WCC Ninth Assembly, Porto Alegre

From No People To God's People

2006-02-22T21:25:00.000+06:00

The call was clear, piercing through all the din and noise of the day, " Dalits are God's People too". In a rally taken out by the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of India, to highlight the plight of the Dalits in India, people from different countries also joined together to show their solidarity for the poor and the oppressed. The Rt. Rev. Jeyapaul David, Bishop of Tirunelvelli and the President of NCCI joined the rally along with Prof. Z.C. Devadanam, the Treasurer of NCCI. Rev. Chandran Paul Martin (UELCI) beat the drum to herald the changing times. The other Indians present in the rally included Rev. Dr. George Mathew Nalunakkal, Elizabeth Joy, Dr. Deenabandhu Manchala from WCC, the Indian stewards and youth delegates.

The solidarity from the Pacific too.

The women joined not only to demand equal rights for dalit women but to lend their voice to the whole process. The Palestinian people also joined in the rally to show their solidarity and to protest against the violations of human rights that the dalits have to undergo every day of their existence.

2006-02-22T20:52:00.000+06:00

"WCC fostering brahiminic traditions "

In a Mutirao organized on the situation of Dalits in India by the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of India (UELCI) on February 15, Bishop Devasahayam, Bishop of Madras, Church of South India lashed out against tolerant attitude of the Church, especially the World Council of Churches. He remarked that the Church concentrates on talking about only grace and not about the socio-ethical issues. (From left to Right Rev.Chandran Paul Martin, Exectuive Secretary, UELCI, Bishop Devasahayam, Bishop of Madras, Church of South India, Elizabeth Joy,Executive Secretary for Mission, Council of World Mission)

Speaking on the same occasion, Elizabeth Joy of the Council of World

Mission, UK, spoke about the agony of the Dalits especially the women. ‘In the context of the WCC’s focus on ‘Water for all’’, she said the struggle of the dalits is the not the lack of resources rather the lack of access to them.

There are stories galore of the numerous dalit brethren who are denied their rights by virtue of belonging to a certain caste. In cities, houses are given on rent on the basis of the caste one belongs to. In the rural areas of India, one’s very survival is at stake. There have been numerous instance of dalit youths being killed because they supposedly fell in love with a higher caste person or they touched the carcass of a dead cow. Dalit children in school have been severely and cruelly punished for drinking water from the common tap.

The UELCI is working towards supporting and empowering the Dalit community specially the Christians of the Dalit origin

Amelia Andrews, amelia@nccindia.in

Do we need a Tsunami to bring South Asia together?

2006-02-17T01:24:00.000+06:00

Do we need a Tsunami to bring South Asia together?

The devastation and agony of the Tsunami are still not forgotten. Out of this shared pain emerged the identity of a human being devoid of all outward trappings of caste, creed, religion, ethnicity et.al where communities reached out to each other without distinction. In this context, the Mutirao organized by the South Asian Council of Churches, explored the beginnings of a transcending identity for South Asia. Moderated by Bishop D.K. Sahu, General Secretary, National Council of Churches in India, the Mutirao was a platform to explore the similarities between South Asia in spite of the glaring and obvious differences.

Also speaking on the occasion were the Dr. Jayasiri Peiris, Dr. K. B. Rokaya, Rev. Victor Azariah, General Secretaries respectively of the National Council of Churches in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan. They shared the unique experiences of their countries. Dr. K. B. Rokaya challenged the Christians of the world specially the USA to speak out against the political unrest within Nepal. Rev. Azariah shared how the controversy over the cartoons of Prophet Muhammad had triggered a whiplash against the Christian community in Pakistan. In the city of Peshawar of Pakistan, Churches are being burnt and Christian schools are being attacked. The question of Nuclear weapons proliferation and the small arms race in South Asia was also raised.

In this Mutirao, Bishop Sahu presented a short paper. Ms. Amelia Andrews made a power point presentation on South Asia focussing on its composition, challenges to the region and the common denominators. Also present for the Mutirao was the Rt. Rev. Samuel Azariah, Bishop of Pakistan with a delegate.

Amelia Andrews, Associate Communication Secretary, amelia@nccindia.in

Brazil in Snapshots!

2006-02-17T01:05:00.000+06:00

The campus of the Pontifical Catholic University,(PUCRS) Porto Alegre, Brazil where the Ninth WCC Assembly is being held.

A street play in progress. The play told the story of a man called Miseria, who deals with temptations, devils and other vagaries of life. The language and music were typical of the Rio Grande de Sul, de state in which Porto Alegre is located.

A panoramic view of the road behind PUCRS

Amelia Andrews, Associate Coomunication Secretary, amelia @nccindia.in

The Voices at the Assembly are Young!

2006-02-17T00:40:00.000+06:00

The Voices at the Assembly are young

The first World Council of Churches (WCC) Assembly of the new Millenium is being described as the youngest Assembly ever. This is the ninth Assembly of the WCC.The youth pre Assembly put a face on that declaration. About 250 youth participants (defined as those aged 30 and under) gathered to connect, learn, share, and see how they might indeed have an impact over the next two weeks.

Events of the pre Assembly included community-building, sharing in small "home groups", regional meetings, daily prayers and Bible study, and preparation for the Assembly, as well as late-evening outings sponsored by local Brazilian youth groups. General Secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia addressed the group in a packed auditorium one evening, sharing reflections on youth involvement in the WCC. He called them to transform the Assembly by being active and relevant participants. Rev. Dr. Kobia urged them to work towards having youth elected as one or more regional presidents and as a significant part of the WCC central committee.(Tabitha from CSI seen with other Asian participants in the photo).

San Leum Lee from the Korean Methodist Church is attending the Assembly as a steward. He felt that the pre assembly had helped to orient him and also to gain fresh insights into diverse

issues such as migrants and their rights.

Vinata Kellelu, a youth delegate from the Church of North India found the pre assembly to be an interactive and stimulating exercise, as this has brought her in contact with the entire world. The other Indian youth delegates include Tabitha Gnana Priya Prabhakar Rao form the Church of South India. Representing the Marthoma Church are Neena Mathew from South Africa, Elizabeth Jacob, UAE. Other Indians in the Youth contingent include Daphne Martin from the United Evangelical Lutheran Church, Fredinand Patrose from the orthocox Church and Hema John from the Ecumencial Christian Centre, Bangalore.

More articles and photos athttp://www.wcc-assembly.info/

Amelia Andrews, Associate Communciation Secretary, amelia @nccindia.in

Brazil, a brief introduction

2006-01-30T13:29:00.000+06:00

The Federative Republic of Brazil (in Portuguese, República Federativa do Brasil;is the largest and most populous country in Latin America, and fifth largest in the world. Spanning a vast area between central South America and the Atlantic Ocean, it is the easternmost country of the Americas and it borders Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and the French department of French Guiana — every South American nation except for Ecuador and Chile. Named after brazilwood, a tree highly valued by early colonists, Brazil is home to both extensive agricultural lands and rain forests. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is South America's leading economic power and a regional leader. As a former colony of Portugal, Portuguese is its official language.

Other important details:

Official language Portuguese
Capital Brasilia
Largest city São Paulo
Government
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
Vice President: José Alencar Gomes da Silva
Area Total: 8,547,403 km² •
Independence Declared: September 7, 1822 •
From Portugal Recognized:August 29, 1825
Currency Real (R$ BRL)
National anthem Hino Nacional Brasileiro
Calling code 55

Onward to Porto Alegre

2006-01-30T13:11:00.000+06:00

Come February and the whole world will be congregating in Porto Alegre, Brazil from 14 - 23 February 2006, on the occassion of the 9th Assembly of the World Council of Churches , addressing the theme "God, in your grace, transform the world". The assembly will be a time of encounter, prayer, celebration and deliberation for thousands of Christian women and men from around the world.

The 9th Assembly programme will be rich and diverse, and will contain several inter-related elements, involving fellowship, celebration, discussion and prayer. The WCC leadership hopes for an assembly which will mark a new phase and which will inspire and energize the WCC and the ecumenical movement. For the official delegates, business sessions will focus on the WCC's organization and programmes, and make decisions on future priorities. Thematic or deliberative sessions will allow participants to discuss and engage on key issues facing the ecumenical movement. An open partnership programme called Mutirão will offer space to churches and other participants to share experiences and propose exhibits and presentations. The entire Assembly will be undergirded by a rich prayer and worship life.

Please log on to http://www.wcc-assembly.info/en/about-the-assembly/programme.html for more details.

Amelia Andrews, Associate Executive Secretary, Communication

The destination, Porto Alegre

2006-01-30T09:36:00.000+06:00

Porto Alegre, one of the largest cities in southern Brazil, is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul State. Population: 1,416,000 (2004). Metropolitan area: 3,500,000, the 4th largest of Brazil and about the 10th in South America. The city is located at the conjunction of five rivers, among them Guaíba Lake (popularly known as a river). Although its origins date from the mid-1700s, when immigrants from the Azores settled in the area, the city was officially established in 1809. The city's geographical coordinates are 30°01′59″S, 51°13′48″W.

Before this, Porto Alegre was the port of Viamão on the shore of Guaíba Lake. Its ancient name was Porto dos Casais (Couples' Port), a reference to the families that ran away from conflicts near the Uruguay border. Many families came from Rio Grande, a military fortress at that time, and today the most important port of Rio Grande do Sul state. There are more than 70 neighborhoods and 2/3 of the population is concentrated in the Zona Norte (Northern Zone), where most of the economic activity is located. The climate is subtropical, with hot summers and mild winters and wet all year. The average temperature in January is 24,5°C and in July 14,3°C, with record temperatures being 40,7° in 1943 and -4,0° in 1918. Snowfall is very rare, having been observed in the late 19th century, 1910, 1984 and 2000. Thunderstorms are very common.

Porto Alegre is the most important industrial center for southern Brazil, and a key city for Mercosul. It also is a center for gaúcho (the popular name for natives of the State) history and culture, famous for its churrasco (grilled meat) and chimarrão (a strong tea prepared from erva mate). Several important Brazilian universities, such as UFRGS and PUCRS are located there