wfn.org | WCC UPDATE: Brasil: Kobia meets country's vice-president

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

>>> WCC Media <media@wcc-coe.org> 11/09/04 08:33AM >>>
World Council of Churches - Update
Contact: + 41 22 791 6153 +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org 
For immediate release - 09/11/2004

 WCC GENERAL SECRETARY AND BRAZILIAN VICE-PRESIDENT DISCUSS POVERTY, SMALL
 FIREARMS, RECONCILIATION

				 Photos available free of charge, see below

The need to overcome poverty was one of the main points of agreement that
emerged at a meeting between World Council of Churches (WCC) general
secretary Samuel Kobia and Brazilian vice-president Josi Alencar, November
5 in the Brazilian capital.

"I would say that poverty is the moral equivalent to weapons of mass
destruction, given that poverty kills more humans than those weapons do,"
said Kobia during the meeting with the Brazilian vice-president. The WCC
general secretary added that the Brazilian's government's efforts in this
regard are inspiring and should serve as an example for other countries.

The Brazilian vice-president agreed that poverty is the worst of all
violence and underlined that there is always a correlation between the
impoverishment of some and the enrichment of others. Alencar emphasized the
need to create the conditions so that each region on the earth can develop
its natural and human potential.

Small firearms disarmament

Small firearms also emerged as a key issue during the meeting, where Kobia
was  accompanied by a delegation led by the president and the general
secretary of the National Council of Christian Churches (CONIC) of Brazil,
Methodist Bishop Adriel de Souza Maia and Lutheran Pastor Ervino Schmidt
respectively.

"The problem of small firearms has consequences that are comparable to a
war. While one country is not pitted against another, they cost an enormous
number of human lives each year," said Kobia, who underlined that the world
could learn from the disarmament initiative being implemented by the
Brazilian government.

CONIC representatives took advantage of the opportunity to give
vice-president Alencar a letter requesting a one-year extension of the
public Voluntary Disarmament Campaign, currently slated to be wrapped up
December 23.

According to the ecumenical organization, "the media campaign did not have
the hoped for impact" and therefore there is a need for more time to bring
the population on board. Moreover the requested extension will allow
"hundreds, even thousands" of churches to participate in the Campaign.

Healing the wounds of the past

Another issue addressed by the general WCC secretary was related to the
transition to democratic governments in the region after dictatorships that
inflicted profound wounds on the social body. Kobia manifested the
Council's willingness to accompany churches in necessary healing,
reconciliation and forgiveness processes.

Vice-president Alencar was recently appointed Defense Minister after the
previous minister stepped down in the wake of a crisis with the Army
leadership motivated by different understandings of their behavior during
the past Brazilian military government.

The WCC general secretary also shared with the vice-president concerns and
initiatives developed by the Council to combat racism, to address climate
change and to promote indigenous peoples' rights.

Finally, Kobia emphasized that in a broken and divided world it is
necessary to overcome the fear that dominates many in the face of an
international panorama dominated by a single hegemonic super power. Alencar
sustained, for his part, that the most serious problem facing the world
today is the phenomenon of suicide terrorists who defy all logic of safety.

Prior to the end of the meeting Kobia reiterated, through vice-president
Alencar, the invitation for President Luiz Ignacio "Lula" Da Silva, who was
in Rio de Janeiro hosting the Rio Group Presidential Summit, to participate
in the ninth WCC Assembly, to take place in Porto Alegre in February 2006.

The meeting, which lasted nearly an hour, ended with a prayer led by the
Anglican Bishop of Brasilia, Maurmcio Andrade.

2005 Fraternity Campaign: Ecumenical

Among other activities developed in the Brazilian capital, the WCC general
secretary met in CONIC headquarters with representatives from member
churches, including Catholic Archbishop of Brasilia, Dom Joao Braz de Aviz.

Kobia was also informed about the 2005 Fraternity Campaign that, while
traditionally carried out by the Roman Catholic Church, will be ecumenical
next year for the second time and will be coordinated by CONIC.

Under the theme "Solidarity and Peace" and the slogan "Blessed are the
Peacemakers" inspired by the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence, the campaign,
according to organizers, could be seen as preparation for the Porto Alegre
Assembly.

- - -

The WCC general secretary's visit to Latin American continues in Brazil
(Salvador, Porto Alegre), Argentina (Buenos Aires), Uruguay (Montevideo)
and Chile (Santiago).

A detailed program of the visit as well as high resolution photos are
available in:
www.wcc-coe.org > Press Corner > Latin America visit

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153  +41 79 507 6363
	 media@wcc-coe.org 

Sign up for WCC press releases at
http://onlineservices.wcc-coe.org/pressnames.nsf

 The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in
 more than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
 traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
 cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
 which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
 inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
 general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.