wfn.org | Discussion of Controversial Issues Important, NCCCUSA/CWS Team to Racism Conference Says

[Carol Fouke <carolf@ncccusa.org>]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.
Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2252; www.ncccusa.org; news@ncccusa.org
NCC8/23/2001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DISCUSSION OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IMPORTANT, SAYS NCC/CWS TEAM TO UNITED
NATIONS WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM

	August 23, 2001, NEW YORK CITY - Free and fair discussion of issues,
including reparations, Palestinian rights, the plight of Dalits and other
issues "deemed controversial by some," is essential to the integrity of the
upcoming United Nations World Conference Against Racism, said members of the
National Council of Churches/Church World Service team going to the
conference.

	Taking reparations as a case in point, Sammy Toineeta, the NCC's Racial
Justice Director, noted that "some states don't want to talk about
reparations, but this is an issue of importance to a lot of people,
including many church people.

"The definition of reparations is being debated, but fundamentally, this is
about setting things right," she said.  "It's about justice, human rights
and the restoration of lost human dignity for Africans, people of African
descent, Indigenous Peoples and other vulnerable groups."

Several religious groups are engaged in the debate.  For example, this
summer,  the United Church of Christ General Synod and the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) General Assembly, in a joint resolution, asked for
"active study and education on issues dealing with reparations for slavery"
and asked their leaders to raise the issue with "leaders of other Christian
denominations, other faith groups, and leaders and activists in the secular
community."

Members of the NCC/CWS team to the U.N. World Conference Against Racism
affirmed their "commitment to studying reparations for persons of African
descent, indigenous persons and other vulnerable groups, for past misconduct
and for contemporary effects of continuing harm."

	The World Council of Churches, in a formal comment to the United Nations,
advocated for "effective remedies, recourse, redress, (compensatory) and
other measures at the national, regional and international levels" for
victims of massive crimes against populations based on racism, racial
discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and against impunity for
those responsible for those crimes.
-end-

See related story: NCC/CWS Names Team for U.N. World Conference Against
Racism.