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Ecumenical
Consultation on Social Advocacy
Consultation jointly organised by the Asia and Pacific Alliance
of YMCAs, Christian Conference of Asia and the Federation of Asian
Bishops' Conferences, held on 4th - 8th October 2001, at the Redemptorist
Centre, Pattaya, Thailand.
Towards a Culture of Peace in the 21st
Century
Introduction
At the beginning of the new Millennium, we as Christians in Asia-Pacific,
are perturbed by the numerous situations of violence and conflicts
that are threatening many nations and even the whole of humanity.
We are being confronted by a multitude of forces, both global and
local that attack the core of the human person and the human community.
We are being challenged to be faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ
and address these issues in and through the Ministry of Social Advocacy.
We as Christians are called to be promoters of peace in the context
of violence and conflicts through education for peace and social
advocacy.
It was the urgency of this task before us that moved us as Christian
organisations to come together to foster new Ecumenical endeavors
in order to address the our current global crisis based on the culture
of death and violence. Thus Asia and Pacific Alliance of YMCA's,
the Christian Conference of Asia and the Federation of Asian Bishops'
Conferences organised this Joint Consultation on Social Advocacy,
from 4-8 October 2001, at the Redemptorist Centre, Pattaya, Thailand.
We, twenty-nine participants, in Asia and Pacific, through a process
of dialogue deepened our common understanding of the realities of
our peoples and the societies that we live in. Without Faith there
can be no new and creative actions, and it is for this reason that
we reflected on the meaning of our faith so that we would be able
to translate these into actions. Our commitment to social advocacy,
we believe is based on our determination and willingness to journeying
together as Christians, committed to working for the Kingdom (Reign)
of God. We hope through this process to foster greater collaborative
efforts in the building up of new network of committed Christians
to meet the challenges of the new Millennium. This is indeed our
common and concerted response to the call of the Lord in the context
of Asia-Pacific.
1. The Context of the Challenges Today
1.1 Our analysis of Asian-Pacific realities point to the numerous
negative effects of the impact of globalisation and the subsequent
economic and political, social and religious and ethnic upheaval.
With the emergence of various forms of Neo-Liberalism, accelerated
by the process of Globalisation, the role of the Nation State is
being undermined and diverted from its basic responsibility of promoting
the common good and protecting the basic human rights of individuals.
We believe that the State is not the servant of the Market Driven
Economy but has the sacred duty of being the Protector of the People.
1.2 In the area of economic life, the phenomenon of mega-mergers
has led to the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few and
has given rise to gross inequalities so evident in our Region. These
trends take away the very life support systems from the majority
of our peoples so that they are no longer able to live with dignity
as human persons. Science and technology, knowledge and information
and communication technology, seem to give priority to the growth
and expansion of capital and investments for profits, rather than
satisfy the basic human needs of persons and communities including
food, health services, sanitation and education. The subtle promotion
and pursuit of a culture of individualism, materialism, consumerism,
and excessive competition move people and communities away from
the fundamental values of the respect for human dignity and stewardship
of the ecology and a way of life that stresses the transcendental
and spiritual.
1.3 It is this lack of political will, to engender policies for
the common good, that breeds inequality and creates an increasing
gap between the rich and the poor in our nations. It is also clear
that this emphasis on the material and economic aspects of development
is creating communities that are slowly being marginalised and sidelined,
becoming breeding ground for division and fragmentation of our communities.
Various forms of religious fundamentalism often related to the negation
of ethnic and fundamental human liberties and rights by both the
global forces and national governments are emerging. Violence of
the People is justified as a response to both Global and National
Violence. Often such volatile situations bring misery and sufferings
to millions of people in the Region. Furthermore, there is a growing
sense of insecurity when ethnic and religious communities become
targets for each other's anger and revenge.
1.4 A new social scenario is emerging before our very eyes. We see
the gradual erosion of the agricultural base of our economies, the
displacement of millions of people internally and externally, the
situation of millions of migrant workers who have to leave their
homes and families to work as contract labour with little security
and under deplorable conditions. There is the gradual and blatant
increase in the trafficking of women, girls and boys and the feminisation
of poverty accompanied by violence on women. The rapid deterioration
of ecology and environment is largely due to the pace of unethical
and unsustainable development resulting in the indiscriminate destruction
of natural resources and the environment.
1.5 The prevalence of Greed in an organised manner within the systems
that promote various forms of neo-liberalism based trade and capital
liberalisation has created inequalities and institutionalised injustices
in the economic, political, ethnic and religious spheres. This leads
to feelings of oppression or hopelessness, hatred, prejudice, and
desire for vengeance, resulting in violence. The lack of good governance
and social structures that deal effectively with political, economic
and social inequalities in our society has resulted in a culture
of intolerance where people lack respect and understanding of each
other and there is domination of one race, caste over the other.
Historical grievances have also caused individual violence, violence
of the people, and violence of the State. Declining religious values
and increasing religious fundamentalism have also brought about
clashes and conflicts.
2. Our Faith Reflections in the context of Asia-Pacific
2.1 We believe that the Gospel calls us to speak and act for social
justice. To advocate on behalf of the poor, oppressed and marginalised
is an integral part of the practice of our faith. As Christians,
we are committed to non-violent means such as the use of spiritual
force or moral pressure. The subject matter and means of our advocacy
should be informed by and give expression to our faith. We see the
need to a return to an authentic spirituality that revitalises our
relationships as members of the community of Jesus, so that we will
be the salt, leaven and light for the transformation of the world.
We realise that our journeying together has to be with people of
all faiths and believers so that peace can become a reality for
us and for the future generations.
3. Our Understanding of Social Advocacy
3.1 Social Advocacy is seen as an on-going process of influencing
decision-makers with a commitment in the pursuit of TRUTH and thus
bring changes to social policy or to enforce laws or to repeal them
if they violate norms of UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS. It is also a process
of offering alternatives by enacting new laws and influencing behaviour
and changes in lifestyle.
3.2 The Process of Social Advocacy thus begins with identifying
the needs and rights of the disadvantaged in society, involving
a comprehensive, in-depth social analysis and reflection, including
faith analysis. It calls for justice and solidarity with the suffering,
and works towards the creation of equitable power structures.
3.3 The Levels of Social Advocacy include the Global, Regional,
National and Local.
3.4 The Dimensions of Social Advocacy should include awareness education
and communication about issues and strategies for appropriate actions,
such as, creating networks and alliances, techniques for monitoring
and lobbying of decisions-makers, to organise public campaigns,
and consumer actions. The creation of alternatives is indeed the
greatest challenge for promoters of social advocacy.
4. Our Responses as Christians to Social Advocacy
As members of the Ecumenical Partnership in the Asia and Pacific
we can by engaging in Social Advocacy, make peace a reality and
nurture signs of hope among our people through
a. Education in linking Faith and Life, giving priority to all
the People of God to foster greater Christian involvement in the
transformation of the world.
b. Proper training in the values, change of attitudes and acquire
skills required for Social Advocacy.
c. Recognising the importance of this formation for promoting
Social Advocacy within each of our Churches/Ecumenical Organisations,
and the total Christian Community.
d. Building a new network of collaboration and co-operation in
the area of Social Advocacy.
e. Inculcating a new spirituality based on the Gospel of Jesus
that will bring persons and communities to be involved in social
advocacy.
5. What can we do as Ecumenical Partners?
We can work towards promoting a common understanding of Social Advocacy
in the context of Asia and Pacific today as Ecumenical Partners
by
a. Sharing the Church's teaching on ethical and social issues
today and in dialogue keeping in mind the inter-religious perspectives
:
b. Sharing and exchanging of practical experiences in the area
of advocacy, including human rights, migrants, rights of women
and children, ecology and environment, etc.
c. Being involved in the formulation of programmes and processes
for formation and education of pastors, the laity particularly
youth and women, and families.
d. Working together on the processes and programmes to integrate
Advocacy into the pastoral plans of the local church and the Bishops'
Conferences, and local units of the organisation.
e. Deepening the knowledge and practical skills in the area of
communications, publications, use of Internet and web sites, education
campaigns, international and local campaigns , etc. to spread
the message of social advocacy.
f. Identifying new like-minded partners for collaboration in the
area of advocacy in order to promote greater justice and peace.
g. Intensifying the efforts of individual organisation in Social
Advocacy as planned during the Consultation.
6. Urgent Tasks Ahead for Peace and Non-Violence
Being deeply concerned about prevalent situation in the world today,
the participants identified some key causes of violence and conflicts
in the world today. We see the urgency to create a culture of peace
with justice. In the context of the conflicts among civilisations
and the clash of civilisations we are being challenged to promote
a Dialogue of Civilisations through the building up of a Civilisation
of Love and Peace. As Ecumenical Partners committed to building
communities characterised by justice, love and peace, we can :
a. Focus on dialogue and education to create understanding of
the other views be it in economic, political, racial, religious
issues, directed at root causes
b. Work in partnership among the Ecumenical Partners, including
people of other faiths, to educate our constituencies and others
for transformation. This can be in the form of the exchanges of
our publications and documents
c. In order to be promoters of peaceful and non-violent methods
in conflict resolution, we can look into the possibilities of
developing some modules for Peace Education for use among the
members of the Churches and Ecumenical Organisations.
d. Play a more prominent role of mediators or reconcilers in conflicts,
ensuring healing and reconciliation. This can be through the Ecumenical
networks that we can promote in each of our countries.
e. We can work more closely with other Interreligious groups and
NGOs that are also promoting human dignity and human rights. In
this way the Ecumenical Network can make Social Advocacy for Peace
as an affirmation of life.
f. Look for more creative ways in which we can incorporate spirituality
as an integral dimension of our responsibility of promoting social
advocacy.
Conclusion
We hope to continue the journey that we began through this Consultation
by ensuring that we will more consciously share our resources by
keeping each other informed of our programmes and activities and
strengthen this informal network that we have developed at the level
of the Asia and Pacific Region. The Organising Committee of this
Consultation thus sees as its responsibility the need to meet from
time to time, to search for ways and means to further follow-up
on the deliberations of the Consultation.
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