Action by Churches Together Intl’ Reaffirms Provision of Aid to All Religions

Action by Churches Together (ACT) International, a global alliance of Protestant and Orthodox churches and their related agencies from the membership of the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation working to save lives and support communities in emergencies, has reaffirmed its commitment to provide aid to those in need and accept them regardless of their religion.

Members of ACT International observe the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief. A key principle of the Code of Conduct that guides the work of ACT members is to provide humanitarian assistance without religious discrimination.

According to ACT, in response to the aftermath of December’s tsunami, in many parts of India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia where ACT members work, followers of the world’s major religions often live side-by-side. ACT members, motivated by the teachings and values of Christianity, have been offering humanitarian assistance to people irrespective of their faith background - Christians, Muslims, Hindus and non-religious people alike.

Three employees of the Lutheran World Service India (LWSI) - Prakasham, Thulasi and Tulu Rehman - all from three different religions, have demonstrated a very good real-life example. LWSI, which carries out relief and long-term development in parts of eastern, southern and western India, is working in this Hindu area.

Prakasham is a Christian, Thulasi is a Hindu, and Tulu Rehman is a Muslim, all living in Anichankuppan, one of the many villages along India’s east coast that was ravaged by the tsunami.

"This is India - even if we are different, we live peacefully side by side," says Tulu Rehman. When reminded of the high-profile conflicts that involve religion taking place in India, she responds, "But that is politics. Here in Anichankuppan we are doing humanitarian work, and in this connection politics and religion do not mean anything."

Prakasham, Thulasi and Tulu Rehman strictly apply the Code of Conduct of humanitarian assistance as part of their work, accepting people of all religions. They said that it is in fact part of their life at home as well.

Currently, LWSI is the only NGO that remained following the immediate relief operation in the region. 318 out of the 364 families in the village were directly affected by the disaster, and 55 houses were totally destroyed while the rest were seriously damaged, according to ACT. LWSI will station for at least two more years to lead the rehabilitation and reconstruction phase.