For Immediate Release -- Wednesday, June 27, 2007
United Church Urges Canada to Help End the Zimbabwe Cri sis
Toronto: Imagine having to spend more than $75.00 for a loaf of bread. How would you feed your family? A question not unlike this is anguished over every day by millions of citizens of Zimbabwe.
With inflation near 4,000 percent, the highest in the w orld, most Zimbabweans can't afford a loaf of bread. Some parents have no choice but to watch their children starve.
Tragically, Zimbabwe, which only a few years ago was kn own as "Africa's breadbasket," now receives international food aid to preven t mass starvation. Vital social and physical infrastructure includin g health care, education, and transportation are in acute crisis. Unemployment is at 80 percent and millions of Zimbabweans have fled the country.
In a letter sent to Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacK ay, The United Church of Canada has registered its deep concern over t he deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe, a country in the throes of a d evastating and increasingly violent economic and political crisis.
"The United Church is Canada's largest Protestant denominat ion and we interpret the gospel of Jesus Christ as a call to par ticipate in the justice work of the global church, within which we and the churches in Zimbabwe work in partnership," writes Nora Sanders, General Secretary of the General Council.
Gary Kenny is The United Church of Canada's Program Coo rdinator for Southern Africa. "We believe the international community, i ncluding Canada, can and must do more to support a peaceful re solution to the crisis, because Canada and other Western countries are pa rt of the problem," says Kenny.
Kenny explains that Zimbabwe's current woes have their ro ots in the country's debilitating colonial legacy. Ethnic groups were played off against one another by colonial authorities and patterns of corruption and the abuse of power were instilled. Even in post-col onial Zimbabwe the West has continued to exploit the country through i nequities in international trade rules, the unfair pricing of commoditie s on the international market, and other factors.
"The West, Canada included, is complicit in supporting th ese systems of domination that have constrained Zimbabwe's sovereign politic al and economic development," Kenny says.
President Mugabe and his government must be held responsi ble for implementing policies that immediately put at risk the li ves of millions of Zimbabweans, Kenny adds. But the blame for Zimbabwe's problems, and the responsibility to resolve them, must be shared.
Kenny adds that Zimbabweans have demonstrated a remarkable resilience, finding ingenious ways to survive from one day to the next. However, their ability to cope is increasingly challenged. Recent months have seen a surge in public protests in defiance of a gove rnment ban on public demonstrations. The government's reaction is becoming increasingly severe.
Kenny explains that in order to prevent popular criticism and dissent, the Mugabe government has become increasingly authoritarian. It has enacted legislation by presidential decree to limit freedom of expression and assembly. When street protests do occur, t he government reacts violently, including with live ammunition. Reports o f abductions, arbitrary arrests, beatings, and torture of activists and protestors in police cells are frequent.
Kenny says the United Church's partners in Zimbabwe are struggling to help resolve the crisis by speaking out against global systemic injustice and human rights abuses while serving the growi ng social needs of their members. It is clear, however, that if further bloodshed is to be avoided much more needs to be done in support of peaceful, democratic change in Zimbabwe.
In particular, Kenny says, The United Church of Canada is calling on the Canadian government
* to do more to support the peaceful resolution of th e crisis. In particular, the Canadian International Development Agency (CI DA) should increase its funding for critical programs offered by Zim babwean civil society organizations. Reports indicate that CIDA recently reduced its funding to these groups by 20 percent (from $5 million to $4 million annually). If true, these cuts will severely limit the capacity of humanitarian groups to deliver vitally needed social progra ms and will leave some activists, human rights defenders especially, mo re vulnerable to state persecution.
* to appoint a special representative to carry out stra tegic behind-the-scenes shuttle diplomacy in the southern African region. We believe the right person, someone with impeccable diplomati c credentials and real and perceived sensitivity, objectivity, and integr ity, could make a difference where other methods of diplomacy have failed.
Kenny says that historically Canada has played a signific ant role in the struggle for social justice in the region of southern A frica, in particular, in the struggle to end apartheid.
"It would be most fitting if Canada could add Zimbabwe to the list of southern African countries it has closely and effectively accompanied through times of great crisis," says Kenny.
For further information or to arrange media interviews, p lease contact:
Mary-Frances Denis Communications Officer The United Church of Canada 416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office) 416-885-7478 (cell) 416-766-0057 (home)
--30--
This message contains information that may be privileged or confidential and is the property of The United Churc h of Canada. It is intended for the sole use of the i ntended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you a re not authorized to read, print, retain copy, disseminate, distribute, or use this message or any part thereof. If you receive this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete all copies of this me ssage.