Behind the news, Bulletin Issue No. 23, 27 March 2003

Since the start of war in Iraq, churches, ecumenical organizations and related agencies have again cried out for peace and spoken out against the recourse to war. Hundreds of statements from local parishes, church-related social service organizations and church leaders at the highest levels, have reflected their pain and fear, called for justice and faithfulness, and stood in solidarity with Iraqi women and children who are most often the unintended casualties of war.

A growing collection of statements from national and regional church and ecumenical organizations across the globe can be found at:
http://www2.wcc-coe.org/iraqstatements.nsf
If a church statement is missing, please send it to WCC Contact

Churches and people of faith are praying for peace, acting to build peace and, as these examples show, speaking out for peace:

H.H. Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia (Armenian Apostolic Church) and moderator of the WCC Central Committee reflects on the understanding of power since September 11, 2001 and calls for multilateralism to be the basis for a new world order. "Multilateralism carries with it shared human values that are grounded in religious values and moral principles. These values and principles should transcend the narrow interpretation of religious beliefs and should challenge narrow definitions of national and strategic interests." http://www.cathcil.org/v04/index.htm

In a statement against the "shameful, immoral and illegal act of war", the Executive Board of the Latin American Council of Churches criticizes "those who invoke in vain the name of God trying to legitimize at any price acts which because of its perversion are against the God's will", and call on Christians and people of goodwill not to give up in their prayers, denunciations and non-violents actions to resist for life".
http://www.clai.org.ec/Docs/VOZ_PUBLICA/CLAI-Dec.Irak.htm

Pope John Paul II has urged respect for international humanitarian law: “It should be clear by now that war used as an instrument of resolution of conflicts between states was rejected, even before the Charter of the United Nations, by the conscience of the majority of humanity, except in the case of defense against an aggressor.” http://www.zenit.org/

Many church leaders in the US have taken courageous stands against the war, such as Jim Winkler, General Secretary of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society who said: “Nothing I understand about Jesus Christ leads me to believe that support of war and violence are necessary or tolerable actions for Christian people. Someday, Christians will have to face up to the choice between their faith in God and the Prince of Peace, and their willingness to participate in war. Why not today?” http://www.umc-gbcs.org/news/index.php?newsId=209

Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, "The start of the U.S.-led war against Iraq has not changed our vocation as Christians to be peacemakers."
www.ncccusa.org

The long-term consequences of military action against Iraq will be extremely serious for the Iraqi people, as decades of war, international sanctions and the actions of its regime have crippled the country's infrastructure, leaving the people of this country extremely vulnerable. Extensive human suffering is an inevitable and predictable consequence of military action. The immediate human costs of military action are civilian casualties, the possible displacement of people and the breakdown of state functions. Humanitarian agencies responding to the crisis either inside the country or in neighboring states are faced with extraordinary challenges, as the military action by the warring parties continues.

Vulnerable Iraqis must be protected: The UK's leading aid agencies have called on their government to ensure that Iraqi civilians are protected from military action and from the humanitarian consequences of conflict. They are deeply concerned about the serious effects of war on an Iraqi population already suffering an acute humanitarian crisis and largely dependent on food aid. The directors of Christian Aid, CAFOD, Oxfam, Save the Children and Action Aid reminded warring parties, including the UK government, that they have a legal obligation to take all possible precautions to avoid civilian loss of life. The international community must now ensure the United Nations plays the lead role in the delivery of humanitarian assistance and in reconstruction after hostilities. The UN must also be given the proper resources and backing to enable it to operate effectively in this role.
For more, click on: http://www.christian-aid.org.uk/news/media/pressrel/030320p.htm

The Middle East Council of Churches' (MECC) engagement in emergency relief has been targeting the poor, the oppressed and the exploited, the deprived and the displaced in countries such as Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt. Currently MECC is involved in relief work in Iraq and the region. For a report on MECC preparedness and the Iraq crisis, click on: http://www.mecchurches.org/posandpress/news.asp?id=115

All Our Children is a campaign by North Americans to provide critical health care to vulnerable children in Iraq. The goal is to raise one million dollars for basic medicines. http://www.allourchildren.org/

Action by Churches Together - a global alliance of churches and related agencies involved in emergency relief - are responding to the crisis in Iraq and the region through its members. For more on the crisis and ACT members' response globally, click on the following link which will take you to the membership page: http://act-intl.org/act_links_to_members.html

ACT International has also called on those engaged in military action in Iraq to ensure that as a matter of urgency, humanitarian agencies involved in relief efforts in the country have immediate and unconditional access to those in need following armed intervention. They must also be given the space to work and the right of such agencies to take independent positions and actions must be upheld. http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2003/nr_iraq0203.html
For more stories, reports and photo essay, relating to the humanitarian crisis in Iraq and the ACT members' response, click on: http://act-intl.org/act_news_title.html

On eve of summit on relief for Iraq, UN agencies express rising alarm over Basra: As Secretary-General Kofi Annan prepared to chair a summit of United Nations relief agencies in New York on the humanitarian crisis in Iraq, UN spokesmen for the organizations in the region expressed growing alarm today for the southern city of Basra, where the 1.7 million residents have been without full water supplies for four days. "The situation in Basra is very alarming, very critical and all of us have raised concern about the situation there, especially about the water, which is of very poor quality," Veronique Tareau, spokesperson for the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq (OHCI) told a briefing in Amman, Jordan, on the UN's relief activities.
http://www.reliefweb.int/w/rwb.nsf/UNID/E59D10542F422C1685256CF4006CE074?OpenDocument

These are uncertain times for the people of Iraq. In a country where children make up almost half of the total population, UNICEF has a leading role to play in helping fulfil the fundamental rights of children and women. Every day, UNICEF staff in Iraq are working under extraordinarily difficult circumstances to meet the needs of Iraq’s children. http://www.unicef.org/noteworthy/iraq/

The development, relief, and campaigning organization, Oxfam dedicated to finding lasting solutions to poverty and suffering around the world, has warned that the UN must play a central role in delivering the humanitarian relief in any conflict in Iraq. Amidst concerns that the relief effort may be led by the military, Oxfam’s director Barbara Stocking stressed the importance of the UN: “We want to work under the auspices of the UN and not under the auspices of the military.” http://www.oxfam.org.uk/whatnew/iraq/iraq18mar03.html

Amnesty International has also lent its voice to concerns expressed by the International Committee of the Red Cross at the plight of civilians in Basra, in Southern Iraq. http://web.amnesty.org/web/web.nsf/pages/iraq_summary

Human Rights Watch has urged that the United Nations Commission on Human Rights convene a special sitting to monitor human rights during the conflict in Iraq http://www.hrw.org/press/2003/03/un032403.htm

For a comprehensive overview of humanitarian issues relating to Iraq, visit www.reliefweb.org

Alertnet - which is funded and run by Reuters Foundation - at www.alertnet.org, also offers a comprehensive overview of humanitarian agencies' response to the crisis, as well as news updates.

The Human Face of War is an alternative information web site of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), focusing on the humanitarian crisis caused by the war on Iraq. The site relies on first-person accounts of the situation from their senior correspondent, based in Amman, Jordan, and other highly reliable sources. Their reports emphasize the direct experiences of individuals and families, as well as the big picture
http://www.afsc.org/human-face/

Many church sites in the United States provide worship, reflection, and information resources. A few include:

Many churches in other countries also provide worship and study resources, such as the prayers (in German) provided by the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD): www.friedensgebete.de.

The voices and actions of churches on the Iraq war (in French) can be found at http://www.protestants.org/

Behind the News: Visions for Peace - Voices of Faith
focuses on alternative voices and perspectives behind stories in (or conspicuously absent from) the international news.
highlights statements, ideas and actions that aim to build peace and reconciliation in situations of conflict and violence.
shares information particularly from churches, ecumenical organizations, and other faiths, emphasizing different regional perspectives.

Behind the news: Visions for Peace – Voices of Faith is a joint initiative of:

World Council of Churches (WCC) - a fellowship of 342 churches, in more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC.

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance - a global action network of 87 churches and church-related organizations who have pledged themselves to change unjust policies and practices related to global trade and HIV/AIDS, and to take up as a special concern work on peace and conflict resolution by forging strategic partnerships.

Action by Churches Together (ACT) - an international alliance of churches and relief agencies assisting thousands of people recovering from emergencies in more than 50 countries worldwide.

This bulletin/website is intended to provide an ecumenical space for visions for peace and voices of faith; these materials do not necessarily reflect official policy of WCC, ACT, or EAA.

Please circulate the Bulletin to friends, colleagues and people who are looking for alternative perspectives on the current situation.
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Behind the news: Visions for peace – Voices of faith

Bulletin Issue No. 23 - Special Edition 27 March 2003

Bulletin Issue No. 23 - Special Edition
27 March 2003