WCC NEWS: Palestinian agreement sign of hope Tveit says

From WCC media <noreply@wcc-coe.org>
Date Tue, 10 May 2011 13:05:07 +0200

>World Council of Churches - News

>PALESTINIAN AGREEMENT SIGN OF HOPE TVEIT SAYS

>For immediate release: 10 May 2011

The general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Rev. Dr
Olav Fkyse Tveit, has said the recent agreement reached between two
Palestinian movements, Fatah and Hamas, holds not only the hope and
promise for a healing process within the Palestinian community but also
creates the atmosphere for a seeking "a peaceful resolution of the
conflict in Israel/Palestine".

"The signing of this agreement, for an interim unity government and fixing
a date for a general election in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2012, is
a significant milestone and promise to forge a Palestinian consensus for
lasting and just peace in the region," Tveit said in a statement released
today from the WCC offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

The statement comes in advance of the WCC-sponsored International
Ecumenical Peace Convocation (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=be1bf98856d222cb4328 ), which is being 
held in Kingston,
Jamaica, 17-25 May. Some 1000 participants from around the world will
gather for a week to discuss and explore the role of the church and
religion in peacemaking.

Tveit said the Palestinian agreement comes at a significant moment in the
Middle East region as it is a "time when historical trends of regional
political changes are propelling new political paradigms."

Tveit also called on the international community not to allow this
opportunity to be squandered. "To realize the goal of just peace in the
region, the international community now has the challenge and
responsibility to accompany this process,'' he said. ''The international
community must also assume a proactive and positive role in guaranteeing
the agreement be kept alive actively discouraging any external conditions
that may cause a breakdown.''

Full text of the statement (Link:

http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=836d7224375ac01a74fc )

More information on WCC work with churches in the Middle East
(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=23f07f33cb2820e62577 )

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness 
and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of 
churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant, 
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.

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