World Alliance of Reformed Churches Joins Calls to End Global Poverty

In the largest ever UN World Summit in New York which commenced yesterday, General Secretary Setri Nyomi of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) joined in with other international religious leaders to condemn systematic poverty and call for the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals.
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The gathering, which has been described by UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” will see to discussions of two focal issues – tackling terrorism and eradicating poverty.

“I am glad this consultation has taken place so that church leaders from different traditions can speak with one voice at the urgency of global poverty,” said Nyomi. “I am glad we are not only speaking to ourselves. But also to the United Nations and national leaders.

“It is indeed an outrage that so many people seem condemned to poverty. Churches have reaffirmed our commitment to strengthen our resolve to be critical partners with governments, ensuring the voices of the poor are heard and that global poverty is addressed from its roots – including the challenging of systems of injustice that continue to impoverish.

“As we congratulate the United Nations in this 60th year, we hope all – governments, religious communities, and civil society as a whole – engage fully in comprehensively addressing global poverty.”

All governments were called upon by the Consultation of Religious Leaders on Global Poverty to: create a just society, build partnerships, promote accountability and transparency, cancel debts, increase development assistance, promote trade justice and end conflicts that exacerbate poverty.
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“We recognise that poverty cannot be uncoupled from structures of injustice in the world. We call upon governments to protect human life, defend human rights, foster just economies and create conditions in which all people can fulfill their human potential,” stated the religious leaders.

In a statement, the religious leaders affirmed the development work of churches around the world, but also called on those churches to continue to be active in helping to build a just world economy.

“As Christian leaders we challenge our own churches to pursue partnerships with governments, international organisations, civil society and across confessional lines. Without new strategic partnerships, the world will fail to fulfill the aspirations of the Millennium Declaration,” said the statement.

In the build-up to the World Summit, Christian leaders have stated their commitment to engage in partnerships with governments to fight world poverty.

Over 30 Christian leaders from various denominations and traditions gathered in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 11-13 for the "Consultation of International Religious Leaders" conference to sign a communiqué that was delivered to the United Nations on Tuesday, affirming that churches were prepared to take on the challenge.

“We believe that our communities of faith, representing millions of people and sponsoring numerous human-development initiatives, can provide new models for advancing a global movement against poverty,” the leaders affirmed in the communiqué titled 'A Call to Partnership'.

On 10 September, WARC president Clifton Kirkpatrick addressed the World Association of Taiwanese Christian Churches meeting in Houston, Texas, calling on churches to act on poverty.

“In a world where 24,000 people die each day from hunger and poverty, where countless millions are afflicted with AIDS, where terrorism and state sanctioned violence are rampant and where we are driving our environment to the potential for extinction, we have our task cut out for us.

“We are indeed called to be God’s agents of blessing, God’s agents for the fullness of life that this world so desperately needs,” Kirkpatrick said. He said that Reformed churches around the world must be on the forefront of the movement to bring an end to global poverty.