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This story may be seen here: http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2007/07693.htm
October 26, 2007
Universal effort
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s work for justice, peace via the United Nations recognized on anniversary
by Toya Richards Hill Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE - For 62 years the United Nations has supported justice and peacemaking worldwide, with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) as a partner, educating and advocating to make a difference, a PC(USA) official said this week.
"The church has had a presence at the UN since the signing of the charter in 1945," said Joel Hanisek, the Presbyterian representative to the UN. "This presence is a way of faithfulness and discipleship, a way to follow the Jesus who comes to preach good news to the people, freedom to the prisoners, recovery of sight to the blind and release to the oppressed." The work of the UN, and those that collaborate with it, was celebrated Wednesday, Oct. 24, under the auspices of United Nations Day. The worldwide observance marks the day the multi-national body officially came into existence in 1945.
For the PC(USA), working in conjunction with the UN has been a priority through the years. From inside offices at the Church Center for the UN, just steps away from UN headquarters, staff in the Presbyterian UN office [http://www.pcusa.org/peacemaking/un/index.htm] addresses a range of global issues - everything from children's rights and global racism, to terrorism and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.
The denomination maintains "steady and strong support" for the ideals of the UN, which are centered on peace and justice, Hanisek said. And, as a Reformed body, the PC(USA) also helps the UN with its own reform, including issues related to ethics and accountability.
Just recently, the Presbyterian UN office celebrated the adoption of a declaration by the UN General Assembly to improve the right of indigenous people - an issue the denomination has strongly advocated for.
Adopted Sept. 13, the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People "acknowledges respect for indigenous communities that have been marginalized, discriminated against, and oppressed throughout history and in our present reality," according to a press release from the Presbyterian UN Office.
The Human Rights Council adopted the declaration in June 2006 after 20 years of negotiation and debate.
"It articulates the rights of indigenous peoples to their distinct institutions, cultures and traditions, to full participation in all political and social life of their respective states, and to freedom from discrimination," the release said.
June L. Lorenzo, a Presbyterian elder and member of the Laguna Pueblo Tribal Council in New Mexico, has been actively working on the issue with the Presbyterian UN Office, and was present when the declaration passed.
"As Presbyterians we pay attention to human rights and because we have a presence in almost every continent as a denomination, it's important to pay attention to these issues as they relate to the peoples with whom we have connections," Lorenzo, an attorney, said in the press release.
"Worldwide, indigenous communities fought long and hard for their recognition as sovereign peoples and it is a gift from God to have languages and cultures of their own. The Presbyterian denomination should continue to grow into that realization in their work in other countries," she said.
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