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L
to R: Prof. Abdelfattah Amor, Mrs C. Rossi, Dr. Gianfranco
Rossi |
UN Expert Presents Albert Schweitzer Award to Adventist Religious Freedom Campaigner
Budapest, Hungary... [ANN] Longtime religious freedom campaigner Dr. Gianfranco Rossi received major recognition for his "outstanding achievements" as he was presented with the Albert Schweitzer award by United Nation's special rapporteur Prof. Abdelfattah Amor. The ceremony, held during the world congress of the International Association for Religious Freedom (IARF) in Budapest, marked another highlight in what Prof Amor called "Dr. Rossi's long and distinguished service dedicated to the cause of religious liberty." Rossi, a Seventh-day Adventist leader for many years, stressed in his acceptance speech three "leading principles which have guided me in my activities for religious freedom." He spoke bluntly about the principle of equality, saying that "no individuals or groups can claim the right to establish or to maintain a political regime which does not respect the rights and freedoms of all human beings." Rossi also argued for the principle of difference, saying that today's pluralistic society "has to respect not only the similarities but also the differences between human beings. Differences between human beings must not simply be tolerated; they must be admitted, encouraged, cultivated with a full awareness of the inestimable riches which they bring." Rossi concluded with an appeal to all religions "to purify themselves of every form of intolerance and extremism," noting that "it is impossible to build a pluralistic society without respect and cooperation." The Albert Schweitzer award is a special tribute given by the IARF, a non-governmental organization working with groups from different beliefs and communities suffering from religious persecution or discrimination. The IARF promotes freedom from oppressive interference or discrimination by the state, government or society's institutions. [Jonathan Gallagher]
Adventist Leaders
Endorse UN Efforts to Rebuild Afghan's Education System
New York, NY... On July 9 the United Nations appealed to donor
countries for $27 million to rebuild Afghanistan's education
system, $10 million of which will be donated by Japan. Over
200,000 education experts and academics were lost, while its
17 universities and institutes were left devastated by conflict
over the past two decades. Up to 4 million children are seeking
to resume learning, many of whom were refugees with their
families and are now returning to Afghanistan.
The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
said their efforts would focus on rehabilitating Kabul University,
training educational professionals, and developing non-formal
and distance learning programs. Afghanistan's illiteracy rate
is among the highest in the world.
Dr. Humberto Rasi, director of education for the Adventist
Church, agrees that rebuilding the education system in Afghanistan
is a good opportunity for our church to be involved. The Adventist
Church operates over 6,000 schools (elementary, secondary,
colleges and universities) worldwide, a reflection that the
Adventist Church places a high value on education. Rasi would
like to propose to church leaders to look into partnering
with the UN in this venture.
"As a faith community dedicated to values of education,
the Adventist Church is committed to doing all it can to help
rebuild the war-ravaged education system," said Dr. Jonathan
Gallagher, UN liaison director for the Adventist Church.
Loma Linda University and Medical Center, an Adventist owned
and operated institution, is involved in the reconstruction
of the medical education program in Afghanistan.
The agency and the Afghan authorities have outlined a series of projects. Children with special needs, such as orphans and the disabled, will also be targeted. Over 35,000 children have been victims of landmines in Afghanistan, the most mine-contaminated country in the world. [Viola Hughes]
UN Report on Arab
Countries Says Lack of Freedom Causes Underdevelopment
July 9, 2002
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA… A United Nations report released July 2 on human development in Arab countries says the lack of fundamental freedoms causes underdevelopment.
The report on the Arab League's 22 member nations and unveiled at the League's Cairo headquarters indicates that Arab countries are the least free in individual liberties, civil participation and press freedom. It also points out that more than half of Arab women are illiterate and female participation in government is the lowest in the world.
The report, prepared by some 50 Arab scholars under the direction of the UN Development Program clearly demonstrates the correlation between the restriction of fundamental human freedoms and continued underdevelopment. Compared to the rest of the world, out of seven regions of the world, Arab countries had the lowest freedom score in the late 1990s. The attitudes of Arab public authorities range from opposition to manipulation to "freedom under surveillance," according to the report. It also says the media is at best partly free. Labor productivity has been low and is declining, and Arab countries have not developed as quickly as other comparable regions. As a result, the state of human development in the Arab world is a major concern. "This independent report by Arab scholars is a clear indictment of actions that limit freedom," comments Jonathan Gallagher, UN liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "As a organization committed to freedom, particularly religious liberty as a fundamental human right, the Adventist Church urges all nations to fulfill their obligations to their own peoples in these areas of basic human freedoms. Only then will societies flourish and develop so that individuals and communities can achieve their full potential." [Viola Hughes]Belarus: Adventist Protest Belarus Religion Law
Minsk, Belarus... In an on-again off-again situation, the Belarus parliament has finally put off proving a controversial law on religion that would severely restrict worship and religious practices of minority faiths.
Despite having announced on June 26 that the draft law would not be reconsidered until the Fall, the lower house of parliament the next day voted to approve the bill and sent it on immediately to the upper house. However, the upper house has said it will not have time to examine the text of the new law before the summer recess. The proposed law is one of the most repressive of the former Soviet territories, and bans home meetings, demands official approval of all religious literature, while charitable activities, education and publishing can only be conducted by faiths that had ten registered communities in 1982. Additionally, no foreign nationals can lead religious groups in Belarus. Press reports indicate general support from Orthodox and Catholic leaders; however Protestants and other minorities have criticized the proposed provisions in the draft law. At a press conference on June 28, Seventh-day Adventist leader Moses Ostrovsky and three other protestant church leaders outlined their objections. A subsequent letter sent by the four churches to the nation's president is reported to have said that "The impression is being created that someone wants to adopt this law - which would lead to conflicts and disputes - without serious and balanced discussion and without taking into account the reality of the religious situation in our country." "Such actions give great cause for concern," comments Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations liaison director for the Adventist Church. "What seems to be happening is a direct targeting of minority faiths, and if this new law does come into force then many religious activities will become illegal. This is in direct contravention of the United Nations declaration of human rights and is an offence to the fundamental principles of religious freedom." Gallagher also adds that the Adventist Church intends bringing this situation to the attention of the UN Commission on Human Rights. [Viola Hughes]