11.12.2020

Against Discrimination and Exclusion

On yesterday's International Human Rights Day, the United Evangelical Mission (UEM) opened its new human rights campaign, which is under the biblical motto from James 4:12 "But who are you to judget your neighbour? The campaign opening was a premiere in two respects: For the first time, the human rights campaign was launched simultaneously in all three UEM regions, namely in the regional office in Dar-es-Salaam (Tanzania), in the regional office in Pematangsiantar (Indonesia) and in the Wuppertal Mission House. This was made possible by an online conference software with which all participants from Africa, Asia and Germany communicated with each other. In order to allow a larger audience to participate in the program, the live and video contributions were simultaneously broadcast on the UEM YouTube channel. In this way, several hundred viewers from all over the world were able to experience the digital event live and exchange views in chat.

Statements by young adults from Africa, Asia and Germany

The program of the event was also characterized by a high level of inter- and transcultural participation. In his introduction, Jochen Motte, who as a member of the board and head of the Peace, Justice and Integrity of Creation Department is responsible for the annual human rights campaign, mentioned not only the biblical story of Cain and Abel, but also everyday examples of discrimination and exclusion that now determine the lives of many people in all parts of the world. Especially young adults from the African, Asian and German UEM member churches had their say during the event. In their meditation they made clear that Christian values are not compatible with exclusion and racism. In many statements they described personal experiences and observations of discrimination in everyday life and in the church context, their own discrimination against others and formulated their expectations of the church in dealing with discrimination within their own ranks and beyond.

In addition, the statements of the church leaders from Tanzania, Bishop Malasusa (ELCT-ECD) and Bishop Keshomshahara (ELCT-NWD), the vice-moderator of the Asia region Rosmalia Barus (GBKP), and from Germany, Bishop Hofmann (EKKW), Church President Jung (EKHN) and Praeses Rekowski (EKiR), created a certain amount of tension. The church leaders recognized and named direct and indirect and often unconscious discrimination within their churches.

Projects to overcome discrimination and exclusion

In another video contribution, projects from the three UEM regions that member churches have initiated to overcome discrimination and exclusion were presented. These include the YATTA (Youth Advocates Through Theatre Arts) project of the UCCP church in the Philippines, which offers young people a kind of refuge, a project to support teenage mothers of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church and the Evangelical Anglican Church in Rwanda, and the "color-blind" project against racism of the youth church in Hamm, which belongs to the Evangelical Church in Westphalia. Further projects will be implemented in the course of next year.

As a musical contribution, the song "We shall overcome" was played - an international digital choir project with which the UEM sets an audible sign against racism. In his meditation, the General Secretary Volker Martin Dally interpreted the motto from James 4,12 and concluded his call for solidarity with the Christmas message: "Do it like God, become human! In live contributions prayers, greetings and the common blessing were sent out from the three UEM locations to the YouTube world.

The stream of the opening event can be watched on YouTube. The information brochure of the event can be downloaded here. Further information under www.vemission.org/humanrights2021.

Martina Pauly (Teamleader Communication & Media)