wfn.org | (LWF) Lutheran Conclave to Demonstrate in Protest of

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

LWF Tenth Assembly, Winnipeg, Canada, 21-31 July 2003

PRESS RELEASE NO. 08

Lutheran Conclave to Demonstrate in Protest of Visa Denials
Canadian Bishop Schultz Offers "Sincere Apologies" to Those Denied Visas

Winnipeg, Canada, 23 July 2003 - At an "extraordinary plenary session" last
evening, delegates to the Lutheran World Federation Tenth Assembly agreed to
stage a public demonstration on Tuesday, July 29, to protest the Canadian
government's failure to grant visas to 51 delegates, visitors and staff.  

The nearly 700 participants in the conclave will process from the Winnipeg
Convention Centre to the Federal Immigration Office at the Forks, where they
will offer peaceful protest and demonstrate solidarity with their brothers
and sisters who were not able to enter Canada to attend the ten-day meeting,
hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

ELCIC National Bishop Raymond Schultz proposed the protest march and offered
"sincere apologies" on behalf of the Canadian church to the missing
attendees.  He said, "We want to be a welcoming community" and went on to
deplore the "insensitivity and inaction" of the Canadian government.

Schultz also introduced the flags of many of the countries whose delegates
are missing and asked that they be posted on the convention floor as a silent
reminder.  LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr Ishmael Noko announced an additional
gesture in the placing of colored silk scarves tied to the missing delegates'
chairs.

LWF President Bishop emeritus Dr Christian Krause, also announced the
Assembly's intention to explore means of staying in communication with the
missing church representatives and eventually unite symblically with them in
their own countries.

Noteworthy is the fact that all of those affected by denial of visas come
from the poorest nations of the world.	The Indian participants, who come
from the most marginalized communities in Indian society, have been the worst
affected.  Other countries whose participants have failed to receive visas
include Bangladesh, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia,
Indonesia, Liberia, Madagascar, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone
and South Africa.  

Of the 51 individuals, 38 are delegates to the Assembly.  The remainder are
visitors and volunteers.  

The first indication of trouble came in May, when the Federation received
word that two visas had been denied from Columbian delegates.  When Dr.
Noko's repeated appeals had received no response by the end of June, by which
time several additional applications had been turned down, the LWF issued the
first of several press releases regarding the situation, to enormous media
and public response.   

The LWF leadership made a last ditch appeal to the Canadian government the
day before the assembly's official opening on July 21 to influence them to
grant the visas.  It was the last of a series of pleas from Noko to Canadian
government officials.  

In his remarks, Schultz made reference to the closing of borders in many
countries and noted the irony that "capital can move freely but people
cannot."  In conclusion, and to a standing ovation, he declared, "To this
false god of exclusion, our communion must say 'No!'"

The Tenth Assembly of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is taking place
21-31 July 2003 in Winnipeg, Canada, under the theme "For the Healing of the
World." It is being hosted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
(ELCIC).

There are almost 700 men, women and youth participants in the Tenth Assembly
including 356 delegates from the 133 churches with full membership and three
associate members. The Assembly is the highest decision-making body of the
LWF, and meets normlly every six years. Between Assemblies, the LWF is
governed by its Council that meets annually, and by its Executive Committee.

Further information including photos, video and audio news, is posted on the
Assembly Web site www.lwf-assembly.org 

To order photographs, please contact LWF-Photo@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 and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission
and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.