 May 1998. 126
Appeal to the Government of Pakistan 128
Letter to H.E. Prime Minister Mohammed Nawaz Sharif, 29 May 1998. 128
United nations relations 130
Ecumenical Policy 130
Memorandum and Recommendations on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations 130
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 130
UN International Years 142
The Promise and Power of Faith: Religions’ role in promoting peace and tolerance 142
Presentation by the Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser, WCC General Secretary, in a panel to mark the Fiftieth Anniversary of the adoption of the UN Charter and the UN Year for Tolerance, Palais des Nations, Geneva, 3 July 1995. 142
UN World Summits and UN Special Sessions 146
Plenary Address to the World Summit for Social Development 146
Presented by the Rev. Dr. Konrad Raiser, Brussels, 6 March 1995. 146
First Session of the Conference of the Parties for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change 150
Press release issued in Berlin, April 6, 1995. 150
Statement to the Kyoto Summit on Climate Change 152
Presented by the WCC delegation to the High Level Segment of the Third Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Kyoto, Japan, 9 December 1997. 152
UN World Conferences 153
Fourth United Nations World Conference on Women 154
Letter to H.E. Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary-General of the United Nations, 25 April 1995. 154
Statement presented to the press by the moderator of the CCIA as leader of the WCC delegation on behalf of church and ecumenical organizations, Beijing, 4 September 1995. 155
Written and Oral Submissions to other UN Bodies 157
Commission and Sub-Commission on Human Rights 157
Commission for Social Development 159
“Investing in Participation” and “The Situation of Migrants in a Globalized World,” oral interventions at 36th Session, New York 1998. 159
Commission on Sustainable Development 160
“Building a Just and Moral Economy for Sustainable Communities,” statement to the Fifth Session of the Commission, New York, 10 April 1997. 160
“Streams of Justice,” Statement to the High-Level Segment of the Sixth Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD6), New York, April 1998. 163
Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples. 167
Presentation by the Rev. Eunice Santana on the situation in Puerto Rico, New York, 10 August 1998. 167
Consultative Relations 168
Informal Soundings with NGOs 168
Oral Statement by the UN Representative in New York on NGO access to UN General Assembly committees and improvement of the climate of consultative relations between governments and non-governmental organizations, New York, 9 December 1996. 168
Elections or Appointments of New UN Leaders 168
Message on threatened US use of veto in UN Secretary-General election 168
Letter to the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, 7 November 1996, cf. p 335. 168
Letter to Secretary-General-Elect Kofi Annan 168
Sent 19 December 1996. 168
Letter to Mrs. Mary Robinson, High Commissioner for Human Rights 169
Sent 29 September 1997. 169
uprooted people 171
Ecumenical Policy 171
Statement on Uprooted People 171
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 171
Racism and Xenophobia 187
Expression of concern about racism and xenophobia in France 187
Letter to Monseigneur Joseph Duval, President of the Council of Christian Churches in France, 6 September 1996. 187
International Standards 189
Statement to the Regional Conference to Address the Problems of Refugees, Displaced Persons, Other Forms of Involuntary Displacement and Returnees in the Countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Relevant Neighbouring States 189
Presented on behalf of Caritas Internationalis, the Conference of European Churches, Hungarian Interchurch Aid, the International Catholic Migration Commission, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches, and the World Young Women’s Christian Association, Geneva, 31 May, 1996 189
Migration and Migrants’ Rights 191
regional concerns 192
Africa 192
Ecumenical Policy 192
Statement on Africa 192
Adopted by the Eighth Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 192
Algeria 195
Message for Algeria 195
Issued by the Executive Committee, Geneva, 20 February 1998. 195
Burundi 198
Statement on the Massacres in Burundi 198
Issued by the Acting General Secretary, 25 July 1996 198
Statement on Burundi 200
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 12-20 September 1996. 200
Congo (Republic) 201
Expression of solidarity with the churches 201
Identical letters to Pasteur Alphonse Mbama of the Evangelical Church of the Congo and to the Ecumenical Council of Churches of the Congo, expressing solidarity with the churches and people of Congo-Brazzaville in the midst of generalized conflict and violence, 27 June 1997. 201
Congo (Democratic Republic) / Zaïre 204
Statement on the Humanitarian Situation in Eastern Zaïre 204
Issued by the General Secretary, 5 February 1997. 204
Communiqué of the emergency meeting on the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo 204
Issued in Lusaka, Zambia, 10 September 1998. 204
Ethiopian-Eritrean Conflict 206
Peace appeal 206
Letter to H.E. Issias Afwerki, Prime Minister of Ethiopia, and to H.E. Meles Zenawi, President of Eritrea, 11 June 1998. 206
Great Lakes Region 207
Statement on the Situation in the Great Lakes Region 207
Issued in Geneva, 31 October 1996. 207
Conclusions of the Regional Church Leaders Meeting on the Situation in the Great Lakes Region 210
Convened in Johannesburg, South Africa, 4-7 November 1996. 210
Appeal to the UN Secretary-General and Security Council President 213
Joint letter from the General Secretaries of the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation, 14 November 1996. 213
Support for United Nations and Organization for African Unity joint initiative for a negotiated peace 214
Letter to H. E. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, 21 February 1997. 214
Message of the International Consultation on the Great Lakes Ecumenical Forum 215
Convened by the WCC in Geneva, 4-6 September 1997. 215
Kenya 220
Expression of sympathy to the victims of the bombing in Nairobi of the US Embassy 220
Letter to the Rev. Mutava Musyimi, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches of Kenya, 4 August 1998. 220
Liberia 221
Appeal to the United Nations 221
Letter to UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali, 15 May 1996. 221
Nigeria 222
Appeal to commute the death sentences passed on Ken Saro Wiwa and his co-defendants 222
Letter to General Sani Abacha, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 2 November 1995. cf. p 61. 222
Joint Communiqué from the World Council of Churches and Shell International Limited 222
Issued at the conclusion of the meeting held in Geneva, 14 March 1997. 222
Call for international pressure to restore democracy and the rule of law 223
Oral intervention by the CCIA at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 18 April 1997. 223
Memorandum and Recommendations on Nigeria 224
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 11-19 September 1997. 224
Appeal on behalf of people in Ogoniland 227
Letter to H.E. Ejoh Abuah, Ambassador of Nigeria to the United Nations in Geneva, 6 January 1998. 227
Appeal for the release of Chief Bola Ige and fellow detainees 229
Letter to H.E. Ejoh Abuah, Ambassador of Nigeria to the United Nations in Geneva,14 May 1998. 229
Rwanda 229
Appeal on the application of the death penalty. 229
Letter from the Coordinator of the CCIA to H.E. Pasteur Bizimungu, President of the Republic, 23 April 1998, cf. p 64. 229
Sierra Leone 230
Statement on Sierra Leone 230
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 11-19 September 1997. 230
South Africa 231
Withdrawal of call to boycott Shell Oil Company 231
Action by the Central Committee, Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 231
Sudan 231
Here We Stand United in Action for Peace: The Position of the Sudanese Church on the Current Conflict in the Country 231
Adopted by representatives of the Sudan Council of Churches and the New Sudan Council of Churches at their joint meeting convened and facilitated by the WCC, Morges, Switzerland, 25 September 1996. 231
Statement on Sudanese Church Leaders’ Initiatives in Sudan 236
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 11-19 September 1997. 236
Background Note on Sudan 240
Received by the Eighth Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 240
Protest against bombing of civilians and churches in South Sudan 241
Letter sent from Harare, Zimbabwe, to H.E. Mustafa Ismail Usman, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Sudan, 12 December 1998. 241
Tanzania 242
Expression of sympathy to victims of the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Dar-Es-Salaam 242
Letter to Dr. Wilson Mthebe, General Secretary of the Christian Council of Tanzania, 14 August 1998. 242
Togo 242
Appeal for democratic process to be fully applied in respect of national elections 242
Letter to H.E. General Gnassingbe Eyadema, President of the Republic, 1 July 1998. 242
Letter to the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church, the WCC member churches in Togo, 1 July 1998 244
Expression of solidarity with Togolese churches and Christians in the midst of political tumult. 246
Letter to Pasteur Félicien Lawson Kouhadin, President of the General Synod of the Methodist Church in Togo, 17 November 1998. 246
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 247
Zambia 248
Expression of solidarity with Dr. Kenneth Kaunda 248
Letter to Dr. Kenneth Kaunda and copied to the Christian Council of Zambia, 27 January 1998. 248
Zimbabwe 249
Exchange of letters on the situation in Africa and Zimbabwe in view of the planned meeting of the Eighth Assembly in Harare 249
Letter from Mr. Densen Mafinyani, General Secretary of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) to the Executive Committee meeting in Amersfoort, Netherlands and participants in events in Amsterdam to mark the 50th anniversary of the WCC, 19 September 1998. 249
Reply from the General Secretary on behalf of the Executive Committee to the ZCC and the Heads of Christian Denominations, 28 September 1998. 249
Asia 253
China, Peoples Republic 253
Ecumenical Delegation Visit 253
Press release summarizing the findings of the WCC delegation visit to China at the invitation of the China Christian Council (CCC), 5-14 May 1996. 253
Hong Kong 254
Message on the reversion of Hong Kong to China 254
Letter to the Christian Council and WCC Member Churches in Hong Kong, 1 July 1997. 254
China Christian Council and Presbyterian Church in Taiwan Church Leaders’ Informal Gathering 256
Communiqué from the gathering held in Seoul, Korea, 23 February 1995. 256
India 257
Expression of concern about violations of religious freedom and conflict 257
Letter to the Rev. Dr. Ipe Joseph, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, 1 February 1998. 257
Indonesia 258
Message to the 13th General Assembly of the Evangelical Christian Church in Irian Jaya 258
Letter sent January 1995. 258
Minute on Indonesia 259
Adopted by the Unit III Committee of the Central Committee, meeting in Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 259
Appeal for the release of protestors arrested by Indonesian security forces 260
Letter to H.E. President Kemusu Argamulja Suharto, 21 August 1996. 260
Appeal to the Government of Indonesia to show restraint and introduce 262
political reforms 262
Statement issued by the General Secretary, 15 May 1998. 262
Japan 262
Appeal for the release of detained church worker 262
Letter to H.E. Minoru Endo, Ambassador of Japan to the United Nations in Geneva, 25 March 1996. 262
Korea 263
Communiqué from the Meeting of Ecumenical Delegates from North and South Korea, Beijing, 27-28 January 1995 263
Living into Jubilee: Statement of the Fourth International Ecumenical Consultation on Peace and Reunification in Korea, Kyoto, Japan, 28 31 March 1995 264
Pakistan 270
Message of condolences on the death of the Rt. Rev. Dr. John Joseph, Roman Catholic Bishop of Faisalabad 270
Letter to Archbishop Simion Perrera of the Diocese of Karachi, Church of Pakistan, 7 May 1998. 270
Call for the repeal of “blasphemy laws” and the release of those being held under the charge of blasphemy 270
Letter to H.E. Munir Akram, Ambassador of Pakistan to the United Nations in Geneva, 12 May 1998. 270
Singapore 272
Lifting of boycott against Singapore Airlines 272
Action by the Central Committee, Geneva, 12-22 September 1995. 272
Sri Lanka 274
Appeal to parties involved in the Sri Lanka peace process 274
Statement issued by the General Secretary, 5 April 1995. 274
Appeal for respect of the sanctity of church buildings 275
Letter to H.E. President Chandrika Kumaranatunga, 25 July 1995. 275
Message of concern after police raids on the offices of the National Christian Council 275
Letter to H.E. Bernard A. B. Goonetilleke, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva, 2 August 1995. 276
276
Appeal to Sri Lankan Government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to resume peace negotiations 276
Statement issued by the General Secretary, 2 November 1995. 276
Statement on Sri Lanka 277
Issued by the General Secretary, 20 November 1995 277
Appeal for cessation of military action 278
Letter to H.E. President Chandrika Kumaratunga, 3 May 1996 278
Appeal for inquiry into murder of church pastor 279
Letter to H.E. Chandrika Kumaratunga, President of Sri Lanka, 18 September 1997. 279
australasia 280
Australia 280
Expression of condolences to victims of massacre in Tasmania 280
Letter to the Rev. David Gill, General Secretary of the National Council of Churches in Australia, 30 April 1996. 280
Statement on aboriginal rights 281
Issued by the General Secretary, Geneva, 4 March 1998. 281
CARIBBEAN 282
Cuba 282
Statement on the intensified U.S. sanctions against Cuba and their assertion of extraterritoriality 282
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 15-20 September 1996. 282
Puerto Rico 283
Appeal for clemency for long-term prisoners 283
Letter to H.E. Bill Clinton, President of the United States of America, 8 January 1998. 283
EUROPE 285
Ecumenical Policy 285
Message from the World Council of Churches to the Second European Ecumenical Assembly, 25 June 1997 285
Albania 289
Minute on Albania 289
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 289
Statement on the crisis in Albania 289
Issued jointly by the General Secretaries of the World Council of Churches and the Conference of European Churches, 20 March 1997. 289
Armenia 290
Expression of concern about social tensions arising from election results 290
Letter to H.H. Karekin I, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians, in Etchmiadzin, 27 September 1996. 290
Belarus 291
Expression of concern about pressures placed on the “Children of Chernobyl” Foundation 291
Letter to H.E. Metropolitan Philaret of Minsk and Slutsk, Belarus, 7 April 1997. 291
Cyprus 295
Statement on ethnic clashes in Cyprus 295
Issued on 12 August 1996. 295
Message on the division of Cyprus 296
Reply to His Beatitude Archbishop Chrysostomos of the Church of Cyprus, 19 September 1996. 296
Statement on the Situation in Cyprus 299
Adopted by the Executive Committee meeting at the Kykko Monastery, Cyprus, 12-15 February 1997. 299
France 301
Expression of concern about racism and xenophobia 301
Letter to Monsignor Joseph Duval, President of Council of Christian Churches in France, 6 September 1996, cf. p 138. 301
Expression of appreciation to the CIMADE Assembly for its determination to stand against the National Front 301
Letter to Mr. Jean Pierre Weben, President of CIMADE, the Paris-based ecumenical service agency, 18 December 1996. 301
Appeal for the release of archives relating to the impact on public health of nuclear weapons testing in French Polynesia 303
Letter to H.E. Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, sent from Harare, Zimbabwe, 14 December 1998. 303
Portugal 305
Appeal against the sexual exploitation of children on Madeira 305
Letter to the Prosecutor-General of Portugal on 6 April 1998. 305
Romania 306
Minute on Religious Rights in Romania 306
Adopted by the Central Committee, in Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 306
Visits to Romanian State officials for church and religious affairs 306
Press release on the visit of the Coordinator for International Affairs in response to requests received from member churches in Romania, 23-24 March 1998. 306
Russian Federation 307
Appeals on behalf of ACT aid workers abducted in Chechnya 307
Letter to Mr. Charles R. Ajalat, Chairman of the Board of International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC), 30 September 1997. 307
Joint letter to H.E. Boris Yeltsin, President of the Russian Federation; and to Aslan Maskhadov, President, and Movlady Oudougov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic of Itchkeria, 24 October 1997. 308
Turkey 310
Appeal for protection of the premises of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul 310
Letter to His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios in Istanbul, 1 October 1996. 310
Letter to H.E. Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, 1 October 1996. 310
Request for information about alleged authorization to convert an Armenian church into a mosque 311
Letter to H.E. Tugay Ulugevik, Ambassador of Turkey to the United Nations in Geneva, 10 January 1997. 311
Request to rescind court decision to sentence a bishop of the Ecumenical Patriarchate 312
Letter to H.E. Sevket Kazan, Minister of Justice, 24 January 1997. 312
Expression of sympathy and concern following the bombing of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul 313
Letter to His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomaios, 3 December 1997. 313
Ukraine 313
Statement on the continuing disaster of Chernobyl 313
Issued on the tenth anniversary of the nuclear accident, 23 April 1996. 313
United Kingdom 314
Statement on the bombing in Omagh, Northern Ireland 314
Issued jointly by the Rev. Dr. Konrad Raise, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, and Mr. Keith Clements, General Secretary of the Conference of European Churches, 17 August 1998. 314
Congratulations on British vote to ban privately-owned handguns 315
Letter to H.E. Prime Minister Tony Blair, 12 June 1997, cf p 79. 315
Yugoslavia (Former) 315
Appeal to churches to press for an extension of the cease-fire in Bosnia-Herzegovina 315
Message to WCC and CEC member churches in countries of the former Yugoslavia, 28 April 1995. 315
Call for a new cease-fire in Bosnia-Herzegovina 316
Statement issued in Geneva, 1 May 1995. 316
Consultation with church leaders from the Former Yugoslavia 318
Communiqué from the consultation held in Pécs, Hungary, 10-11 July 1995. 318
Appeal for the cessation of military actions in Bosnia 319
Letter to H.H. Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church, 17 July 1995. 319
Message on the conflict in the Former Yugoslavia 320
Adopted by the Central Committee meeting in Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 320
Comment on the Dayton Agreement on Bosnia-Herzegovina 323
Issued 22 November 1995. 323
Assurance of prayers for the Serbian Orthodox Church 325
Letter to H.H. Patriarch Pavle, 25 December 1996. 325
Appeal to church leaders to contribute to a non-violent, negotiated solution to the conflict in Kosovo 325
Joint letter from the general secretaries of CEC, the WCC and the LWF to their member churches in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 10 March 1998. 325
Statement on the situation in Kosovo 326
Issued 14 October 1998. 326
LATIN AMERICA 328
Argentina 328
Condemnation of assassination of journalist Luis Cabezas 328
Identical letters to Mr. Mario Cocchi, Secretary-General of the Association of Graphic Reporters of the Republic, Mr. Juan Carlos Camaño, Secretary-General of the Press Workers Union of Buenos Aires, Mr. Hector D’Amico, Director of the weekly, “Noticias,” 12 February 1997. 328
Search for documents relating to charges against senior officials of the military government relating to their conduct of the “Dirty War” 329
Letter to the General Secretary from the heads of WCC member churches in Argentina, supported by Roman Catholic bishops Hesayne and Novak in Argentina, June 1997. 329
Letter to Pastor Heinrich Rusterholz, President of the Swiss Protestant Federation, 4 July 1997. 331
Letter to H.E. Walter B. Gyger, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United Nations in Geneva, 4 July 1997. 333
Brazil 337
Expression of concern about the massacre in Eldorado dos Carajas and the plight of landless peasants in Brazil 337
Letter to H.E. President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, 26 April 1996. 337
Chile 338
Support for Protestant Churches’ efforts to achieve equal treatment under the law 338
Letter to the Rev. Bishop Francisco Anabalón, President of the Council of Evangelical Pastors of Chile, 24 November 1997. 338
Communication on the 25th anniversary of the military coup d’état 341
Letter to the leaders of the Protestant, Pentecostal and Roman Catholic Churches in Chile, and to the leadership of the Chilean Jewish community on the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 1973 military coup d’état, 8 September 1998. 341
Colombia 343
Condemnation of assassination of human rights defender Dr. Eduardo Umaña Mendoza 343
Letter to H.E. Dr. Ernesto Samper Pizano, President of the Republic, 21 April 1998. 343
Appeal for protection of the staff of the Inter-congregational (Roman Catholic) Commission of Justice and Peace after its premises were raided. 346
Letter to Dr. Alfonso Gómez Méndez, the Attorney General of Colombia, 18 May 1998. 346
Colombia: On the Path of Dialogue and Encounter 349
Communiqué issued in Geneva, Switzerland, 19 August 1998. 349
El Salvador 350
Expression of condolences on the assassination of César Humberto López 350
Letter from staff members who were personal friends of the victim to the Emmanuel Baptist Church in San Salvador, 20 April 1998. 350
Guatemala 351
Appeal for the release of Daniel Long, WCC representative in Guatemala 351
Letter to H.E. Ramiro de León Carpio, President of the Republic, 30 June 1995. 351
Condemnation of the torture and murder of Pastor Manuel Saquic Vásquez 354
Letter to H.E. Ramiro de León Carpio, President of the Republic, 12 July 1995. 354
Appeal for protection of threatened church leaders 355
Letter to H.E. Ramiro de León Carpio. President of the Republic, 9 August 1995. 355
Letter of protest following the deadly attack on returned refugees in the community of “Aurora, 8th of October” 356
Letter to H.E. Ramiro de León Carpio, President of the Republic, 9 October 1995. 356
Agreement on Socio-economic Aspects and the Agrarian Situation 361
Letter to Mr. Jean Arnault, Moderator of the Guatemala Peace Negotiations, 6 May 1996. 361
Condemnation of the assassination of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera, Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guatemala. 362
Letter to H.E. Alvaro Arzú, President of the Republic, 28 April 1998. 362
Letter to H.E. Monsignor Victor Hugo Martinez, President of the Episcopal Conference of Guatemala, 28 April 1998. 364
Letter to H.E. Edward I. Cardinal Cassidy, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity of the Roman Catholic Church, Vatican City, 29 April 1998. 366
Mexico 367
Expression of deep concern about the attack on bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas and the pastoral delegation to Indigenous Peoples 367
Letter to H.E. Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León, President of the Republic, 11 November 1997. 367
Peru 370
Appeal for protection of human rights defender, Ms Sofia Macher, General Secretary of the National Human Rights Coordination Group in Peru. 370
Letter to H.E. Alberto Pandolfi Arbulú, Prime Minister of Peru, 17 September 1998. Similar letters were sent to the Ministers of Justice and of the Interior. 370
Uruguay 371
Appeal for justice for families of the disappeared and Uruguayan society 371
Letter to H.E. Julio Ma. Sanguinetti, President of the Republic of Uruguay, ó October 1998. 371
middle east 375
Iran 375
New Openings for Muslim-Christian Dialogue 375
Press release on a staff visit to Iran, 19-22 April 1995. 375
Colloquium on the role of religions in the contemporary world 377
Press release issued at the conclusion of the colloquium in Geneva, 15-16 December 1995 377
Letter of concern on the assassination of a Christian minister 378
Letter to Mr. Sayyed Abdolmajid Mirdamadi of the Centre for International Cultural Studies in Teheran, 14 October 1996. 378
Communiqué of the Symposium on Religion and the Contemporary World 380
Issued in Teheran, Islamic Republic of Iran, 21-23 November 1996. 380
Iraq 383
Statement on US missile attacks 383
Issued in Geneva, 4 September 1996 383
Minute on US attacks on Iraq 383
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 12-20 September 1996. 383
A STATEMENT OF CONCERN 384
Minute on sanctions against Iraq 385
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 11-19 September 1997. 385
WCC delegation visit 387
Press release on the official delegation visit to Iraq, 16-28 January 1998. 387
Statement on the Situation in Iraq 389
Adopted by the Executive Committee, Geneva, 17-20 February 1998. 389
Statement on U.S. and U.K. attacks on Iraq 393
Issued in Geneva, 17 December 1998. 393
Israel 394
Expression of condolences on the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 394
Letter to H.E. Yosef Lamdan, Ambassador of Israel to the United Nations in Geneva, 6 November 1995. 394
Statement on the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin 394
Issued by the General Secretary, 6 November 1995. 394
Statement on the bombings in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv 396
Issued by the Rev. Dr. Wesley Ariarajah, Acting General Secretary, 5 March 1996. 396
Israeli-Palestinian Conflict 397
Statement on current situation in Palestine 397
Issued on 26 September 1996. 397
Statement on the Washington Accords on Middle East Peace 397
Issued by the General Secretary, 27 October 1998 397
Jerusalem 398
Report on Jerusalem visit 398
Press release issued upon return of Dr. Konrad Raise to Geneva after his first official visit as General Secretary to member churches in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, 15-21 May 1995. 398
Statement on the Status of Jerusalem 401
Issued by the Central Committee, Geneva, 14-22 September 1995. 401
Expression of concern about Israel’s intention to build a new settlement 404
Letter to the Heads of Churches and Christian Communities in Jerusalem, 13 March 1997. 404
Message of Solidarity to the Churches in Jerusalem 406
Sent by the Officers to Christians and Churches, 17 September 1997. 406
Statement on the status of Jerusalem 407
Adopted by the Eighth Assembly, Harare, Zimbabwe, 3-14 December 1998. 407
Lebanon 411
Statement on Israeli attacks on Lebanon 411
Issued by the Rev. Dr. Wesley Ariarajah, Acting General Secretary, 16 April 1996. 411
Mecca 412
Condolences to families of victims 412
Issued by the General Secretary, 16 April 1997. 412
Palestine 414
Support for the Bethlehem 2000 Project 414
Letter to H.E. Yasser Arafat, President of the Palestine National Authority, 7 May 1998. 414
NORTH AMERICA 415
United States of America 415
Expression of condolences following the bombing in Oklahoma City 415
Letter to the Rev. Dr. William B. Moorer, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, 27 April 1995. 415
Minute on US attacks on Iraq 416
Adopted by the Central Committee, Geneva, 12-20 September 1996 cf p 305. 416
Message on threatened US use of veto in UN Secretary-General election 416
Letter to the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, General Secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, 7 November 1996. 416
Statement on US policy reversal on climate change targets 417
Issued in Geneva, 23 October 1997. cf. p 36. 417
Support for ecumenical appeals for clemency for Mr. Sylvester Adams in the USA 417
Letter to the Rev. L. Wayne Bryan, Executive Minister of the South Carolina Christian Action Council, 11 August 1995, cf. p 62. 417
Appeal for stay of execution of Karla Faye Tucker in the USA 417
Letter to Mr. John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, 3 February 1998, cf. p 61 . 417
Appeal for clemency of long-term Puerto Rican prisoners 418
Letter to H.E. Bill Clinton, President of the United States of America, 8 January 1998, cf. p 222. 418
pacific 419
Pastoral letter to the Evangelical Church of French Polynesia 419
Letter to Mr. Jacque Ihorai, President of the High Council of the Church in Papeete, Tahiti, 10 August 1995. 419
Appeal to the Government of France 420
Letter to H.E. Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, 15 June 1995, cf. p 81. 420
Call to fast and pray for a halt to nuclear testing 420
Letter to members of Central Committee, member churches, national councils of churches and regional ecumenical organizations, 18 August 1995, cf. p 83. 420
Appeal for the release of archives relating to the impact on public health of nuclear weapons testing in French Polynesia 421
Letter to H.E. Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, sent from Harare, Zimbabwe, 14 December 1998, cf p 237. 421
BY-LAWS OF THE BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (CCIA) 422
CCIA MEMBERSHIP 429
ccia MEETINGS 430
XLVI Meeting, Kitwe, Zambia, 24-30 June 1995 430
Report of the Board for International Affairs (CCIA) to the Unit III Committee of the Central Committee. 430
XLVII Meeting of the CCIA, Seoul, Korea, 15-21 July 1996 432
Report of the Board for International Affairs to the Unit III Committee of the Central Committee. 432
Common Understanding and Vision of the World Council of Churches 432
ccia staff 435
The WCC is a fellowship of some 340 member churches in more than 120 countries in all continents and from virtually all Christian traditions. The pamphlet, The Role of the World Council of Churches in International Affairs* clarifies the scope of the WCC’s authority in this field:
Through its public statements the WCC provides assessments of national and international events and political trends, recommends actions to member churches, communicates pastoral concern, expresses ecumenical solidarity, and makes representations and issues appeals to particular governments and inter-governmental bodies.
But this definition and popular perceptions often differ. For example, there is a widespread conception that the WCC is the counterpart of the Roman Catholic Church, and thus represents in a similar way and speaks for the rest of the Christian churches.
The Council has no constitutional authority over, and no right to speak on behalf of its own constituent churches, and less still on behalf of the large number of Christian churches who remain outside its membership.
For the first time, documents in this volume are reproduced in the original languages, accompanied by English language translations.
Special thanks to Ms Béatrice Merahi, Ms. Patricia Brüschweiler and Mr. Alexander Freeman for help in collecting and reviewing the material presented in this volume; to Ms Libby Visinand for her meticulous proof-reading; of the final text and to Mr. Pierre Beffa and Ms Denise Leger, WCC Librarians, for providing space and a congenial atmosphere for the compilation and editing of this volume.
When reading the reports from the 1995-1998 quadrennium, one is immediately struck by the remarkable number of issues and events to which the World Council of Churches responded all over the globe, as well as the breadth and depth of the analyses and conviction embodied in those responses. This demonstrates in part the remarkable capabilities of the Council’s staff who help to steer WCC international affairs work, as well as the expanse of concerns and engagements of the member churches themselves. It also raises questions about who chooses how, when, and where the WCC will intervene.
Alongside monitoring many world events from 1995 -1998, during this period the WCC also initiated a rigorous examination of the nature of the ecumenical movement of which the WCC is a “privileged instrument.” This process came to be known by the title of its final report, the Common Understanding and Vision of the WCC (CUV). A central thrust of the CUV process was a re-articulation of the Council primarily as a fellowship of churches gathered together for a number of common purposes, as distinct from an organization set apart from the churches.
Occasionally, the WCC receives criticism for its stance on one or more public issues. Often implied in such criticism is that the Council is a distant from the socio-political or ethnical positions of the churches that constitute the Council, or that the WCC gets involved in too many such matters. Yet, the reality of more than 330 members churches spread across more than 100 countries is itself part of the complexity of world affairs to which the Council responds. When a crisis or difficulty erupts for one or more of these members, they often seek assistance from or accompaniment by the WCC. The size of the organization alone demonstrates that the reports contained in this book represent a significant subset of the concerns to which the WCC might have responded. Furthermore, this subset is chosen according to longstanding priorities evident in this quadrennium and previous ones – priorities set according to the rules and procedures of the Council, which is governed ultimately by the churches.
Thus churches working together in the WCC have established some considerable consistency in the concerns and perspectives they bring to issues like human rights, peace and disarmament, global governance and others, and this is one of the great assets of ecumenical heritage and tradition to which the Council has given significant leadership. In this regard, the CUV process reaffirmed the necessity of the WCC facilitating the churches in speaking together to promote a common Christian witness to the world.
Due to their differences in national origin and other circumstances, however, churches sometimes have contending perspectives on issues in international affairs. This makes speaking together with clarity and conviction more challenging. During the 1995-1998 period, this situation arose most prominently and controversially in the former Yugoslavia but also to some degree in Rwanda.
These and other circumstances of deadly civil strife, often aggravated by the political manipulation of religious symbols and heritage, accentuated the need for more concentrated and assertive work by the churches for peace with justice. Furthermore, a range of scholarly research on the causes and consequences of civil conflicts fueled in part by the exploitation of religious sentiment came to one profoundly important common conclusion. Put very simply, religion can be part of the problem or part of the solution. When religious sentiment tends to contribute to or exacerbate violence and oppression, the best antidote is for religious leaders to renew and reinvigorate the efforts to deescalate the conflict, to creatively search for more peaceful mediation or resolution, and to work tirelessly for justice.
During the period 1995-1998, the Programme to Overcome Violence took shape in recognition, on the one hand, of some churches’ too frequent indifference to or complicity in violence and oppression, and on the other hand, some churches’ careful, creative and sacrificial contributions to peace with justice. Building on the work done and the models forged in the POV, and in the face of so many threats to peace with justice, the 1998 Harare Assembly called for a Decade to Overcome Violence: Churches Seeking Reconciliation and Peace, 2001-2010. It is held in conjunction with the United Nations Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World.
The quadrennium 1995-1998 was one that called for renewed reflection by the churches joined in the fellowship of the World Council of Churches on their role in international affairs.
The period marked the fiftieth anniversaries of the end of the Second World War (Message, p 72), the adoption of the Charter of the United Nations (Memorandum and Recommendations, p 92) and the founding of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs (Message on Church, Community and State, p 17).
It called for reflections, too, on the impact of the Cold War that began in 1946 and led both to a nuclear weapons standoff between the world’s two great superpowers and to proxy wars between them for strategic advantage throughout what became known as the “Third World”. The Cold War shaped world history in an unprecedented way. It educated generations in a simplistic and militaristic view of human reality that divided nations and peoples in a cosmic struggle between good and evil. The collapse of Communism and the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought the Cold War to a formal end. However, its nefarious impact continued to be felt all over the post-Cold War world, not least among and within the churches – especially those in the former communist nations of Eastern Europe – as Christians sought to come to terms with decades of ideological confrontation, repression and divisions within their communities. The WCC’s role during the time of the Cold War, when it sought to foster dialogue and to provide a human bridge across the “Iron Curtain,” was again and repeatedly called into question, especially its approach to human rights (cf. Statement on Human Rights, p 51).
The ethnocentric and narrowly nationalistic conflicts, especially in the Balkans and the Caucasus following the collapse of the Soviet Union continued to rage (cf. pp 248ff), and conflicts in the Great Lakes Region (cf. pp 157ff) spread like wildfire throughout the whole of Central Africa. In the face of reports of massacres of civilian populations, the international community was incredibly slow to respond. When it did act, its response was most often in the form of massive military action, reflecting still the mentality of the Cold War. The WCC issued insistent appeals for a more differentiated approach to what were now often referred to in international parlance as “complex conflicts,” calling for more intensive diplomatic efforts and non-military solutions.
The debates in the WCC Central Committee were often heated, especially with respect to the situation in the Former Yugoslavia, leading to the need for further reflection on how best the ecumenical movement could contribute to peaceful solutions to its own and the world’s problems (Note on the Contemporary Role of the Church, p 23).
Studies were undertaken to help guide the churches and the international community in search of ways to respond to conflict that could offer constructive alternatives to those prescribed by the Cold War mentality. A Memorandum and Recommendation on the Application of Sanctions (p 8) was adopted and shared with the UN Security Council. The CCIA developed a Programme to Overcome Violence and engaged in intensive work on Impunity, Truth and Reconciliation to help the churches deal not only with the terrible symptoms of social reality, but also at a fundamental level with the root causes of armed conflicts.
Often the question is posed: What power does the WCC have to impose its thinking on world affairs? As stated in the Foreword to this volume, the Council has always been cautious not to overstate its power or authority. Experience shows that only very seldom have WCC statements, appeals, studies and programmes had a notable impact on the immediate course of events. Results, if they come, are often only seen after decades of patient work. However the very construct of the WCC as a “fellowship of churches” determined to stay together in the pursuit of the unity of the Church and of humankind, even in the face of conflict of opinion and political adversity, is itself a witness to the redeeming power of the Holy Spirit.
The basis of ecumenical social thought was laid at the Oxford Conference on Church, Community and State, held in 1937 in the shadow of the looming demon of National Socialism in Germany. At a time when churches were sorely tempted, either out of fear or conviction, to give in to the dominant ideology of the State, the Conference issued the ringing call, “Let the Church be the Church!” Against the experience of this quadrennium, the Eighth WCC Assembly held in Harare, Zimbabwe, reiterated that call. The “power” of the WCC resides in its ability constantly and consistently to remind the powers that God alone rules over all of history and to keep faith with the promise that
“…the dwelling place of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people,” and God himself will be with them, he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away. (Rev. 21:4f)
As Dietrich Bonhoeffer reminded us, this requires “costly discipleship,” for the principalities and powers – and sometimes even the churches – are seldom pleased to be reminded that they, too, stand under the judgment of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.
Dwain C. Epps