Bishops support Universal Declaration of Human Rights
5/6/1998 News media contact: Linda Green · (615) 742-5470 · Nashville, Tenn
LINCOLN, Neb. (UMNS)-The 67 active United Methodist bishops attending their semi-annual meeting here voted unanimously to join with the people across the world in celebration of human rights.
Meeting April 25-May 1, the Council of Bishops adopted a resolution calling the United Methodist Church to participate in the observance of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Fifty years ago, on Dec. 10, the United Nations enacted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and today, governmental and non-governmental organizations both here and abroad, make the declaration, "a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations."
The bishops on April 30 voted to join with the people across the world "in the solemn commemoration" of the declaration and urge United Methodists worldwide to celebrate the civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of all people.
The council calls United Methodists, through the human rights declaration, to join "in safeguarding the worth and dignity of peoples and the integrity and sacredness of all God's creation." They further call on United Methodists to initiate activities focused on the promotion of human rights during the churchwide United Nations Sunday on Oct. 25 and the International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10.
According to Liberato Bautista, a staff executive at the United Methodist Office for the United Nations in Washington, the passage of the human rights declaration by the Council of Bishops is a reminder to United Methodists of the church's historic support and participation in the work of the United Nations. The denomination's United Nations Office is part of the churchwide Board of Church and Society.
United Methodists at the 1996 General Conference, adopted a resolution affirming that "all persons are of equal worth in the sight of God, because all are created in the image of God." The approved statement on human rights, says that biblical tradition demands that "we live in an interdependent relationship with God and our neighbor. We must respond to human need at every community level."
According to the bishops, human rights enable concrete expressions of love by "assuring that each person's value is recognized, maintained and strengthened."
Although many structures are already in place for human rights protection, the resolution's contents is a reminder that daily in the world, "individuals and communities suffer often because essential freedoms are not recognized, just treatment and protections are not guaranteed and violations of the wholeness and integrity of personhood are not prevented."
With the approval of the human rights resolution by the bishops, Bautista said, United Methodists "find strong support from their episcopal leaders" in their advocacy of issues like human rights, the rights of children and issues dealing with continued discrimination against women, indigenous people, refugees and migrant workers.
In the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, United Methodists are called :
· to a continued prayerful and diligent study of the declarations provisions, cognizant of their faith implications and practical demands on society;
· to join with others in celebration of United Nations Sunday on Oct. 25 and the International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10;
· to urge ratification by all States parties to human rights instruments and call for support for the eventual adoption of a declaration on the indigenous peoples now in the drafting process at the auspices of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights;
· to urge all governments to support the creation of a permanent International Criminal Court to prosecute crimes against humanity, genocide, war crimes and other serious violations of human rights and humanitarian laws;
· to urge all United Nations member governments, especially the United States, to pay on time and without conditions, their financial treaty obligations to the United Nations.
# # #
|
Back : News Archives 1998 Main
|
|
“We believe in God and in each other.”The people of The United Methodist Church
Still Have Questions?
If you have any questions Ask
InfoServ
Purchase a $20 buzzkill t-shirt and help save a life
Buy a t-shirt
|
Korean News