Churches Witnessing With Migrants 10th International ...Churches, World Evangelical Alliance, World...
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Churches Witnessing With Migrants 10th International Consultation Quito, Ecuador, 14-17 November 2019
Press Release
18 November 2019
Enhancing CWWM’s operative structure highlights 2019 Quito
consultation
Inspired by the theme "Strengthening the Infrastructure of Care and Architecture of Protection," the 10th
International Consultation of the Churches Witnessing With Migrants (CWWM) held from 14 to 17 November in
Quito, Ecuador brought together 59 participants from 25 countries1 and assembled 50 entities that form part of its
tripartite order. They hail from major international faith-based groups, migrant serving institutions and grassroots
migrant organizations. Sister Leda Reis of the Scalabrinian Mission and the Red Clamor2 welcomed the plenary
with warm reception and placed a spotlight on migrant ministry as one of the significant tasks in "building the city
of God and Man." Mervin Toquero from the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) imparted a
short summary of CWWM's history and the objectives of the 4-day gathering.
In the afternoon, Rev. Dr. Liberato "Levi" Bautista of the United Methodist Church's General Board of Church and
Society presented the assertions, advocacies and directions of CWWM under the setting of human mobility and
forced migration. Meanwhile, Rev. Dr. Lester Ruiz (Association of Theological Schools in the US and Canada)
expounded on the moral and ethical imperatives of sustainable human mobility where plurality of faith and
convictions are viable elements in transforming the world. Afterwhich, CWWM's tripartite groups and global
regions convened caucuses to discuss advocacies and involvements.
On Friday morning, 15 November, a high-level interfaith event with leaders of religious bodies and institutions
was held at a local Evangelical Lutheran Church in Quito. The global interfaith3 leaders and representatives offered
statements on the contemporary state of global migration.
1 Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, South Africa, Switzerland, Uganda, Uruguay, and USA.
2 Red Clamor is a network of faith-based NGOs working on migration which includes the Scalabrinian Mission, the Jesuit Refugee Service and Caritas Ecuador.
3 Appendix A: Program and List of Speakers for “The Moral and Ethical Imperatives of Sustainable Human Mobility Interfaith
Statements on the State of Global Migration Today in Light of the Talking & Doing Points of the Churches Witnessing With
Migrants”
Aside from major Christian formations like the World Council of Churches, World Communion of Reformed
Churches, World Evangelical Alliance, World Methodist Council and the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, the
interfaith character of the event became preeminent with the presence of other major faith representations from
the Religions for Peace, Islamic Nadhlatul Ulama of Indonesia4, and the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance
represented by the spiritual head of the Arya Samaj South Africa.5
In the interfaith platform, the religious leaders asserted and insisted on providing spaces and upholding the voices
of migrants, refugees, and other displaced peoples of the world. They affirmed human mobility as fundamentally
good, inherent in the humanity of every person, and is a protected human right. Glorene Dass of Malaysia-based
migrants advocacy group Tenaganita concluded the morning session with these words, "Ask me not what's my
religion, race or creed, just take me in my hour of need." 6
From mid-afternoon onwards, the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) led an international panel that
highlighted narratives of forced migration, exploitation, and resistance.7 Joanna Concepcion, chairperson of
Migrante International related the plight of Filipino migrants including children deportees from Israel who fear
the impoverishment that awaits them in the Philippines. IMA Vice Chairperson Antonio Arizaga said, "We are not
asking for charity nor for compassion. We want our rights to be respected and our human dignity upheld." Echoing
IMA's tagline, Aaron Ceradoy of the Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM) said, "For a long time, people have
4 Appendix B: Sustainable Human Mobility: Moral and Ethical Islamic Guide by KH. Marzuki Wahid, Secretary of the Institute for Research and Development of Human Resources The National Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia 5 Appendix C: “A Response to the Moral and Ethical Imperatives of Sustainable Human Mobility Vedic” by Sannyasa Mandal
Swami Vedanand Saraswati.
6 Appendix D: Closing Remarks by Glorene Das, International Migrants Alliance, Tenaganita-Malaysia
7 Appendix E: Program and List of Speakers for “International Panel on Narratives of Forced Migration, Exploitation and Resistance”
spoken on our behalf. Now, we as migrants speak for ourselves."
Responding to the migrant narratives, Rev. Ray Schellinger of the International Ministries of the American Baptist
Churches USA (ABCUSA) pointed to the themes which resonated during the testimonies of grassroots migrants. He
decried how the humanity of migrants is not recognized. Likewise, Schellinger pointed out to a systemic challenge
that has led to the dehumanization and criminalization of migrants.8
"Global capitalism has created a reality in which people are treated as commodities to be exploited by those who
hold capital. If we are to come alongside migrants, if we are to build ministries of service, rescue and welcome, we
must also come to terms with the economic and structural realities which drive migration, and which must be
addressed if we are to have an impact on the lives of those we are called to protect," Ray Schellinger added.
On the third day of the consultation, the plenary heard reports from CWWM Africa, the Interfaith Network for the
Rights of Migrants (INFORM-Asia Pacific), the Methodist Church of Mexico, and CWWM Philippines. "We may not
have much but we are committed, organized, and looking forward to more partnerships" Dr. Hellen Akwii-
Wangusa stated after presenting the phenomenal founding of CWWM Africa two years ago.
Mr. Nar Brian Reyes introduced CompassPH, a rapidly developing companion app for safeguarding global migrants
in places where they are located. The plenary then divided into smaller groups for the workshop on the
"Infrastructure of Care and Architecture of Protection." Thereafter, the consultation was led by Aaron Ceradoy of
APMM in focusing on developments and challenges surrounding the monitoring of the Global Compact on
Migration (GCM). A workshop was dedicated to identifying what aspects of the GCM to monitor.
On 17 November, the day began with a hymn about the journey of migrants and refugees with God towards the
promised land of safety and security. The 10th International Consultation Plenary extended its solidarity greetings
to the Ecuadorian groups of migrants and refugees for their successful assembly convened on the 16th of
November. In the plenary session, the Rev. Dr. Levi Bautista of GBCS revisited the orientation and structure of
CWWM for its renewal and revision as it emerges into a more vibrant multifaith network witnessing with
migrants. The consultation reaffirmed the responsibilities of CWWM’s Coordination Team and its relation to the
International Steering Committee.
The Consultation formed three working groups for the following scopes: Multilateral Engagement, Infrastructure
of Care and Architecture of Protection, and Interfaith Engagement on Migration Justice.
This consultation was originally scheduled to be held in Quito back-to-back with GFMD12 in solidarity with
migrants and refugees in the region and in support of the Ecuadorian presidency of the Global Forum on Migration
and Development. While GFMD has been rescheduled for January 2020, the statements from religious bodies and
institutions will be submitted to the GFMD president when in meets in Quito in January of 2020.
With resounding faith and solidarity, participants of the 10th International Consultation of CWWM derived
inspiration from the pastoral response pronounced by Rev. Ray Shellinger of International Ministries to the
grassroots migrants. He said, "we are called to begin the work of bringing God’s people home, or perhaps, bringing
home to God’s people. This is what you are doing! And we give thanks for every effort that you make on behalf of
those stranded so far from home."
On a related matter, consultation participants expressed solidarity with the NCCP, which along with Migrante
International, serve as the secretariat of CWWM. The NCCP has been recently vilified by the Philippine government
for its progressive ministry on peace, human rights and migration justice. For its Christian ministry, the Council
was wrongly included in the list of “front organizations of local communist terrorist groups” by the Department of
National Defense (DND). Expressions of support from representatives of faith-based communities poured in for
8 Appendix F: Responding to the Migrants’ Narratives at the 10th CWWM International Consultation by Ray Schellinger
the Philippine ecumenical body.
========
Appendix A
The Moral and Ethical Imperatives of Sustainable Human Mobility
Interfaith Statements on the State of Global Migration Today
in Light of the Talking & Doing Points of the Churches Witnessing With
Migrants
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ecuador | Isabel La Católica 14 31 y Orellana,
Quito
15 November 2019 | 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Introductory Remarks
Rev. Dr. Liberato C. Bautista
General Board of Church & Society, The United Methodist Church
CWWM International Steering Committee
Welcome Remarks
Ms. Rita Simmons | President, Lutheran Church of Ecuador
Distinguished Remarks
Father Emilio Obando
Ecumenical Commission | Conferencia Episcopal Ecuatoriana
The Roman Catholic Church
Marcelo Larrea
Ecuadorian journalist and writer
Presentation of Statements
Global Faiths Swami Vedanand Saraswati |Global Interfaith WASH Alliance | Arya Samaj South Africa
Elias Sczcytnicki |Religions for Peace
Rev. Dr. Olav Fykse Tveit | Rev. Douglas Leonard | World Council of Churches
KH. Marzuki Wahdi |The National Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia
Global Communions and Institutions
Rev. Dr. Christopher Ferguson | World Communion of Reformed Churches
Rev. Canon Grace Kaiso |Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa
Bishop Efraim Tender0 | Tom Albinson | Dr. Chris Elisara | World Evangelical Alliance
Bishop Rosemarie Wenner | World Methodist Council
Migrant-Serving Religious Institutions
Ms. Susana Jacob | Comisión Argentina Para Refugiados y Migrantes
Rev. John McCullough | Mr. Andrew Fuys | Church World Service
Mr. Renato Vera | Inter-Religious Committee for Refugees and Migrants in Peru
Christian Councils, Churches & Institutions
Maria Andrade| Loida Carriel |Tearfund
Ms. Trinidad Ariztia | Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Ms. Beth Baskin | United Church of Canada
Rev. Dr. Susan Henry-Crowe | Church and Society—The United Methodist Church
Marcelo Leites |World Student Christian Federation
Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson, II |Mr. Ryan D. Smith | Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
The Most Rev. Linda Nicholls | Dr. Andrea Mann | Anglican Church of Canada
Fr. Juan Carlos Quirarte | Salesianos de Don Bosco
Bishop Felipe Ruiz | Iglesia Metodista de Mexico
Rev. Ray Schellinger | American Baptist Churches USA
Ms. Anne-Marie Teeuwissen | Eglise Evangelique au Maroc
Mr. Mervin Toquero | National Council of Churches in the Philippines
Closing Remarks
Ms. Glorene Das
Migrant | Tenaganita | Executive Committee Member, International Migrants Alliance
Appendix B
SUSTAINABLE HUMAN MOBILITY: MORAL AND ETHICAL ISLAMIC GUIDE
Presented during High-Level Interfaith Invitational Event with Leaders of Religious Bodies and Institutions, 15
November 2019
KH. MARZUKI WAHID Secretary of the Institute for Research and Development of Human Resources
The National Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, Indonesia E-mail: [email protected]
INTRODUCTION It is a great honor for me to stand here today and participate in the High-Level Interfaith Invitational Event with
Leaders of Religious Bodies and Institutions with the theme “The Moral and Ethical Imperatives of Sustainable
Human Mobility”. I am deeply grateful to the CWWM who has invited me, especially to the General Board of
Churches and the Society of the United Methodist Church (GBCS), for recommending me to participate this
precious international forum.
The event is indeed a precious one because it is attended by distinguished people and discusses noble issues
of human being and contemporary humanity in the world, in relation to migrants, refugees, and uprooted
people. In the face of contemporary humanitarian problems, religions and each of us are indeed obliged to
speak, act and express our firmed stand toward those who have not received justice on this earth.
In this good opportunity, I would like to explain the moral and ethical Islamic guide in ensuring the sustainable of human mobility in the world. I delve the moral and ethical guide from the values and principles contained in the main sources of Islam, namely the Qur'an and al-Hadith. THE WORLD CREATED FOR ALL In the Islamic view, God created one world for all mankind. God does not discriminate people according to their background, whether religion, ethnicity, nation, skin color, gender, sexual orientation, or ideology. God positions all human equally and treats them fairly to enjoy all of His creation in the world (Surah al-Hujurāt: 13). In the name of God's love and His nature of Rahman and Rahim, God protect all human beings without discrimination in any form. God does not want the world only controlled and enjoyed by a few parties who have abundant power, knowledge and wealth (Surah al-Hashr: 7). Unilateral control and indulgence of the world is a form of tyranny and violation of human rights, especially right to rejoice the life. The attitude of oppression and injustice is not the ethical and moral expression that God wants. In God's eyes, all human beings are the same and equal. The status that is inherent in everyone, whether by choice of religion, ideology, sexual orientation, nationality, or ethnicity, race, color skin, and gender, which does not lessen the slightest honor of human before God to be able to manage and savour the world equally. This is the purpose of the "caliph" given by God to all human (Surah al-Baqarah: 30). MIGRATION IS A REALITY OF HUMANITY Although modern countries have already imposed strict boundaries and requirements, however interstate migration is an inevitable reality. Millions of people migrate between countries every year for many purposes. Migration is a human right that is respected and protected by religions, states, societies and the international world. It is undeniable that people migrate for various reasons. Among these reasons, that is prone to issues of security and safety, is the migration for work and displacement due to many unsafe causes in their respective home countries.
In this context, for many reasons, migrant workers and refugees are in the most vulnerable position. The primary vulnerabilities are trafficking, bodily exploitation’ sexual violence’ physical abuses, hunger, indecent living and subjected to violent extremism and terrorism activities. Such problems are caused, among many others, due to minimum knowledge, narrow provision of life, weak security protection, and the ignorance of the state and society. Such realities indicate that today’s world is confronting the loss of human morality and erosion of human solidarity. Human rights are being under threat. Countries are being tested for their concerns to humanity beyond nationalism and their constitutions. ISLAM PRESENTS FOR HUMAN AND HUMANITY Islam is present for humanity and upholds the values of humanity. The foundations of Islamic teachings are the wisdom (al-hikam) and the well-being of all mankind (mashālih al-'ibād). The whole of Islamic views are the teachings of humanity (al-insāniyyah), justice (al-'adālah), peace (ar-rahmah), and wisdom (al-hikmah). If there are things contrary to humanity, justice, peace, and wisdom, then it is not Islamic teachings, even though it speaks in the name of Islam (Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, I'lām al-Muwāqqi'īn 'an Rabb al-'Alamīn, Volume III, p. 37) Islam strongly opposes all forms of violence, exploitation, human trafficking, sexual harassment, and the use of vulnerable groups, whether committed by individuals, institutions, states or markets. Instead, Islam provides empathy, takes sides, provides strong support, and protects vulnerable groups, such as the poor (al-fuqarā wa al-masākīn), victims of exploitation and human trafficking (ar-riqāb), debt bondage (al-ghārimīn), immigrants and refugees (ibn sabīl) (Surat at-Tawbah: 60). They must be fought for in order to obtain their rights, both as human beings and as citizens of the world. Justice, happiness, and security are human rights and the obligation of others to make it realized. This obligation is universal, across borders, and transcending the barriers of nation, state, and religion. Islamic ethics upholds humanity above all. Islamic ethics does not justify the state defeating humanity in the interests of nationalism and the constitution. What is more important than nationalism, constitution and even democracy is humanity itself. There is no nationalism and democracy if there is no appreciation for human being and humanity. The Qur'an emphasizes that taking away the life of one person is the same as killing all mankind (Surah al-Mā'idah: 32). Immigrants, refugees, and uprooted people must be seen as human beings who adhere to human values fully. Anyone, including the state and the market, must appreciate, respect and protect the human rights inherent in them wholly and completely. Morally and legally, Islam strongly condemns the acts of human trafficking committed by anyone, especially to migrant workers. One of the hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad narrated by Abū Hurairah ra:
ن أبي سعيد عن أبي هريرة رضي هللا عنه عن النبي صلى هللا عليه وسلم حدثنا يوسف بن محمد قال حدثني يحيى بن سليم عن إسماعيل بن أمية عن سعيد ب
ولم يعطه أجره قال ثم قال هللا تعالى ثالثة أنا خصمهم يوم القيامة رجل أعطى بي ثم غدر ورجل باع حرا فأكل ثمنه ورجل استأجر أجيرا فاستوفى منه ص 2)صحيح البخاري ج 792)
From Abū Hurairah ra, from the Prophet Muhammad SAW said: "Allah says: there are three groups of people who on the Day of Judgment will later become my great enemies. First, the person who made a covenant loyal to me, but then betrayed me; second, people who sell free person then they eat the proceeds: and third, people who employ laborers, but do not provide wages after the workers complete his work” [Imam Bukhāri, Juz 2, p. 792]. Employing a worker, but does not pay him, this act is equivalent to human trafficking, which is to sell free person and eat the proceeds from the sale. This act can also be said as an act of enslaving workers.
9
Among the fundamental causes for the crime of human trafficking are unequal relations, both gender relations between men and women, worker and employer relations, and relations between sending countries and recipients countries. The phenomenon of human trafficking cannot be separated from the phenomenon of
9Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqallani, Fath al-Bâri, Juz V, p. 169.
violence against women, which is increasing in number every day. Violence generally occurs when social relations and power selections are uneven due to the strength of patriarchal culture - placing women as subordinates and second-class beings. In this unequal relationship, women are conditioned to become helpless humans, full of dependency to men, and in turn, they are “taken for granted”, exploited and trafficked inhumanely. The above explanation asserts that trafficking is not only an act that tarnishes the value and dignity of humanity, but also threatens and undermines the values that are built on by the religions, namely humanity, justice, equality, salvation, and compassion. Therefore, trafficking violates not only human rights, law and international agreements, norms and morality, but also violates the religious principles, universal values and morality. The basic question is how can this disappearance of humanity occur endlessly on the face of the ethics of all religions and the guidance of morality which all teach and lead to goodness, glory, and a dignified life on humanitarian principles? RECOMMENDATIONS For all these facts, through this prestigious forum, we recommend the followings:
1. The United Nations (UN) must ensure all states to value, respect and protect the rights of immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, and uprooted people, both as humans and as citizens of the world.
2. This forum must follow up on the formulation of international policies and the grand design of sustainable human mobility that respects human rights that should absolutely binding on all countries.
3. Religions are obliged to provide affirmation of empathic moral and ethics for immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, and uprooted people in order to obtain humane, fair and dignified treatment wherever they are.
4. Civil society must continue to work together and build strength in advocating and facilitating the infrastructure of fair and humane treatment for immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, and uprooted people in the world.
These are the main points of thoughts that I would like to convey today. I hope it can be beneficial in contributing to the advancement of the human rights of immigrants, migrant workers, refugees, and uprooted people in the world. Thank you very much.
Jakarta, 12 November 2019
Appendix C
ARYA SAMAJ SOUTH AFRICA
Vedic Sannyasa Mandal SWAMI VEDANAND SARASWATI
Spiritual Head
21 November 2019
A Response to the Moral and Ethical Imperatives of Sustainable Human Mobility
Ayam Bandhurayam Neti Ganana Laghuchetasam Udaracharitanam Tu
Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
"Only the narrow minded discriminate by saying: One is a relative; the other is a stranger. For those who live
magnanimously the entire world constitutes but a family."
Maha Upanishad (6.72)
This statement is not just about peace and harmony in the community, but it is most importantly about a truth that society as a
whole, all nations and races are one family, the children of One Universal Creator. This is what the phrase, Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam encapsulates. The ultimate goal Hindus strive for is the highest good and the welfare of all, i.e. to promote the
physical, spiritual and social development of all beings. No one should remain content with his or her own welfare but consider
his welfare in the welfare and well-being of all. The individual good is always latent in the collective good, this is what Hindu
Philosophy, as enshrined in the Vedic Scriptures, declares. In our daily prayers we pray;
Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Niraamayaah
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid Duhkha Bhaag Bhavet
“May ALL be happy. May ALL be healthy, May ALL attain peace and perfection. May none suffer.”
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (1.4.14)
The Hindu moral response to refugees must therefore begin theologically with the origin of all in God. The Upanishads, a
fundamental Hindu Scripture, seen as the essence of the Vedas, speak of God as “That from which all beings originate, by which
they are sustained and to which they will eventually return (Taittiriya Upanishad 3.1.1)." God is not the national or ancestral
deity of a particular religious or indigenous community, but the source of all life and existence. God is not limited by our own
man-made national borders and we should never assume that one community is favoured or privileged by God above all
others. National boundaries are not God's boundaries! The single moral value that expresses best the meaning of this divine
and human unity is compassion ('daya'). Daya is a Sanskrit word meaning "compassion", but more specifically, 'compassion or
love for all life'. However, it is not a mere display of kindness or sympathy to someone in distress. Daya calls for complete
identification with the suffering experienced by another living being and relieving that suffering as a means of relieving the
agony as if experienced by oneself. At the heart of this teaching is a fundamental humanism that flows from the vision of seeing
oneself in others, as clearly declared in the Vedas;
Yastu Sarvaani Bhutaan-Yaatmanne-Vaanu-Pashyati.
Sarve-Bhuuteshu Chaat-Maanam Tato Na Vi Chikit-Sati
"He who sees all beings in the self and the self in all beings, feels no hatred against any creature in the world, for, he realises
the oneness of all souls."
Yajur Veda 40.6
It further declares (Rig Veda (5/60/5)) that 'No one is superior or inferior; all are brothers; all should strive for the interest of
all and progress collectively'. Not only are all human beings born equally but are also born with equal dignity and human rights.
Human dignity cannot be ensured merely through constitutional means. It has to be embedded in the basic value system of the
society. Hinduism considers the Right of Happiness to be the highest fundamental right of all humans. The Atharva Veda goes
further and talks about various Rights and Duties.
"All have equal Rights to articles of food and water. The yoke of the chariot of life is placed equally on the shoulders of all. All
should live together in harmony supporting one another like the spokes of a wheel of the chariot connecting its rim and hub”.
(Atharva Veda - Samjnana Sukta)
Hinduism thus requires that we make the common good the purpose of public policy. Those concerned about the universal
common good, values and respects the dignity of all beings and are devoted to their flourishing, must adopt policies and actions
that aim to overcome such suffering. Human beings do not thrive when they are the victims of injustice, oppression and
violence or when they lack basic human rights as well as necessities such as health care, housing, education and work.
These core Hindu moral values must guide our response to refugees and the expression of these values into policies that
address the reality of suffering in their lives. Our priority must be for those who are forced to flee their homes because of
violence and threats to their very survival. It is immoral if, because of xenophobia, prejudice or economic situation, we shut our
hearts and our doors to those who come to us in desperate need for protection and the sustenance of life.
As a simple example I cannot prosper as an individual or individual family if my neighbor is poor. The so-called prosperous
nations of the world owe much of their prosperity to these nations that have been exploited, become poor and are projected as
migrants, refugees etc. It is our moral duty to help develop these countries so that they may each find happiness, employment
and joy in their native lands.
Yet again the Vedas declare;
Atithi Devo Bhava
This verily means realise that the Guest is God. In Vedic tradition, a 'deva' (Devo) is a divine being deserving of welcome,
reverence, respect and generosity. A deva is accorded hospitality and received with dignity. The word, atithi, which loosely
translates as "guest", literally means a person who comes to us or turns up unexpectedly. This can mean both the guest who
arrives at our door or the refugee who is forced to flee their home and who arrives in desperation at our borders. By speaking
of such persons as devas, the Vedas remind us of our moral obligations to treat them with reverence, respect and generosity. A
guest here is not defined in any way by religion, ethnicity, place of origin, age, or gender. The guest is deserving of our
hospitality by the fact of their inherent divinity as well as human dignity.
As we have a moral responsibility to look for the welfare and wellbeing of all, we must equally remember that this means doing
all we can to not only care for refugees, but also consider and prevent the dire factors that make people flee and become
refugees. Amidst the wars, poverty and civil unrests, the destruction of the environment and its resulting consequences are an
escalating factor causing many to flee their homelands. The lack of water alone, without which we cannot exist, is escalating at
an alarming rate.
According to the United Nations, by 2040 there will be up to 700 million water refuges and the world will only have 50% of the
water it needs. This is an explosion of a crisis that we are faced with today with disastrous consequences tomorrow. Climate
change is a reality that we cannot ignore any longer. The Amazon is burning! Deforestation is taking place at a remarkably
deadly pace just to graze the cows who will become our future hamburgers. We are killing our animals and, in the process,
exploiting our natural resources and killing this planet faster than we can even think. In Hinduism, the protection and
preservation of earth is vital, as declared in the Yajur Veda (36/13); “May this dear green earth be free from exploitation and be
full of wealth and abundance. Generous an expansive, may she provide a happy and comfortable home for all of us to live in
peace joy and harmony!" Where is the harmony in our actions as a society today? Prevention is better than cure! We are the
only solution to the crisis that we have created.
If we as a society choose to change and move away from our own selfish and hateful agendas, something amazing happens.
When all the hatred and selfishness is out, you put our values and morals back in, values like compassion, love, integrity and
kindness, values that are natural to humanity and enshrined in the Vedas.
You put all this in, and our whole world changes. You put this in; and we become one, healthy, undivided and compassionate
family, united in our diversity. This is Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. No one flees, because everyone is happy!
Life is not about sustainability, but thriveability. We must not only sustain and survive, but thrive!
As the Arya Samaj South Africa, the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance and the Hindu Community at large, we wish to express our
full support and solidarity with the CWWM's mission, as well as with every migrant, refugee and displaced person, and we are
committed to working with you in this regard. We are outraged at the abuse, lack of respect and dignity, as well inhumane
torture that our fellow brothers and sisters are exposed to, and more-so, that there is very little or no legally enforceable
framework to protect them. We demand that the U.N., as well as governments globally, undertake to ensure that non-legally
binding frameworks such as the GCM become mandatorily and legally enforceable in all nations of the world, as well as ensure
that the very same Compact thoroughly safeguards and enforces, in every way possible, the human rights and inherent dignity
of every migrant, refugee and displaced person.
May our collective actions, as one multi-faith family, speak louder than the sound of bombs that threaten to divide us. We
cannot witness injustice and keep silent anymore. We cannot talk but be actionless anymore! It is time we go out without fear
of condemnation, without fear of ridicule, and be a voice of action, truth and compassion for those who cannot speak, and
whose cries fall on deaf ears.
There is only one humanity, one nature, one earth and one chance. We are all a part of it! We all are responsible! We can change
the word and we must change the world. In the words of, Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see". It's no longer a
matter of how, but when!
With much love, light, peace and blefsings,
Swami Vedananle Saraswati
Spiritual Head - Arya Samaj South Africa
Africa Project Coordinator - Global Interfaith WASH Alliance
45 Meerut Rd, Westville - Durban - P.O Box 1770, Durban, 4000 Contact: +27 31 267 0544 - Email:
Website: www.aryasamajsouthafrica.org @thearyasamajsa
f Arya Samaj South Africa @ thearyasamajsa
Appendix D
Closing Remarks:
The Moral and Ethical Imperatives of Sustainable Human Mobility
My name is Glorene Das, a third generation of migrant in Malaysia. I have flown 34 hours from Malaysia to be part
of the 10th CWWM International Consultation and to be part of this auspicious events , on Quito, Ecuador.
It is a very significant day , as I stand in front of you, representing IMA ( International Migrants Alliance) the first
global alliance composed of and led by grassroots migrants which unites more than 160 organizations from all
global regions, a few from the region representatives are with us here today.
IMA has a motto , which goes like this, “ For a long time , others have spoken on our behalf, now we speak for
ourselves”. This motto expresses our aspirations to be recognized as migrants , refugees, workers and above all – a
human being with rights and voices.
Which is why this event is so important to us because as migrants , refugees and displaced people , we are
excluded and unheard, we are rendered invisible despite our work, our role , our contribution , we are blamed for
societal problems.
Today, forced migration has become our reality with more than 250 million migrants , and 63 million displaced
people around the world, the number continues to grow. We are forced to leave our homeland because of
globalization causing poverty and unemployment, war and conflict and environmental destruction. Yet, when we
migrate to our “dreamland”, we are exploited and trapped into debt bondage, trafficked or tricked into slavery,
denied our human rights and freedom, we are vulnerable to abuse. Many have disappeared, some even died.
Unfortunately, as the crisis of neoliberal globalization is deepening, the situation of migrants and refugees is also
worsening.
As such we truly welcome the opportunity for IMA and the migrants to be in this event, so please accept our
appreciation for giving us this space and this moment to express our eagerness and willingness to work with each
one of you to increase the protection and uphold the human rights and dignity of the affected communities in this
globalized work.
From 10.00am this morning , we heard the strong and powerful united voices on advocacy efforts, services and the
solidarity role of the religious bodies , institutions and organization for the well being of all migrants and refugees.
We thank you for sharing your statements of commitments to us , and for the initiatives you have all began with
us.
Therefore on behalf, of all migrants , refugees , displaced peoples, indigenous communities and LGBTQ Groups , I ‘d
say ,
“ Ask us not what’s our religion , race or creed, just take us in our hours of need, continue to let us know that you
care for us, care enough to act, and share spaces, resources and wealth, so there’s equality and equity.
Mucho gracias for this opportunity ! Long Live International Solidarity.
Appendix E
International Panel on Narratives of Forced Migration, Exploitation and
Resistance
Organized by the CWWM and the International Migrants Alliance
15 November 2019, 2:00PM – 5:30PM
The International Panel on Narratives of Forced Migration, Exploitation and Resistance is a
space for grassroots migrants and other displaced peoples to speak and present stories
highlighting their concerns and agenda, and the importance of building movements from the
ground to defend and uphold their rights and wellbeing.
It will be held to complement initiatives of churches, faith-based organisations, grassroots
organizations and service institutions in relation to the Global Forum on Migration and
Development (GFMD).
While the GFMD has been moved to January 2020, formations such as Churches Witnessing
With Migrants (CWWM) and the International Migrants Alliance (IMA) have decided to pursue
planned events in Quito, Ecuador to generate solidarity, put the spotlight on migrants in
general and migrants in and from Latin America and Caribbean in particular, and build up
advocacy towards the GFMD and other spaces in the future.
The planned international panel feeds into the workshops and discussions that CWWM10 will
have on November 16 and 17.
Meanwhile for the IMA, the activity will give the global and regional context on migration that
will enrich the planned National Assembly of Ecuadorian Migrants, and the Cultural and
Solidarity Speakout on November 16.
The program of the international panel will be as follows:
I. Opening Remarks
Antonio Arizaga, International Migrants Alliance
II. Narratives o Forced Migration and Displacement
Speakers: Joanna Concepcion, Migrante International (Philippines)
Monica Emirou Enyou, National Association of Women Organisations (Uganda)
Katalina Lopez, Movimiento Migrantes Mesoamericano (Guatemala)
Marco Mejia, IMA USA
III. Narratives of Exploitation
Speakers: Sringatin, AMCB (Hong Kong)
Bojana Tamindzija, Center for Politics of Emancipation (Serbia)
Benjamin Ficklin, South Texas Human Rights Center (USA)
IV. Narratives of Struggles and Resistance
Speakers: Glorene Das, Tenaganita (Malaysia)
Karen Balbin, Colombian Refugees Organisation (Chile)
Ana Robelo, IMA USA
V. Reaction from CWWM
Speaker: Rev. Ray Schellinger
American Baptist Churches USA
Appendix F
Responding to the Migrants’ Narratives at the 10th CWWM International Consultation
By Rev. Ray Schellinger, American Baptist Churches
We, as communities of faith, have been given the unique opportunity to listen to the voices of migrants and those at the grass roots level who have given their hearts and their passion to advocate for their fellow sojourners. We understand that in asking for your trust, we don’t take this responsibility lightly. You have said, “Now we speak for ourselves.” We want you to know that we see you, we hear you, and we honor you.
There have been a number of themes which have resonated throughout your testimonies, and I would like to reflect here on three of those.
Dehumanization
We have heard and we have seen, again and again, the many ways in which the humanity of migrants is not recognized. Traffickers and exploiters treat human beings as commodities, valued only for the wealth that can be extracted from their labor or their lives. Employers feel empowered to imprison, abuse, beat, and even murder domestic workers with impunity. Migrants face horrendous abuse along every stage of their journeys, and when many of them die along the way, their bodies are left on the ground where they fall, or are buried in mass graves with no recognition that a human life has been extinguished.
Even our political and social leaders have referred to migrants and asylum seekers as animals, criminals, murderers, traffickers and rapists, just for trying to preserve their lives. Our nations have used inhuman detention regimes as an answer to the arrival of migrants to our borders. Millions of people are forced to live, work and sacrifice without documents, protection of their rights, or the freedom to join the communities around them.
Though we have too often lost sight of the humanity of the stranger before us, it is our own humanity that is truly being lost in the unjust treatment of the ones whose survival is in our hands.
If we are to re-humanize that which we have dehumanized, we must begin to see in the faces of each and every stranger, the face of our brothers and sisters, or even more than that, the face of the divine presence living among us.
Systemic and Structural Challenges
It has been made abundantly clear that in order to affect real change in the welcome and treatment of migrants, we must challenge the structures and systems which have created the current global crisis.
The effects of colonialism and neo-colonialism are evident still in the distribution of resources and the access to power within countries and between them. Neo-liberal economic policies pull the national resources of indebted countries away from addressing the needs of the people and channel them to the rich or out of these countries altogether.
Global capitalism has created a reality in which people are treated as commodities to be exploited by those who hold capital. Commerce and capital are almost unlimited in their ability to cross borders to the places where they can yield the most profit, but human beings are not allowed to move to where they can earn a just living. Land and natural resources that indigenous and marginalized people depend are exploited and despoiled by those who are immune to the consequences but who profit from their destruction. Global capitalism treats all things and all people only by the value that can be extracted from them.
There has been a tendency among the richest countries to identify themselves as the victims of the global mass movement of people crossing borders, decrying the need to absorb the multitudes of migrants who are coming to their borders for asylum, for dignified work, for hope. In taking this identification, these nations have chosen to ignore completely the role that the systems they have put into place and actively sustain have created the mass movements of migrants to begin with. It is not an accident that the mass movement of migrants closely traces the routes back to the colonizing countries from the nations they have historically exploited.
If we are to come alongside migrants, if we are to build ministries of service, rescue and welcome, we must also come to terms with the economic and structural realities which drive migration, and which must be addressed if we are to have an impact on the lives of those we are called to protect.
Organization
When it comes to protecting the lives and rights of migrants, the need for organization and mobilization is evident at every level. For instance, it is exactly the breakdown of community structures in many remote areas which lead to the conditions which drives migration to begin with. As societal structures breakdown, local, grass roots organization becomes the greatest resource to help people remain in the homes where they would prefer to stay.
A lot has been said about the mass movements of people leaving Central America. Many people have viewed the caravans as a threat or invasion. What they do not recognize is that these organized movements have been formed exactly for the protection of those who felt the need to abandon their communities, but bonded together to protect themselves, knowing that the majority of migrants moving on their own are constantly abused and victimized along the journey. Many similar movements have formed organically when migrants have relied on strength in numbers, often the resource they have.
Organization is also essential to protect the rights of migrants who are subject to abuse by employers, traffickers and government actors. Workers movements with the support of civil society and faith communities have been very effective at calling public attention to abuses and influencing legal protections.
Strength in numbers also means new forms of coordination among the hundreds of organizations which are working for welcome and justice around the world. Central to this
Is a need for those of us from the western capitalist power centers to join with those of you from the excluded majority, not just make these stories known in our churches, in our halls of government, in our communities, but to have your presence at every stage of leadership and organization.
Pastoral Response
As we have listened to the stories you have presented, and done our best to walk with you on the journey, we are overwhelmed by the pain that migrants have born along the way.
I want to offer a pastoral response.
I once heard it said, that “when you offer people hope, you have to be prepared to receive and accept some of their hopelessness.”
We thank those who have offered to carry, again and again, this burden of hopelessness.
In the midst of the pain and hopelessness, we hear God’s voice from Isaiah 40 telling us:
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed.
Again and again the biblical narrative shares the stories of God bringing God’s people home.
This passage is spoken to a Jewish nation exiled in Babylon, with an impassable desert between them and their home in Jerusalem. It would have seemed impossible for them to break free of their captors and cross this cruel Wilderness, high mountain passes, low valleys, and rugged and dry expanses.
And to them God says:
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
If you pay attention to the verbs in this text, you will see that they are spoken in the imperative. This is not God saying what God will do alone, but rather the command to all of us.
Comfort,
Prepare,
make straight
In the midst of the wilderness, we are called to begin the work of bringing God’s people home, or perhaps, bringing home to God’s people.
This is what you are doing! And we give thanks for every effort that you make on behalf of those stranded so far from home.
By doing it we hold our hope in the midst of this present hopelessness that indeed, one day and one day soon,
Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
May God bless you in this work, and remember, God’s glory is revealed as we help bring God’s children home.