Sudanese Church leaders make "advocacy visit" to NYC

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

>Sudanese church leaders advocacy delegation
>meets with U.S. church leaders in New York

See: http://www.ncccusa.org/news/101014sudan.html

New York, October 14, 2010 -- Sudanese church leaders met Wednesday 
with of ficials of the National Council of Churches and Church World 
Service to war n that the safety and human rights of millions of 
Sudanese continue to be i n jeopardy, despite hopes raised by a 
referendum slated for January 9 on a  comprehensive peace agreement 
(CPA) to end a decades-old civil war.

The Sudanese church leaders expressed skepticism that the referendum 
will b e carried out as planned, or that it will solve the nation's 
problems broug ht on by years of bloodshed.

And they warned that "the safety and human rights (including the 
right to f reedom of religion) of southerners living in northern 
Sudan are in jeopardy  before, during and after the referendum."

The Sudanese civil war, waged since 1983, has claimed more than 2 
million l ives and has displaced more than 4 million people.

Among the U.S. church leaders hosting the Sudanese leaders' Advocacy 
Visit  to The Interchurch Center in Manhattan were the Rev. Dr. 
Michael Kinnamon,  general secretary of the National Council of 
Churches; the Rev. John L. McC ullough, executive director and CEO of 
Church World Service; and Bishop Joh ncy Itty, Church World Service 
board chair.

The U.S. leaders supported their Sudanese colleagues as they called 
upon th e United Nations to "hold all parties and guarantors of the 
CPA accountable ." 

Kinnamon noted that the NCC has for years supported measures to end 
the kil ling in the Sudan's Darfur region where upwards of 300,000 
people have been  killed and 2.7 million have been forced to flee 
when their homes came unde r the cross fire between 
government-sponsored militias and black Christian  and animist 
Africans. Sudan's president, Omar Bashir, has been accused of w ar 
crimes in connection with the Darfur situation.

But Kinnamon noted that the NCC concern for the area goes beyond 
Darfur and  extends to all Sudan.

Dr. Antonios Kireopoulos, NCC associate general secretary, Faith & 
Order an d Interfaith Relations, is chair of the Darfur Coalition.

"While this coalition started as a Darfur organization because of the 
genoc ide, our mission has evolved into an all-Sudan policy, 
including the CPA an d the upcoming referendum," Kinnamon said. "The 
coalition remains the most  effective advocacy group on Sudan-related 
issues."

Following the meeting with Sudanese church leaders, Kinnamon said, 
"Our col leagues have stressed that the situation in their country 
continues to be d eadly, despite the fact that the issue is no longer 
prominent in our media.  The 36 member communions that make up the 
NCC and Church World Service wan t to make it clear that we support 
our sisters and brothers during this dif ficult and unpredictable 
period."

A resolution on Sudan approved by the NCC governing board (February 
2002) a nd the Church World Service board of directors (October 2001) 
calls upon me mber communions to "assist and work with the Sudan 
Council of Churches ...  to build a comprehensive and lasting 
grass-roots-led peace and promotion of  religious tolerance among 
Christians, Muslims and those practicing African  Traditional 
Religions."

The resolution also calls on churches to advocate before U.S. 
government of ficials "to ensure (U.S.) policy fully incorporates the 
human rights of all  Sudanese and the rights of southern Sudanese to 
self-determination, free f rom the terror of the constant civil war."

Kinnamon said U.S. church leaders support President Obama's 
diplomatic effo rts to end the fighting in the Sudan. "We strongly 
encourage him to increas e U.S. peace efforts in the Sudan so that 
the situation will not begin to f all apart."

Sudanese church leaders who came to New York are: Archbishop Daniel 
Deng Bu l, Anglican Primate of Sudan; Bishop Emeritus Paride Taban; 
Bishop Daniel A dwok Kur, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of 
Khartoum; the Rev. Ra madan Chan, Secretary General of the Sudan 
Council of Churches; the Rev. Dr . Samuel Kobia, Ecumenical Special 
Envoy to Sudan and former general secret ary of the World Council of 
Churches; John Ashworth, Advisor to Sudan Ecume nical Forum; and 
Rocco Blume, Christian Aid.

The Sudanese leaders called upon the United Nations and the 
international c ommunity to "listen to and respect the voice of the 
voiceless, the voice of  the suffering people of southern Sudan in 
the transitional areas, as expre ssed by the church."

For more information, contact John Ashworth, ashworth.john@gmail.com.
---  
                 
Since its founding in 1950, the National Council of the Churches of 
Christ  in the USA has been the leading force for ecumenical 
cooperation among Chri stians in the United States. The NCC's 36 
member faith groups -- from a wid e spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, 
Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African  American and Living Peace 
churches -- include 45 million persons in more t han 100,000 local 
congregations in communities across the nation.

NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228 (office), 
646-853-4212 ( cell), pjenks@ncccusa.org