wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Assembly commends anti-AIDS efforts

[PCUSA NEWS <PCUSA.NEWS@ECUNET.ORG>]

Note #8421 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

Assembly commends anti-AIDS efforts
GA04126
July 3, 2004

Assembly commends anti-AIDS efforts

But won't redirect One Great Hour of Sharing funds for the purpose

by Alexa Smith

RICHMOND, June 3 - Early Saturday morning, the 216th General Assembly voted
to urge Presbyterians to contribute more for the international fight against
AIDS and to oppose new government restrictions that may impede relationships
between the U.S. church and Cuban Presbyterians.

The Assembly voted down an overture that would have earmarked one-quarter of
the annual One Great Hour of Sharing offering to the battle against HIV/AIDS
in Africa, opting instead to promote extra giving opportunities in support of
prevention and treatment programs.

The Rev. Gary Cook, director of the PC(USA) Hunger Program, had said that a
redirection of money from the offering would hurt three other PC(USA)
ministries - hunger and disaster assistance efforts and the Self-Development
of People program.

Cook said the extra commitment opportunity (ECO) accounts have directed
$300,000 into the anti-AIDS effort in the past five months.

The Assembly also voted to call on the U.S. Treasury Department to rescind
tighter restrictions on travel to Cuba and on economic relations with the
island nation imposed recently by the Bush administration. The new rules
restrict family visits to one every three years and could limit contact
between Presbyterians there and in the United States. A commissioner from
Miami opposed the action, contending that loosening the rules would only put
money in the pocket of Cuba's premier, Fidel Castro, and "perpetuate his
being there."

In other actions, the Assembly voted to commission PC(USA) missionaries next
year during the 100th New Wilmington Missionary Conference in July since
there will be no Assembly; to oppose the Central American Free Trade
Agreement (CAFTA) on the grounds that it undercuts poor indigenous farmers by
dumping subsidized U.S. food products into Central American markets; receive
the 2003-2004 Human Rights Update and urge the stated clerk to publish it on
the PC(USA) Web site with a related study guide for churches; and to
disapprove an overture on population control because it did not address
underlying inequities in access to land and food and was not sufficiently
sensitive to differing cultural attitudes about appropriate family size.

This story and many others may have photos, media, video clips that can be
found at http://www.pcusa.org/ga216/.

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