wfn.org | WCC NEWS: Looking for peace with justice

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>World Council of Churches - News

>LOOKING FOR PEACE WITH JUSTICE

>For immediate release: 19 May 2010

"Our commitment to peace as churches and as Christians is something  we
have inherited at birth, or, indeed, from the birth of the baby  of
Bethlehem," said Bishop Dr Martin Schindehütte of the Evangelical  Church
in Germany (EKD) at a day preparing for the International Ecumenical  Peace
Convocation.

The peace forum was part of the Second Ecumenical Kirchentag (German  for
church convention) in Munich.

The forum involved Kirchentag participants in panel discussions  with peace
campaigners, politicians, bishops and representatives of the World  Council
of Churches (WCC) on the various aspects of a "just peace". That  is to be
the focus of the Peace Convocation, to take place in May next year  on the
invitation of the WCC in Kingston, Jamaica.

The idea of a just peace presents an alternative to the concept  of the
"just war", according to which war can be justified under particular
circumstances.

The concern that it might be possible for war again to become acceptable
was expressed by the Catholic Bishop of Fulda Dr Heinz Josef Algermissen,
President of Pax Christi Germany, in a panel discussion with the  title
"How do we build peace?" He claimed that practically no discussion  at all
on that issue was taking place in society.

With regard to Afghanistan, he said, "We shall not build peace as  long as
there is still structural violence." He went on to say that the  question
must be asked "How do we create justice in Afghanistan?" and added  that
justice cannot be ensured as long as much more money is being spent  on
military intervention.

>Security without peace becomes oppression

The chairperson of the Council of the EKD, Dr Nikolaus Schneider,  added
that military intervention does not create peace, for "security  is not
peace". For him, there can be no peace without security. But "security
without peace becomes oppression."

The WCC general secretary, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit explained that  the
concept of a just peace can be applied to other situations beyond  the
German Afghanistan debate, for example to the violence in the Democratic
Republic of Congo, or to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians .

He added that the churches in Germany had an important contribution  to
make, because they knew from their own history how important respect  for
human rights is, and thus understood the Palestinians’ problems.
Similarly, they knew about the particular responsibility that Christians
have towards Jews and carefully fostered relationships with them.  "The
German churches are able to understand why this conflict is so difficult
to solve, but also that it must be solved."

Peace in communities, in the marketplace and with the earth

Peace between the nations is only one aspect in the concept of peace  that
the churches have been developing in the course of the Decade to  Overcome
Violence 2001-2010 (Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=c5354 
6f655f4d6d130cc
). In order to make peace an enduring reality, education on peaceful
relationships in everyday life, an end to the violence of exploitative
economic structures and an end to the destructive relationship with  the
created world are also required.

Schneider quoted fair trade as a successful example: it had begun  with the
sale of a few products after worship in church congregations, and  since
then had taken a firm hold generally in society.

On the issue of peace education, Nicolau Jemusse Luis, leader of  the Swords
into Ploughshares (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=54159f67d4fe23fe78e0
) programme of the Christian Council of Mozambique, said, "I wish  to issue
a challenge to you: do not any longer buy toy weapons for our children,
but rather collect together all toys that are in the form of weapons  and
destroy them."

That was an appeal with which Gisela Mayer, spokesperson of the  action
group "Amoklauf Winnenden" agreed. Together with other grieving  parents
she had launched a campaign to create a more peaceful environment  for
children, after a school student in March 2009 had shot her daughter,  a
teacher at the school, and a number of his fellow students.

"What sort of beings are we that see the practice of efficiently  killing as
a leisure or sporting activity?" she asked, and added, "What do  our
children need in order not to need violence?" It was her hope for  the
Peace Convocation that the churches would send out a clear and distinct
message "that the struggle for peace will never come to an end,  and
exactly for that reason must begin afresh every day."

Experiences of work for peace in various areas which have been collected  by
the churches during the Decade to Overcome Violence will be incorporated
into a "Declaration for a Just Peace".

"That will represent an attempt to keep us aware of what we have  learned,"
said Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, former WCC general secretary and co-ordinator
of the international group drawing up the Declaration. The aim of  the
Decade, which was inaugurated in a symbolic act in 2001 in Berlin,  was, he
explained, "to move the hope for peace from the periphery into the  centre
of church life."

>A wave of prayer for peace around the world

The conclusion of the Peace Forum in Munich was marked by an invitation  to
become part of a Christian wave of prayer for peace in May 2011.  In the
course of evening prayers on the theme "Glory to God in the highest  and
peace on earth" Bishop Schindehütte called upon people to set  out like
the shepherds of Bethlehem and pass on the message of peace on the  Sunday
during the Peace Convocation, 22 May 2011 – in Kingston  or in their own
locality.

Church congregations around the world are being invited on that  day to join
in prayer for peace. "A wave of prayer will go out from Jamaica  – not a
La-Ola-wave, but an Ora et Labora wave. Together we shall pray and  work
for peace," Bishop Schindehütte concluded.

The concern that not only WCC member churches but also the Catholic  Church
in Germany should take part in the call to pray for peace was welcomed  by
the Archbishop of Freiburg, Dr Robert Zollitsch. As president of  the
German Bishops’ Conference he promised to discuss the text  of the prayer
with his fellow bishops.

Further information about WCC activities at the Kirchentag
(Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=6e2e178cb1dad62f68cf
)

Website of the Second Ecumenical Kirchentag (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=f60080957facb675c148 )

WCC member churches in Germany (Link:

http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=612fa5b2341d50cb2e31
)

International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=2bddb035ce41ba8673e1 )

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,  witness and 
service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship  of churches 
founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 349 Protestant,
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560  million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the  Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse  Tveit, from 
the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.