The panel at the round table discussion on women

Adventists Join UN Call to End Gender-based Violence

By Viola Hughes

New York, New York, USA... "Violence against women has profoundly devastating consequences for countries, societies and women," states the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.

As part of its 47th session, the Commission held a round table discussion on the theme "Women: Moving from Public/Private Violence to Full Human Rights," to highlight the ongoing problems facing women, particularly in the area of gender-based violence, reported Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison director for the Adventist Church, who attended the meeting December 19, 2002.

Dr. France Donnay M.D., chief of the reproductive health branch of the UN Population Fund gave a disturbing account of the major effects of gender-based violence.

"Gender-based violence has long-lasting consequences on reproductive health, including early and unwanted pregnancies, abortions, sexually-transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, poor diet, chronic illness, miscarriages, low birth weight, suicide and homicide."

Noting that in some countries visiting a reproductive health clinic is often the only time a woman will see a doctor in her lifetime, Donnay said that was one of the few settings to investigate and deal with gender-based violence. She urged that it be "recognized as a public health problem," and that authorities move from "awareness to implementation" of solutions since resolving such violence has "a great potential impact on families and societies."

"Adventists have a clear mandate to support initiatives to end gender-based violence," commented Ardis Stenbakken, director of women's ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "Our beliefs are grounded on Biblical principles, and such violence is in complete contradiction to such fundamental values as taught by Jesus Christ. We are committed to working for a society where violence against all people-men and women-is eradicated."

Coalition Brings Religious Freedom and Human Rights Issues to the Forefront

SILVER SPRING, MD, USA. [December12] The Washington Coalition for International Religious Freedom met for the third time today to discuss religious freedom and human rights issues at the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. Organized by the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), the Coalition first met shortly after September 11, 2001.

"We believe it is important to provide a wider forum for dialogue and mutual respect between peoples of faith and also greater understanding by government representatives," said John Graz, secretary-general for the IRLA.

"Religious freedom is not even on the back page of the news now with Iraq and terrorism being the main focus," said Ambassador Robert Seiple, chairperson for the Coalition. "This Coalition needs to come up with concrete suggestions on what non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and faith communities can do to keep religious freedom concerns in the forefront. Persecution, discrimination and violations of human rights continue in many countries such as, Vietnam, China, North Korea, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, and many others."

"Religious freedom is a human right, and the challenge is to keep religious freedom in the front burner of America's international foreign policy," said Joseph Crapa, new executive director for the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), and an observer at the Coalition meeting. "We will, however, continue looking at ways to encourage countries of particular concern to work towards a climate of religious freedom."

The Coalition agreed on various methodologies that have proven successful such as: good indigenous legal advice; selective use of the Department of State; mobilize local people ; facilitate not supervise; persevere; selective use of international press; eschew monolithic categories; understand geo-political context; and finding ways to influence public policy.

Participants commented on the danger of religious freedom becoming subverted by arguments appealing to national and international security; and the use of terrorism as an excuse to suppress religious dissent; and the increase of intolerance. Members of the Coalition agreed to continue the fight the for religious freedom, and to bring cases of religious freedom and human rights violations to the attention of the public and the media. [Viola Hughes]

Religious Freedom Conference Aims to Teach Children Tolerance

Silver Spring, MD, USA. [PARL news] Teaching children about tolerance and respect was the focus of recent discussions with government officials in Chile. Representatives from the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) met with Senate President Andrés Saldivar and Minister Heraldo Munoz, at the invitation of Guido Quinteros, president of the Adventist church in Chile.

"It's so important to teach children to have respect and tolerance towards other religions. It's also important for children to be knowledgeable about various religions rather than grow up with biases and misconceptions towards others," said Graz who attended the meetings December 5-8. Education opens the minds of people, and public schools have the responsibility to cultivate respect and tolerance towards differences. It's better to teach respect and tolerance to young children rather than wait till they are adults."

Graz and organizers in Chile are preparing for an International Congress that will take place in August 2003. The Congress will address education in public schools.

Senate President Andrés Saldivar assured the IRLA of his government's support toward the Congress and to the mission of the IRLA. Saldivar affirmed the importance of associations such as the IRLA that works with different religions in promoting respect and tolerance. While government officials recognized that discrimination toward minorities still exist in their communities, they agreed to continue their work in educating the mindset of its citizens. Protestant minorities have been discriminated against in the past in many aspects of public life. In 1999, Chile passed a new law, which improved religious freedom for religious minorities.

The Adventist Church in Chile numbers close to 100,000 in this population of over 15 million. [Viola Hughes]

Adventist Leaders Support Efforts to Educate Girls in 25 Countries

SILVER SPRING, MD, USA. Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders reacted today to a new United Nations campaign to get girls into schools in 25 priority countries. "Every girl should be in school," says Ardis Stenbakken, director for the Department of Women's Ministries for the Adventist Church. "It's well documented that when a girl is educated, she will in turn educate her entire family. This not only benefits the quality of life for the community, but improves the country's economy in the long term. Women's Ministries conduct literacy programs in a number of these countries, such as Sudan and Bangladesh"

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced its plan to eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by the year 2005. The new initiative targets countries with low enrolment rates for girls, such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Nepal, the Sudan, Yemen, Papua New Guinea, India, etc.

Reports indicate that 1 million girls are out of school, and that there are prevailing crises that affect schooling opportunities for girls, such as HIV/AIDS and conflict. "The Adventist Church has always placed a high value on education," says Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison director for the Adventist Church. "We see education as a top priority in opening doors to freedom and opportunity, and as a major contribution we can make to the wider community."

Stenbakken reports that Women's Ministries awards scholarships to college women every year because of these inequities in educational opportunities.

UNICEF will work closely with each government on resources, building broader national consensus about the need to get girls in school, and improving school environments to make them more welcoming to girls. The Adventist Church operates over 6,000 schools worldwide, with over a million students. The church actively works to provide high-quality education for all without discrimination based on gender or race. [Viola Hughes]

Russian Religious Freedom Group Celebrates Ten Years

Moscow, Russian Federation. More than 100 religious leaders, scholars, and government officials gathered in Moscow to celebrate ten years of the Russian chapter of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA). Organized by Victory Kurshenitsky, secretary-general for the Russian chapter, the conference theme, "Freedom of Conscience - an Important Condition of Civil Peace and Interconfessional Consent," was held November 26-27, 2002, at the Institute of Europe.

"It was impressive to see leaders of most religions in Russia present such as, the Orthodox, Baptists, Catholics, Jews, Protestants, and Muslims -- all in favor of religious freedom," said Dr. John Graz, director for the Department of Public Affairs and Religious Liberty for the Adventist Church and secretary-general for the IRLA. "The IRLA Euro-Asia chapter has done an outstanding work in ten years as one of the major initiative for peace and understanding between religions in Euro-Asia."

Government representatives talked about the new amendment to its religion law, and there were also discussions on education in the Russian public school system. Several members of the IRLA board also serve on the Russian Presidential Commission on religions, and they will continue to work with government officials to promote religious freedom for all its citizens.

While many government leaders in the Russian Federation have a better understanding of religious freedom now than they did 10 years ago, religious minorities still experience discrimination in various towns and cities. Participants and panel speakers all agreed to the importance of promoting religious freedom in the various faith communities that they work with.

A non-sectarian association, the IRLA was organized by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1893. It works to promote and disseminate principles of religious liberty for all people worldwide. The Adventist Church membership numbers over 142,000 in this population of over 100 million people. [Viola Hughes]

Adventists Mark World AIDS Day

New York, NY [PARL news]. Seventh-day Adventists were among those in attendance at the World AIDS Day commemoration at the United Nations over the Thanksgiving holidays, November 26. "As a worldwide church, it's important that we support global efforts to combat the AIDS challenge, affirming all is being done to improve quality of life for families and children that have been negatively impacted by the AIDS virus," says Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison director for the Adventist Church.

Representing the Adventist Church's UN Liaison Office, Matthew Mills reported that speakers and guests appealed to faith communities to get more involved in assisting families and children and raising awareness of this disease in the communities that they work with.

This year alone there have been 5 million new HIV breakouts and 3 million AIDS-related deaths; 3 million children are living with HIV/AIDS while 13.4 million others under the age of 15 have been orphaned by the deadly virus.

The Church's humanitarian agency, The Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA), released a new HIV/AIDS awareness kit this year. "It takes courage to learn about HIV/AIDS and even more courage to do something about it. ADRA is strongly committed to doing something about this devastating disease because the impact is immense. Consider that last year alone AIDS claimed 8,000 people every single day. It's time to take action," said Charles Sandefur, president of ADRA.

The Adventist church's International HIV/AIDS Africa Office (IHAAO) is opening in January 2003 and will be headed up by Dr. Oscar Giordano. It will function as a joint effort of the three Adventist church administrations in Africa with support from ADRA, Loma Linda University (based in California), and the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (in Silver Spring, Maryland).

Adopting the slogan 'Live and Let Live,' participants included Ann Claxton and Reverend Michael Faulkner of World Vision, a faith-based Christian organization; Sandra Thurman, president of the International AIDS Trust; actress Whoopi Goldberg; Wojciech Tomczynski of the National Network of People Living with AIDS; and Desmond Johns, director of UNAIDS New York Office.

World AIDS Day was first commemorated in 1988 in memory of those who died from AIDS. [Viola Hughes]