Ecumenical Leaders to Lobby Government Support for Humanitarian Issues

The Church World Service (CWS) has announced the Third Annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days Symposium to be held in Washington starting from Friday 11th to Monday 14th March.

Ecumenical leaders, scholars, human rights workers, policy analysts and church ministers will take the opportunity to lobby on Capitol Hill for greater US support of inter-related issues such as global security, environmental justice, economic justice, sustainable development, and debt relief for developing nations.

This year the title of the Third Annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days Symposium is called "Make All Things New". The meeting is co-sponsored by global humanitarian agency Church World Service and 32 other faith-based and secular advocacy organisations.

While human rights, climate justice, sustainable development and just trade, debt relief and peace are very desperate in Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America, worldwide ecumenical leaders will address how different bodies can cooperate together to respond to these issues.

Rajyashri Waghray, Director of Education and Advocacy of CWS said, "This symposium is becoming a key annual opportunity for grassroots organisations in the world's most challenged regions to come together to share humanitarian advances and learn how to leverage their collective voices."

The devastating Asian tsunami is expected to be the spotlight of discussions. In addition, for the Asia-Pacific region, General Secretary of the Pacific Council of Churches in Fiji, Valamotu Palu, will address water issues and climate justice. The Coordinator for Children's Concerns of the Church of North India, Sanjana Das will address the growing plight of Asian street children and the related negative impact of global economic policies in Asia.

On 14th March, ecumenical leaders are going to hold a Lobby Day at the Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill whilst meeting with legislators to make their voices heard in the secular world.

S. Wesley Ariarajah, a Methodist minister from Sri Lanka and Professor of Ecumenical Theology, Drew University School of Theology, Madison, New Jersey, will keynote the symposium, addressing "The Imperative of Peace in Times of Violence, Terror and Destruction."

Other featured speakers for the symposium include Dr. Maryann Cusimano Love, Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.; Bishop Bashti McKenzie, African Methodist Episcopal Church; Rick Ufford-Chase, Moderator, Presbyterian Church (USA) and Baldemar Velasquez, Founder/President, Farm Labor Organising Committee.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days 2005 is co-sponsored by: Africa Faith and Justice Network; Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Church of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office; Church World Service; Churches' Centre for Theology and Public Policy; Churches for Middle East Peace; Episcopal Church USA; Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Jubilee USA Network; Latin America Working Group; Lutheran World Relief; Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns; Mennonite Central Committee/Washington Office; Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate Justice and Peace/Integrity of Creation Office; National Council of Churches and etc.