Canadian Church Leaders Encourage the Pursuit of Peace in Afghanistan

This Press Release was recently issued by the Canadian Council of Churches:

August 16, 2007

For Immediate Release

Canadian Church Leaders Encourage the Pursuit of Peace in Afghanistan

12 Canadian church leaders wrote today to the Prime Minister to encourage the Government of Canada in its pursuit of peace in Afghanistan today. Following on a collaborative process of consultation and learning lasting more than a year, they offer their contribution to the dialogue in Canada on moving Afghanistan forward to a long-lasting peace.

The church leaders call for prioritizing efforts aimed at supporting reconciliation within Afghanistan, diplomacy and negotiations leading to peace, greater respect for human rights, strengthening just governance, greater investments in reconstruction and development, and focusing security efforts on advancing the safety and well-being of people in Afghanistan.

“Canadian churches have consistently called on the Canadian government to build peace with the people of Afghanistan rather than pursue a war on terror, to employ all diplomatic means to achieve that end including engaging civil society and religious networks, and to direct the effort of The Canadian Forces to the protection of lives and the preservation of civilian infrastructure. This letter stands in a long tradition of Canadian church engagement on issues of international significance,” said The Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton, General Secretary of the Canadian Council of Churches who hosted the collaborative effort.

 

The church leaders invite the government to re-evaluate the mandate of “The Canadian Forces [to] focus on enhancing protection of vulnerable Afghans rather than on aggressive engagement with insurgents in areas where the local population is suspicious or alienated from the central government.”

Signatories on the letter include:

v His Grace Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate, Armenian Holy Apostolic Church, Canadian Diocese

v Beverly Shepard, Presiding Clerk, Canadian Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

v The Rev. Dr. Catherine Hubbard, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Canada

v The Rev. Bruce Adema, Director of Canadian Ministries, Christian Reformed Church in North America

v The Rev. Fr. Messale Engeda, Presiding Priest, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in the Western Hemisphere

v The Rev. Raymond Schultz, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

v The Rev. J.B. Suderman, Moderator, Mennonite Church Canada

v The Rev. Zbignew Kozar, Pastor, St. John’s Cathedral Polish Catholic Church

v The Rev. Dr. Hans Kouwenberg, Moderator of the 133rd General Assembly, The Presbyterian Church in Canada

v The Rev. John Kapteyn, Clerk, Regional Synod of Canada, Reformed Church in America

v His Eminence JOHN, Primate, The Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada

v The Right Rev. David Guiliano, Moderator, The United Church of Canada

For further information or an interview, please contact:

The Rev. Dr. Karen Hamilton

General Secretary, Canadian Council of Churches

Phone: 416-972-9494 x 22

Email: Hamilton@ccc-cce.ca