wfn.org | FEATURE: I Must be Politically Involved, A Young Lutheran

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

FEATURE: I Must be Politically Involved, A Young Lutheran Theologians
Resolve for Activism in Indigenous Peoples Struggles
Indian Bishop Affirms: What Affects One Church or Community, Affects All of
Us

MUMBAI, India/GENEVA, 27 January 2004 (LWI)  Idan Topno was excited about
the opportunity to participate in the Fourth World Social Forum (WSF) that
took place in Mumbai, India January 16-21. The young theology student has,
after all, always had a keen interest in her community and churchs social
concerns. She hoped that the WSF would be a forum to learn about the work and
struggles of other indigenous communities like hers  the Adivasis (tribal
people). Ninety percent of the 361,520 members of her church, the Gossner
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Chotanagpur and Assam (GELC), are indigenous.
So is Topno, attending a WSF for the first time.

The WSF under the theme, 'Another World Is Possible', turned out to be the
right forum for my people and church, Topno discovered, as she listened to a
variety of speakers at several seminars related to indigenous peoples
issues. In Mumbai I learnt that although different churches cannot unite
because of their different historical structures, here they can come together
and speak with one voice for the rights of the marginalized people in
society. She was part of a nine-member WSF delegation from the United
Evangelical Lutheran Church in India (UELCI), a body of ten Lutheran
churches, nine of which are also members of the LWF. 

But the January 16-21 experience in Mumbai was also a moment of
self-criticism for Topno, and, she hoped, for other UELCI representatives
there. She realized that although the GELC and the other Lutheran churches
are involved in the struggles of Adivasis (and other marginalized communities
such as the Dalits) through development and education projects, they were not
doing enough. Our Lutheran churches need to make the indigenous people
empowered to claim their political power. Yes, we have a lot of information
about the rights and struggles of indigenous peoples and the Dalits, and I
found more of it here. But we need to give this information to people at the
grassroots, she said. Topno left the WSF with the resolve to be more
actively engaged in the Adivasis and Dalits struggles, especially for their
political empowerment. Unless we Tribals and Dalits have the legal power,
then we cannot effectively address the issues that confront us. The aspiring
woman pastor summari
 z!
ed her future focus: I must be politically involved henceforth.

For Sanchita Kisku, another young theology student, the WSF was a forum to
express the equality of all people irrespective of gender, caste, religious,
social, economic or political affiliation. Through the numerous public
meetings and seminars, demonstrations, concerts, presentations of theatrical
and literary works, film screenings, photo exhibitions and a host of other
cultural activities by a wide variety of groups, she felt encouraged by one
message: At the WSF, there is no upper caste or Dalit, no powerful or
powerless. All are equal. 

Based on her experience, Kisku, a member of the Northern Evangelical Lutheran
Church, has high hopes that another world is possible and is convinced that
her people, church and the UELCI have an important role to play in ensuring
that there is justice for all marginalized persons. She gave the example of
economic globalization and its negative effects on indigenous communities
like hers. In the name of jobs creation, financial and better profits for
all, multinationals are allowed to acquire indigenous land for development,
thereby depleting natural resources that cannot be recovered. The WSF, she
said, provides a forum to rise up against the manipulation of governments and
multinationals. But more than that, it affirms that churches must be a united
force and speak with one voice for the powerless people.

Kisku and Topno were members of a nine-person UELCI delegation that teamed up
with a group of staff persons from the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Geneva
secretariat, LWF field program officers as well as LWF Council
representatives, to follow various issues that were discussed at the 2004
WSF. Many of the UELCI delegates that Lutheran World Information spoke with
expressed appreciation for the further insight gained and new challenges
presented on issues such as Dalits and tribal peoples rights, religious
intolerance, violence against women, human sexuality, HIV/AIDS, sustainable
development and the environment, water, privatization and globalization. 

Peoples Migration Today Involves Trafficking of Women and Children for Sex

Bishop Lawrence G. Rao, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Madhya Pradesh,
welcomed the many opportunities for networking that the WSF provides. It was
the first time that he was attending such a huge meeting with such a wide
cross section of civil society participation, and more importantly, on an
equal footing. He commended the affirmation of different cultures through
the many artistic displays. 

Equally important for the Madhya Pradesh bishop was establishing contacts
with other networks that are working to denounce the exploitation of
indigenous peoples in India and globally. But Rao also learned at the WSF
that peoples migration worldwide now includes the trafficking of women and
children for the sex trade. The church, he noted, must speak out against such
issues. In Mumbai, he listened to renowned world speakers and social activist
groups criticizing the advantages that multinationals have over locals when
foreign exploitation of natural resources is permitted for so-called
development and employment for the locals. Development is positive, he
affirmed. But he learned that indigenous people are not responsible for the
destruction of nature and the environment. They safeguard it, as their lives
depend on these God-given resources. Whether affected or unaffected by
issues that confront others in the UELCI and wider community, it is time to
raise our voices for
  !
justice. What happens to one of us affects all of us, said Rao. 

Participating in the WSF had challenged Rev. Augustine Jeyakumar, Executive
Secretary of the LWF National Committee in India, about what he described as
a compartmentalized approach to issues dealing with church and society. The
UELCI, he noted, has nearly 40 projects aimed at improving the lives of
marginalized people, and which to a great extend were relevant to the WSF
agenda. But we tend to think that we are only dealing with development while
speaking out is the task of others. We can do so much more by raising our
voices more. 

The WSF is an open meeting place where groups and civil society movements
that are actively opposed to neo-liberalism and a world dominated by dominant
economic interests develop their thinking, debate ideas democratically,
formulate proposals and share their experiences freely and network for
effective action together. Its aim is not to come up with declarations or
plans of action, says WSF organizing committee member Mr Vincent Manoharan.
It facilitates debate on alternative means to build a globalized solidarity,
which respects universal human rights and the rights of all men and women
from all nations. The forum seeks to promote democratic international systems
and institutions at the service of social justice, equality and the
sovereignty of all people.

It was the first time that the WSF was held outside Brazil, where it was
initiated in the city of Porto Alegre in 2001. Its establishment marked an
opposition to the agenda of the World Economic Forum held in Davos,
Switzerland since 1971 to promote and defend neo-liberal policies worldwide.
In 2001, the WSF had 20,000 participants from 117 countries; 50,000 people
from 123 countries attended in 2002; and 100,000 participants from 130
countries in 2003. This years forum had over 73,000 registered participants
and an additional 24,000 who were issued with daily passes, according to
Manoharan. (1,266 words)

[The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now has 136 member
churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7 million of the 65.4 million
Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas
of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith 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 LWF's information service. 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
acknowledgment.]

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