June 18, 2009

MONROVIA, Liberia – As nations in West Africa continue attempts to achieve lasting peace and prosperity after decades of conflict the Reverend John L. McCullough has issued a call for honest talk about the issues – poverty, hunger, corruption, conflict, dislocation – that have resulted in so many affronts to the dignity of people living in the struggling region.

McCullough, executive director and CEO of humanitarian agency Church World Service, spoke on June 15 in Monrovia, Liberia to West African church leaders and government officials attending a week-long conference, "Climate Change, Human Rights, Peace and Security."

He drew upon the biblical story of Ruth and Naomi, saying, "Their story is of a people dispossessed-first because of the drought, followed by poverty and finally famine. It is a story with which most of the people whom God has called you to love, and under your care, can identify."

A significant contributor to the misery in the region is climate change, which has caused extreme weather, failed crops, forced relocation, and the resulting poverty.

McCullough described the man-made phenomenon as "the antithesis of the creation story," and said it "presents a theological dilemma that must place it at the top of the agenda for the faith community."

He interwove the scriptural message of faith in God's grace, even in the face of immense hardship, with the West Africa's experience of wars, devastation, dislocation, poverty – and the resulting assaults on human dignity.

"West Africans know a lot about tough times and West Africans know what it means to be hungry. It can be a deeply personal, desperate and dangerous feeling that can quickly erode one's self worth and pride in his or her society. People revolt because of their lack of access to basic needs."

Over the last two decades Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Cote d'Ivoire all have experienced wars, and nearby countries in the region have shared in the widespread devastation caused by the conflicts.

McCullough believes that values fostered by faith – compassion, reconciliation and restoration – should play an important role in helping people meet the challenges of living in a region where the actions of one nation have a profound effect on the well-being of its neighbors.

"Boaz was inspired by the love and commitment that Ruth, a Moabite (an outsider) showed toward Naomi, a woman from Judah. How much more can you lead your people to love and accept each other above and beyond those things that would divide them – to help transform bitterness back into joy?"

In McCullough's view, the way forward for West Africa lies in honestly assessing and combating problems – bad governance, corruption, conflict, dislocation, poverty – that continue to plague the region. He implored the assembled church leaders to advocate for "policies that empower people to reach their fullest potential ... Most of all, help the people to achieve the kind and quality of vision that honors and values the dignity of all."

McCullough and other executives from ecumenical organizations also will meet with Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, who is attending the conference. Elected in 2006, Johnson-Sirleaf is the continent's first female president and is the architect of its current effort to rebuild after nearly two decades of civil war.

The conference, which runs through June 20, is co-sponsored by the All Africa Conference of Churches and the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in West Africa (FECCIWA) in collaboration with the Liberian Council of Churches. FECCIWA member countries include Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Church World Service has, for y ears, worked with local community and faith partners across the continent in peace building, emergency relief, grassroots development, refugee assistance, and advocacy.

In collaboration with the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) and with the World Council of Churches, CWS is partnering in the Eminent Persons Ecumenical Program for Peace in Africa, launched in West Africa in 2005.

In direct response to a call from churches in the region for help with their peace-building efforts McCullough led a delegation to the West African nations of Guinea, The Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia.

CWS also played a major role in efforts to focus the attention of the United States and the world on threats to peace in Liberia and supported emergency relief and rehabilitation and trauma recovery programs to assist refugees and other victims of wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Church World Service