wfn.org | Bishops support Universal Declaration of Human Rights

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

May 6, 1998	Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-71B{282}

LINCOLN, Neb. (UMNS)-The 67 active United Methodist bishops attending
their semi-annual meeting here voted unanimously to join with the people
across the world in celebration of human rights.

Meeting April 25-May 1, the Council of Bishops adopted a resolution
calling the United Methodist Church to participate in  the observance of
the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  

Fifty years ago, on Dec. 10, the United Nations enacted the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, and today, governmental and
non-governmental organizations both here and abroad, make the
declaration, "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all
nations."

The bishops on April 30 voted to join with the people across the world
"in the solemn commemoration" of the declaration and urge United
Methodists worldwide to celebrate the civil, political, economic, social
and cultural rights of all people. 

The council calls United Methodists, through the human rights
declaration, to join "in safeguarding the worth and dignity of peoples
and the integrity and sacredness of all God's creation." They further
call on United Methodists to initiate activities focused on the
promotion of human rights during the churchwide United Nations Sunday on
Oct. 25 and the International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.

According to Liberato Bautista, a staff executive at the United
Methodist Office for the United Nations in Washington,  the passage of
the human rights declaration by the Council of Bishops is a reminder to
United Methodists of the church's historic support and participation in
the work of the United Nations.  The denomination's United Nations
Office is part of the churchwide Board of Church and Society.

United Methodists at the 1996 General Conference, adopted a resolution
affirming that "all persons are of equal worth in the sight of God,
because all are created in the image of God." The  approved  statement
on human rights,  says that biblical tradition demands that "we live in
an interdependent relationship with God and our neighbor. We must
respond to human need at every community level."

According to the bishops, human rights enable concrete expressions of
love by "assuring that each person's value is recognized, maintained and
strengthened."

 Although many structures are already in place for human rights
protection, the resolution's contents is a reminder that daily in the
world, "individuals and communities suffer often because essential
freedoms are not recognized, just treatment and protections are not
guaranteed and violations of the wholeness and integrity of personhood
are not prevented."

With the approval of the human rights resolution by the bishops,
Bautista said, United Methodists "find strong support from their
episcopal leaders" in their advocacy of issues like human rights, the
rights of children and issues dealing with continued discrimination
against women, indigenous people, refugees and migrant workers. 

In the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, United Methodists are called :

*	to a continued prayerful and diligent study of the declarations
provisions, cognizant of their faith implications and practical demands
on society;
*	 to join with others in celebration of United Nations Sunday on
Oct. 25 and the International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10;
*	to urge ratification by all States parties to human rights
instruments and call for support for the eventual adoption of a
declaration on the indigenous peoples now in the drafting process at the
auspices of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights;
*	to urge all governments to support the creation of a permanent
International Criminal Court to prosecute crimes against humanity,
genocide, war crimes and other serious violations of human rights and
humanitarian laws;
*	to urge all United Nations member governments, especially the
United States, to pay on time and without conditions, their financial
treaty obligations to the United Nations. 

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
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