Category Archives: Middle East

Peace starts with us!

Posted on May 23, 2011 by | 1 Comment

Introduction to the WCC IEPC and Peace with the Earth

Greetings from Kingston, Jamaica! We are participating in the World Council of Churches (WCC) International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) along with about 1000 people from around the world and WCC member churches.

The theme of the convocation is “Glory to God and Peace on Earth.” The main objectives for the IEPC are many, but most broadly:

  1. Sharing inspirations and reflections
  2. Network-building, strategy development and other actions.

This is a harvesting event and celebration for the Decade to Overcome Violence. This is not a decision-making body, but rather a group that will crystallize emerging peace issues on the way to the 2013 WCC Assembly in Busan, South Korea.

The four themes of our days together are:

  1. Peace in the Community
  2. Peace with the Earth
  3. Peace in the Marketplace
  4. Peace Among the Peoples.

Today, we will focus on Peace with the Earth.

Part of our life together at the convocation includes bible study. The text for “Peace with the Earth” is Isaiah 11:6-9. Take a look at the text. Share it with your friends. To start your conversation, here are two questions:

What does the ‘knowledge of the Lord’ refer to in this passage?
Is the world painted in this passage possible?

In the daily plenary, the focus was to: Raise awareness on the various threats to creation, present churches’ statements and actions addressing caring for creation, offer theological and spiritual insights from various religious perspectives on peace and creation, and share practical examples on what churches can do on peace with the earth.

As three young people from the LWF, we felt connected to this work, since this same theme, sustainability (with a focus on climate change and food security) was expressed as an emerging issue among the youth at the 2010 Lutheran World Federation (LWF) assembly. Currently, groups of young people from around the LWF communion are reflecting together on bible texts that relate to this theme. Groups are sharing with one another through the worldwide web—a very “green” option!

One of the objectives of LWF Together is to use the outcomes from the bible studies and reflections to work toward sustainability in your own community. Peace with the earth begins with us!

For more information visit www.lwfyouth.org.

In a d’ Lates (Compliments of Peter Powell, Campus Security),

Daniele, Mikka and Sanna

P.S. Come back again soon! During the week, we will take turns reflecting on the remaining three themes.

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Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Church, Ecumenism, Enviroment, Europe, Faith, Justice, Latin America/Carribean, Life, LWF, LWF together - the earth needs you, Middle East, North America, Spirituality, Youth participation

Sabbath and News from a “Remote-Controlled War”

Posted on July 26, 2010 by | Leave a comment

I probably enjoyed my Sabbath day a bit too much yesterday. I’m too embarassed to even admit how late into the afternoon I slept. It was only hunger that pulled me out of my bed. After filling myself with Turkish food, I returned to my bed with my laptop to work on some grant applications. It was lovely to have the opportunity to spend an afternoon to myself to write and work on projects that I hope will help me continue to commit myself to sustainability, gender justice, and the role of youth in enhancing the visibility of the LWF. I also took a day off from The New York Times and so wasn’t greeted until this morning with disheartening news from Afghanistan.

WikiLeaks released on Sunday some 92,000 classified U.S. military documents that paint a grim picture of the United State’s ongoing occupation of Afghanistan. Reading the NY Times article this morning, I recognized over and over again themes from the LWF Global Assembly. A story about the rape of a sixteen-year-old girl by a police chief ran through my head over and over as the Assembly’s statement on gender justice was fine-tuned in plenary this morning. But, what I struggle with most  is how easy it can be to insulate myself from the realities of the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. What I found most striking about the article was that while most of the leaked documents do not contradict official military documents, they do illustrate just how misleading the American government’s narrative of the war has been.

As the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan approaches its tenth year, we in the U.S. hear less and less of what everyday life is like in the region and the narrative the U.S. military offers us we are sometimes to eager to accept. The following is but one story so tragic that it is difficult to even fathom:

Continue reading →

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Posted in Faith, Justice, Life, Middle East

Encounters in Edinburgh – Mission is out of control

Posted on June 5, 2010 by | Leave a comment

Talking today to Julio Lopez, a Presbyterian minister from Argentina, he summarized his learning from the Edinburgh conference so far. He said: “Mission is alive – but it is out of control.”
He sees that there is a lot of mission happening by Christians around the world. But it is not organized by a limited number of churches and mission agencies. Quite often, it just happens – through migrants and freelance missionaries, by emerging churches unconnected with traditional churches. That is not necessarily a bad thing but points to the activity of the Holy Spirit. But it still leaves the need and the task to get into a fruitful and also critical dialogue.

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Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Church, Ecumenism, Evangelism, Faith, Latin America/Carribean, Middle East, North America

World Youth Conference in Mexico (August 2010) – Update

Posted on April 20, 2010 by | 22 Comments

We receive more information and some changes of the World Youth Conference sent from SOFOC (Social Forum Committee) which is available here.  You can also find these and other information at World Youth Conference website.

Registration

The deadline has been extended until 30 April 2010. There are still many countries with only 1 or no applicants. It is important that we urge our members to register to ensure we have a good quality of youth representatives participating in the Conference. Let’s not wait to the last minute!

Governments’ Forum

The invitation letters for Ministers will be sent on 15 April by the Mexican government. We encourage that all delegations for the Governments’ Forum include young people as part of the delegation. Our organisations can lobby for this within the respective countries.

Volunteers/Facilitators

For organisations who have groups in Mexico, there is a recruitment process for those who are interested in being volunteers. Volunteers must be able to communicate in Spanish and English well. These Mexican volunteers will assist with the sessions, so they must an interest in the themes of the Conference at an international level. More information can be found on the website. The deadline to register is 15 May online.

Also, there will be a need for 11 international volunteer facilitators for the workshops during the NGO global meeting. In addition to having the necessary skills to facilitate group discussions, these volunteers must be familiar with the topics of the thematic axes. Volunteers will receive orientation 3 days before the event. Food and accommodation will be provided, however, not travel. Registration information will be made available on the WYC website when the details are finalized.

Interactive Global Forum

There will be spaces to have a stand. This will provide a space for organisations to be able to engage visitors. However, each participating NGO will have a display space (on display boards, not a booth). A separate registration process for the IGF will be launched.

Pre-Conferences/Consultations

To date, only two have taken place. The first was held on 9-11 March in Strasbourg, France. The second took place during the international Forum “Global League of Breakthrough Elite” (GLOBE) at MGIMO University in Moscow, Russia.

There is one set to take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  Another is set to take place during the Conference of Ministers of Youth on 12-16 April in Zimbabwe.

The SOFOC (Social Forum Committee) has worked hard to ensure that the World Youth Conference is really a space where youth participation can truly make an impact in the outcomes of international processes. The maximum participation of as many youth and youth organizations at the World Youth Conference is very important. But, this is up to us. We must bring this experience back to the grassroots where it matters the most! We must act now to make sure that we take advantage of this space which has been created for youth and put it to good use.

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Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Enviroment, Justice, Latin America/Carribean, Life, Middle East, North America, Poverty/Affluence, UN, Youth, Youth participation

Reflecting on Lent – and on violence against women

Posted on February 2, 2010 by | 2 Comments

Lent starts on 17 February 2010. Here is a guest post by our friend Maryann Philbrook reflecting on Lent. She co-developed a bible study series for the season that you find here and that is highly recommended.

I’ve been thinking about Lent 2010 for a long time.  This is not a season that snuck up on me this year.  The main reason is that I’m part of a team that developed “Cries of Anguish, Stories of Hope: A Lenten study on the Worldwide Struggle to end Violence Against Women.”   (You can check out the study http://women.overcomingviolence.org).

When I told some of my friends at Church here about this project, one quipped that “you’ve found a way to make Lent evenmore depressing.”  Lent is depressing, but it’s depressing because our world is depressing.  Lent is the time when we focus on the sins of this world.  Lent is a time to understand our own complicity to these problems.  Lent is a time where we look for Jesus’ love despite these problems.  We look all the problems square in the eye and say “you cannot win.”

During my research and planning for this project I have learned about atrocities all over the world.  Human trafficking is the most profitable black market industry in the world – with estimations going as high as $32 billion a year with over 27 million people currently enslaved.  On average in South Africa a woman is raped every 26 seconds.  In India there are 21 women of the Dalit Caste (“untouchables”) are raped each week.    In the UK, the police estimate that 95% of rapes are never even reported.  In the US, it is estimated that between 2 and 4 million women are assaulted every year by their partners.   I did this research – I found all this information, yet the image that I see when I close my eyes is a girl in a pink shirt playing in the dirt in front of her hut in the Democratic Republic of Congo while you can hear her father saying that she will have to be a prostitute because no man will want to marry someone who is tainted.  She was raped while gathering firewood.   Her attacker, while jailed for a few months, will go free.  I see her face and her tears every time I close my eyes to think about violence against women.  Hers is the story that I cannot forget.

Yet, as much as these stories are appalling what I am struggling with is my own place in the picture. Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Church, Ecumenism, Faith, HIV/Aids, Justice, Latin America/Carribean, Middle East, North America, Poverty, Poverty/Affluence, Spirituality

Become a fan – LWF Youth on Facebook

Posted on May 22, 2008 by | 1 Comment

The Lutheran World Federation is about community. People from all over the world who belong to a host of churches on all continents say: We belong together. I care what happens to sister or brother in a far away country. We are connected in Jesus Christ.

That is really not a new idea. Christians from the very beginning have said exactly said and Paul put it in a beautiful language for example in 1 Corinthians 12: 14-26; we are the body of Christ and individually members of it. That is true even though we might not experience it. It is true even if we don’t see it.

What is different today is: It has become easier to experience that we all belong to one body of Christ and that we can laugh and celebrate with the other members far away. This blog is an example. Another example is our new stronger involvement on facebook.com.

This week, we have started a page on facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/LWF-Youth-The-Lutheran-World-Federation/11307734826

This should be a point were young Lutherans and other friends can meet and voice their interest. They can interact with each other very easily. And it can be the starting point for other activities like starting discussion groups and promoting causes in the Lutheran Communion.

Therefore, please visit the page and become Fan! Then also invite others that might be interested.

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Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Church, Ecumenism, Europe, Latin America/Carribean, LWF, Middle East, North America, Youth, Youth participation

“A Generation of Volunteers” – UN World Youth Report presented

Posted on April 4, 2008 by | 3 Comments

Yesterday, Francis and I went to the Presentation of the World Youth Report 2007. For the main website of LWF (www.lutheranworld.org) I put together a formal report. Here is it:

“There has never been a generation that was more likely to volunteer and be involved in community causes than this one,” said Patience W. Stephens, the head of the UN focal point on youth introducing the United Nations World Youth Report 2007. She spoke at a presentation organized by the Youth Committee of CONGO (Conference of NGOs at the UN). Youth is defined by the UN as 15-24 years old. In 2007, more than 1.2 billion people belonged to this age group. That was 18 percent of the overall global population and 25 percent of the working age population.

Stephens explained that young people are the least likely to be content with bad living conditions and little opportunities. Communities worldwide could use the immense energy of young people to break through to new stages of development. For this, they would need to let young people fully participate and give them good opportunities. Many young people – including those from poor backgrounds – are willing to be highly involved in community activities.

However, Stephens pointed out if young people are not given good opportunities Continue reading →

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Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Latin America/Carribean, Middle East, North America, Poverty, Poverty/Affluence, UN, Youth, Youth participation

Annapolis

Posted on November 27, 2007 by | Leave a comment

Only 45 minutes from my home, in Annapolis, Maryland, leaders from Israel and Palestine, along with ministers from other states, will meet and begin their conference on the future of Palestine and Israel and the entire region.  The expectations for this meeting are low, but the hope is that this will help jump start a new round of negotiations that will lead to a Palestinian state by 2009.

As usual, the Palestinians are the underdogs.  The conversation will focus, as it always does, as to whether Israel will actually comply with international law and therefore end the occupation of territories it has conquered.  Somehow, Palestinians are expected to make concessions and agree to relinquish control over territories that they have a right to, including parts of East Jerusalem and the entire old city.

Of course, the United States is not an honest peace partner.  Especially during this current administration, they have unequivocally supported Israel even as it blatantly defies international law by expanding illegal settlements in the West Bank.  Israel has been in violation of multiple UN resolutions for over 40 years, engaging in one of the longest running occupations in the world today.  If it were Iraq, or maybe Iran, then this could mean war.  But if you are our allies, then it is acceptable, and even encouraged.

Continue reading →

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Posted in Justice, Middle East

EAPPI- being a witness in Israel/Palestine

Posted on August 24, 2007 by | Leave a comment

In 2002, after calls from local churches in Jerusalem, the World Council of Churches started a new program that would serve as a witness and help create an international ecumenical presence for peace and justice in the Holy Land. 

 

The Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) has brought over 300 people to the Holy Land to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in non-violent actions and concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation.  Its objectives are to: 

  •  
    • Expose the violence of the occupation
    • End the brutality, humiliation and violence against civilians
    • Construct a stronger global advocacy network
    • Ensure the respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
    • Influence public opinion in home country and affect foreign policy on Middle East in order to end the occupation and create a viable Palestinian State
    • Express solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli peace activists and empower local Palestinian communities/churches
    • Be an active witness that an alternative, non-violent struggle for justice and peace is possible to end the illegal occupation of Palestine

It is also unique in that it is for people of different generations, including youth (young adults).  Check out their website at http://www.eappi.org/. 

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Posted in Church, Ecumenism, Justice, Middle East

Building interfaith communities (2)

Posted on August 2, 2007 by | 2 Comments

Yesterday, Simone posted about her experiences at the Interfaith Seminar in Bossey. Here is how she reflected on these experiences:

“Interfaith encounter should not be something exceptional today. Most of our societies are plural and people of different faiths live close to one another. Some of us study with people of other faiths, live with them in the same neighborhood or have family members who belong to another religious community. How do you experience this? Is it an enrichment or a challenge? What would be reasons to go beyond “encounter” and actively work for closer relationships with people of other faiths?

I have just experienced an exceptional four-week-seminar in which young Jews, Christians and Muslims were together in order to build an interfaith community. During the month of July the World Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Institute in Bossey near Geneva (Switzerland) have called 20 young people from all over the world to live together under one roof and to study together the three religions and their potential to enable interfaith communities.

This group of Jews, Christians and Muslims went together to the synagogue to experience Jewish worship, to mosque in order to be present at the Friday Prayer and to church on Sunday to be part of the Christian worship. For most of the group it was the first time that they attended worship on another faith. It was an amazing, challenging and touching experience. During these four weeks intensive processes took place: between the participants and within each participant, between faiths and between cultures, between women and men … We talked about global politics and about local food traditions, about power-relations and about the visions of young people for interfaith communities in which everyone has a safe space.”

Are there interfaith encounters or even communities in your context? It would be very interesting if you have stories to share.

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Posted in Africa, Asia/Pacific, Church, Ecumenism, Faith, Latin America/Carribean, Life, Middle East, North America, Youth, Youth participation