04.12.2023

Keep what is right and do justice!

From left to right: Rev. Dr. Jochen Motte, member of the UEM Management Team and Head of the Department for JPIC; Hayat Chaoui, Leader of the choir WoW - Women of Wuppertal; Rev. Markus Schaefer, Head of the Ecumenical Department of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland; Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind, Lord Mayor of Wuppertal (Germany); Rev. Volker Martin Dally, UEM General Secretary; Thea Hummel, UEM Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator; Rev. Dr. Dyah Ayu Krismawati, member of the UEM Management Team and Executive Secretary of the Asia Department. Photo by: Lara Diederich Fotodesign

From left to right: Thea Hummel, UEM Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator; Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind, Lord Mayor of Wuppertal (Germany); Rev. Dr. Jochen Motte, member of the UEM Management Team and Head of the Department for JPIC; Frank Schwabe MP, Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion and Belief. Photo by: Lara Diederich Fotodesign

"Wars, crises and injustice have moved us in the UEM in these decades to this day," says Jochen Motte, member of the UEM Management Team and Head of the Department for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation: "Since 1993, the UEM has been particularly committed to people in its community who are affected by war, injustice, violence and environmental destruction / climate change."

The motto of this year's human rights campaign is "Keep What is Right and do Justice! 75 years of Universal Human Rights - Protection of Victims of Injustice and Violence!". It thus follows the 75-year tradition of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the one hand, and on the other hand the 30-year tradition of an international UEM campaign to stand up for these human rights.

UEM has invited people to Wuppertal to mark the occasion:

Although Frank Schwabe MP, Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion and Belief, saw "shrinking spaces" in various countries, he also recognised a positive development: "We are now having these discourses! An incredible amount has happened since the 1990s!" He would like to see a stronger dialogue within religions worldwide between those who represent a majority in their country and those who form a minority of the same religion in another country. In this way, much could be done for the rights of religious minorities in inner-religious dialogue.

"It is important to raise awareness of what a resource faith is. In all religions, this is the good core that gives each individual a compass when things start to slip. For example, when a senior citizens' group from the conservative christian party visits a mosque, a lot of interaction takes place. It is also important for Wuppertal's urban society to learn from the international and interreligious experience of the UEM, also for the dialogue between religions,” said Prof. Dr. Uwe Schneidewind, Lord Mayor of Wuppertal (Germany), emphasizing the relevance of the UEM for Wuppertal's urban society and discourse.

For Rev. Dr. Dyah Ayu Krismawati, member of the UEM Management Team and Executive Secretary of the Asia Department, working on the human rights situation is an ongoing challenge for the UEM and its member churches in Asia. For her, this work arises not only from the situation of Christians in Indonesia as a minority of around 10% of the population, but also from the responsibility for the people in Indonesia: "With the UEM, we are continuously working on the human rights situation."

Rev. Markus Schaefer, Head of the Ecumenical Department of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, reported on how human rights are inherently part of the Christian faith, especially at church grassroots level. God's solidarity with humanity is a model for the solidarity of believers with each other and with others. This is becoming increasingly important in the current debate on asylum: "The culture of welcome in Germany is virtually non-existent right now. That makes it very difficult for people who arrive here. Yet they are people! With rights! Especially when they make use of their rights." This is where the church must make itself uncomfortable and remain uncomfortable in society.

"To this day, People of Color are denied that they 'really' come from Germany. Their belonging and their humanity are questioned. That is racism. It starts in everyday life and, as we have seen with the National Socialist Underground and the murder of Walter Lübke, it kills people." said Thea Hummel, Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator of the UEM. She pointed out that 25% of adults and 45% of children in Germany have a so-called migration background according to the microcensus.

UEM General Secretary Rev. Volker Dally moderated the talk and thanked especially the coworkers of the department for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation for their continuing work on this campaign, and in the past 30 years.

The opening of the human rights campaign was accompanied by the choir WoW - Women of Wuppertal, which unites over 30 languages and connects people from different countries through song, conducted by Hayat Chaoui, Head of vocal department at the music school in Wuppertal.

In conclusion, Jochen Motte said of the opening: "We are delighted to commemorate and honour 75 years of human rights together today, to discuss current challenges and to encourage each other to stand up for human rights in Germany and worldwide in difficult times."