wfn.org | FEATURE: Where the LWF Becomes Part of Civil Society

["Frank Imhoff" <Frank.Imhoff@elca.org>]

FEATURE: Where the LWF Becomes Part of Civil Society
Increased LWF Participation, Commitment to World Social Forum

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil/GENEVA, 16 February 2005 (LWI) * The Lutheran World
Federation (LWF) has participated in the World Social Forum (WSF) since
the second such forum in 2002 in Porto Alegre, Brazil. With each passing
year, the LWF delegation has grown in numbers and involvement in the
various activities offered under the WSF theme "Another World is Possible." Brazilian journalist Susanne Buchweitz, reporting for Lutheran World
Information (LWI), spoke with a cross section of the 60-person delegation
attending the January 26-31 forum in Porto Alegre.

"It was a very good opportunity for me to learn many things about the
forum and current global issues," said Mr Imrul Kayes Muniruzzaman,
director for social empowerment projects at the Rangpur Dinajpur Rural
Service (RDRS) in Bangladesh. RDRS is one of the 24 field programs of the
LWF Department for World Service (DWS).

Muniruzzaman and his colleague Ms Dilrose Hossain participated in a
workshop on a rights-based approach to development. They presented RDRS'
evolution since its inception as an LWF/ DWS country program soon after
Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971, to an associate program in 1997,
nationally recognized as a leading non-governmental organization (NGO) in
development. RDRS was initially involved in relief work, supporting
refugee repatriation. But from 1980 onward, it started rural development
activities focusing on health, education and agriculture. "But we were
working in isolation, not in an all-inclusive manner, and we realized this
kind of assistance did not help the needy people improve their livelihood.
They needed more comprehensive support," Muniruzzaman said.

RDRS has since moved into more comprehensive development activities,
adopting a holistic approach. Today, RDRS works with 300,000 poor families
in seven districts in the country's northern region. The focus is on
social empowerment; improving livelihoods through agricultural and
environmental activities; as well as micro-finance projects.

Bangladesh - with a population of over 141 million people - is an
extremely poor country, Hossain stressed. "People are deprived of many
things, including their rights, and there is little awareness and
education especially about people's right to land and women's rights,"
reported Hossain, RDRS senior program manager for innovative projects
including HIV/AIDS prevention, and collaboration with NGO networks.

Linking Up with Networks, Addressing Human Injustices

Ms Shashi Rijal, advocacy co-ordinator with the DWS field program in
Nepal, attended several workshops related to human rights violations and
territorial obligations. "I certainly have learnt a lot of things that
will allow me to move forward with my responsibilities." Started in 1984,
LWF/DWS Nepal focuses on empowering the most vulnerable groups in society
to achieve a just and sustainable livelihood. There is increasing focus on
advocacy and networking to support civil society efforts that seek to
address injustices particularly with regard to marginalized and disadvantaged groups and communities such as the 'untouchables' (Dalits) and freed
bonded laborers (kamaiyas). The program also supports over 100,000
Bhutanese refugees living in seven camps in southeast Nepal.

Ms Marta André Uetela, responsible for human rights issues with the
LWF/DWS field program in Mozambique was participating in the forum for the
first time. "Before coming here, I wasn't sure there would be room to
discuss Mozambique's concerns, but I discovered the problems are common to
all." The LWF Mozambique program covers five of the country's ten
provinces. Its priorities include support to community members to reduce
risk and vulnerability to HIV/AIDS, and alleviation of the impact on those
affected by the epidemic. It also works with the most vulnerable people in
society to ensure food security, promotion of human rights, healthy
life-styles and an enhanced ability to manage the environment.

Rights-Based Approach Provides Tools to "Attack Causes"

Many members of the LWF delegation took part in discussions on a rights-based approach to development. "The LWF has been involved in human rights and
development work since its very inception. What is new, however, is the
deliberate effort in the past two or three years to bring together human
rights practitioners and those working strictly in development," said Ms
Maria Immonen, LWF/DWS program officer for advocacy and communication.
Though significantly influenced by human rights work, development practice
has not been able to change power structures, she noted. "The rights-based
approach allows us to have tools to attack causes that are behind each
country's problems: for instance, lack of water, what causes it and what
can the local population do?" she urged.

A rights-based approach uses United Nations human rights legislation in a
development context, so there is increased focus on holding governments
accountable. "It also has an effect on how we view the people with whom we
work. We no longer refer to them as beneficiaries, instead they are people
who are rights holders," Immonen added. LWF/DWS works in 37 countries
worldwide through four regional, 15 country and five associate programs
and emergency operations.

Ms Vidhya Rani, women's desk secretary, United Evangelical Lutheran Church
in India (UELCI) and regional coordinator for the LWF Women in Church and
Society desk, mainly focused on the issue of water privatization, a
growing concern in India. "The UELCI marked 2004 as the 'Year of Water',"
with the aim to involve the member churches in addressing the concern, she
said. At the forum, Rani joined in a seminar organized by the International Coalition Against Privatization of Water, during which several perspectives on water privatization and its impact on the poor were presented.

Important LWF Contribution to Diakonia, Humanitarian Assistance

"The LWF had an unprecedented level of participation in this year's WSF,
both in terms of numbers and diversity," said delegation leader Mr Peter
Prove, LWF Assistant to the General Secretary in the Office for International Affairs and Human Rights.

The team included at least one representative from each continent. "That
is an enormous evolution in terms of LWF presence from two or three years
ago, when there were three or four people. It is also a sign of a much
greater commitment," Prove said. He recalled that the LWF Tenth Assembly
in Winnipeg, Canada, in July 2003 acknowledged the WSF as an important
place for the Lutheran communion's engagement in the struggles for social
justice.

However, the LWF should not assume it comes to the WSF only to learn, but
also to teach. "I think we also have something very important to contribute in terms of our experience of diakonia and humanitarian assistance.
Certainly from my perspective, contributions made by the LWF to discussions at the WSF have been good and valuable for others, and this is important," he said.

Prove recalled a statement made by Rev. Angel F. Furlan, former president
of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Argentina) three years ago:
"The World Social Forum is a place where churches can be part of civil
society, rather than walking in front of civil society, or dragging along
behind civil society."

The WSF 2005 LWF delegation leader asserted there was no other forum like
the WSF in terms of  bringing together global civil society. "Of course,
it is imperfectly realized, it is not really comprehensive geographically.
One might say that it does not include the real grassroots, but it has
already established itself as the peak international forum for civil
society struggles for social and economic justice." (1,207 words)

(Adapted from the original Portuguese written for LWI by Brazilian
journalist Susanne Buchweitz.)

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran
tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 138
member churches in 77 countries all over the world, with a membership of
nearly 66 million Christians. The LWF acts on behalf of its member
churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and inter-faith
relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication,
and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat
is located in Geneva, Switzerland.)

[Lutheran World Information (LWI) is the LWF's information service. Unless
specifically noted, material presented does not represent positions or
opinions of the LWF or of its various units. Where the dateline of an
article contains the notation (LWI), the material may be freely reproduced
with acknowledgment.]

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