Update from the Commission for Human Rights

Juan Perla, UN Liaison assistant for the Adventist Church, has been participating in the 60th Session of the Commission for Human Rights in Geneva. On March 24, Juan made his first intervention on point 6, All Forms of Discrimination. Interventions were submitted in English, French and Spanish. On March 31, Juan made his second intervention on point 9, Human Rights Violations. In both instances, Juan received questions about the Adventist Church's stance on consciencious objection to bearing arms, and the church's stance on gay marriages.

With Juan is Dr. Gianfranco Rossi (a long-time church worker who helps the church from time to time at the commission) who is actively lobbying on the issue of the death penalty for conversation.

Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN liaison director for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, has just arrived in Geneva to present other interventions, such as Religious Intolerance under point 11, Rights of the Child (point 13), and Minorities (point 14).

To get copies of these interventions, visit un.adventist.org. [Viola Hughes]

International Religious Liberty Experts Speak at the U.N.

March 25, 2004, New York, NY--In a meeting held at the United Nations Church Center, International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) Secretary General Dr. John Graz and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Specialist Viola Hughes discussed current religious liberty concerns in Europe and Asia.

Bureau member and Deputy Secretary General of the IRLA, Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, moderated the meeting, which was sponsored by the U.N. Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief.

Graz addressed the current situation in France and the recent banning by the French government of all religious symbols in public. The ban has caused controversy among many Muslim girls who wear headscarves to schools and, under the new legislature, could face expulsion.

Graz said that religion for the French is something expressed privately. “Religious freedom to them means freedom from religion,” he said. He also said that in some countries religious freedom is viewed as a threat to their societies. “Religious freedom is seen as a way the United States uses to interfere in other countries.”

Graz hopes the government will re-examine their position. He fears the new law will alienate Muslims and other religious groups. “The French government should know the international community doesn’t appreciate this legislation,” he said. “It’s not the best thing to do to try to build bridges between people.”

Hughes addressed current religious freedom and human rights issues in the Far East. She described legislation in China like the “Evil Cult” law of 1999 that left the definition of “evil” up to the prosecutors. She also talked about restrictions against minors that prohibit them from entering certain places of worship. She emphasized China’s fear of outside influences. “State rather than religion dictates symbols of wisdom, morality, and common good,” Hughes said.

Hughes also touched on the current religious climates in Tibet, North Korea, Burma, Laos and Indonesia. Stressing the importance of religious freedom in all countries, she said, “Religious freedom and freedom of speech are directly related to human rights. True religious freedom is described in Article 18 of the U.N.’s Declaration on Human Rights.”

Highlighting the importance of education, Hughes said, “If a child is not taught tolerance, they will grow up to be an adult who is intolerant.” Gallagher added that the IRLA is working to develop a curriculum for teaching tolerance in schools.

Graz emphasized the IRLA’s continued role in addressing religious liberty concerns. “We defend the principle of religious freedom,” he said, emphasizing the inclusion of all religions wherever they are attacked.

“Advancing free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom to receive information represents not only core American values, but international standards of human rights,” said Hughes.

The Committee on Religion of Freedom or Belief holds educational meetings on the third Thursday of every month at the United Nations Church Center. The meetings are designed to educate members on issues of religious freedom and to promote a culture of dialogue. [Rachel Bostic/Kelly Razzouk]

Adventist Ambassador Pleads for More Social Involvement

Washington, D.C... [PARL News] His Excellency Evan Jeremy Paki was formally accredited as Papua New Guinea’s ambassador to the United States on September 8, 2003. At 30, he is the youngest head of mission of the diplomatic service of his country; he is a trained lawyer, who had previously studied and worked in the United States and Australia, as well as Papua New Guinea; and he is a committed Seventh-day Adventist.

In an interview at his country’s embassy in Washington, D.C, Ambassador Paki spoke of his work, and of the need for the church to become more involved in the international community.

“As a church we have not taken much interest in such matters,” he says. “This is a mistake. We are a church that says, ‘politics is foreign to us,’ but when this view is taken to an extreme it’s very unhelpful. We have to interact with governments and international agencies. There are important needs in our world, and we have similar aims—the church can’t pay for it all. We have much to do in society for education and health, for example,
but we need to work together.”

Ambassador Paki comments that “We as a church frequently miss the overall picture. For a successfully-operating church we need more interaction and more interface with society, and more involvement of the laity. We ought to be seeing more than we do. This world is not a utopia-we are looking for a better world to come-but we are still in the world, and should be working for religious liberty, education, health, and humanitarian needs... Such concerns are shared by everyone, including those outside of our church setting; and Adventists need to be proactive with governments. We certainly should not shut out governments and ‘outsiders.’ Church leadership sometimes is not welcoming of those involved in government and international agencies, and as a result they are not properly communicating the church’s needs and contributions. We need a transparent process.”

Representing his country has meant he recognizes how important it is to be engaged with society, especially at the highest levels. “We need to develop an interface with government, church leaders, and professionals in the church,” he observes. “Adventists are very successful and are contributing enormously to society, but are not well-known! Catering for people’s immediate needs paves the way for the spiritual approach. We must meet such needs as education and health before bringing the Gospel truth to them, otherwise the Gospel message does not get to where it needs to. We can help modify policies, obtain funding, information sharing, and so on. We can seek advice from and consult with Adventists who are also members of professional groups to help us in our work. There needs to be more interfacing and dialogue. We are not thinking strategically when we don’t see the bigger picture.”

As for international representation, it’s not surprising that the Ambassador is strongly committed to an Adventist presence. “I support the Church’s presence at the UN and at other international fora to which we are invited,” he comments with enthusiasm. “We are not in utopia, and yet sometimes we are in a world of our own. We should be involved at the UN on common issues such as religious liberty, health, education and such other global issues; we need to be proactive. How else are we going to effect changes for the greater good if we don’t work from within? This is a real concern to me. At times our Church leadership at its various levels is not effective in communicating problems, challenges and growth even to its own workers; even lay members. Meaningful leadership should be about taking constructive and useful criticism, being open to suggestions. All too often the Church is detached from civil society. We should not be; we should be part of civil society. After all, we—Adventists—are still in the world, though not of the world.”

International Women's Day Celebrated at the UN

New York, NY… During celebrations for International Women’s Day on March 8, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on all men to assume the responsibilities that would reduce the “terrifying pattern” of HIV/AIDS infection among the world’s women.

Such responsibilities “would be ensuring education for their daughters; abstaining from sexual behavior that puts others at risk; forgoing relations with girls and very young women; and understanding that when it comes to violence against women, there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses,” he said in his message Monday.

Of the 38.6 million adults (aged 15-49 living with HIV/ADIS), 19.2 million are women. In addition, 15 million children have been orphaned because of this deadly disease. Annan said that women are more vulnerable to infections even though they typically do not have as many sexual partners outside marriage nor are they as likely to be injecting drugs. This is due to society’s inequalities that put women at a higher risk for the virus.

Also in attendance at Monday’s gathering was Queen Noor of Jordan. “The challenges women face are as monumental as their contributions could be,” she said. Emphasizing the importance of educating and supporting women, she highlighted efforts being made in Middle Eastern countries to provide confidential counseling and other services to women with HIV.

“The whole month of March is important to women with International Women’s Day, the World Day of Prayer, and the International Women’s Day of Prayer as well,” said Ardis Stenbakken, director for the Department of Women’s Ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The Adventist Church’s North American Division recognizes March as women’s history month. “These are important to our society and to our daughters to help them appreciate the enormous contribution made by women past and present,” Ardis said. “One of the great challenges for women now of course is HIV/AIDS. Women are involved in caring for the sick, the dying, and the orphans. Women need to be recognized for their contributions.”

The Adventist church was represented during the International Women’s Day celebration by Kelly Razzouk, U.N. liaison intern, at a premier of a documentary entitled, “Women Are,” which shows women’s vulnerability with HIV/AIDS and their roles as leaders to promote change. [Viola Hughes/Kelly Razzouk]