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["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

LWF Council Actions on Conflict Situations, Racism

GENEVA, 20 July 2001 (LWI) - During its June 2001 meeting the Lutheran
World Federation (LWF) Council declared that a peaceful future for
Israeli and Palestinian children alike can best be assured by ensuring
equity, justice and respect for international humanitarian law and the
human rights of Palestinians "today."

Acting on recommendations presented by Rev. Thorbjoern H. Arnason,
chairperson of the Standing Committee for International Affairs and
Human Rights, the LWF Council reiterated its call for negotiations
leading to a comprehensive and just settlement of the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict based upon United Nations Security Council
resolutions 242 and 338 and General Assembly resolution 194.

The Council's action on Israel-Palestine included a call especially for
an end to the illegal occupation of, and the illegal settlements in, the
occupied Palestinian territories as a fundamental and necessary step
towards securing a just and sustainable peace for all peoples of the
region. It also expressed support for all efforts to promote
non-violence, to welcome the current cease-fire, and to appeal to both
the Israeli government and the Palestinian leadership to do all in their
power to ensure that the cease-fire holds.

The Council encouraged LWF member churches in member countries of the
European Union (EU) to request that their governments pursue dialogue
with the Israeli government on all efforts to restore peace in the
region within the framework of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The Council urged LWF member churches to make every possible effort with
their respective governments for the establishment of a ban on the sale
of arms to the Middle East region.

The Council encouraged LWF member churches and related agencies to
strengthen their support for the Christian educational, housing, health
and other social programs and projects of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in Jordan (ELCJ) as a primary means of protecting the future
presence and witness of "a living church in the land of Christ's birth."

This year's Council meeting was originally scheduled to take place in
Bethlehem/Jerusalem but due to the violence and insecurity in
Israel-Palestine since September 2000, it was moved to Geneva,
Switzerland. Participants in the June 12-19 Council meeting gathered
under the theme "The Church: Called to a Ministry of Reconciliation,"
chosen by the ELCJ.

Concerning the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) the
Council called for the withdrawal of all foreign military forces from
the DRC and called upon the international community to relieve the acute
suffering of the civilian population, especially of women and children,
and to intensify humanitarian assistance. It called upon the parties to
the conflict, with the assistance of the international community, to
recommence negotiations to achieve a cease-fire and lasting peace
agreement.

The civil war that began with protests against the late President
Laurent Kabila has drawn in the armies of around half a dozen
neighboring nations, backing either the rebels or the government army.

In a related action the Council affirmed concerns expressed at the
Conference of Bishops and Presidents of the LWF Latin American member
churches earlier this year about the adverse effects of "Plan Colombia,"
an integrated strategy developed by the government to meet the most
urgent challenges confronting the country. These include promoting the
ongoing peace process in a more than 35-year-old war pitting rebels
against the armed forces and paramilitary groups, combating the
narcotics industry, reviving the economy, and strengthening the
democratic pillars of Colombian society.

The LWF Council encouraged consultation within the Lutheran communion
and with its ecumenical partners about the humanitarian implications of
"Plan Colombia," and expressed concern about the gravity of the
situation of internally-displaced persons in Colombia and of those who
have sought refuge in neighboring countries.

Concerning Indonesia, the Council reaffirmed the resolution adopted at
its meeting in Bratislava, Slovak Republic in June 1999 to, among other
things, urge the Indonesian government to take pre-emptive steps to
prevent further violence and bring to justice those responsible for
"these criminal acts." It encouraged LWF member churches to support the
activities of the Indonesian churches in their effort to reduce
religious and ethnic tensions and promote reconciliation within
Indonesian society.

The Council welcomed the convening of the World Conference Against
Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
(WCAR), 31 August-7 September 2001, in Durban, South Africa, as an
occasion for addressing the persistent and contemporary manifestations
of racism and related forms of discrimination and exclusion in the world
today, and for formulating a practical plan of action to respond to
these challenges. LWF member churches in the southern African region
were particularly encouraged to take the opportunity of the WCAR to
raise their voices on the contemporary manifestations of racism and
racial discrimination in the post-apartheid world.

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 133 member
churches in 73 countries representing over 60.5 million of the 64.3
million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical relations,
theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the
various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is
located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the information service of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF). Unless specifically noted, material
presented does not represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its
various units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation
(LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgement.]

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