wfn.org | NCC India - Newsletter June 2002

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

ECUMENICAL NEWS - INDIA National Council of Churches in India Christian 
Council Campus, Post Bag # 205, Civil Lines, Nagpur - 440001, INDIA. 
Editors Email :- nccindia@nagpur.dot.net.in * * ** * ** * * = = = = = = = = 
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Church consultation on Dalit Liberation - Identifies new Paradigms for 
Dalit Liberation = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The National Council of Churches in India and 
the World Council of Churches Unit on Dalit Concerns organized a National 
Seminar from 5-7 June 2002 at the United Theological College, Bangalore. 
Participants from churches, NGOs, peoples movements, WCC theologians, 
academicians and several others participated in this Seminar. Analyzing the 
inescapable dimension of Dalit suffering, the Seminar chartered a new 
analysis for the churches to perceive and to participate in the Dalit 
liberation. Identifying the 3000 years of Dalit and Adivasi oppression, the 
Seminar said that the traditional conversion of Dalits to Christianity did 
not necessarily liberate them. The Statement said that, The Church must 
accept a new paradigm of her mission. Liberation of Dalits within the 
Church and outside the Church should become the centre of the mission of 
the Church. The Seminar Statement called upon the ecumenical movement in 
India to forge new alliances with civil societies and other peoples 
movements to achieve the goal of Dalit liberation, working nationally and 
internationally. It also recommended the National Council of Churches in 
India and Catholic Bishops Conference of India to accept Dalit and Adivasi 
liberation as the new millennium agenda of the Church in India. As to its 
specific recommendations for the churches, the Seminar said that strategies 
should be worked out to redress the needs and problems of Christian Dalits, 
both within and outside the Church. It also asked churches to organize 
programmes for political conscious raising in order to chart out a 
political strategy. Theologically, the Seminar reaffirmed the creative 
God paradigm and rejected all aspects of life which distorted this image 
of God as a Creator. The National Council of Churches in India is working 
out a clear and pragmatic action plan in order to continue the movement 
towards Dalit liberation within and outside the Church. It is also useful 
to observe that the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India is 
organizing an international conference on the Churchs Commitment to Dalit 
Liberation in connection with the World Council of Churches Executive 
Meeting in India in February 2003, in which the WCC General Secretary, Dr. 
Konrad Raiser, LWF General Secretary, Dr. Ismael Noko, representatives of 
agencies and mission boards, and several international churches will be 
participating. The millennium agenda of the Church in India is and should 
be Dalit liberation. This should be the very mission and objective of the 
Church. For the whole report kindly visit NCCI website. = = = = = = = = = = 
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Department of Communication organizing a Website Designing Workshop = = = = 
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= = The National Council of Churches in India Department of Communication, 
in collaboration with the CSI Department of Communication, WACC, ISPCK, and 
Earth Centre organized a Workshop on Web Designing at Dalhousie from May 
10-12, 2002. It introduced the 25 participants to certain fundamentals and 
also some advanced dimension of Website Designing. The participants were 
taken through a training capsule which included : Introduction to the 
Worldwide Web; Website development; Page designing and basic technologies; 
HTML basics; Text and Advance formatting, using editing frames and forms; 
Using and promotion of website; Basics on Search . and advance web based 
softwares. One of the highlights of the Workshop was that more than 70% of 
the participants were women and the average age was 21 years. Some 
participants have already worked web designs for their churches. = = = = = 
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= Churches must protect Human Rights = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The India Watch Desk of 
NCCI organized a workshop on Church and Human Rights to create awareness 
amongst the Church to protect Human Rights. A series of workshops were held 
in Agra, April 7-9 and in Bhimavaram, June 6-8 in collaboration with Church 
of North India and Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church. Using local 
resources the India Watch Desk was able to highlight the recent human 
rights discussions based on issues such as gender, children, inclusion, 
HIV/AIDS, communalism, etc. More workshops are in the anvil. = = = = = = = 
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Church prepares new curriculum for ecological concerns = = = = = = = = = = 
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workshop titled Defending the Earth, the Earth Centre, a programme of the 
Church of North India June 19-21, 2002 developed a curriculum to be 
incorporated in this syllabi of Christian Education Institutions of the 
CNI. The inputs ranged from theological discussions, the economic paradigms 
as well as from the Rights perspective. The institutions are expected to 
incorporate this capsule on ecological concerns in the coming academic 
year. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = NCCI continues Congregational Empowerment Workshop with 
full vigour = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = = = = The Congregational Empowerment process has been the 
new initiative and focus of the NCCI for the past 4 years. It has organized 
several workshops for congregations with the mandate of the churches 
through its four-fold ministry methodology. Worship, Nurture, Proclamation 
and Service (Diakonia) are the modules through which these workshops have 
been carried on. Churches in Andhra (CNI, Lutheran, Baptist, etc), Himachal 
Pradesh (CNI-Eastern Himalaya Diocese, Jharkhand (CNI, Lutheran etc), 
Punjab (CNI-Amritsar Diocese, and in Orissa (Phulbani diocese of CNI). The 
challenge to empower the congregations with the focus on local issues is 
surmounting as the issues of poverty, religious fundamentalism, gender 
injustice, dalit/adivasi oppression, poverty and other issues come to the 
fore. Recently, a plan has been worked out to include 357 local 
congregations of the Phulbani diocese of the CNI within the next two years. 
It is hoped that through these workshops the congregations will dictate the 
agenda of the structural work. Two full time coordinators in Andhra and in 
Orissa with part-time coordinators in Karnataka, Maharashtra - diocese of 
Nagpur, CNI. These programmes have been implemented. = = = = = = = = = = = 
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Ecumenical Youth Assembly 2002 to meet in Nagpur = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
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Ecumenical Youth Assembly will held in Nagpur from 22nd - 27th October, 
2002. About 500 participants are expected, representing Churches, 
movements, organizations and other constituents of the NCCI PEACE WITH 
JUSTICE : YOUTH OVERCOMING VIOLENCE will be the theme. The Round table of 
the NCCI youth presently meeting at the NCCI headquarters will also discuss 
the assembly in detail and will also appoint the Prep Com. For more 
information as to how to attend this assembly contact: Mr. Dinesh Suna, 
Youth Secretary - Convenor of the Assembly. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = DOV process 
discussed at Youth Meet = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) 
issues were discussed at youth leadership meeting of the Maharashtra 
Christian Council in Pune 21-22 May 2002. The role and challenges of the 
youth vis-`-vis Overcoming Violence was the theme. Several presentations 
identified the issues of growing intolerance, fundamentalism, exclusion, 
structural violence as issues which needed an active response by the 
churches and particularly the youth. The Maharashtra Christian Council 
which organized the seminar along with the NCCI has committed to discuss 
these issues in its future programmes. The workshop identified a definite 
role for the youth of the churches to respond and to actively participate 
in the process of overcoming violence. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = NCCI URM brings relief 
to displaced families = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = The NCCI URM has implemented a relief 
programme among the Totladoh village settlement. The Totladoh tenements 
which is almost 40 years old grew with the Pench Hydro Electric Dam 
Project. With the subsequent declaration of their land and of the forest 
surrounding as a National Park and subsequently as a tiger reserve, the 
fishing rights of the villagers were taken away. The lives of the Totladoh 
community was built around the Totladoh reservoir. The situation of the 300 
displaced families was a big challenge particularly looking to the Monsoons 
in Nagpur. The evictees even after a month did not have any relief from the 
blistering summer heat or relief in any other form from the government. The 
displacement also violated their right to livelihood as they were robbed of 
their livelihood. The NCCI-URM in collaboration with the CASA have been 
working with the displaced communities. About 600 kgs of plastic sheets, 
2000 nos wooden poles, 4500 nos bamboos, ten, thousand litres water tank, 
350 bundles of roof thatching mats have already been distributed as a 
relief measure. CRS of the Archdiocese of Nagpur provided rations for 15 
days to the 300 plus families. The process of engagement has also enabled 
the displaced people to form themselves into a new peoples organization 
(Samithi) and have given themselves the name New Totladoh Community. For a 
detailed report with pictures, visit the ncci website or contact Mr. Rajan 
Singh, Executive Secretary, NCCI-URM. * * ** * ** * * [NCCI is the National 
Council of Churches founded in 1914. Presently it has 29 member churches, 
18 Regional Councils, 7 related agencies and 14 All India Christian 
Organizations. The NCCI works on behalf of its members in providing 
fellowship and a common forum for dialogue, promoting ecumenism through 
church unity for the wholeness of community, representing the churches 
before public, engaging in life and humanitarian issues in different parts 
of India. Its headquarters and the Secretariat is situated in Nagpur, 
India. The ecumenical news India is a net news and information service of 
the National Council of Churches in India.] Editor :- Rev. Chandran Paul 
Martin. Associate Editors :- Sunita Gaikwad, Shona Thangavel (intern) For 
fuller text please visit us at www.nccindia.org

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News letter : N C C India