wfn.org | New NCCCUSA Indonesia Relief/Development

[CAROL_FOUKE.parti@ecunet.org (CAROL FOUKE)]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Email: news@ncccusa.org  Web: www.ncccusa.org
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227

93NCC9/2/99 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC EXTENDS FOOD-FOR-WORK PROGRAM IN INDONESIA,
INITIATES NEW RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
Programs Bring Christians and Muslims Together to Counter 
Interreligious Violence

 NEW YORK, Sept. 2 ---- As instability and suffering continue 
in Indonesia and the world awaits the outcome of the East Timor 
independence vote, Church World Service is responding by extending 
its comprehensive food-for-work program and beginning another 
program targeting urban areas, as well as initiating a project which 
will address health, income generation and food security needs in 
several areas.

Church World Service works in more than 80 countries around 
the world, including the U.S., in disaster relief, human development 
and refugee assistance.  It is a ministry of the National Council of 
Churches (NCC).

In the past year, CWS has implemented a $2.5 million food-for-
work program funded by by the United States Agency for International 
Development (USAID), which will also support the urban food-for-work 
project.  CWS works with its long-time partner the Communion of 
Churches in Indonesia-Sulsera (CCI) to distribute rice amounting to 
10 tons per day, providing 37,000 families with food.  In exchange, 
recipients are repairing irrigation canals, roads and bridges, and 
building water and conservation systems, all contributions to long-
term food security.  Beneficiary families also have received seeds 
and tools.

 Yet "although the El Nino drought is over and rural areas are 
slowly recovering, the economic crisis doesn't seem to have bottomed 
out yet in Indonesia like it has in Thailand, South Korea and 
Malaysia," said Rick Santos, a Presbyterian who has been 
administering the initial program.  "Urban areas seem to be 
deteriorating now and most businesses in Indonesia are still 
technically bankrupt."

 "Indonesia is going to be unstable and in need of humanitarian 
and economic aid for at least the next five years," Mr. Santos said.  
"Because CWS has a long-term commitment to Indonesia, where we've 
worked with partners for over 30 years, we feel we have something to 
offer during this troubled time."

 In response to the continuing and new difficulties in 
Indonesia, the current food-for-work program will be extended until 
the end of October 1999 and a new $1.5 million emergency program 
targeting urban areas in South Sulawesi will begin in November 1999.  
A third, $2.4 million program will enable a consortium of PVOs in 
Indonesia to carry out both emergency and development work.  CWS 
will work in the areas of primary health care, food security, job 
creation and microcredit programs in a wide geographical area 
including Central and Eastern Java, Lomback, all of Sulawesi, and 
eventually Nusa Tengara Timur (NTT).  The scope of the work is to 
include:
- Vaccination programs
- Supplemental feeding programs for infants, children and mothers
- Provision of seeds, tools and fertilizers to farmer groups
- Innovative micro-credit and micro-business projects with urban 
families and farmers.

Meanwhile, the country remains politically unstable in spite 
of recent elections, Santos said.  "Although Megawati Sukarnoputri's 
party won the most votes, it remains to be seen whether she will be 
president," he explained.  Also, a referendum on independence was 
held in East Timor this week.  "Depending on the outcome, there 
could be unrest.  There will be great need if Indonesia pulls out, 
and unrest if Indonesia stays in East Timor."

There also has been ongoing violence and unrest for the last 
six months in Ambon, resulting in a flow of refugees to other 
islands, especially Southeast Sulawesi.  Other "hot spots," where 
there is interreligious or other violence, include Aceh and the 
major city of Ujangpandung.  Of special concern to the ecumenical 
community has been increasing interreligious tension and violence, 
particularly between Christians and Muslims.

In the past six months, Christians have killed Muslims in 
Kalimantan and Muslims have killed Christians in Java, reported 
Southern Asia Office Director Larry Tankersley.  Churches and 
mosques have been burned.

"As the economic and political situation has deteriorated, a 
long history of religious and ethnic tolerance has begun to 
unravel," Santos explained, saying that tensions were complicated 
and exacerbated by those in power.

To counter this trend, CWS has sponsored interfaith dialogues, 
both informal and behind the scenes efforts and more formal groups.  
"Church bodies are trying to address the problem.  For example, a 
Protestant clergyman spoke at a mosque to a group of students and 
faculty."

"One of the things we are trying to build into the new program 
is to get different religious and ethnic groups working together in 
the implementation, which builds confidence, friendship and 
communication," Santos said.  "Often religious groups are isolated 
and have little contact with others.  We hope to counter that 
through faith in action."

In spite of the turmoil and need, Santos said he sees signs of 
hope.  "Witnessing the first, free election in 35 years was amazing 
and showed the enormous potential of the people," he said.  "People 
lined up for hours at polling places and there were no acts of 
violence."

In order to insure that they wouldn't vote twice, people had 
to stick their finger in a cup of indelible ink when they voted.  
"People went around showing their black inky pinkie like it was a 
badge of honor, a badge of participation," Santos said.  "It was 
inspiring."

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