Church World Service Concerned Over U.S.'s Cuba Humanitarian Aid Proposals
Washington, D.C.--Aug. 3- -- A meeting with U.S. State Department officials this week did little to assuage concerns of humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) over new restrictions on its established channel of aid distribution to Cuba, a situation exacerbated by current political uncertainty in Cuba. "If the U.S. government wants to see orderly political change in Cuba, rather than chaos, it should not adopt policies that disrupt the effective flow of humanitarian aid," says Church World Service Executive Director and CEO Rev. John L. McCullough.
McCullough met Monday with State Department officials for clarification of U.S. policy regarding the relationship of U.S. church organizations to the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) and says he expects to meet with them again before any policy changes are adopted.
The meeting was prompted by the global humanitarian agency's dismay about a State department report recommending that the U.S. Department of Commerce restrict licenses for humanitarian aid to the Cuban people that would go through the Cuban Council of Churches. The report was prepared by the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.
Caleb McCarry, the State Department's Cuba Transition Coordinator, and Deputy Coordinator Christopher Robinson met with McCullough, CWS Emergency Response Program Director Donna Derr and CWS Associate Director for Public Policy Martin Shupack to discuss the administration's intentions. Mavis Anderson, with CWS partner organization the Latin American Working Group, also was present.
Rev. McCullough expressed appreciation that the State Department was willing to discuss Church World Service's concerns. But he and Derr pointed out that the new procedures, if implemented, will seriously limit the agency's ability to get some forms of emergency aid to suffering people in a coordinated and efficient manner.
Agricultural and medical commodities are exempt from the Cuban Council of Churches ban. For other items, such as blankets, Church World Service would have to designate an "end user" that is not the CCC. Derr, however, explained that during humanitarian crises, such as in the aftermath of a hurricane, CWS usually designates the council as the end user and works with it in making decisions about the most immediate and critical areas of need. This serves the purpose of getting aid in the most coordinated and efficient manner to the children, women, and men who need it the most.
CWS has channeled millions of dollars in aid through the Cuba Council of Churches over the years.
Beyond these practical concerns, Church World Service is disturbed by what it views as government manipulation of religious mission activities. "Mr. McCarry told us that it is U.S. government policy to use humanitarian aid licenses and religious travel licenses as a way of encouraging U.S. churches and ecumenical bodies like CWS to relate directly to individual Cuban churches rather than through the Cuban Council of Churches. This is an improper attempt by the U.S. State Department to shape the mission activities of U.S. churches and religious organizations to accomplish its own policy objectives. In my view this constitutes improper interference by the government in religious matters," said McCullough.
"We feel strongly that U.S. churches and ecumenical agencies have the right to determine their own faith partners and to engage with them internationally in matters of religious fellowship and humanitarian aid," McCullough added.
The administration contends that the Cuban Council of Churches is controlled by the Cuban government. CWS rejects that characterization of the organization and believes that the administration's attempts limit its contact with an established ecumenical partner and amounts to a politically motivated incursion into freedom of religion.
The Commission report, released last month, calls for the U.S. to spend $80 million speeding Cuba's transition to democracy after President Fidel Castro leaves office.
McCullough expressed disappointment that Church World Service, as well as other U.S. church organizations, were not consulted before the recommendati ons were formulated, since CWS is a major source of humanitarian aid through the Cuban Council of Churches. He said he looks forward to more meetings before any final decisions are made. "We urge our government to reconsider and not undermine proven mechanisms for getting aid to people in need."
Read letters to President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on U.S.'s Cuba Humanitarian Aid Proposals
Email President Bush and Secretary Rice - Urge them not to ban aid through the Cuban Council of Churches at Church World Service Concerned Over U.S.'s Cuba Humanitarian Aid Proposals August 3, 2006 Washington, DC -- A meeting with U.S. State Department officials this week did little to assuage concerns of humanitarian agency Church World Service (CWS) over new restrictions on its established channel of aid distribution to Cuba, a situation exacerbated by current political uncertainty in Cuba. "If the U.S. government wants to see orderly political change in Cuba, rather than chaos, it should not adopt policies that disrupt the effective flow of humanitarian aid," says Church World Service Executive Director and CEO Rev. John L. McCullough.
McCullough met Monday with State Department officials for clarification of U.S. policy regarding the relationship of U.S. church organizations to the Cuban Council of Churches (CCC) and says he expects to meet with them again before any policy changes are adopted.
The meeting was prompted by the global humanitarian agency's dismay about a State department report recommending that the U.S. Department of Commerce restrict licenses for humanitarian aid to the Cuban people that would go through the Cuban Council of Churches. The report was prepared by the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.
Caleb McCarry, the State Department's Cuba Transition Coordinator, and Deputy Coordinator Christopher Robinson met with McCullough, CWS Emergency Response Program Director Donna Derr and CWS Associate Director for Public Policy Martin Shupack to discuss the administration's intentions. Mavis Anderson, with CWS partner organization the Latin American Working Group, also was present.
Rev. McCullough expressed appreciation that the State Department was willing to discuss Church World Service's concerns. But he and Derr pointed out that the new procedures, if implemented, will seriously limit the agency's ability to get some forms of emergency aid to suffering people in a coordinated and efficient manner.
Agricultural and medical commodities are exempt from the Cuban Council of Churches ban. For other items, such as blankets, Church World Service would have to designate an "end user" that is not the CCC. Derr, however, explained that during humanitarian crises, such as in the aftermath of a hurricane, CWS usually designates the council as the end user and works with it in making decisions about the most immediate and critical areas of need. This serves the purpose of getting aid in the most coordinated and efficient manner to the children, women, and men who need it the most.
CWS has channeled millions of dollars in aid through the Cuba Council of Churches over the years.
Beyond these practical concerns, Church World Service is disturbed by what it views as government manipulation of religious mission activities. "Mr. McCarry told us that it is U.S. government policy to use humanitarian aid licenses and religious travel licenses as a way of encouraging U.S. churches and ecumenical bodies like CWS to relate directly to individual Cuban churches rather than through the Cuban Council of Churches. This is an improper attempt by the U.S. State Department to shape the mission activities of U.S. churches and religious organizations to accomplish its own policy objectives. In my view this constitutes improper interference by the government in religious matters," said McCullough.
"We feel strongly that U.S. churches and ecumenical agencies have the right to determine their own faith partners and to engage with them internationally in matters of religious fellowship and humanitarian aid," McCullough added.
The administration contends that the Cuban Council of Churches is controlled by the Cuban government. CWS rejects that characterization of the organization and believes that the administration's attempts limit its contact with an established ecumenical partner and amounts to a politically motivated incursion into freedom of religion.
The Commission report, released last month, calls for the U.S. to spend $80 million speeding Cuba's transition to democracy after President Fidel Castro leaves office.
McCullough expressed disappointment that Church World Service, as well as other U.S. church organizations, were not consulted before the recommendati ons were formulated, since CWS is a major source of humanitarian aid through the Cuban Council of Churches. He said he looks forward to more meetings before any final decisions are made. "We urge our government to reconsider and not undermine proven mechanisms for getting aid to people in need."
Read letters to President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on U.S.'s Cuba Humanitarian Aid Proposals http://churchworldservice.org/Educ_Advo/cubapetition.html
Email President Bush and Secretary Rice - Urge them not to ban aid through the Cuban Council of Churches
Sign a petition to oppose curtailment of humanitarian aid to Cuba at http://churchworldservice.org/Educ_Advo/cubapetition.html
Media Contacts: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin (24/7), 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net
Sign a petition to oppose curtailment of humanitarian aid to Cuba
Media Contacts: Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676; lcrosson@churchworldservice.org Jan Dragin (24/7), 781-925-1526; jdragin@gis.net