Por: Rev. Bruno O. Knoblauch
Nota preliminar: La investigación fue realizada en la Iglesia Evangélica del Río de la Plata por un equipo heterogéneo integrado por Mariana Spellbrink, Ayelén Spellbrink y Sebastián Tschoban, quienes son estudiantes del Profesorado en Educación Especial; Verónica Biech, periodista y redactora; Ricardo Gross, padre de niños con discapacidad; y Bruno Knoblauch, también con discapacidad.
Durante febrero de 2006 se realizó en Porto Alegre, Brasil, la 9° Asamblea del Consejo Mundial de Iglesias, precedida por una nueva reunión de la Red EDAN (Ecumenical Disability Advocate Network). Allí, entre otros, se consideró el tema Violencia y discapacidad. Un grupo de personas comprometidas en este asunto preparamos una breve visión sobre el mismo. Utilizamos para ello diversas investigaciones ya escritas, a las que sumamos algunos comentarios sobre el trabajo de las iglesias en nuestra región.
Este estudio sólo pretende ser unaintroducción tocando tres aspectos de la problemática. Su objetivo estará cumplido si estimula a la toma de conciencia y promueve acciones de paz.
Estudio:
Globalización, neoliberalismo, acumulación deriquezas, eso es lo que estamos viviendo hace unos cuantos años en nuestra Argentina. Las grandes empresas, en su mayoría extranjeras, que ven en nuestro país un potencial abundante de tierra yrecursos humanos para explotar, manipulan la mano de obra necesaria para sus cultivos y llevan a nuestros campesinos y trabajadores a situaciones infrahumanas; situaciones que, muchas veces, generandiscapacidad y hasta la muerte.
En la Argentina viven 2,2 millones de personas con algún tipo de discapacidad; el 7,1 por ciento de la población, según datos del Instituto Nacional de Estadística yCensos. Especialmente en las zonas rurales sufren un número indeterminado de niños, jóvenes, adultos y ancianos.
Para seguir leyendo: http://www.buenastareas.com/ensayos/Violencia-y-Discapacidad/3423101.html
jueves, 9 de octubre de 2014
De la justicia brota la paz
Por: Verónica Biech
Viernes, 1 de marzo de 2013. El Capítulo Argentino de la Red Juvenil de Religiones por la Paz se reunió en las instalaciones de la Iglesia Anabautista Menonita de Buenos Aires para dialogar sobre las acciones a desarrollar durante este año.
En este encuentro se realizó una planificación de, por un lado, las diferentes actividades que se llevarán a cabo para fortalecer el grupo nacional de trabajo y, por el otro, de tareas de incidencia pública. También, se dialogó sobre los resultados de acciones sociales ya desarrolladas; un ejemplo de ello es la Campaña de Desarme ¡Abajo las Armas!
Finalmente, algunos de los integrantes del capítulo expresaron su interés en la posibilidad de que sus puestos sean ocupados por nuevos miembros. De ser así, dicho proceso buscaría ser concluído antes de la próxima Asamblea Mundial de Religiones por la Paz para finales de 2013.
Las siguientes organizaciones estuvieron representadas a través de delegados asignados por las mismas: Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes de Argentina (ACJ/YMCA), Congreso Judío Latinoamericano, Movimiento Estudiantil Cristiano Argentina (MEC/FUMEC), Iglesia Anabautista Menonita de Buenos Aires, Pastoral de Juventud de la Conferencia Episcopal Argentina, Centro Islámico de Córdoba, Masorti – Movimiento Conservador Judío y Movimiento de los Focolares.
Viernes, 1 de marzo de 2013. El Capítulo Argentino de la Red Juvenil de Religiones por la Paz se reunió en las instalaciones de la Iglesia Anabautista Menonita de Buenos Aires para dialogar sobre las acciones a desarrollar durante este año.
En este encuentro se realizó una planificación de, por un lado, las diferentes actividades que se llevarán a cabo para fortalecer el grupo nacional de trabajo y, por el otro, de tareas de incidencia pública. También, se dialogó sobre los resultados de acciones sociales ya desarrolladas; un ejemplo de ello es la Campaña de Desarme ¡Abajo las Armas!
Finalmente, algunos de los integrantes del capítulo expresaron su interés en la posibilidad de que sus puestos sean ocupados por nuevos miembros. De ser así, dicho proceso buscaría ser concluído antes de la próxima Asamblea Mundial de Religiones por la Paz para finales de 2013.
Las siguientes organizaciones estuvieron representadas a través de delegados asignados por las mismas: Asociación Cristiana de Jóvenes de Argentina (ACJ/YMCA), Congreso Judío Latinoamericano, Movimiento Estudiantil Cristiano Argentina (MEC/FUMEC), Iglesia Anabautista Menonita de Buenos Aires, Pastoral de Juventud de la Conferencia Episcopal Argentina, Centro Islámico de Córdoba, Masorti – Movimiento Conservador Judío y Movimiento de los Focolares.
Young Christians Share Church’s Witness of Peace
January 11th, 2012. IEPC Report
A team of young Christians from the across WSCF were appointed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to make a series of videos sharing the global churches’ message of peace at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) in Jamaica this past May.
The youth video team, chosen from the 100 national member movements of WSCF, consisted of Verónica Biech (Argentina), Mike Garcia (Philippines), Desireé Kamek (USA) and Derri-Ann Palmer (Jamaica). Christopher Chimangeni (Malawi) was unable to attend due to visa complications. The IEPC celebrated the WCC’s decade to overcome violence through lectures, workshops, seminars, worship, and ecumenical dialogue.
Before the conference began, Mike Garcia was looking forward to covering the conference: Covering the event and interacting with different leaders of the ecumenical community around the globe is a huge task. I am praying that I can give my best to perform the task and be able to convey the core of the IEPC to the world so that we can achieve the peace that we are aspiring for.
Desireé Kameka, a representative from the USA, expressed the value of having young people to communicate one of the most important church events of the decade:
Young people inherently understand that communication with anyone in the world can occur instantly, information can be sent to an enormous network with a single click, interactive multimedia is the norm and one can transform the perspective of millions of people without ever walking out of their front door. The world is a network waiting for interaction. It is our ability to communicate through actions and words that bear witness to the incredible possibilities of the life-giving, beloved community which God desires of us and thus inspires others to ‘go and do likewise’.
Using a one-on-one video style, the video team captured the event through personal stories and conversations posting them online at www.iepcstories.com.
A glimpse into some of the stories
The team visited the Mustard Seed Community, located in the marginalized and violence-prone neighbourhood of Kingston. See how the presence of the organisation has positively impacted the quality of life for members of the community at http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/20/visits-to-local-projects-mustard-seed-community/.
They also covered many workshops that took place over the course of the conference. One in particular entitled “Free the Cuban 5”, found here http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/21/iepc-workshop-free-the-cuban-5/, captures two wives giving testimony about their experience of their husband’s imprisonment for the last thirteen years by the US government.
There was also a lot of time for meeting and discussing with the many people who attended. One interview with Rev. Kjell Jonasson, from Sweden, who is working for the Jerusalem Inter-Church Centre, a joint project of the Jerusalem churches, the WCC and the Middle East Council of Churches is found here: http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/22/peace-in-the-holy-land/. He outlines how the Centre is a coordination point for ecumenical action in and for Jerusalem, Palestine and its churches. He suggests the Kairos Document is the most influential product for faith-based initiatives on peace in the Holy Land.
In the interview “A Radical Call to Just Peace”, Christian peace activist Dr. Paul Oestreicher, an Anglican priest and member of the Religious Society of Friends, speaks about his plenary address to the convocation with the powerful message: “A Different World is Possible!” In a video interview with the Communications Team Dr. Oestreicher explains the heart of his vision for Just Peace: http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/25/a-radical-call-to-just-peace/.
Another interview with a local youth Andre, http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/22/a-story-from-an-iepc-workshop-overcoming-armed-violence/,shares how his participation in HOLY, a program set up in Kingston that uses a holistic approach to social intervention, changed his outlook on life. HOLY engages with youth and young adults from violent inner city communities in activities which seek to re-socialize and equip them with the skills necessary to live in society without dependence on criminality for income and purpose.
Check out www.iepcstories.com to find more videos and reflections put together by the IEPC Youth Video Team. Hopefully you find them engaging and enlightening, perhaps even inspiring as you to continue the work of overcoming violence.
A team of young Christians from the across WSCF were appointed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) to make a series of videos sharing the global churches’ message of peace at the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) in Jamaica this past May.
The youth video team, chosen from the 100 national member movements of WSCF, consisted of Verónica Biech (Argentina), Mike Garcia (Philippines), Desireé Kamek (USA) and Derri-Ann Palmer (Jamaica). Christopher Chimangeni (Malawi) was unable to attend due to visa complications. The IEPC celebrated the WCC’s decade to overcome violence through lectures, workshops, seminars, worship, and ecumenical dialogue.
Before the conference began, Mike Garcia was looking forward to covering the conference: Covering the event and interacting with different leaders of the ecumenical community around the globe is a huge task. I am praying that I can give my best to perform the task and be able to convey the core of the IEPC to the world so that we can achieve the peace that we are aspiring for.
Desireé Kameka, a representative from the USA, expressed the value of having young people to communicate one of the most important church events of the decade:
Young people inherently understand that communication with anyone in the world can occur instantly, information can be sent to an enormous network with a single click, interactive multimedia is the norm and one can transform the perspective of millions of people without ever walking out of their front door. The world is a network waiting for interaction. It is our ability to communicate through actions and words that bear witness to the incredible possibilities of the life-giving, beloved community which God desires of us and thus inspires others to ‘go and do likewise’.
Using a one-on-one video style, the video team captured the event through personal stories and conversations posting them online at www.iepcstories.com.
A glimpse into some of the stories
The team visited the Mustard Seed Community, located in the marginalized and violence-prone neighbourhood of Kingston. See how the presence of the organisation has positively impacted the quality of life for members of the community at http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/20/visits-to-local-projects-mustard-seed-community/.
They also covered many workshops that took place over the course of the conference. One in particular entitled “Free the Cuban 5”, found here http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/21/iepc-workshop-free-the-cuban-5/, captures two wives giving testimony about their experience of their husband’s imprisonment for the last thirteen years by the US government.
There was also a lot of time for meeting and discussing with the many people who attended. One interview with Rev. Kjell Jonasson, from Sweden, who is working for the Jerusalem Inter-Church Centre, a joint project of the Jerusalem churches, the WCC and the Middle East Council of Churches is found here: http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/22/peace-in-the-holy-land/. He outlines how the Centre is a coordination point for ecumenical action in and for Jerusalem, Palestine and its churches. He suggests the Kairos Document is the most influential product for faith-based initiatives on peace in the Holy Land.
In the interview “A Radical Call to Just Peace”, Christian peace activist Dr. Paul Oestreicher, an Anglican priest and member of the Religious Society of Friends, speaks about his plenary address to the convocation with the powerful message: “A Different World is Possible!” In a video interview with the Communications Team Dr. Oestreicher explains the heart of his vision for Just Peace: http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/25/a-radical-call-to-just-peace/.
Another interview with a local youth Andre, http://iepcstories.com/2011/05/22/a-story-from-an-iepc-workshop-overcoming-armed-violence/,shares how his participation in HOLY, a program set up in Kingston that uses a holistic approach to social intervention, changed his outlook on life. HOLY engages with youth and young adults from violent inner city communities in activities which seek to re-socialize and equip them with the skills necessary to live in society without dependence on criminality for income and purpose.
Check out www.iepcstories.com to find more videos and reflections put together by the IEPC Youth Video Team. Hopefully you find them engaging and enlightening, perhaps even inspiring as you to continue the work of overcoming violence.
Ecumenical Women deliver oral statements at the United Nations
March 9, 2009 in caregiving economy, CSW 53, Ecumenical, United Nations, women, Youth | In a very exciting turn of events, Ecumenical Women was requested by the CSW to deliver not one, but two oral statements on behalf of our coalition. The first statement, on the topic of women and the financial crisis, was read aloud on March 5, 2009 by EW member Verónica Biech, a young woman of Argentina, stating:
For Ecumenical Women, genuine development is one that fosters just, equitable and caring relationships. Equality between women and men of all races and classes is a matter of human rights and a condition for social justice; it is a fundamental prerequisite for development and peace. Due in large part to the efforts of pioneering UN conferences on women, there is now growing acknowledgement that development cannot be attained without gender equality. We affirm that women are also part of the solution to the global financial crisis. It is critical, therefore, that women are intentionally, strategically and systematically involved in the discussions and decision-making processes around the global financial crisis.
Ecumenical Women’s second oral statement was read today at the United Nations by Facia Boyenoh Harris of Liberia, another young woman representing Ecumenical Women. The topic of the statement was the priority theme of CSW53: “The equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including caregiving in the context of HIV and AIDS,” of which Ecumenical Women reiterated our core stance on the issue:
In conclusion, as women and men of faith, we are committed to the creation of a more equitable society between women and men that is also free from AIDS. Grounded in our faith and commitment to global justice, we believe that the church – at its best – can be a transformative center which models gender equality, resists systems of oppression, supports and promotes women’s rights. We reaffirm our belief that both women and men are created in God’s image. We recognize that the face of AIDS is becoming younger, poorer and more female, and we all must partner to meet the needs of these women where it exists.
Fuente: Ecumenical Women at the United Nations
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