wfn.org | ACNS - Solidarity with suffering people of Colombia

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

ACNS 3176 - USA - 23 OCTOBER 2002

Solidarity with suffering people of Colombia

The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church in the USA affirmed their
solidarity with the Episcopal Church and the suffering people of Colombia
through prayer and witness. The council met mid-October in Wyoming.

In an effort to achieve a negotiated peace they urged the Episcopal Church
to inform its members of the plight of the Colombian people and support
policies and programs that "will alleviate their poverty and ameliorate the
injustices."

Several resolutions were passed which focussed on combating policies and
practices that result in the violation of human rights, the forced
displacement of innocent persons, attacks on civilians and civic religious
leaders, massacres, kidnappings, torture, the use of land mines, and the
disappearance of large numbers of people.

Colombia suffers from the tragic human consequences of protracted civil
conflict that has resulted in serious rupture in the fabric of its
socio-economic life and the displacement of over 2.5 million people. The
Executive Council has urged the Episcopal Church of Colombia to make a
significant contribution to bringing peace and stability to the war-ravaged,
impoverished people of Colombia.

It was also urged that the Episcopal Church lend full support to programs
which will alleviate the suffering of Colombia's internally displaced
persons, especially the Afro-Colombians and indigenous persons who have been
severely victimised by Colombia's civil conflict.

Finally, the Executive Council resolved that the Episcopal Church actively
associate itself with the policies and efforts of the National Council of
Churches and other ecumenical bodies seeking to end human rights violations,
civil conflict, and further displacement of many people.

Colombia's civil conflict has not been halted by military intervention
despite increased investment in the Government's military capacity and has,
in fact, impeded the peace process, observers have noted.

A major goal of the US Government in involving itself in Colombia has been
the ending of narco-trafficking through a massive fumigation program which
has had a harmful environmental impact while failing to address the economic
circumstances that have caused poor Colombians to be engaged in the drug
industry, said the Rt Revd Francisco Duque, new bishop of the Episcopal
Church in Colombia.
_________________________________________________________
The ACNSlist is published by the Anglican Communion Office, London.

Please send QUESTIONS or COMMENTS to acnslist@anglicancommunion.org. Any 
comments about the content of the article should be directed to the author. 
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to this message, as any replies are discarded 
automatically.

You can subscribe/unsubscribe online at 
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/subscribe.html

ACNS mailing list