wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Committee affirms 'Resolution on Africa'

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Note #7747 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Committee affirms 'Resolution on Africa'
GA03058

Committee affirms 'Resolution on Africa'

By Nancy D. Borst

DENVER, May 27 - The General Assembly Committee on Global Ministries
fine-tuned, then unanimously approved a sweeping "Resolution on Africa" for
presentation to the full General Assembly.

	The resolution, considered one of the major items of business before
the 215th Assembly, was prepared by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness
Policy (ACSWP), and was five years in the making. It calls on Presbyterians
to "open ourselves to Africa afresh," and to join "with African sisters and
brothers in the struggle for peace, justice, and the wholeness that is God's
will for all people."

	The committee added one recommendation to the 34 already in the
document . It says that individual congregations can have an impact on the
HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa by preparing "AIDS Home-Based Care Kits". Preparing
and distributing the kits is a project of the International Health Ministries
program area in the Worldwide Ministries Division (WMD). Each kit contains 28
items useful in caring for someone with AIDs. Each kit is sufficient to meet
the needs of 10 people under the care of trained volunteers, according to
WMD.

	Other recommendations would strengthen mission and other partnerships
in Africa; increase funding for self-development of people, HIV/AIDs
abatement and the "diseases of poverty"; and advocate for basic human rights.

	The committee recommends that the resolution be published in its
entirety and that printed copies be sent to all PC(USA) congregations, middle
governing bodies, resource centers, seminary libraries and appropriate
ecumenical partners. 

	Jean Cooley, the committee moderator, said the projected cost of the
mailings, at about $1.50 per copy, is about $17,000, to come from the
per-capita budget. Belinda Curry, a spokeswoman for ACSWP, said broad
distribution is important because of the importance of the issues the
resolution addresses.

	The committee followed the advice of WMD officials in dealing with a
resolution calling for a PC(USA) response to the spread of the SARS virus on
Taiwan.

	It adopted changes proposed by ACSWP and the Advocacy Committee for
Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) that re-worded the resolution to "affirm the
urgent need of the Taiwanese people for health services and information
pertaining to the SARS epidemic, to be provided by the World Health
Organization."

	The committee unanimously approved a revised policy statement from
the WMD, "Presbyterians Do Mission in Partnership," that establishes
guidelines for mission partnerships; and received information on "Joining
Hearts & Hands," a $40 million fund-raising campaign intended to "renew the
church for mission." 

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