wfn.org | [ENS] Overcoming poverty is focus of interfaith vigil

["Matthew Davies" <mdavies@episcopalchurch.org>]

Friday, September 16, 2005

Overcoming poverty is focus of interfaith vigil

By Matthew Davies

ENS 091605-2

[Episcopal News Service] Religious leaders and people of faith concerned
about the plight of the world's poor united in a three-day interfaith
vigil
of prayer and fasting September 14-16, which ran concurrently with the
United Nations' 60th annual general assembly in New York.

Asking U.S leaders to increase aid to fight global poverty and to
fulfill
its commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) -- an
eight-prong
declaration that seeks to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015 --
Archbishop
Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town and Jim Wallis, editor of the
Christian
social justice magazine "Sojourners," came together in a time of witness
at
the vigil's closing ceremony September 16.

Encouraging signs

Ndungane noted significant progress this week. President Bush, in his
speech
to the nation September 15, mentioned America's commitment to the MDGs,
despite previous fears that the U.S government was backing away from the
goals.

"We should take this as huge encouragement to keep going," Ndungane said
to
the crowd gathered in New York City's Dag Hammarskjold Plaza. "Because
it
shows that even the President of the U.S. listens to what the people
say."

"We now have the world's political leaders saying the right things about
ending extreme poverty," said Wallis. "I think that's because of the
momentum of our world's church leaders and NGOs."

Titled "Summer of Prayer and Fasting," the event's sponsors included
American Jewish World Service, the Anglican Consultative Council,
Catholic
Relief Services and Micah Challenge, among others.

Bringing fairness, greater integrity

Calling for an extension of debt cancellation and greater justice in
trade
policies, Ndungane said, "We have argued for measures to bring fairness
[and] we have called for greater integrity in the organization of our
global
politics and economics -- an integrity that protects the weak against
the
exploitation of the strong, that gives them equal dignity, respect, and
influence in the councils of the world."

Approximately 30,000 people die every day from the consequences of
poverty,
"yet this is not news," Ndungane said. "It is not news because it is not
new."

"But there is no reason why it must stay the same," he added. "We know
that
the world has the resources to make a difference. What we have been
lacking
is the political will."

Earlier this week, Ndungane joined a consultation of international
religious
leaders that delivered a consensus statement to the United Nations. The
statement reaffirmed support for the MDGs and calling for increased
collaboration between churches and governments in tackling global
poverty.

Making a difference

Highlighting just, fair and open trade as "the best guarantor of stable,
sustainable livelihoods for everyone on this planet," Ndungane said:
"People
do not want to live by hand-outs. They want to support themselves and
their
families in dignity. We all want that dignity and self respect -- we all
should have it."

During a Litany for Social Justice, the gathering -- which included
Anglican
Observer to the United Nations, Archdeacon Taimalelagi
Tuatagaloa-Matalavea
-- prayed for the rural and urban poor, the rebuilding of communities,
prisoners and captives, the orphaned, neglected and abused, and for the
reconciliation of all people.

"We must network together, and raise our voices together, and harness
public
opinion together, and together ensure that the plight of the poor is
heard
and addressed and changed for ever," said Ndungane. "We must not give up
hope. We must not give up trying. We know we can make a difference."

-- Matthew Davies is international correspondent / multimedia manager
for
the Episcopal News Service.

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