wfn.org | LWI 2009-013 Historic Ecumenical Conference Seeks to Affirm Solidarity and Global Justice for Dalit

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Historic Ecumenical Conference Seeks to Affirm Solidarity and
Global Justice for Dalits
Representatives of Churches and Related Organizations Meet in
Bangkok, Thailand

GENEVA, 19 March 2009 (LWI) - "The suffering and injustice
experienced by millions of Dalit people and communities is a
challenge to the credibility of the churches’ affirmations of
faith in India and worldwide," according to Rev. Deenabandhu
Manchala who heads the World Council of Churches (WCC) Just and
Inclusive Communities Program. Manchala was speaking on the eve
of the "Global Ecumenical Conference on Justice for Dalits" which
will take place from 21 to 24 March 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand, at
the joint initiative of the WCC and the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF).

Hosted by the Christian Conference of Asia, the conference will
bring together over 100 representatives of churches and
church-related organizations from all over the world, with a
significant representation from Indian churches and members of
affected communities. The first of its kind, this global
ecumenical event is intended to gather up experiences and
perspectives on the challenge of securing justice for Dalits and
similarly affected communities. It will also provide a forum for
articulating theological and ethical responses to the struggles
of Dalits for survival and identity, focusing on the role of the
global church family in relation to these struggles.

An estimated 250 million people in South Asia are Dalits, who
are traditionally regarded as ‘untouchable’. This type of social
convention can also be found in communities in many other parts
of the world. It goes against every Christian, ethical and human
rights perspective. "Untouchability and discrimination based on
caste affect a significant proportion of the world’s people, and
are a direct contradiction of the God-given dignity of every
human being," noted LWF Deputy General Secretary Rev. Chandran
Paul Martin. 

The Bangkok conference comes just one month before the United
Nations 'Durban Review Conference', to be convened in Geneva from
20 to 24 April 2009, to review the implementation of the Plan of
Action adopted by the 2001 World Conference against Racism,
Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance  -  in
which the problem of caste discrimination was not mentioned. 

"The entire international community turned a blind eye to the
plight of the world's Dalits when they met in Durban, and they
are set to do so again in Geneva in April," said Mr Peter Prove
of the LWF Office for International Affairs and Human Rights. The
Bangkok conference organizers expect the churches of the world to
take up the challenge that the governments of the world have
refused to confront.

The churches in India have taken the issue of justice for Dalits
as a core priority for their ongoing mission, and have been
supported by the National Council of Churches in India, the WCC
and LWF. These organizations have actively promoted the
empowerment of Dalits in church and society by providing
theological and ethical responses to the Dalit struggle, and in
advocating the elimination of the centuries-old discrimination on
the basis of caste. These ecumenical initiatives have also been
instrumental in initiating many community-based programs for
Dalit empowerment. Recent years have also seen a growing
mobilization of civil society in India and elsewhere for Dalit
human rights.

Representatives of Dalit social movements, national and
international coalitions are also attending the Bangkok
conference. The principal aim of this historic event is to affirm
and strengthen the solidarity of the global ecumenical movement
with the Indian churches and other organizations that are
committed to the cause of justice for Dalits.

Additional information about the conference is available on the
LWF web site at:
http://www.lutheranworld.org/What_We_Do/OIahr/OIAHR-Dalit_Justice.html

Read more about WCC's work in solidarity with Dalits at:
http://www.oikoumene.org ( http://www.oikoumene.org/ )

*This press release is issued jointly by the LWF and WCC. 

*        *          *

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF
currently has 140 member churches in 79 countries all over the
world, with a total membership of over 68.5 million. The LWF acts
on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such
as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects
of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

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