wfn.org | Episcopal News Service Briefs

[ENS@ecunet.org]

http://www.ecusa.anglican.org/ens

2001-9

World Faiths Development Dialogue appoints a chief executive

     (ENI) Dr. David Bryer of Oxfam UK, a leading development charity, has 
been appointed the first chief executive of the World Faiths Development 
Dialogue (WFDD).

     WFDD is a multi-faith initiative launched three years ago by Archbishop 
of Canterbury George Carey and James Wolfensohn, president of the World Bank, 
to promote communication between the world's spiritual communities and the 
World Bank.

     "Poverty will not be eradicated, nor will genuine development occur 
unless people's deepest aspirations and beliefs are taken on board," said 
Bryer who will assume the position in May. "I am really excited by the 
possibility of what the World Faiths Development Dialogue presents for people 
of different faiths coming together to influence the direction of poverty 
eradication in the 21st century."

     Arun Kataria, spokesperson for Carey, said, "The archbishop is 100% 
behind the World Faiths Development Dialogue, and has warmly welcomed the 
appointment of David Bryer."

     The WFDD's inaugural conference was held in February 1998 at Lambeth 
Palace in London with members from Baha'is, Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Jews, 
Muslims, Sikhs, Taoists and Christians represented by Anglican, Roman 
Catholic, Lutheran, and Orthodox officials.

     

Episcopalian nurse in Nicaragua goes into hiding for her life

     (ENI) Nicaraguan government agents and police have been searching since 
December 15, 2000, for Dorothy Granada, an Episcopalian nurse, who has been 
accused of performing abortions and providing political support to the 
Sandinista National Liberation Front, which after a revolution in 1979, held 
power in Nicaragua until 1990.

     Granada who denies the accusations against her said, "One day I'm just 
doing my work, taking care of my patients, scrubbing the clinic, counting 
pills, and the next day I'm in hiding. It's terrible."

     In November 2000, Nicaragua's President Arnoldo Aleman launched an 
investigation of Granda's clinic, she opened in the village of Mulukuku in 
1990 to serve the area's 30,000 residents, and ordered it partially closed 
after seizing patient's records.

     "They accuse me of political proselytism, but what I do is educate the 
women about their rights, their human and civic rights, their rights as 
women. I talk to patients about their right to health under the Nicaraguan 
constitution. I urge them to use this right and support people that are 
concerned for the health of the poor. I never tell them to support a 
particular party," she said. "We're trying to provide integral health care, 
so you can't just hand out pills. Rights are an essential part of health."

     Granada also denied the charge that abortions were performed at the 
clinic. "This is a vicious and totally untrue accusation. It would be the 
kiss of death in a Catholic country like this. It's illegal. We have 
absolutely never performed an abortion."

     Several U.S. Congress members have drafted a letter to Aleman demanding 
he respect Granada and her work and the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua has offered 
its support. Also, Amnesty International issued an international alert about 
her.

     Granada claims that her going into hiding has been a learning 
experience. "What I'm experiencing now is the cost of standing on the side of 
the poor against people who really despise the poor. It's a lesson for me in 
solidarity. This is what the people suffer…. But I am learning something as a 
Christian. Look what they did to Jesus. Why do I think I should get off 
easy?"

     

Zambia's health minister supports television ads addressing HIV/AIDS

     (ENI) Enoch Kavindele, Zambia's health minister, has warned local 
clergymen that, if the spread of HIV/AIDS in his country is not stopped soon, 
"the prospects of pastors preaching to empty churches are very high."

     Kavindele directed his warning specifically to church leaders who have 
criticized government television advertisements promoting the use of condoms 
to fight the spread of HIV infection.

     A recent report compiled by the Resident Doctors Association of Zambia 
(RDAZ) said that at least one million of Zambia's population of nine million 
citizens are infected with HIV. Most of those affected are aged between 15 
and 49.

     Ignatius Mwebe, a priest and spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church, 
said, "The advertisements are justifying casual sex using a condom, 
[suggesting] that you can have sex anyhow so long as you have a condom. The 
people being used in the advertisements are so young that they should not 
have anything to do with sex at their age."

     He added that it would be helpful if the advertisements simply gave 
factual information about the dangers of AIDS.

     In a statement, the Christian Council of Zambia (CCZ) echoed Mwebe 
saying that the advertisements had "moved from AIDS prevention, which can 
only be achieved through abstinence, to allowing people to have sex anyhow. 
This is basically business for those selling condoms."

     Kavindele said, "The messages have been very effective. The point is 
being driven home." He added that stressing abstinence, the alternative 
proposed by clergy, was not viable because young and old people were having 
casual sex. "The church is blind in one eye because this issue of abstinence 
cannot easily help reduce AIDS infections. We have to use all media available 
to drive the point home."

     

Episcopal Power and Light program signs up first churches

     (ENS) The Revs. Sally Bingham, and George Keith announced at a December 
7, 2000, press conference that St. Johns and St. Marks City Heights parishes, 
in San Diego, had become the first churches, to switch to Mountain Energy 
Company, the leading provider of cleaner and renewable energy.

     Bingham from Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, co-founder of Episcopal 
Power and Light, and Keith of St. Johns also seized the opportunity and 
visited other clergy from Episcopal congregations in San Diego County to 
discuss the program.

     At its July 2000 gathering, the Episcopal Church's General Convention 
passed a resolution to encourage churches and their parishioners to use 
renewable sources of electricity in a theological response to global warming.

     "Episcopal Power and Light believes that, because the government hasn't 
found a solution to cutting CO2 emissions, the faith community is called upon 
to take a leadership role--by its exemplary behavior, and by putting faith 
into action," declared Bingham. "While others wait and debate, the faith 
community has begun taking steps to help heal the environment."

     As added incentive, Green Mountain Energy Company announced that for 
every church that switches to its "Breathe Easy Payment Plan (SM)," the company 
will make a donation of $250 to the church. Futhermore, for each parishioner who 
enrolls in the plan through their church, a donation of $35 will be made to their parish.

     The plan is a new fixed-rate pricing plan for residential and small business customers 
in the San Diego and Orange County areas and cost 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. 

The price is guaranteed through December 31, 2001.
     For more information contact Bingham at regen@igc.org or call 415/521-2166.