wfn.org | Committees Prepare Major Recommendations

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

GA99033 
21-June-1999 
 
             Global Community, Peacemaking Committees 
                  Prepare Major Recommendations 
 
 
FORT WORTH-The Assembly Committee on Life in Global Community is likely to 
recommend adoption of a major resolution from the Advisory Committee on 
Social Witness Policy, "Transformation of Church and Society through 
Encounter with New Neighbors" calling the church not only to treat 
refugees, immigrants and asylum seekers as they would treat these people in 
missions abroad, but to act as public policy witnesses and advocates for 
them. 
     The Advisory Committee worked with a broadly based task force of 
Presbyterians heavily involved in ministries to newcomers to the U.S. to 
develop the resolution. Recommendations seek to help congregations respond 
to those so often faced with overwhelming pressures in a strange land, and 
also encourage them to initiate changes in  currently existing immigration 
law. 
     The paper contains extensive background on actions of previous 
Assemblies relating to immigration issues.  
     Meanwhile, the Assembly Committee on Peacemaking and International 
Issues is hearing advocates for four overtures to this Assembly prior to 
deciding what  recommendations, if any, they will  make to the plenary 
session. The overtures under consideration are:               
   a) supporting  the prospect of a just and lasting peace in Northern 
Ireland;  
   b) calling for guarantees of human rights and punishment of perpetrators 
of violence in Indonesia; 
   c) requesting U.S. government pressure on the Sri Lankan government and 
the Tamil rebels to end their civil war; 
   d) monitoring factories in countries producing goods for American 
corporations.  
 
Midge Mack 

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