wfn.org | NCC CWSW Unit Committee Meets March 16-17

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National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
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31NCC3/22/2000
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC CWSW UNIT COMMITTEE MEETS MARCH 16-17

March 22, 2000, NEW YORK CITY - The governing body for Church World Service and Witness, the National Council of Churches' humanitarian response ministry, at its spring meeting in Portland, Ore., March 16-17:

* featured a major address on globalization by the Rev. Dr. Rodney Page, CWSW Executive Director, to the Portland City Club.  In "The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Globalization, Debt, Sanctions," Many have been left out of the new global economy, Dr. Page said, arguing for debt forgiveness for the world's poorest nations, increased foreign aid and partnerships among governmental and non-governmental organizations as solutions.  The full text of his address as prepared for delivery is available on the National Council of Churches' Web site at www.ncccusa.org/publicwitness/speech.html.

* honored Dr. Page for his four years of service as CWSW Executive Director and NCC Deputy General Secretary for Church World Service and Witness as he anticipates retirement beginning May 15.  Speakers included representatives of CWSW, the broader NCC and from the Portland community - where Dr. Page served as Executive Director of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and in other ministries until 1996, and to which he will return upon retirement.  Dr. Page announced his retirement plans a year ago.  The NCC's General Secretary, Dr. Bob Edgar, who was present at the Portland meeting, will appoint an interim CWSW Executive Director to serve until Dr. Page's successor is named, most likely this fall.

*continued to wrestle with the logistics of how to ensure that CWSW gets the administrative and financial management services that it needs.  The entire NCC has been working intensively over the past two years to upgrade its infrastructure, which has handled support services on behalf of the whole Council.  CWSW is seeking a "new relationship" which keeps it an integral part of the NCC and its mission but enables CWSW to provide its own administrative and financial management services.  An "NCC-CWSW Negotiating Team" next meets April 20 in New York, and CWSW leaders have been invited to meet with NCC officers the morning of May 22 in Washington, D.C.  The NCC Executive Board convenes that afternoon and continues through May 23.

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