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News Archive CLICK HERE for the printer-friendly version of this page. •
Adventist UN Office Hosts Religious Tolerance Debate
with Georgian Delegation Adventist
UN Office Hosts Religious Tolerance Debate with Georgian Delegation
New York, New York, USA... Six high-level delegates from the country of Georgia met with various religious freedom representatives at the Seventh-day Adventist United Nations office in New York on December 19 as part of a program to develop religious tolerance awareness. The program, sponsored by the United States Department of State, brought together delegates from Georgia's parliament, human rights, and media with representatives from religious freedom advocacy groups and faith communities. "The invitation to host such a debate was much appreciated," comments Adventist liaison director Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. "This is very much part of our mission here at the United Nations-to bring together thought leaders and religious liberty advocates to promote the importance of freedom of conscience and worship as fundamental human rights. The opportunity to have nine speakers from groups as diverse as the US Conference of Religions for Peace, the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, the Baha'is, Baptists, Anglicans, and the Orthodox Church, demonstrates the wide range of support for religious tolerance."
Ecumenical Officer for the Orthodox Church in America, Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky said that "every man and woman is made in the image of God. The scriptures do not say every Jew, or every Orthodox, or every Muslim. So the Orthodox church sees human beings being created in the image of God and must respect everyone as such." Speaking for the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, Ambassador Aurel Dragos Munteanu highlighted the importance of religious liberty over concepts of tolerance. "We must promote religious freedom," he affirmed, "because in freedom we have more than tolerance." He added that when freedom is guaranteed, "we are respecting God's laws, not human laws." Antonios Kireopoulos, executive director of the US Conference of Religions for Peace, commented that with over forty religious groups supporting his organization, "respect must be the guiding principle to maintain tolerance, and that there must be appreciation for other religions, theological dialogue, and the ability to look past differences to work together." Speaking for the Georgian delegation, Ms. Elene Goguadze, head of the Service for Human Rights Issues of the National Security Council of Georgia, spoke of their appreciation for the opportunity to learn and to dialogue, and emphasized their commitment for religious freedom and human rights. Adventists
Join UN Call to End Gender-based Violence
New York, New York, USA... "Violence against women has profoundly devastating consequences for countries, societies and women," states the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. As part of its 47th session, the Commission held a round table discussion on the theme "Women: Moving from Public/Private Violence to Full Human Rights," to highlight the ongoing problems facing women, particularly in the area of gender-based violence, reported Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison director for the Adventist Church, who attended the meeting December 19, 2002. Dr. France Donnay M.D., chief of the reproductive health branch of the UN Population Fund gave a disturbing account of the major effects of gender-based violence. "Gender-based violence has long-lasting consequences on reproductive health, including early and unwanted pregnancies, abortions, sexually-transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, poor diet, chronic illness, miscarriages, low birth weight, suicide and homicide." Noting that in some countries visiting a reproductive health clinic is often the only time a woman will see a doctor in her lifetime, Donnay said that was one of the few settings to investigate and deal with gender-based violence. She urged that it be "recognized as a public health problem," and that authorities move from "awareness to implementation" of solutions since resolving such violence has "a great potential impact on families and societies." "Adventists have a clear mandate to support initiatives to end gender-based violence," commented Ardis Stenbakken, director of women's ministries for the Seventh-day Adventist Church. "Our beliefs are grounded on Biblical principles, and such violence is in complete contradiction to such fundamental values as taught by Jesus Christ. We are committed to working for a society where violence against all people-men and women-is eradicated." Adventist Leaders Support Efforts to Educate Girls in 25 Countries SILVER SPRING, MD, USA. Seventh-day Adventist Church leaders reacted today to a new United Nations campaign to get girls into schools in 25 priority countries. "Every girl should be in school," says Ardis Stenbakken, director for the Department of Women's Ministries for the Adventist Church. "It's well documented that when a girl is educated, she will in turn educate her entire family. This not only benefits the quality of life for the community, but improves the country's economy in the long term. Women's Ministries conduct literacy programs in a number of these countries, such as Sudan and Bangladesh" The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) announced its plan to eliminate gender disparities in primary and secondary education by the year 2005. The new initiative targets countries with low enrolment rates for girls, such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Nepal, the Sudan, Yemen, Papua New Guinea, India, etc. Reports indicate that 1 million girls are out of school, and that there are prevailing crises that affect schooling opportunities for girls, such as HIV/AIDS and conflict. "The Adventist Church has always placed a high value on education," says Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison director for the Adventist Church. "We see education as a top priority in opening doors to freedom and opportunity, and as a major contribution we can make to the wider community." Stenbakken reports that Women's Ministries awards scholarships to college women every year because of these inequities in educational opportunities. UNICEF will work closely with each government on resources, building broader national consensus about the need to get girls in school, and improving school environments to make them more welcoming to girls. The Adventist Church operates over 6,000 schools worldwide, with over a million students. The church actively works to provide high-quality education for all without discrimination based on gender or race. [Viola Hughes] Adventists Mark World AIDS Day New York, NY. Seventh-day
Adventists were among those in attendance at the World AIDS Day commemoration
at the United Nations over the Thanksgiving holidays, November 26. "As
a worldwide church, it's important that we support global efforts to combat
the AIDS challenge, affirming all is being done to improve quality of
life for families and children that have been negatively impacted by the
AIDS virus," says Dr. Jonathan Gallagher, UN Liaison director for
the Adventist Church. |
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