wfn.org | ALC News Service - Janeiro 15, 2006

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

ALC NEWS SERVICE
E-mail: director@alcnoticias.org

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CONTENT

NICARAGUA: An Anglican is named ombudsman for the defense of women's rights
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Evangelicals denounce state religious discrimination
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: "This cannot happen with human beings," said the
Dominican Cardinal regarding the tragedy of Haitian immigrants
BRAZIL: Christians from around the world to march for peace in Porto Alegre
ARGENTINA: Statements from Robertson are unwise and disrespectful, said ACIERA

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NICARAGUA
An Anglican is named ombudsman for the defense of women's rights

By Trinidad Vásquez

MANAGUA, Jan. 13 (ALC). The recently named special ombudsman for the
Defense of Women's Rights Deborah Grandison will lobby for women's access
to credit, health, justice and political participation.

Grandison, a lawyer, Black woman and leader of the Anglican Church traveled
this week to Managua to be sworn in. In statements to the press, Grandison
affirmed that women from the Atlantic Coast face marginalization and
violence and frequently receive no attention from the courts. The new
ombudsman promised to travel the length and breadth of the country to
"combat violence against women."

With a law degree from the Caribbean University of Bluefields, Grandison
has been involved in human rights issues since 1994 providing legal advice
for an NGO for the region. She was special ombudsman for the Indigenous
Peoples of the South Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua.

The new ombudsman, with a three-year mandate said she is open to all
social, religious and ethnic sectors in order to jointly struggle to defend
the rights of women, children and adolescents who suffer violence in the
family.

The appointment of Grandison to the position sparked protests on the part
of the Autonomous Women's Movement and women's organizations that were
pushing for lawyer Dorotea Wilson.

"I feel prepared for this new position and it surprises me that some
leaders from the Autonomous Women's Movement of Nicaragua have questioned
my appointment," said the ombudsman.

The press note, distributed January 9, the head of the Human Rights
Ombudsman Omar Cabezas explained that the appointment was carried out
according to legal regulations. The note added that Grandison has a great
deal of experience in work with the institution.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Evangelicals denounce state religious discrimination

SANTO DOMINGO, Jan. 13 (ALC). Leaders from the Dominican Evangelical
community expressed concern and condemned the discriminatory treatment they
say they receive from part of the government, Congress and different
official bodies.

"We reject the alarming lack of religious equality on the part of State
powers," they said in a statement that specified that this behavior is
opposed to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International
Civil Rights Pact and the UN declaration to eliminate all intolerance and
discrimination based on religion.

"If it were necessary we will go to institutional forums to demand our
rights," according to the statement signed by leaders from Christian
organizations.

Those signing include Reynaldo Franco Aquino, of the Dominican Council of
Evangelical Unity; Rafael Montalvo, of the Dominican Evangelical
Confraternity; Braulio Portes, of the National Council of Churches; Elías
Samuel Peña, bishop of the Methodist Church and  Lorenzo Mota King, of the
Social Service of Dominican Churches.	Others signing the statement
included George Reynoso, of the pastoral network;  Ramón H. Corniell, of
the Biblical Society; Manuel López, of the Council of Fraternity and Moisés
A. Mateo of the Pentecostal Church of God.

The religious leaders emphasized that Evangelicals, around 1.5 million
Dominicans represent 20 percent of the national population distributed in
more than 7,000 Churches and are bearers of a message of honor, peace and
equality.

They denounced the Senate for delaying the approval of a law that will
allow pastors to officiate at weddings and will designate Evangelical
chaplains for military forces and national police, as well as difficulties
regarding fiscal benefits and a lack of resources for initiatives carried
out by Evangelical institutions.

"We lament that we are before a regime of privileges, limited to a
religious sector while the social and educational projects of our community
are left out of the national budget that is implemented with the taxes we
all pay," they said.

The Evangelicals said that apparently "the only thing that interests the
State are our votes and the millions of taxes we pay," after saying that
this situation is a regression in the nation's democracy.

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DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
"This cannot happen with human beings," said the Dominican Cardinal
regarding the tragedy of Haitian immigrants

SANTO DOMINGO,	Jan. 12 (ALC).	Dominican Cardinal Nicolas de Jesús Lopez
lamented the death of 24 illegal Haitians immigrants who were found
suffocated Tuesday night. "This cannot be, they are human beings," he said.

The prelate questioned the role of the Armed Forces security bodies who
allowed the vehicle to pass. "This means that the soldiers are not
fulfilling their duty," he affirmed after commenting that the military
claims to have more than 1,000 soldiers working on border control.

"This is an extremely serious situation," said the Cardinal after demanding
a satisfactory explication about how the events took place. Military
sources said that the truck was not opened at the border because it did not
come directly from Haiti.

It would appear that the immigrants traveled for four days on rough roads
inside the van. The victims were part of a group of 69 people who were
presumably climbed aboard in the border town of Dajabon and were
transported in a closed truck.

The majority of the victims came from Cabo Haitiano, said a survivor who
reveled they each paid around $44 to be transported from Haiti to Santiago
de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic.

The first 11 bodies were found in La Mina in the community of El Cacheo in
the Valverde Province, where five survivors were also rescued. Another 13
fatal victims were found behind the Heroes of La Barranquita Monument in
Cruce de Guayacanes, presumably after falling to the pavement when other
immigrants broke the door to breathe and escape.

The Rev. Regino Martinez, coordinator of the Border Solidarity said in
Santiago de los Caballeros that the military who work in the border area
were aware of the return to the Dominican Republic of the groups of
Haitians who were aboard the truck that transported the 61 immigrants.

Martinez told the daily Hoy that immigrants who had gone to Haiti to spend
Christmas with their families had been returning since January 5. He said
that a child survivor said that the first deaths were due to blows on the
sides of the truck.

He also said that at one point the travelers opened the door of the truck
and several people fell out, dying in the act. As a result the driver
locked the door.

Dominican President Leonel Fernandez expressed his condolences to the
neighboring country and guaranteed an in-depth investigation. Police
sources reported that there are 26 people detained for the illegal
trafficking of 69 Haitians, including the driver and his helper.

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BRAZIL
Christians from around the world to march for peace in Porto Alegre

By Edelberto Behs

PORTO ALEGRE, Ene 10 (ALC). Nobel Peace Laureates Rigoberta Menchú, of
Guatemala; Desmond Tutu, of South Africa and Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, of
Argentina will lead a major march for peace planned for February 21, that
will bring together participants at the IX World Council of Churches
Assembly and residents of Porto Alegre.

The walk will begin at the Glenio Perez Avenue, in front of the Porto
Alegre Municipality and will continue to the Matriz Plaza. It will be
roughly one kilometer and Perez Esquivel, Tutu and Menchu will make brief
statements about peace along the way.

The idea of the event is to give people from different parts of the world
the opportunity to witness in favor of peace. "We want each one, in their
country or Church, to make an effort to build peace, placing small and
major signs," said the executive secretary of the Assembly, Pastor Rui
Bernhard.

Two days before this event, women participating in the assembly will carry
out a silent demonstration on the campus of the Pontifical Catholic
University, headquarters of the Assembly, under the slogan "Churches say no
to violence against women and children."

During the demonstration, participants will distribute white origami doves,
as a sign of the commitment of women to put an end to violence. Data from
the United Nations shows that domestic violence is the major cause of
injury in women aged 15-44 around the world.

According to the National Human Rights Movement, barely 2 percent of those
accused of using violence against women are condemned in Brazil.

In an interview with ALC, the coordinator of the Beehive (the name given to
the space for women in the assembly), Vera Leane Roth, said that the march
seeks to say enough to violence and to show the active role of women in
creating a more just and equal society.

"The name reminds us of bees that leave the beehives in search of new
space, perfumes and food," said Roth. The demonstration seeks to bring
together all those participating in the WCC Assembly to be held in Rio
Grande do Sul from February 14 - 23.

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ARGENTINA
Statements from Robertson are unwise and disrespectful, said ACIERA

BUENOS AIRES, Jan  9 (ALC).  Comments made by US tele-evangelist Pat
Robertson to the effect that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke
was "divine punishment for dividing God's land" were unwise and
disrespectful, said the Christian Alliance of Evangelical Churches of the
Argentine Republic, ACIERA.

Millionaire preacher Robertson, in his controversial style said Thursday on
his "The 700 Club" program that the severe stroke affecting Sharon is a
divine response for his decision to remove Israeli settlers and troops from
the Gaza strip. The Israeli Prime Minister suffered a major stroke January 4.

"Such statements are not in line with the feeling or thoughts of the
Evangelical Christian Churches of Argentina (.) as Christians we never
support any statement that is not in harmony with the message of peace and
love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who we sustain and preach as Evangelical
Christians throughout the world," it said in a communique.

The message signed by Pastors Ruben Proietti and Jorge Sennewald, president
and vice president of the organization indicated that Robertson's
statements are "unwise" and express an evident lack of respect "toward a
recognized world leader."

The Evangelist said on his program broadcast by the Christian Broadcasting
Chain in Virginia Beach that he had personally prayed with Sharon close to
a year ago and said he was a man with a good heart and a good friend.
However, he added that the prophet Joel that "God has enmity against those
who, quote, 'divide my land.'"

"God considers this land to be his. You read the Bible, he says, 'This is
my land.'And for any prime minister of Israel who decides he going carve it
up and give it away, God says, 'No. This is mine,'" said Robertson.

Robertson, head of an influential sector of the North American religious
right sparked protests in the Evangelical world last August when in one of
his programs he asked the United States to eliminate Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez, stating he was a "terrific danger" to the United States.
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