“Sign early and save lives!” said the World Council of Churches
(WCC) celebratory news release on the signing of the world’s first Arms
Trade Treaty:
Nearly 70 governments signed the world’s first Arms Trade Treaty at
the United Nations on the day it opened for signatures, June 3. Churches
in dozens of countries urged them to do so in order to keep up the
momentum from successful negotiations until the new treaty takes effect.
Signatories included states that export arms and states where imported arms fuel violence.
The high turnout on the first day of signing mirrored the broad
support for controlling arms sales, which brought nearly 100 churches
and related organizations into the WCC two-year campaign for the treaty.
“Sign early” was the message that ecumenical campaigners gave to 24
governments in recent days--14 of them in Africa, the continent that has
suffered most from unregulated arms sales.
Major arms exporters Germany, United Kingdom, and France took part in
the first day of signing, as did smaller exporters such as Norway and
Sweden. The world’s largest arms producer and exporter, the United
States, said it would sign later. Russia, China, India, and others
abstained from the treaty vote and have not indicated if they will sign.
The human cost of illicit arms trading has been the focus of church
advocacy for the arms treaty to as many as 47 countries when
negotiations peaked earlier this year. In April, 156 countries voted for
the treaty, a milestone in bringing the multibillion-dollar arms
exports under control. The treaty will take effect once 50 countries
have ratified it.
In the meantime, without these new binding global controls, some 2,000 people will continue to die each day from armed violence.
When the treaty is in force and working, it will be more difficult to
supply the arms that are fueling the ongoing bloody conflict in Syria.
Until then it remains easier to sell bullets, bombs, and deadly weapons
than it is to sell bananas or pineapples.
Given the geographic location of WCC member churches and related
organizations in different regions, the WCC-led campaign was able to
speak with one voice to four different kinds of governments, those that
make and sell the most weapons; those that have suffered the most from
irresponsible arms trading; those that want the arms trade to be
reformed; and those that may not be focused on the issue but see its
value.
The “Ecumenical Campaign for a Strong and Effective Arms Trade
Treaty” developed out of a WCC Central Committee action in 2011. A
campaign network was formed in mid-2011 during the International
Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Kingston, Jamaica.
Churches and church ministries in 40 countries joined the campaign.
Uganda, DR Congo, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Sweden,
Germany, Norway, India, South Korea, Australia, and Papua New Guinea
were some of the countries involved. There was close collaboration with
Catholic and evangelical groups.
African churches and governments played a key role in the campaign.
Countries heavily affected by decades of irresponsible arms sales stood
together and made their voices heard.
A key demand was that the treaty must include small arms and light
weapons, plus ammunition, or it was not the treaty that Africa needed.
Two major players in the negotiations, the US and China, both took note
of the African position. Changes in their stance followed, and the
negotiations were able to continue.
In the end, the treaty that opened for signature this week addresses
much of what the WCC adopted as policy for the campaign, even though it
falls short at various points.
For the first time, a global treaty covers small arms and light
weapons, ammunition, human rights violations, international humanitarian
law, and gender-based violence.
It bans exports of conventional arms where there is knowledge that
weapons could be used in war crimes, genocide, attacks against
civilians, and other grave breaches of international humanitarian law.
Support for the treaty from so many states, including major arms
exporters, will put pressure on states that abstained to reform their
practices.
Members of the ecumenical campaign continue to work so that more governments will sign and then ratify the long-awaited treaty.
See pictures of country officials and campaigners at the treaty signing at
www.flickr.com/photos/controlarms/sets/72157633841925147. The Arms Trade Treaty web page is
http://armstreaty.org.
The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith,
witness, and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical
fellowship of churches founded in 1948, by the end of 2012 the WCC had
345 member churches representing more than 500 million Christians from
Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican, and other traditions in over 110
countries. The WCC works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church.
The Church of the Brethren is a member communion of the WCC.
Source: 6/13/2013 Newsline
In
an exciting new partnership to help recovery in communities displaced
by Super Storm Sandy, Brethren Disaster Ministries is collaborating with
a trusted local non-profit in a project aimed at increasing the supply
of safe and affordable rental housing in New Jersey. This unique project
will allow Brethren Disaster Ministries to reach out to a population
that is often underserved following disasters, yet whose recovery is
crucial to the overall recovery and health of the community.
A
new logo for National Youth Conference (NYC) 2014, the once every four
years Church of the Brethren conference for youth who have completed
grade 9 through the first year of college, has been released by the
Youth and Young Adult Ministry office. The logo designed by Debbie
Noffsinger illustrates the NYC theme from Ephesians 4:1-7, “Called by
Christ, Blessed for the Journey Together.”
"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35).
After
attending the United Nations General Assembly meeting on the Global
Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, Church of the Brethren
UN representative Doris Abdullah wrote the following report and personal
responses to the issue:
