| A Newsletter of the Ecumenical Network of churches in solidarity with people compelled by sever political, economic and social conditions to leave their land and culture. |
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Uprooted People Issue 8 july 1999
Contents
International News
Refugee Women and Domestic Violence
Contact WCC International Relations Staff
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Global Ecumenical Network on Uprooted People
"There are many Kosovos in Africa," Bishop Tilewa Johnson remarked,
"but where is the outpouring of international support?" During the three-day meeting of the
Global Ecumenical Network on Uprooted People, representatives from ecumenical
organizations working with refugees, migrants and internally displaced people identified trends
in their regions and mapped out a common advocacy strategy for the coming year. In spite of
the diversity of regional issues, certain common themes emerged. Participants were struck by
the devastating impact of globalization on migration. Economic policies pursued by governments are forcing
many to leave their countries in search of work and survival even as governments are erecting
new barriers to keep people out.
From Australia to Kenya to Argentina, governments are
making it more difficult for asylum-seekers and migrants to enter their territories. Increasingly,
asylum-seekers are detained and treated like criminals simply for seeking protection from
violence in their home countries. Undocumented migrants are vulnerable to exploitation and
abuse. Moreover, a frightening growth of xenophobia and racism is evident in all regions as
migrants and refugees encounter hostility and prejudice.
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During the meeting, participants considered their advocacy strategies vis a vis the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and on migration issues and analyzed the long-term consequences of the Kosovo crisis. They devoted considerable time to reviewing the present system of resource-sharing for work with uprooted people and came up with some concrete recommendations on strengthening the system. Throughout the meeting, "spotlights" on different programmes of the International Relations team were presented, including human rights, reconciliation and impunity, peace and conflict-resolution, and advocacy at the United Nations. In addition, participants engaged in a discussion on racism and xenophobia with Marilia Schüller from WCC's team on Justice, Peace and Creation. The final day of the meeting was devoted to mapping out a plan of action on a limited number of priority areas for their advocacy work in the coming year.The network meeting agreed on four priorities for advocacy during the coming year, understanding that issues of particular concern to specific regions will also be addressed. These are
- racism and xenophobia, with particular emphasis on the experiences of uprooted people
- Preventive action to confront the forces of militarism and globalization which are major causes of forced displacement
- Asylum and detention of asylum-seekers
- Undocumented migration, with particular concern for migrant women and children
The full report of the GEN meeting will be available shortly from WCC.
UNHCR's Standing Committee meeting in June devoted most of its attention to protection concerns and to the situation in Kosovo. Erika Feller, Director of Department of International Protection, set the stage for the discussion of protection in her introductory remarks, by saying that "over the recent period, the international refugee protection system and its guarantor --UNHCR --have faced unprecedented challenges. These have been evident not only in widely covered crises such as that in the Great Lakes or in Kosovo, but also in other regions where respect for basic principles of refugee protection is a decreasing priority for a number of governments. At the same time, key States which have traditionally been among the strongest encouraging voices for protection have not always been so clear or consistent in their support to UNHCR's protection mandate." She went on to say that "underlying this asylum fatigue' is a strong preoccupation on the part of States today about the growing costs of granting asylum...What we have witnessed over recent years is that States are more and more jealously safeguarding their prerogative to offer asylum on their terms."Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)Three documents of particular concern to NGOs were presented to the Standing Committee: the Note on International Protection, Family Protection Issues, and Detention of Asylum-Seekers and Refugees. In addition to government reactions to the three texts, the NGOs made strong substantive statements on all three of these documents (available on the ICVA website www.icva.ch.) The process now is that UNHCR will incorporate the comments made at the Standing Committee to write draft conclusions which will be considered at the October meeting of UNHCR's Executive Committee.
Many governments spoke about Kosovo, noting the shortcomings in UNHCR's initial response to the crisis, their own government's contributions to the humanitarian operations, and the return process which was just beginning at the time of the Standing Committee. Some governmental representatives of Southern countries expressed their deep concerns about the inordinate attention being paid to Kosovo in light of the many other urgent situations in the world.
On the financial front, UNHCR has received only 62% of the $413 million requested for funding its general programmes, according to UNHCR statements at the Standing Committee meeting. As a result UNHCR is projecting a shortfall of $60 million. UNHCR is also facing a budget crunch for its special operations which are budgeted at $482 million, excluding Kosovo. But only 40% of the requirements for the Horn of Africa, 20% for Burma and 21% for Sri Lanka have been raised. Normally by this time of the year, UNHCR would expect to have met 80% of its special programme needs.
The Steering Committee for the Plan of Action on displacement in the Commonwealth of Independent States (Former Soviet Union) met in Geneva in late June to review progress made thus far and to decide on follow-up. The Plan of Action is due to expire in June 2000. NGOs were active participants in the Steering Committee meeting, with 98 NGOs attending the meeting; a two-day NGO session prior to the Committee included a briefing on protection for the first time. The CIS Conference has set up six NGO working groups, which are somewhat of a model in international NGO cooperation. These cover reintegration, legislation on NGOs, conflict prevention, humanitarian assistance, asylum legislation, and formerly deported peoples. Each working group is coordinated by a prominent international NGO and receives $60,000 per year from an NGO voluntary fund, administered by UNHCR.UN Human Rights Commission agrees to name a Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of MigrantsThe future of the CIS Plan of Action remains uncertain. While the CIS governments support an extension of the 1996 Action Plan, Western governments, which have provided most of the funding for projects, have expressed doubts about continuing with the same complex and expensive structure. If the current structure is indeed scaled-down, it is not clear whether NGOs will be able to maintain the momentum built up over the last four years. (From ICVA, Talk Back; an extensive report on the conference is available from ICVA's web site
The UN Human Rights commission adopted by consensus the resolution initiated by Mexico --with 49 cosponsors--calling for the naming of a UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants. This was indeed a positive step, especially as the support was so broad that no government dissented with the consensus, although representatives of the European Union and the United States expressed some doubts about the proposal. The special rapporteur is appointed for a three-year period and is charged with examining "ways and means to overcome the obstacles existing to the full and effective protection of the human rights of this group." The rapporteur is asked to collect information on the violations of migrants' human rights, to recommend actions at the national, regional and international levels to eliminate human rights violations of migrants, and to give special attention to discrimination and violence against migrant women. The Commission also adopted a resolution calling for support of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families.The Bangkok Declaration on Irregular Migration
Representatives of 19 governments in Asia and the Pacific met in Bangkok from 21-23 April for an International Symposium on Migration and adopted a declaration on irregular migration. The Declaration calls for the orderly management of migration and addressing the issues of irregular migration and trafficking through a concerted effort of countries concerned. "Regular migration and irregular migration" the declaration notes "should not be considered in isolation from each other." As the causes of irregular migration are related to development, the declaration calls for greater assistance from the international community to reduce poverty and enhance social development. "Countries of origin, as well as countries of transit and destination, are encouraged to reinforce their efforts to prevent and combat irregular migration by improving their domestic laws and measures, and by promoting educational and information activities for those purposes." The declaration also calls on participating countries to pass legislation to criminalize smuggling of and trafficking in human beings, especially women and children." The participating governments agreed that irregular migrants should be granted humanitarian treatment and "any unfair treatment towards them should be avoided." Finally the declaration notes that "timely return of those without right to enter and remain is an important strategy to reduce the attractiveness of trafficking. This can be achieved only through goodwill and full cooperation of countries concerned. Return should be performed in a humane and safe way."International Migration Policy and Law Course
From 20-30 April, a course on migration policy and law was held in Pretoria under the sponsorship of UNITAR, UNFPA and IOM. This International Migration Policy and Law Course was attended by senior immigration and foreign affairs officials from 13 countries in Southern Africa. The course included an introduction to "Migration Dynamics, Principles and Trends" with a particular focus on international law and institutions. This was followed by a segment on "Managing Migration in Southern Africa," with attention given to issues such as facilitating legal immigration, managing irregular migration, refugee asylum and protection, trafficking, human rights, and national migration policies and structures. Former WCC staff member, Patrick Taran, participated in planning and carrying out the course.International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA)
WCC was among the founding members of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) which was launched at the Hague, Netherlands on 11 May on the occasion of the Hague Appeal for Peace Conference. IANSA brings together more than 200 NGOs to prevent the proliferation and mis-use of small arms. Building on the model of the campaign against landmines, IANSA will work to "reduce the demand for small arms by civilians and governments; stem the supply of small arms; stop the illegal gun trade; reduce the quantity of guns in circulation; and reverse cultures of violence." Salpy Eskidjian, WCC International Relations staff member, has been an active participant in this microdisarmament initiative --by working on the international level to raise awareness about the dangers of small arms and to establish standards while t the same time supporting local and national initiatives to reduce the proliferation of small arms. One of the most exciting of these national initiatives is taking place in Brazil where a law has recently been passed to ban the trade of small arms in the country. NGOs, such as VIVA RIO, have played a central role in this process.International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)
The General Meeting of the ICBL, meeting in Maputo in May, condemned the use of anti-personnel mines by the Yugoslav government in Kosovo and raised its concern over the bombing, in particular the use of weapons that may have similar effects to mines. The ICBL called on NATO states to adopt a policy of no use of anti-personnel mines in its operations nd expressed its strongest concern that the United States has indicated that it reserved the right to use anti-personnel mines in the conflict. All NATO nations except the US and Turkey have signed the ban treaty. However the ICBL raised concerns over US mines stored in NATO countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Spain, and the United Kingdom) and the possibility of US transit of mines through those or other signatory countries. The ICBL believes such transit constitutes a violation of the treaty. (For more information, see http://www.icbl.org)
Church agencies and religious bodies from Canada, Mexico and the United States met in El Paso, Texas from February 10-12 to consider regional issues of concern relating to refugees and migrants. The North American Church Consultation brings together church representatives from the Roman Catholic church and from WCC-related churches to share information on refugee and migration issues and to identify regional trends. This meeting focused particularly on the Mexico-US border in the context of recent developments.Southern AfricaFollowing site visits and meetings with service providers and advocates based in El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, and discussions among the church partners, participants highlighted five major concerns facing the countries of North America:
- the impact of hurricane Mitch in Central America
- deaths of migrants along the U.S./Mexico border
- forced separation of families across borders
- criminalization of legal residents in the U.S.
- deportation of long-term U.S. residents
The North American Church Consultation adopted a statement addressing these concerns (available from WCC.)
The annual meeting of the Regional Committee of the Southern African Ministry to Uprooted People was held in Mbabane, Swaziland from 13-16 April. This year's meeting was an expanded one in which representatives of 13 national programmes were present (including Mauritius and Botswana for the first time) as well as representatives of IMBISA (Southern African Catholic Bishops organization) and EDICESA/FOCCESA (Fellowship of Councils of Churches of Eastern and Southern Africa) In addition to country reports by participants, sessions were also organized on the "Church of the Stranger," networking, and economic migration.The discussion of the "Church of the Stranger" was particularly challenging. Considerable time was spent in developing a detailed regional action plan for the coming year. Participants divided into three groups for field visits to a Catholic centre for street children, an MCC-organized seminar with refugees reflecting on peace and justice and to Malindza refugee camp.East AfricaIssues brought up in the meeting were many. The country reports included a range of serious national issues --the renewed war in Angola, the delicate political situation in Lesotho, concerns about elections in Malawi and Namibia, the conflict between Namibia and Botswana, the 500,000 refugees in western Tanzania, increasing political problems in Zimbabwe, and growing unrest in Swaziland. All of the participants expressed concern about the effects of HIV/AIDS in their countries. The group adopted a comprehensive regional plan and issued a statement on child soldiers (available from WCC.)
The meeting of the Refugee and Emergency Committee of the East Africa region was held from 8-11 March in Kampala, Uganda. One of the reasons for having the meeting in Uganda was to involve the local churches in the discussion. Hence the churches and the Christian Council of Uganda participated fully in the deliberations. This helped to create greater awareness of the causes and consequences of displacement and of the churches' responsibility to uprooted people. The meeting focused on reviewing progress in AACC`s regionalization policy and included country reports from Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Egypt. Discussion was also held on the meaning of the "church of stranger" and on discussing country project plans. The meeting agreed on mechanisms to strengthen regional cooperation and on the need to develop professional project plans in order to regain the confidence of the agencies.West Africa
The West Africa group met from 24-28 November 1998 on the theme "Risking to be with Uprooted People." Representatives of churches and councils from Benin, Burundi, C“te d`Ivoire, Liberia, Gambia, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Toga and Zimbabwe participated. The discussion focused on the concept and causes of uprootedness, the uprooted in the Bible, how do uprooted people cope with their situation and who they turn to for support, and the meaning of the "church of the stranger." After the discussions, participants came out with a number of recommendations addressed mainly to the churches. The meeting also recommended the creation of another sub-regional working group for Central Africa to include Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon and Rwanda.Continental Committee
AACC`s Continental Committee met in Mutare , Zimbabwe from 25-28 May. This committee brings together the moderators of the three sub-regional African Working groups on uprooted people as well as representatives from AACC and WCC. The meeting received reports from the three sub-regions where the immediate needs were articulated. The immediate needs vary from sub-region to sub-region. For East and West Africa the immediate needs are related to facilitating communication. Hence computers, e-mail and fax facilities are needed. They also reviewed the progress of the regionalization policy, challenges facing the AACC Refugee and Emergency services, the working relationship between AACC and WCC, the concept and importance of the church of the stranger etc. In addition the group discussed the preparation for the forth coming meeting with the partner agencies on the situation of uprooted people. For those interested, the minutes of the meetings are available with WCC.The European Churches Working Group on Asylum and Refugees
The annual meeting of the European Churches Working Group on Asylum and Refugees took place in Geneva from 25-27 February. In addition to ECWGAR participants, representatives of the Churches Commission on Migrants in Europe (CCME) and the European Churches Working Group on Racism and Xenophobia (ECWGRX) also participated in the meeting. The focus of the meeting --as well as in subsequent follow-up meetings --was to develop a process by which the European churches' work on three issues --refugees, migrants and racism/xenophobia --could be streamlined into a single body. Participants in the February meeting agreed with the principle of consolidating this work under the auspices of CCME, which is based in Brussels --a principle confirmed by CEC's Presidium. Subsequent discussions have focused on changing CCME's Articles of Association and with clarifying the future relationship between CEC, CCME, and WCC. CCME's Executive Committee met in early July to consider these changes --which will now come to CCME's Assembly for ratification in October.Mercosur and Migration
The Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) organized a meeting in mid-July on "Migration and Forced Displacement: a challenge for the churches and for Mercosur." Meeting in Montevideo, 30 representatives of churches and international organizations (UNHCR, IOM) came together to analyze the challenges for the churches of migration and forced displacement of thousands of people in the region. Mercosur is a regional integration agreement between Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay which seeks to promote economic integration in the region. The consultation reflected on the patterns of migration and forced displacement in the region and adopted a "Declaration of Montevideo" which includes a far-reaching set of recommendations. The Declaration calls on the churches to promote the human rights of migrants and their families, to raise awareness about their situation, to support organizations working with migrants and to recover their primary vocation of reaching out to the weak in our society. Churches were urged to carry out their work in conjunction with diverse organizations of civil society and to maintain a permanent dialogue with international organizations such as IOM and UNHCR. Governments in the region were urged to facilitate processes which will regularize the migration situation of many forced to leave their countries and to sign and ratify the International Convention on the rights of migrants and their families.The day after the consultation, a delegation from the Consultation met with Dr. Ramon Diaz Pereira Director of the Secretariat of Mercosur to present the Declaration of Montevideo to him and to urge him to do what he can to work for to make the initiatives of integration genuine processes of human community based on the promotion of justice between our countries.
Geneviève Jacques, WCC International Relations staff member, recently returned from travel in Haiti where she is involved in planning the forthcoming visit of WCC General Secretary later in the year as well as deepening the Council's understanding of the situation in Haiti.Hong KongThe economic situation and living conditions of the overwhelming majority of the population are deteriorating as violence and insecurity increase. According to UNDP, the GNP per capita has fallen from US $933 in 1993 to $917 in 1998 --which means that many Haitians try to survive on less than US$1 per day. The increase in violence seems to be the result of the growing drug business as Haiti's role in laundering of money and trafficking between Colombia and the US increases. Another aggravation stems from the fact that the United States is deporting Haitian criminals back to Haiti --who are introducing forms of criminality previously unknown in the island.
The country's political crisis continues. Since June 1997 --when the last prime minister resigned from office --until now, the country has been without a prime minister and without a proper government. As a result of the division of the popular movement Lavalas, which brought Aristide into power, the functioning of the state has been completely paralyzed by the rivalry between the executive branch (dominated by Aristide partisans) and the legislative branch (in the hands of an antagonistic faction.) After a long process of negotiations, an agreement was signed which provides for the installation of a new government and the establishment of a Provisionary Electoral Council with a view toward organizing elections in November. But the situation is far from stabilized and it is not yet sure if the elections will actually take place in November as planned.
In a religious context traditionally dominated by the Catholic church, Protestant churches have tended to be suspicious of ecumenism. At the present time Protestantism in Haiti is reaching a turning point in its history. For the first time the Protestants are seen as an important actor in society. In numerical terms, they are growing fast (representing more than 40% of the population.) At a time when the nation is going through a deep moral crisis, they are perceived as holding Democratic values" such as participation, a sense of responsibility and involvement in social and educational activities. Their role is particularly important in the field of education. In Haiti 91% of the schools are run by the private sector, the majority by Protestant churches. As Genevieve says, the Protestant world" appears as a new collective force in society at a time when the Catholic Church is deeply divided s a consequence of former President Aristide's political role. Konrad Raiser's visit later this year will be the first visit by a WCC General Secretary to Haiti.
Earlier this year, the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) in Hong Kong delivered a landmark ruling on the right of abode controversy. It was hailed by human rights organizations in Hong Kong for a) restoring the right of abode to every mainland child who has a parent with Hong Kong resident status, regardless of whether the child was born in wedlock and/or before his/her parent obtained residency status; and b) dispelling any doubts as to the independence of the judiciary. The decision sparked a storm of controversy as the government announced that if this ruling were implemented, 1.675 million new immigrants would swamp Hong Kong in the next decade and that such an influx would drain all Hong Kong's reserves and part of the exchange fund for a total amount of HK$701 billion within the next decade. Although academics challenged these studies and despite strong objection from the legal community, the Hong Kong government decided to orchestrate a plan to reassert the power of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress to "re-interpret" the Basic Law. Human rights activists have been appalled at both the implications for Hong Kong's judiciary structures and at the political backlash against new immigrants in Hong Kong. (From Hong Kong Christian Institute Newsletter.)Italy
The Council of the Federation of Protestant Churches in Italy (FCEI) approved a wide range of projects to aid Kosovar refugees seeking asylum in Albania and in Italy. FCEI's Refugee and Migrant Service will concentrate on two projects in Albania: cooperation with the Baptist Foundation of Tirana which is assisting about 600 Kosovar families hosted by Albanian families, and support for a project to provide food for newly-born babies in cooperation with the Adventist Agency ADRA. As well as continuing in its work aiding refugees in Italy through the advice centres in Bari and Rome, it also aims to enlist the help of Italian Protestant churches to find premises where refugees can be housed. ARebuilding Bridges" is another project seeking to break the isolation of Serbia with an invitation to make links with Christians in Serbia, sending them letters, messages of friendship and dialogue and telephoning or e-mailing them about the solidarity of Italian churches.
Today, nearly 1 in 3 adult women experience at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood1 and 28% of all annual violence against women is perpetrated by people who are close to them.2 These statistics are extremely alarming, but what is even more disturbing is that it is believed that the occurrence of domestic violence increases in stressful situations, economic hardship, conflict and upheaval. This information suggests that domestic violence is an enormous problem for refugee women who have found themselves in a strange land without any support networks.Because the UN and NGOs are often responsible for providing food for refugees, there are great shifts in gender roles and normal dynamics between the sexes. For example, in a Burundian refugee camp in Tanzania, husbands have reported that "UNHCR takes the place of the husband/breadwinner," thus the men find themselves not only in a strange environment, but also unable to fulfill their typical responsibilities. They often feel that their authority has been challenged and are left listless and angry.3 Loss of control and having one's authority challenged are two major explanations increasing domestic violence. Given the fact that such a situation is common for refugees, it is assumed that domestic violence is a serious problem for refugee women.
However, it has been difficult to find information pertaining to this issue. While there are many statistics and papers which describe violence against refugee women, there is very little information related to domestic abuse. In fact, in the UN guidelines for Refugee Women, there is no mention of domestic abuse. Instead the guidelines describe what a UNHCR program should attempt to do: "take into account the particular social relationship between the refugee women and their families." While the UNHCR's Guidelines on the Protection of Refugee Women acknowledge the existence of domestic violence, the guidelines contain no information on how to protect women from domestic violence: "Spouse and child abuse and abandonment are problems encountered by women in refugee situations. Heightened levels of domestic violence are frequent where refugees have lived for extended periods of time in the artificial environment of a refugee camp. There is evidence that psychological strains for husbands unable to assume normal cultural, social and economic roles can result in aggressive behavior towards wives and children. The enforced idleness, boredom, frustration and despair that permeates many refugee camps are natural breeding grounds for such violence."
In addition, there is anecdotal evidence which supports the UNHCR's findings that there is widespread domestic violence in refugee camps. Nonetheless, there does not seem to be any current research, statistics or protocol on domestic violence and refugees. The absence of information on such an important problem must be rectified and means of addressing domestic violence need to be identified.
Emily Tabak, Intern, WCC (June-August 1999)
Prohibited Persons: Abuse of Undocumented Migrants, Asylum Seekers and South Africa is a recent publication of Human Rights Watch which documents the growing xenophobia in South Africa and its impact on migration policies, including: the lack of refugee legislation, abuse of asylum-seekers, growing deportations, and the lack of appeal procedures for those facing deportation. (The report is available from Human Rights Watch, 485 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6104 USA or at http://www.hrw.org.)Women & Peacebuilding by Dyan E. Mazurana and Susan R. McKay, uses gender analysis to document and analyze a diverse array of current peacebuilding projects form women's grassroots, NGOs, the United Nations and several other international organizations. (Available from International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, 63, rue de Br‚soles, Montr‚al, Qu‚bec, Canada H2Y 1V7 or at http: www.ichrdd.ca)
Pax Christi has published Humane Migrant Labour: Make It Work! which includes the organization's concerns and recommendations with regard to the rights and the human dignity of migrant workers and migrant domestic workers, including irregular' migrant workers. (Available in English from Pax Christi International, 21, Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains, B-1000 Brussels -Belgium, or by e-mail from office@pci.ngonet.be. A French version is in preparation.)
World Disasters Report 1999 is the annual publication of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies which tracks the international humanitarian community's response to disasters in the past year, including Hurricane Mitch, institutional collapse and winter hunger in Russia, and many others. (Available from Edigroup, CP 393, 1225 Chene-Bourg, Switzerland or abonne@edigroup.int.ch.)
26 August -3 September: WCC Central Committee Meeting, Geneva12-17 September: Christian Conference of Asia, Consultation on Internally Displaced People, Colombo, Sri Lanka
24-25 September: INTO Meeting, Santa Severa, Italy
27-30 September: UNHCR Standing Committee, Geneva (to consider Asia and Oceania, Refugee Women, Social and Economic Impact of Refugee Flows on Host Countries)
29 September -1 October: UNHCR-NGO Pre-Executive Committee Consultation, Geneva
2-3 October: International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA) General Assembly, Geneva
2-5 October: Churches Commission on Migrants in Europe (CCME), General Assembly, Finland
3-6 October: Agencies meeting on AACC/WCC Refugee Programme, Stuttgart
4-8 October: UNHCR Executive Committee Meeting, Geneva
5-8 October (tentative): Middle East Council of Churches/WCC working group on uprooted people
15-17 October: "Amman process" meeting, Santa Severa, Italy
15-17 October: European Council on Refugees and Exiles, Tampere, Finland
27 November -1 December: Conference of European Churches, Consultation on "Trafficking in Women," Driebergen, Netherlands
E-mail addresses:
Dwain Epps, coordinator: dce@wcc-coe.org
Salpy Eskidjian: sej@wcc-coe.org
Elizabeth Ferris:egf@wcc-coe.org
Mariette Grange: mgm@wcc-coe.org
Geneviève Jacques: gej@wcc-coe.org
Clement John: cj@wcc-coe.org
Melaku Kifle: mk@wcc-coe.org
Gail Lerner: wccia@"undp.orgUprooted People provides coverage of information and action relating to refugees, migrants and internally displaced people. It is published every three months by the International Relations team of the World Council of Churches. Email us or write to us by post:
150 route de Ferney,Editor: Elizabeth Ferris
PO Box 2100
1211 Geneva 2, Switzerland
Tel: (+41 22) 791 6111
Fax: (+41 22) 791 6122
e-mail: egf@wcc-coe.orgArticles may be freely reproduced providing that acknowledgement is made to Uprooted People, the publication of the International Relations team, World Council of Churches.
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The World Council of Churches (WCC) serves as the global forum for over 330 national Protestant and Orthodox member churches in over 100 countries. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member, though it works cooperatively with WCC. |
© 1999 world council of churches | remarks to webeditor@wcc-coe.org