| Posted: April 19 2005,19:35 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
There
clearly is progress in making peace and nonviolence more of a priority
in the constituency of the World Council of Churches. Several National
or Regional councils have made overcoming violence and/or peace
building the theme of their general assemblies, and church agencies
have made overcoming violence a programmatic priority or a criterion
for evaluation. Sensitivity and attention to the issues of
violence has increased, and there is more differentiation. Nonviolence
and just peace making are becoming priorities of grassroots movements.
Youth and women above all others are taking the lead in making peace,
justice and nonviolence not just priorities but principles of life.
The
World Report on Violence and Health (WHO 2002) has contributed to
better understanding of the phenomenon of violence. There appears to be
growing conviction that violence does not resolve conflict and that war
is not the answer, in spite of ever increasing military spending. The
DOV
and the UN-Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the
Children of the World are in growing convergence and synergic
development.
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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Several obstacles are slowing the progress of making overcoming violence and peace building priorities:
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A theological tradition of peace and nonviolence has been marginal at
best and violence has traditionally been seen as given and justifiable.
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The notion that conflict and violence belong together and are dependent
on each other is a deep-rooted obstacle for creating a culture of peace
and for embracing conflict while rejecting violence.
- Regional
ecumenical organizations and church agencies are increasingly stretched
for funding, so adding new priorities is not easy. Some say that a
priority is not a priority as long as it is not visible as such in the
budget. Funding mechanisms tend to be artificial and mechanistic.
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The rule of habit and the struggle for survival take enormous energy
from executives and administrators in institutions and programmes. This
prevents from creative and innovative thinking and action.
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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The
WCC initiative in 1998 to proclaim a "Decade to Overcome Violence"
(2001-2010) was a response to the churches' reading of the "signs of
the times", inspired by a vision of reconciliation and peace. Following
its Programme to Combat Racism and the Decade "Churches in Solidarity
with Women", the World Council of Churches had launched a Programme to
Overcome Violence in 1994 and turned it into a Decade do Overcome
Violence (DOV) in 2001.
The DOV runs in tandem with the UN
Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the
World. It calls on churches, organizations, networks and individuals to
cooperate together in challenging the spirit and logic of violence,
relinquish any theological justification of violence, and seek to learn
from and promote ways of overcoming violence in different cultural,
religious and social contexts. Challenging the growing militarization
of the world, promoting a new understanding of security, and affirming
a spirituality of active nonviolence are some other key objectives of
the DOV.
The DOV is not a programmatic effort of the World
Council of Churches, however. It is a call and a challenge to the
churches to commit themselves to the goals of overcoming violence and
seeking reconciliation and peace. A small coordination office for the
DOV functions as a conveyer rather than a convener, facilitating
processes, communicating efforts and resources and networking among
actors in overcoming violence. It aims thus as raising the visibility
and profile of peacemaking, active nonviolence and reconciliation.
In
the meantime, violence has come even further to the forefront both in
the media and on the agendas of government and private
institutions, as well as in the churches. Violence is often on the
front page and it preoccupies people both on a domestic and on an
international level.
In this context, the affirmation made by
the churches at the launch of the Decade sounds even more prophetic and
urgent now than it did then: "We will strive together to overcome the
spirit, logic and practice of violence. We will work together to be
agents of reconciliation and peace with justice in homes, churches and
societies as well as in the political, social and economic structures
at the global level."
The WCC publicized the Decade's call
within the ecumenical family and encouraged and facilitated ownership
of the Decade by churches and groups in their own contexts. This was
accomplished largely through a series of DOV launches in every region
and has generated considerable interest and momentum worldwide. In many
places churches have taken ownership and begun to develop significant
programmes within the framework of the DOV. These programmes cover a
wide range, from peace education and women's issues to interpersonal
violence and theological reflection. Several programmes of the WCC
operate within the framework of the DOV, for example the programme on
small arms, violence against women, and alternatives to economic
globalization. One particular campaign launched over 10 days in late
2004 is on overcoming violence against women "On the Wings of a Dove".
The
Annual Focus on a particular region and with a specific theme serves to
mobilize churches in that region and maintain the momentum of the
Decade.
Regions and themes so far were:
2002 - "End the
Illegal Occupation in Palestine", which resulted in the Ecumenical
Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel" (EAPPI).
2003 - Sudan: "Healing and Reconciliation".
2004 - USA: "The Power and Promise of Peace".
2005 - Asia: "Building Communities of Peace for All".
The foci of the next few years will be: 2006: Latin America, 2007: Europe, 2008: The Pacific, 2009: The Caribbean.
After
the initial launching, the DOV entered a phase of accompanying the
churches, related organizations and movements seeking peace and
reconciliation. The Council was working on strengthening and
facilitating dynamic relations between the churches, linking local
efforts to the global movement, providing resources and inspiration,
encouraging sustained commitment, accompanying the raising of awareness
and promoting common actions and reflections in response to these
critical challenges.
A study guide "Why Violence? Why Not
Peace?" for churches, individuals and small groups was published and
well over 50,000 copies have been distributed in 9 languages. The DOV
web site www.overcomingviolence.org aims at giving visibility to
initiatives for overcoming violence and building peace. The site exists
in four languages and is interactive. It lists organizations,
resources, events, and features a forum for stories, opinions,
experiences on overcoming violence and building peace. An online
service is available for periodic updates and information via email.
The
World Council of Churches through the DOV has joined in the
International Day of Peace on September 21, by calling its member
churches and communities of faith to observe an International Day of
Prayer for Peace.
With the WCC's challenge to the churches for
addressing violence holistically, it has also noted the World Health
Organization's Violence Prevention activities. The public and community
health approach appears to be an adequate entry point for national and
local churches to join and encourage efforts by civil society in
preventing violence, healing the wounds of violence, and building a
culture of peace.
For further information see www.overcomingviolence.org
2002 Annual Focus: Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel
The
EAPPI is an initiative of the World Council of Churches under the
Ecumenical Campaign to End the Illegal Occupation of Palestine: Support
a Just Peace in the Middle East. Its mission is to accompany
Palestinians and Israelis in their non-violent actions and concerted
advocacy efforts to end the occupation. Participants of the programme
are monitoring and reporting violations of human rights and
international humanitarian law, supporting acts of non-violent
resistance alongside local Christian and Muslim Palestinians and
Israeli peace activists, offering protection through non-violent
presence, engaging in public policy advocacy and, in general, standing
in solidarity with the churches and all those struggling against the
occupation.
Objectives
While the programme's mission is
to accompany Palestinians and Israelis in non-violent actions and
concerted advocacy efforts to end the occupation, its detailed
objectives are to:
Expose the violence of the occupation
End the brutality, humiliation and violence against civilians
Construct a stronger global advocacy network
Ensure the respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
Influence
public opinion in home country and affect foreign policy on Middle East
in order to end the occupation and create a viable Palestinian State
Express solidarity with Palestinian and Israeli peace activists and empower local Palestinian communities/churches
Be
an active witness that an alternative, non-violent struggle for justice
and peace is possible to end the illegal occupation of Palestine
Background
Further
to the call by the local churches of Jerusalem, as expressed to the
Ecumenical Delegation to Israel and the OPT in June 2001, and at the
International Ecumenical Consultation in Geneva in August 2001, the WCC
Executive Committee meeting of September 2001 recommended to "develop
an accompaniment programme that would include an international
ecumenical presence based on the experience of the Christian
Peacemakers Team".
After extensive consultation with the
churches and ecumenical partners and following the initial phase of
assessment and feasibility (October 2001 - January 2002), the WCC
International Relations team convened a meeting of the Accompaniment
Working Group on February 1-2, 2002, in Geneva in order to develop the
framework of the accompaniment programme for the approval of the WCC
Executive Committee in February 2002.
Principles
Based
on its agreed framework, the EAPPI is based on principles of
International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law, including resolutions
of the UN Security Council, General Assembly and Commission on Human
Rights. It is a programme developed as a response to Israel’s violation
of internationally accepted norms and principles of human rights and
the rule of law, in particular the IV Geneva Convention Relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949; the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights whose Article 1
requires that parties to the Covenant protect the rights of all
individuals subject to its jurisdiction, that is individuals under its
effective control.
Update
A new group of 12 Ecumenical
Accompaniers arrived in early February and joined four others staying
on in Israel and Palestine from previous groups within the framework of
the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).
The new arrivals bring the total number of ecumenical accompaniers now
on the ground to 16.
The seven women and five men in the new
group range in age from 23 to 75. Five Danes head the list, including
three participants who are medical students, followed by three
accompaniers from the United States, two from Germany, one from Norway,
and one from Switzerland. The Americans are all ordained ministers: one
from the United Church of Christ, another from the Presbyterian Church,
and the third from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
Ecumenical
Accompaniers, who serve a minimum of three months, work in various
capacities with local churches, Palestinian and Israeli NGOs, as well
as Palestinian communities to try to reduce the brutality of the
Occupation and improve the daily lives of both peoples. Accompaniers
will continue to be placed in Bethlehem, Hebron, Jayyous, Jerusalem,
Ramallah, Tulkarem, and Yanoun.
One Accompanier with journalism
skills will be working with the Alternative Information Center (AIC), a
joint Palestinian-Israeli initiative. The three medical students will
be working with the Ramallah-based Union of Palestinian Medical Relief
Committees (UPMRC). Part of their work will include accompanying mobile
health clinics which bring medical attention to people who can’t get to
hospitals or health care facilities due to the restrictions on freedom
of movement.
Since the programme was launched in August 2002,
180 ecumenical accompaniers have participated from more than 30
churches and ecumenical partners in 12 countries: Canada, Denmark,
France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden,
Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Annual Focus, 2003: Churches working together for peace (Sudan)
The
churches in Sudan are active players in the search for peace, although
they represent only a small minority of the population. The Sudan
Council of Churches (SCC) and the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC)
work together with ecumenical partners in the Sudan Ecumenical Forum
(SEF). The Forum was set up in the early 1990's under the auspices of
the World Council of Churches (WCC) to provide opportunities for
dialogue between Sudanese church representatives and their external
friends and partners. The SEF held annual meetings in the Geneva area,
met in London in March 2002, and in Johannesburg in February 2003. For
the latest SEF statement, see www.bradford.anglican.org/worldlinks/sudan/030303forum2.html
A
Sudan Focal Point, set up in the mid-nineties and working on behalf of
ecumenical partners in Europe, USA and Canada (and, since 1999, also
from Africa) is another ecumenical instrument for promoting peace and
international solidarity through information, analysis and advocacy.
These
ecumenical networks have worked for decades with church, civic and
government leaders, to bring the parties together to agree on a peace
process.
The WCC has been involved with churches in Sudan for
many years. It has long supported the churches in their courageous and
energetic work for peace on the ground. Together with the All Africa
Conference of Churches (AACC) and the National Council of Churches in
Kenya (NCCK), it has encouraged the unity of the churches and their
witness for human rights and peace. The AACC and the WCC played key
mediation roles in the negotiations leading up to the Addis Ababa Peace
Accord in 1972. More recently, the Sudan Ecumenical Forum appointed an
ecumenical envoy to participate in the peace talks. WCC director Rev.
Samuel Kobia, who has served as the general secretary's special
representative for Africa, participated in several meetings around the
peace talks, and met with representatives of Kenya, Britain and Norway
- the three lead countries in the peace talks.
Action of
Churches Together (ACT), the joint ecumenical emergency relief agency,
has been responding to the needs of Sudan's population for many years.
The agency recently issued an appeal for a de-mining project in
non-government-controlled areas of Sudan. For information see www.act-intl.org
Other
actors in long-term peace efforts, especially since war broke out again
in 1983, include Operation Lifeline Sudan, the Nairobi Peace
Initiative, the Carter Center in Washington, DC, the St Egidio
Community in Rome, and Peoples of Peace, Nairobi.
Annual focus 2004: USA - The Power and Promise of Peace (Report expected April 2005)
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
Over 200 organizational partners are listed on our website at http://www.overcomingviolence.org
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
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Postal address of organization
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Decade to Overcome Violence
World Council of Churches
P.O. Box 2100
1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
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E-mail address of organization
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dov@wcc.coe.og
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Website address of organization
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http://www.overcomingviolence.org
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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