wfn.org | Humanitarian aid to former Yugoslavia will continue

[FRANK_IMHOFF.parti@ecunet.org (FRANK IMHOFF)]

"Disarm hearts to overcome hatred"

GENEVA, March 10, 1998 (lwi) - Humanitarian aid being provided by the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in former Yugoslavia will be continued and,
in the future, ecumenically coordinated.

In a March 6 meeting, here, between LWF representatives and bilateral donor
agencies, it was agreed to continue the work in Croatia until April 1999,
and in Bosnia-Herzegovina until December 1999 with an emphasis on
repatriation, reconstruction and rehabilitation - provided the necessary
funds are found, according to Rudolf Hinz, LWF Department for World Service
director.

"We consider our work also to be a contribution to stabilizing the fragile
peace and to facilitate understanding, acceptance and reconciliation
between the different ethnicities. We are aware that the main task ahead is
to 'disarm hearts' so that hatred is overcome", Hinz told Lutheran World
Information.

Reorganization of the humanitarian aid became necessary when the mandate of
the emergency network "Action by Churches Together" (ACT), sponsored
jointly by the LWF and World Council of Churches (WCC) for former
Yugoslavia, expired.

The next step will be the establishment of a regional ecumenical
partnership between the WCC, Conference of European Churches, LWF and their
related aid agencies and implementing partners. A steering committee is
charged with the development of a proposal for concrete cooperation in
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and
Macedonia.

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Lutheran World Information
Editorial Assistant: Janet Bond-Nash
E-mail: jbn@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/