MECC General Secretary Attends WCC Central Committee Meeting
Mr. Guirgis Saleh attended the WCC Central Committee meeting, early September, the first after the WCC General Assembly in Porto Allegre. The Central Committee issued a Statement on the war in Lebanon and Northern Israel, registering alarm at the dramatic humanitarian consequences and alleged violations of international law during the war. The decision to establish a comprehensive ecumenical advocacy initiative for peace in the Middle East was taken with the creation of a Palestine/Israel Ecumenical Forum for peace.
On this occasion, Lebanese Minister of Culture, Dr. Tarek Mitri expressed gratitude to the WCC for its expressions of solidarity following Israel¹s attacks on Lebanon, qualifying the visits of friends from all parts of the world as ³a precious gift from God². Dr. Mitri called for more pressure fro m the WCC on governments to revive the peace process in the Middle East.
In turn, Rev. Jean Arnold de Clermont, President of the Conference of European Churches reported on his solidarity visit to Lebanon during the wa r in Lebanon.
Mr. Saleh took the opportunity of his presence in Geneva to meet with the director of the ACT office in Geneva to finalize the Appeal for Lebanon.
Middle East Council of Churches Office of International Ecumenical Relations P.O. Box 5376, Beirut, Lebanon
Guirgis Ibrahim Saleh, General Secretary
mecc@cyberia.net.lb or guirgissaleh@cyberia.net.lb
+961-1-353-938 http://www.mec-churches.org/