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World Council of Churches
Press Release
For Immediate Use
24 July 1997

WCC MARKS 20 YEARS' INDIGENOUS WORK IN UN

The "consistency and steadfastness" of the work of Indigenous Peoples
during 20 years of participation in United Nations (UN) forums is "truly
impressive".

This is part of a message from Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, General Secretary
of the World Council of Churches (WCC), to Indigenous Peoples who will
gather in Geneva for the next meeting of the UN Working Group on
Indigenous Peoples (28 July-1August).

Dr Raiser s message will be read on Saturday, 26 July at a caucus of
Indigenous Peoples at the WCC s administrative headquarters in the
Ecumenical Centre in Geneva by Bishop Eugenio Poma, WCC Consultant
on Indigenous Peoples  Issues.  Bishop Poma is a member of the Aymara
people and comes from Bolivia.

Each time the UN Working Group meets, the WCC provides resources for
the caucus.  In his message, Dr Raiser says the WCC is pleased to have
been involved in this way from the first UN forum 20 years ago and
regards it as a "privilege to be able to continue to work alongside you in
these meetings".  He also welcomes the fact that some Swiss churches,
as their way of marking this 20th anniversary,  have also provided
resources for the current caucus.

Dr Raiser reminds the caucus that last year he urged governments to
complete their work speedily on a draft UN declaration on the rights of
Indigenous Peoples so the text could go to the general assembly for
adoption.  Last year, Dr Raiser said the draft text represented the
minimum standard for the survival of Indigenous Peoples.  In his message
to the caucus, he says, "This continues to be our view - with a parallel
awareness that we are actually talking about the survival of all creation."

Last September, the WCC Central Committee passed a resolution
encouraging WCC member churches to "engage in dialogue with
Indigenous Peoples in their midst, exploring critically the history of the
churches  relations with Indigenous Peoples...and taking up the Jubilee
challenge to restore to Indigenous Peoples, or offer reparation for, 

their historical lands currently owned by churches".  In his message,  Dr
Raiser tells Indigenous Peoples, "I am committed to encouraging that
dialogue and those actions".

Commenting on the main issues facing Indigenous Peoples,  Bishop Poma
says, "Indigenous Peoples have lived with their traditional forms of  life
for many centuries in the midst of powerful peoples and cultures.  Now
their lives are constantly threatened as a result of the imposition of state
laws on the land and the territories where they live.  In many cases
these foreign laws have led to genocide.  Indigenous Peoples need the
protection of an International Instrument of Human Rights, such as the
Draft Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples,  in order to develop
and continue sharing their life with all creation."

Rev. Bob Scott, Executive Secretary with the WCC s Programme to
Combat Racism, adds, "It is extremely frustrating to watch the very slow
progress in forming a permanent forum for Indigenous Peoples within the
UN system.  This forum is needed so that Indigenous Peoples can play a
full and official role in the issues which affect not only them but all
humanity.  If the UN fails to establish this forum, the General Assembly s
call for  partnership  in this UN Decade of the World s Indigenous Peoples
will have become merely a dishonest statement."

Photographs of Konrad Raiser, Eugenio Poma and Bob Scott are
available by e-mail.  A photograph from the caucus meeting will also be
available.  If you want this photograph e-mailed this weekend, please
send your request by Saturday morning.  Contact
photo@info.wcc-coe.org.

**********
The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 330, in
more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions.  The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but
works cooperatively with the WCC.  The highest governing body is the
Assembly, which meets approximately every seven years.  The WCC
was formally inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.  Its staff is
headed by general secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church
in Germany.

World Council of Churches
Press and Information Office
Tel:  (41.22) 791.61.52/51
Fax:  (41.22) 798 13 46
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