wfn.org | Liberian Churches Work for Peace, Plead for Americans to Help

["Church World Service News" <nccc_usa@ncccusa.org>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LIBERIAN CHURCHES WORK FOR PEACE, PLEAD FOR AMERICANS TO HELP
Peace Talks Are Scheduled for June 4, Humanitarian Situation is Extremely
Alarming

May 28, 2003, NEW YORK CITY - Liberias churches are pleading with American
Christians to help them as they seek to bring emergency assistance, peace
and hope in a nation battered by more than 13 years of civil war and whose
situation seems only to grow more desperate every day.

Church leaders report a proliferation of armed groups, forced recruitment of
children aged 12 to 18 years and amputations of men, women and children by
the belligerent forces.  The fighting has uprooted hundreds of thousands
from their homes, driving them into overcrowded camps where the fragile
shelters provide inadequate protection in the rainy season, which now has
commenced.

Today, fighting has rendered 80 percent of the country inaccessible to
relief agencies, according to United Nations sources.

The humanitarian situation is extremely alarming.  Because there are no
safe corridors, relief (supplies) are unable to reach the affected, said
Benjamin D. Lartey, General Secretary of the Liberian Council of Churches,
in a May 23 situation report.  The World Food Program has stopped
distributing food to an estimated 200,000 displaced people in camps around
Liberia because the rations were being seized systematically by armed
raiders as soon as they were handed out, according to the United Nations.

As a result, Mr. Lartey said, people are dying from starvation and
diseases.  Help is urgently needed to save the lives of thousands.

The global humanitarian agency Church World Service is striving to enlist
U.S. churches and government leaders to take an active interest on behalf of
Liberias beleaguered people, who feel forgotten by the United States,
Liberias long-time ally.

CWS is funding the participation of five Liberian church leaders in peace
talks scheduled for June 4 in Ghana, and has sent food, blankets and
personal hygiene supplies for displaced Liberians.   Concerned Christian
Community, a CWS partner agency in Liberia, said the latest aid shipment was
like manna from above and helped nearly 3,600 pregnant and nursing
mothers, children and elderly in six internally displaced persons (IDP)
camps near Liberias capital city of Monrovia.

But both Church World Service and its Liberian partners emphasize that the
great magnitude of the crisis will require much more in the way of
humanitarian and political intervention.

CWS fields requests from its partners in more than 80 countries, then issues
appeals for financial and material support from its 36 U.S. member
denominations and the public. U.S. church support for Liberia has not been
what wed hoped in the past year or so, said Donna Derr, Associate Director
of the CWS Emergency Response Program.
 We are talking with our Liberian partners about how we can keep Liberia in
the forefront of peoples minds, she said.  We continue to be incredibly
concerned that the desperate situation there and that the tremendous needs
havent generated the funds to support the basic needs of all these
displaced people.

Civil war broke out in Liberia in 1989 and has never really let go,
scattering people and spilling arms across Liberia and into neighboring
countries.  The war officially ended with the 1997 elections and
inauguration of President Charles Taylor.  But in 1999, fighting broke out
again, this time between government forces and rebels calling themselves
Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD).

In April of this year, a new fighting group emerged in southeastern
Liberia - the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL).  On May 20, MODEL
rebels took control of the Harper seaport and airport in southeastern
Liberia.

Now a third force, the Grebo Defense Force (GDF) has emerged in the
southeast and is fighting MODEL in River Gee County.  This group has been
organized to protect their county from rebel incursion, said Mr. Lartey, a
lay leader in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.  This is a
serious development, for if peace does not come soon, this could be the new
trend for many armed groups to emerge.

Said Mr. Peter Kamei, a United Methodist who is general secretary of the
YMCA of Liberia, If nothing is done, a bloodbath like that in Rwanda or
Burundi could result.

He added, Whether Americans accept it or not, they are looked to as Liberia
s most precious ally.  Liberia was founded by freed U.S. slaves, fought
alongside U.S. troops in both world wars, supplied Firestone with rubber
and - until the end of the Cold War - was the site of a strategic
communications center.	There is a need for Americas voice to be heard.

PEACE IS TOP PRIORITY; TALKS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 4

Liberias 2.7 million citizens are pinning hopes on talks between government
and rebel leaders, now scheduled for June 4 in Ghana after several
postponements.	The talks result in large part from the persistent diplomacy
of the Inter-Religious Council of Liberia (IRCL), which comprises the
Liberian Council of Churches and National Muslim Council of Liberia.

All stakeholders are expected to be in attendance including the Government
of Liberia and the rebel forces, said Mr. Lartey, an IRCL leader.

That will be a hard-won achievement.  To lay the groundwork for the talks
has required engaging literally dozens of parties.  The IRCL has met
repeatedly with all of them, beginning with the Liberian government and
leaders of LURD and MODEL.

The IRCL also has maintained dialogue with the Economic Community of West
African States (ECOWAS); the European Union; the United Nations; Liberian
civil society organizations and womens groups; all 18 registered political
parties, including the ruling party, and the governments of the United
States, Great Britain and France.

To ensure that all obstacles to the June 4 talks are minimized, the IRCL was
scheduled to convene a meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone, May 25-26 between
LURD, MODEL and the designated Chief Mediator of the Liberian Peace Process,
retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Nigerian head of state.

Travel within West Africa is expensive, and Church World Service is helping
the IRCL see the process through by covering travel costs for five of its
members to the talks in Ghana.	ECOWAS and the International Contact Group
for Liberia are funding the participation of two additional IRCL
representatives.  Roman Catholic Archbishop Michael K. Francis is expected
to lead the delegation.

It is important that Liberias religious leaders be able to see the talks
through, said the Rev. John L. McCullough, CWS Executive Director.  The
stakes are very high.  Liberians suffering must end.  Indeed, the peace and
well-being of the entire sub-region depends on a resolution of the conflict
in Liberia.

CHURCHES STRUGGLE TO MEET OVERWHELMING HUMAN NEED

In the meantime, Liberian churches humanitarian service among the displaced
is nothing less than heroic.  The Rev. Kortu Brown, a Pentecostal who
directs Concerned Christian Community, a Liberian faith-based humanitarian
service organization, has confirmed the successful distribution of the goods
airlifted to Monrovia by Church World Service in mid-April.

The 1,500 CWS logo blankets, 1,000 health kits and 4,296 cans of processed
beef helped 3,583 persons in Seigbeh, Jartondo Town, Wilson Corner, Ricks,
Perry Town and Blamacee IDP camps near Monrovia.

Attacks on the Jartondo Town and Wilson Corner camps on April 9 led the
World Food Program to suspend food deliveries there, the Rev. Brown
reported, and other non-governmental organizations are providing only
limited services.  So CWS-donated items were (so) very much appreciated by
the displaced that they couldnt express it in words, he said.

Due to the constant harassment by armed men at the various IDP camps, the
Rev. Brown noted, the Liberian government is requiring 72-hour advance
notice so as to make arrangement for security protection.  This was the
case with CCC.

As CCC was distributing the CWS beef at Jartondo Town IDP Camp, one Liberian
police officer wanted to forcefully collect some of the food, also putting
fear in the displaced, but he was quickly disarmed by plain clothes security
personnel assigned to the distribution, he reported.

Also in Wilson Corner displaced camp, some IDP boys connived with the
security assigned in the camp to take away some beef but (it) was later
retrieved.  Thereafter, security was guaranteed to the CCC personnel
assigned to the distribution.

CWS has a second, identical shipment of blankets, health kits and canned
beef in process, and still needs $100,000 toward its goal of $150,000 in
support for three more projects, including a joint Liberian Council of
Churches/United Methodist Church nutritional, health care and educational
project for 3,000 displaced families in Liberias Bong region.

The funds also will support two special outreach programs - Concerned
Christian Communitys program assisting 750 women refugees and returnees who
have been victims of rape and other abuse, and a YMCA leadership training
program for displaced children and youth, who are the most vulnerable to
sexual exploitation and military recruitment.

Mr. Kamei said the latter program is struggling to serve 2,000 children and
youth with only about one-third of the funding requested for 600
participants.  The program provides both emergency food aid and leadership
training for Liberias rising generation.

The civil war has broken down Liberias social structure and values, he
explained, and young people see no meaningful living.	The YMCA program
tries to get young people to recognize their own importance, and make them
feel they are important to contributing to what society becomes.  It
engages them in discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of their society,
and what it means to be a good leader.

Mr. Kamei, in his 40s, said that if theres anything that keeps me going,
its the young people with whom he works.  In spite of the circumstances
they are smiling.  Theres so much life in them.

A postscript: since the Church World Service goods arrived in April,
Concerned Christian Community has received more than 75 requests from
non-governmental organizations, orphanages and daycare centers and IDP camps
in Montserrado, Bong and Bassa counties, the Rev. Brown reported.

Since the distribution, he added, there have been requests from IDPs who
were not opportune to benefit because of the limited relief materials to
register them for the next distribution of items - if there is any.

Contributions are needed and may be directed to: Church World Service, Attn.
Assistance for Liberia IDPs and Refugees, P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515.
Phone pledges/credit card donations: 1-800-297-1516.  On-line contributions:
www.churchworldservice.org

-end-

CWS acknowledges with thanks the following denominations, which supported
the initial $150,000 Liberia appeal and then followed with support for this
springs emergency airlifts: American Baptist Churches in the U.S.A., United
Methodist Church, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, United Church of Christ,
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Church of the Brethren.

Media Contacts:
Jan Dragin, jdragin@gis.net; 781-926-1526
Carol Fouke, news@ncccusa.org; 212-870-2227/2252
Ann Walle, awalle@churchworldservice.org; 212-870-2654

SIDEBAR: LIBERIAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES LETTER TO U.S. CHRISTIANS*

May 23, 2003

Greetings in the name of Jesus.

Once again, I bring to your attention that the situation in Liberia
continues to be desperate!  The security, health and humanitarian situation
is rapidly deteriorating with many dying daily from starvation and diseases,
particularly the women, children and elderly.

The Council of Churches is gravely concerned by the alarming and explosive
situation in which we find ourselves.  We need your help in the following
areas:

1. Pray for Liberia and its people.  Call for special prayers by the
ecumenical community for June 4 - the start of peace talks.

2. Fund relief such as food, clothing and medicines.  With the rains now
starting, the temporary shelters/huts that are housing the IDPs are a health
hazard.  We need plastic roof sheeting or tarpaulins to stop the rain and
protect the occupants.

3. Bring the current situation to the official attention of your government
and organizations.  Appeal to them to bring the matter to the attention of
the United Nations.  Issue official statements from your organizations
drawing attention to the Liberian situation.

Thank you for your continuous support and solidarity.

Benjamin Dorme Lartey, General Secretary, Liberian Council of Churches

* An edited version of Mr. Larteys May 23 Update on Emergency Situation in
Liberia and Status of Current Peace Process, shared with Church World
Service and other partners of the Liberian Council of Churches.

Media Contacts:
Jan Dragin, jdragin@gis.net; 781-926-1526
Carol Fouke, news@ncccusa.org; 212-870-2227/2252
Ann Walle, awalle@churchworldservice.org; 212-870-2654