September 30, 2004

BOGOTA, Columbia - Catholic and Evangelical entities from Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela and other Latin American countries convened a "Meeting of Christians for Peace," to be held October 30-November 1 in Bogota with an eye to creating a Christian Movement for Peace with Justice and Dignity.

"Our world, our America and our Colombia is groaning with pain, bloodied, stripped of dreams and drowning, not in a dignified life but in an dreadful survival, because in their imperialist zeal, some countries have become the owners of money and power and, with lies, impose their brutal force on the humble, poor and suffering people of God," said the convocation.

"It seems impossible to change the course of history, we feel like ants biting a giant. But God fills us with hope because He will struggle on our side for justice, peace, human dignity and creation. As many Christians from different religious currents have done throughout history," it added.

Now we want to unite efforts, to unite dreams such as creating a "Continental Movement of Christians for Peace with Justice and Dignity," to generate a context that will allow for a broader, more sustained and operative articulation of diverse Christian experiences in favor of life, peace, justice and human dignity, said the document.

The meeting will be preceded by a meeting of theologians, 15 from Colombia and 35 from other countries.

After these two events, similar events will held in other countries on the continent and participants will work on the conclusions of the Continental Christians for Peace Meeting, to confront war and the current period of economic liberation, according to the needs of each country.

The nearly 50 organizations convening the event include: The Confederation of Religious Guatemala, the Presbyterian Church of Colombia, the Colombian Ecumenical Network, made up of the Presbyterian, Evangelical Lutheran, Baptist, InterAmerican Laureles de Medellin Churches, the Methodist Church, the Archdiocese of Cartagena, the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission, the Baptist Seminary of Cali and PROMESA); the National Center of Social Communication, CENCOS of Mexico and others from Ecuador and Catholic bodies.

ALC News Service