wfn.org | UN Office plans post-mortem on racism conference

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

Note #6877 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

02-October-2001
01361

UN Office plans post-mortem on racism conference  

Backlash against Muslims, Arab-Americans also on seminar agenda

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - A seminar to be held at the Presbyterian United Nations Office
in New York City next month will review the recent World Conference on
Racism.

The three-day seminar - Putting the Pieces Together: The World Conference
Against Racism - also will explore the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s efforts
to combat racism and to live up to its anti-racism commitments, and study
the 2001 General Assembly's statement on the issue of reparations to victims
of racism and slavery.

"What we want to do is not only inform participants about what's going on,
but to encourage them and get them involved in making changes in wherever
they live," said Leslie Bethell, who heads seminar programming at the UN
Office.

Bethell said she hopes the conference, scheduled for Nov. 14-16, will
stimulate PC(USA) members and others to fight racism - by rallying lawmakers
to enact anti-racism legislation and urging church officials to support
programs aimed at eradicating prejudice.

"Hopefully, they will take this back to their churches and their
presbyteries and their synods and get work going in other parts of the
country," she said.

Concerns about a racist backlash against Muslims and Arab-Americans in the
wake of last month's terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and
Pentagon will also be addressed during the program.

The FBI has launched more than 40 hate-crime investigations into alleged
murders, assaults and arsons directed at Americans of Middle Eastern and
southern Asian descent since the attacks.

The Presbyterian UN Office is part of the denomination's Peacemaking
Program. Next month's seminar will be co-sponsored by the PC(USA)'s Racial
Ethnic Ministries program area. The meeting is designed as a follow-up of
the UN-sponsored World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South
Africa in August and September. Representatives of UN bodies, governments,
non-governmental organizations and ecumenical delegations attended the
conference, including a group of nearly 20 people from the PC(USA).

The conference experienced a setback when the United States and Israel both
withdrew their delegations after Arab members pushed for wording in official
conference documents that would have equated Zionism - the belief in a
Jewish state - with racism. After nine days of recrimination and
brinksmanship, a final declaration was reached excluding such language
against Israel while recognizing the "plight" of the Palestinians.
The final declaration called for debt relief and other economic and
development assistance to Africa.

The UN Office seminar will encourage participants to examine the results and
conclusions of the world conference while seeking answers to the following
questions:

* What can the international community do to prevent violence and
intolerance in multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-religious societies?

* How can faith communities address these issues in ministry and mission?

* How is the legacy of prejudice, intolerance and oppression within our
church and society to be meaningfully addressed?

* Can we put together the fragmented pieces of our society and world in a
harmonious expression of wholeness?

Log on to horeb.pcusa.org/peacemaking/racism.htm for additional information
or contact the UN Office, by phone at (212) 697-4568, or by email at
seminars@presbyun.org
------------------------------------------
Send your response to this article to pcusa.news@pcusa.org

------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send an 'unsubscribe' request to

pcusanews-request@halak.pcusa.org