Title: Churches Cooperate with Grassroots Organizations to Protect Taiwan's Forests
Taiwan Church News 2837 10-16 July 2006
Reported by Li Hsin-ren. Written by David Alexander
Landslides are one source of Aboriginal village pain in Taiwan. The churches of Aboriginal people are located in precious and precarious natural environment areas. For many years some clergy have led their church members to cooperate with grassroots groups to advocate for protection of the natural environment. Churches have also been pressed into service as relief agencies following natural disasters.
Aboriginal churches have formed village self-salvation organizations in cooperation with non-governmental organizations. Together they vow to promote land protection and environmental movements. Cooperation began during the 1980's when a movement to "Return Our Land" was formed.
Recently, several Church related and secular NGO's in Hsinchu and Taoyuan counties in northern Taiwan approached the government on the subject of policies governing development in the catchment area for the Shih-men reservoir. They hoped to promote sustainable development. The Tayal Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) and village groups see Shih-men Reservoir land use policy as having already harmed the natural and human environment of the region, which has been divided into "Public Water" and "Catchment" areas. Each has regulations that hamper the development and potential of Aboriginal people living in them. In fact, the Catchment Area regulations are said to actually be harmful to the environment itself! For the sake of sustainable life, the government and other sectors have been called to respect the Aboriginal lands and the rights of the peoples who live on them. Many local clergy in the Tayal Presbytery participate in community self-salvation organizations and have brought environmental topics into discussions with church members in general.
Recent rains in central and southern parts of Taiwan have caused suffering in Aboriginal villages there. PCT General Assembly Programme Secretary for Aboriginal Ministry, Sudu Tata, said, "Heavy rains in June produced serious damage in mountain areas. Recent typhoons have brought southern areas to crisis. In the Rukai district of the PCT several church buildings are threatened with collapse, and roads to villages have been cut. The General Assembly is undertaking relief rebuilding support.
In past years, Aboriginal villages have borne the brunt of typhoon damage. Landslides have obliterated some places for living, and churches have been pressed into relief work. This has deepened the relationship between villagers and their churches, and has caused the churches to take up ever more forcefully the issues of Aboriginal life in the mountains.
For more information: Sudu Tata sudu@mail.pct.org.tw
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