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["Frank Imhoff" <FRANKI@elca.org>]

News in Brief

LWF General Secretary Mourns Former LWF Vice-President Ernesto
Kunert

General Secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) Rev. Dr
Ishmael Noko has sent a message of condolence to the Evangelical
Church of the Lutheran Confession in Brazil (IECLB) following the
death of Rev. Dr Augusto Ernesto Kunert who was IECLB president
1979-1985, and LWF Vice-President for Latin America and the
Caribbean Region 1984-1990. He died February 6, aged 79.

In a letter to current IECLB President, Prof. Dr Walter Altmann,
Noko paid tribute to Kunert's significant contribution to the LWF
and work of the Brazilian church. The general secretary recalled
Kunert's service from 1971-1985, when he was a member of the then
Governing Committee of the LWF Community Development Service
(CDS). During this time, policies and visions of community
development were defined, and the root causes of underdevelopment,
poverty, social injustice and oppression assessed. The IECLB
office in Porto Alegre was among the first to be established, with
the aim of enhancing local participation and self-reliance. Noko
commended Kunert's successful efforts to increase interest and
constructive involvement in Latin America, "and to open the eyes
of others to the particular situation of the continent."

Noko noted that Kunert understood that the church had a
significant role to play in Brazilian society. Changes in the
IECLB at that time define the church's present profile. Under his
leadership, the IECLB became significantly involved in the
concerns of Brazilian society, thereby accepting a profound
political responsibility. This included a commitment to campaign
for political prisoners' amnesty in 1978, and involvement in the
agrarian reform for the first time by adopting a theme, "God's
Earth - Earth for Everyone," for study in congregations and
regional councils.

Noko described Kunert as a good and reliable friend to many. He
was greatly appreciated for his honesty, integrity, friendliness
and support for others, and will be remembered "with love and
respect."

The 725,000-member IECLB joined the LWF in 1952.

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LWF Member Churches in Asia Plan Regional HIV/AIDS Consultation in
October

The LWF member churches in Asia will hold a regional consultation
28-31 October 2003 to discuss the challenges of HIV/AIDS. This was
agreed at an HIV/AIDS preparatory workshop for the region,
February 26-28 in Medan, Indonesia. The meeting, attended by 15
representatives from churches in the region, was one of the
responses to an LWF Council resolution encouraging member churches
to plan consultations on HIV/AIDS. The October consultation will
focus on five approaches to HIV/AIDS in the Asia region. These
include focus on prevention and education, pastoral and practical
issues, social implications, care, and counseling. Some 120
participants, including all leaders of the 46 LWF member churches
in the region, are expected to attend the consultation. The venue
and theme will be decided soon.

It is estimated that 7.1 million people are living with HIV/AIDS
in Asia and the Pacific region. Current trends of the epidemic,
such as a shift from urban to rural areas, from high-risk groups
to the general population, and particularly the increasing number
of women being infected, calls for a vigorous approach to
HIV/AIDS. The LWF launched a global campaign and action plan on
HIV/AIDS in May 2002 in Nairobi, Kenya, following a conference of
all church leaders in Africa to discuss the challenges of HIV/AIDS
in their contexts.

The regional consultation will be organized by the LWF Department
for Mission and Development (DMD) area desk for Asia in
collaboration with the DMD Project Implementation and Monitoring
desk. Financial support for the consultation will be provided
through the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria-an
independent public-private partnership working to dramatically
increase funding for these diseases. The LWF recently signed an
agreement with Global Fund to receive a USD 485,000 grant toward
the Federation's HIV/AIDS action plan. This was the first time the
Fund had signed an agreement with a non-governmental organization
since it was established in 2001.

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Visit One Another, LWF General Secretary Urges Asian Churches

LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko has reminded
representatives of LWF member churches in Asia of the Church's
apostolic calling to "continue to pray for and visit one another."
Visiting one another, he said, deepens relationships among all
members of the Lutheran communion. Noko was addressing church
leaders from the 46 LWF member churches in the Asia region during
the Asia Pre-Assembly Consultation held with the Asia Church
Leadership Conference, March 2-6 in Medan, Indonesia. In his
presentation, "From Hong Kong to Winnipeg," Noko asked the church
leaders-bishops, presidents, youth and women representatives-to
reflect on how far they had lived up to the commitments of the
1997 LWF Ninth Assembly in Hong Kong, China, the theme of which
was "In Christ - Called to Witness." He emphasized that life in
communion is centered around prayer and reading the Scriptures.

*	*	*

Property Worth USD 300,000 Lost in Fire at Papua New Guinea
Lutheran School

Bishop David P. Piso, Gutnius Lutheran Church - Papua New Guinea
(GLC-PNG), estimates the loss incurred January 8, when fire
destroyed the main building of the church's Highland Lutheran
International School, at USD 300,000. Fortunately, there were no
injuries. There are ongoing efforts to solicit support to
reconstruct and install facilities that were completely burnt
down, Piso says. The building housed six classrooms, a library,
administrative office, equipped computer laboratory, and a staff
room. The school provides for 150 international students from
pre-school age to grade 12. Established 45 years ago, it welcomes
students from all religious backgrounds. Arrangements have been
made so that classes continue on schedule. The GLC-PNG has 95,000
members. It joined the LWF in 1979.

*	*	*

New LWF Publications

"Churches Say 'No' to Violence Against Women" Now Available in
German, French, and Spanish. The LWF document Churches Say "No" to
Violence Against Women, produced by the desk for Women in Church
and Society (WICAS) of the LWF Department for Mission and
Development, is now available in all four of the Federation's
official languages. The original English version was published in
August 2002. LWF translations of the document, intended to engage
member churches in the discussion on and response to violence
against women in church and society, are currently being
distributed in French, German and Spanish. Meanwhile, executive
Secretary for WICAS, Ms Priscilla Singh, has confirmed that in the
LWF member churches, the publication has so far been translated
into Portuguese and Swedish. Other translations and adaptations of
the document into local languages and contexts are under way in
some churches in India, Indonesia and East Africa, as well as in
Finland and Norway. For further information, please write to Msnall church
leaders in A
Priscilla Singh, The Lutheran World Federation, DMD-WICAS, P. O.
Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland. Tel. + 41/22-791 64 39, Fax
+41/22-791 64 01, E-mail: prs@lutheranworld.org

"Building Peace - Where Peace is Always Threatened" is the title
of the latest issue in the LWF Development Education Forum (DEF)
series. As announced by the publication's sub-title
"Trauma-Healing and Reconciliation: Experiences in Post-War
Liberia," DEF No. 9, produced in December 2002, is a case study of
trauma healing and reconciliation in post-war societies. The
48-page publication is authored by Hans Lindqvist, a Church of
Sweden pastor, who has worked extensively with the Lutheran Church
in Liberia and the Liberia program of the LWF Department for World
Service (DWS) in their joint Trauma-Healing and Reconciliation
Program. The issue is edited by Rev. Dr Rebecca Larson, who until
October 2002 was DWS Secretary for Research and Development
Education. For further information, please contact: The Lutheran
World Federation, Department for World Service, P. O. Box 2100,
1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland. Tel. + 41/22-791 64 33, Fax +41/22-791
66 29, E-mail: mbe@lutheranworld.org

The LWF has produced a document on its "Guiding Principles for
Sustainable Development." The 48-page booklet, available in
English, German, French and Spanish, outlines the principles that
are understood by the LWF as guiding its work in sustainable
development. It is an attempt to point out that sustainable
development is based on a process of change by which the basic
needs and human rights of individuals and communities in a given
community are realized, while at the same time protecting similar
needs of other communities and future generations. Although not
unique to the LWF, these principles are specific to the
Federation's life and work since they emanate from the experience
of churches and LWF programs over many decades of emergency
response and participation in development work. The publication is
intended as a guide to assist churches, agencies and individuals
to challenge and support one another in any place where people
suffer and do not share in the gifts of God's creation, and where
the creation itself is destroyed and at a risk. Additional
information is available from: The Lutheran World Federation,
Department for World Service, P. O. Box 2100, 1211 Geneva 2,
Switzerland. Tel. + 41/22-791 64 44, Fax +41-22 791 66 29, E-mail:
rd@lutheranworld.org

"A Shift in Jewish-Lutheran Relations," is the title of the latest
publication in the LWF Documentation series. Produced in January
2003, Documentation No. 48 represents a Lutheran contribution to
Christian-Jewish dialogue with a focus on antisemitism and
anti-Judaism today. The ten essays and 28 reports from 19
countries included in the publication were first presented at an
international LWF consultation at Dobogokoe near Budapest, 9-13
September 2001. It brought together Jews and Lutherans, women and
men, from all continents that are involved in mutual witness. In
the introduction, co-editor Rev. Dr Wolfgang Greive describes the
Budapest consultation as a breakthrough. The consultation prepared
the way "for an ending of the justifiable bitterness and
defensiveness that have plagued Lutheran-Jewish relations," he
writes. The publication was edited jointly by Mr Peter N. Prove,
LWF Office for International Affairs and Human Rights, and Greive,
former LWF Department for Theology and Studies Study Secretary for
Theology and the Church. For additional information, please
contact: The Lutheran World Federation, P. O. Box 2100, 1211
Geneva 2, Switzerland. Tel. + 41/22-791 61 63, Fax +41/22-791 6e church
leaders in A6
30, E-mail: ijb@lutheranworld.org

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund (Sweden), the LWF now
has 136 member churches in 76 countries representing over 61.7
million of the 65.4 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF acts on
behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as
ecumenical relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human
rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and
development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva,
Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information
service. Unless specifically noted, material presented does not
represent positions or opinions of the LWF or of its various
units. Where the dateline of an article contains the notation
(LWI), the material may be freely reproduced with acknowledgment.]

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