wfn.org | Human rights are churches' primary task

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

God-given dignity commits Christians to the protection of human rights

GENEVA, 7 December 1998 (lwi) - The protection of human rights is a
fundamental and crucial task for the churches since they refer to the
God-given dignity of every human being. This was underlined by the general
secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), Ishmael Noko, in a
statement on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The resolution which for the first
time listed a globally recognized catalogue of human rights was adopted on
10 December 1948 by the United Nations General Assembly.

"A human rights ministry is an act of responsibility and duty, founded
upon the recognition of the God-given dignity of each person, and the
example of Christ," Noko emphasized in the statement. The churches have "a
unique capacity to translate local grassroots experiences into advocacy or
other appropriate action at the national or international levels."

He added that it is not only the church leadership but also each
congregation that should become a human rights committee, when they see
that in their local contexts people are suffering, experiencing
discrimination, being detained, enduring torture, or being denied good
health. The priority the LWF places on human rights is reflected in the
creation of a specialized Office for International Affairs and Human
Rights within the general secretariat.

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Lutheran World Information
Assistant Editor, English: Pauline Mumia
E-mail: pmu@lutheranworld.org
http://www.lutheranworld.org/