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[Back to index of September articles] A global gathering to fight poverty By Dana Wilkie Some 35 leaders of five worldwide Christian denominations will gather at Washington National Cathedral Sept. 11-13 to collaborate on a statement to the United Nations that the leaders hope will make an impact on the battle against global poverty. The goal of the “Consultation for Religious Leaders on Global Poverty” is to draft a communiqué to be delivered to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the eve of the 60th session of the United Nations, where world leaders will discuss what progress they’ve made toward ending extreme poverty. The United Nations in 2002 launched a campaign to stir public action for its plan to end extreme poverty worldwide by 2015. It adopted eight Millennium Development Goals that focus on the issues of hunger, education, gender equality, child mortality, maternal health, disease, environmental sustainability and a global partnership for development. But a third of the way into the U.N. program, some church leaders and activists say progress has so far been dismal, and that the eight-pronged Millennium Development Goals will fail unless governments commit more resources to achieving them. Indeed, the man who called for the September conference at Washington National Cathedral—the Most Rev. Njongonkulu Ndungane, the Anglican archbishop of Southern Africa - said this past March that “our record has not been good.” Ndungane and Bishop John Chane of Washington called for an urgent meeting so religious leaders from around the globe could review the role of the church in ending extreme poverty. Ndungane’s and Chane’s hope for the conference is that it will amplify the voice of the religious community in the war against poverty, unify conservative and liberal Christians in common work and energize the work against poverty within denominations. “We have a ‘kairos’ moment here now for the worldwide church to step up together into a strong partnership with all who seek to end poverty,” Chane said. “The Communiqué coming from this dialogue among religious leaders will call us to urgent collaborative action.” Two events associated with the consultation are open to the public. Economist Jeffrey Sachs, the author of The End of Poverty, will outline solutions to extreme poverty in a lecture in the nave of the cathedral at 2 p.m. on September 11. At 4 p.m., Ndungane and the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will lead a special prayer service at 4 p.m. The conference is the first initiative of the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation (CGJR), a new initiative of Washington National Cathedral to build on regional activities aimed at reducing poverty and to encourage collaboration within and between Christian denominations, governments and the private sector. “I expect the Communiqué will include urgent calls to government for increased aid, debt relief and trade justice,” said the Rev. Canon John Peterson, former secretary general of the Anglican Communion, who was recruited by Chane to lead the new center. Peterson said he thought the 35 leaders would also issue “calls to the faith community for better collaboration north and south, and calls to people of faith all over the world for prayerful personal commitment to end the suffering of the poorest of the poor.” Also addressing the delegates during the three-day conference will be Paul Wolfowitz, president of the World Bank. The delegates represent evangelical, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Reformed and Anglican denominations. They come from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, New Zealand and Switzerland. In total, says Jean Duff, managing director of the center, they represent “almost one third of the world’s population.” The conference will be divided into three parts. The meeting begins with the public events on Sunday, Sept. 11. Later, at a working dinner, Sachs will speak on the role of the religious sector in ending extreme poverty. On Monday, Sept. 12, leaders of each denomination will present a statement about current anti-poverty priorities and activities. Following that will be a discussion about what the religious sector must do to be more effective in fighting global poverty. On Tuesday, Sept. 13, the leaders hope to agree on a common statement, which a delegation of the religious leaders will present to Annan. A background paper on the conference from the Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation acknowledges, “it is impossible to predict the outcomes resulting from this working meeting.” But the paper suggests that religious leaders might include in the communiqué:
“The CGJR believes that strong advocacy on the part of the religious sector will make a difference in public awareness and support, and will encourage world leaders to do more to end global poverty when they meet at the U.N. General Assembly,” says a CGJR statement. Ndungane has asked that religious leaders who attend this September’s conference follow up with a meeting in Cape Town in 2006 to review what progress has been made toward the goals outlined in the communiqué. Other speakers at the conference include the Very Rev. Samuel Lloyd III, dean of the cathedral, and Dr. Ishmael Noko of the Lutheran World Federation. Among those planning to attend are the Most. Rev George Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury; the Rev. Setri Nyomi, General Secretary of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches; the Rev. Ndaba Mazabane, Chairman of the World Evangelical Alliance; and Archbishop Andrew Hutchinson, Anglican Primate of Canada. [Back to index of September articles]
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