wfn.org | WCC NEWS: US churches recognize peacemakers

["WCC Media" <Media@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches - News Release
Contact: +41 22 791 6153   +41 79 507 6363 media@wcc-coe.org 
For immediate release - 05/10/2004

 US CHURCHES RECOGNIZE ATLANTA PEACEMAKERS

Ten individuals and organizations from Atlanta and surrounding areas will
be recognized for their peace and justice-making efforts at the annual
meeting of the United States Conference for the World Council of Churches
(WCC), beginning today in Atlanta, Georgia.

The US Conference for the WCC is the main platform of the WCC's 34 member
churches in the USA, and the annual meeting is expected to gather hundreds
of church leaders and ecumenical activists from throughout the US and other
countries.

The ten peacemakers from secular, ecumenical and interfaith communities
will receive the "Blessed are the peacemakers" awards. These awards are an
initiative of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence to acknowledge creative
and courageous peace and justice-making efforts in the world.

Peacemakers to be recognized are:

Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc - This interfaith,
interdenominational, non-partisan organization has been active in many
aspects of promoting peace, including peace rallies, forums and workshops
on peace issues and seeks to address homelessness, hunger, housing,
economic development, education, juvenile justice, and health issues in
Metropolitan Atlanta.

Adopt-a-Minefield, Atlanta Chapter, one of the recipients, will receive an
award for its fund-raising efforts to clear six minefields in Mozambique.
This Atlanta-based organization has also been involved in peacemaking and
advocacy in support of the Landmine Ban Treaty and educating groups about
the scourge of landmines worldwide.

Also receiving the award is Hodan Osman, a Somalian refugee who has helped
to build bridges among children of different faiths and cultures. She has
studied peace and justice through the Friends Service Committee and has
provided leadership to children and teenage girls to learn to live with
others.

Other recipients include:

The American Friends Service Committee, Southeast Regional Office - The
committee's program on the Middle East brings education about justice,
peace and violence in the Middle East to the Atlanta community.

The Decatur Cooperative Ministry's "Hagar's House" - This shelter provides
temporary, emergency housing and support services for women with children.

The First Congregational United Church of Christ - Known for providing the
first public water fountain in Atlanta that was available for use by blacks
- and any others who wished to quench their thirst - upon completion of the
construction of the current building in 1909.

Harmony: Atlanta's International Youth Chorus - This broad-based
multicultural community group is dedicated to choral excellence, known for
its partnership with peacemaking leaders and groups.  The chorus has sung
for Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu, among others, and participated in events
such as the  Georgia First Lady's Summit on Our Children and Africa's
Children's Fund.

Rev. Dr.  Henry Jee - The late doctor was a native of Korea who received
numerous awards from secular, religious and intercultural organizations for
his 30 years of community relations work in Atlanta.

The Open Door Community - This residential community does advocacy work on
behalf of prisoners, the homeless and other oppressed persons.

The Regional Council of Churches of Atlanta - Once known as the Christian
Council of Metropolitan Atlanta, this organization's 1957 "Ministers'
manifesto" was signed by 315 local clergy in support of public school
desegregation.

The "Blessed are the peacemakers awards" will be presented during the
closing worship of the meeting, which will take place on October 6, at
20:00, at the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

Media contacts:
John Baker Brown  +1-404-523-5554  jbrown@faithandthecity.org 
Joan Harrell   +1-404-527-5713	harrelljoan_@hotmail.com 
Lisa Yablonsky	 +1-973-907-0911

See also the WCC press release of 27 October 2004
http://www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-04-44.html 

Detailed programme and more information on the meeting:
http://www.wcc-usa.org 

Decade to Overcome Violence website:
http://www.overcomingviolence.org 

World Council of Churches website:
http://www.wcc-coe.org 

Additional information: Juan Michel,+41 22 791 6153  +41 79 507 6363
	 media@wcc-coe.org 

Sign up for WCC press releases at
http://onlineservices.wcc-coe.org/pressnames.nsf

The World Council of Churches is a fellowship of churches, now 342, in more
than 120 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian
traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works
cooperatively with the WCC. The highest governing body is the assembly,
which meets approximately every seven years. The WCC was formally
inaugurated in 1948 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its staff is headed by
general secretary Samuel Kobia from the Methodist church in Kenya.