Probably, it is also written in the constitution of your country: Men and women are equal. They have the same rights and the same  duties. There should not be a difference between the genders before the law.

However, that is not really the case. A new report of the gender unit of the United Nations UN Women details some injustices.  For example:

• Inheritance laws in many countries are unfavorable towards women. The daughter, or even the wife does not get as much as the son.
• Many countries have no protection against rape in marriage.
• A legal minimum age for marriage is often not enforced.

These and many more cases are explained in the report “Progress of the World’s Women – In Pursuit of Justice”. Gender justice was a priority theme for the LWF Pre-Assembly Youth Conference last year. This is great information to follow up.

Many of you followed the young Lutherans who joined others in promoting peace in the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (they posted here, here, here, and here).

The youth contributions of this meeting have now been collected in a report. You can download the pdf here.

If you are really concerned about injustices around climate change and the ecology world wide, this program might be exactly for you.

The Water Network in the World Council of Churches and the LWF youth desk organize together a multiplier training. Youth for Eco-Justice is a transformational leadership training program for change makers in churches and faith-based organizations worldwide. It starts with a two-week training and immersion in the context of the international climate change negotiations (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa (26 November – 10 December 2011). The participants will initiate and implement a project in their home context in the months following the seminar on a volunteer basis.

For us, this obviously directly connects with LWF together – the earth needs you and is meant for participants who want to bring their contribution to a global stage and dig deeper at the same time.

You can read more information here and apply online here.

… so that all may live free from fear.

“Love your neighbour as yourself.” “Pray for those who persecute you.”

(Luke 10:27; Matthew 5:44)

The discussion about Peace in the Community, during the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation in Jamaica, started with the challenge of How do we live out the hope of “Loving our neighbours as ourselves” in a world deeply marred by violence in a variety of ways?

During the day, the plenary was focused in the discussion of violence against women, violence of racism and other forms of discrimination and violence caused by the assertion of religious identities, with the aim of hold forth affirmation of the dignity and equality of all human beings, re-imagining churches as open, just and inclusive communities.

Among the panellists of the day, Dr Martin Luther King III, the son of the famous civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr, brought to the IEPC participants the reflection on the ways the world believe in peace and justice. He reaffirmed that we can’t continue to preach peace and to practice war.

Dr Martin Luther King III, who experienced the violence in his own family, still believes that there is no way of peace if we try to solve our problems in a way “eye-for-an-eye and a tooth-for-a-tooth”. He asked the communities of faith to not only talk about peace but to promote peace, being an example of peace in the world, starting in the individual homes.

As a young participant, listening to the son of one of the biggest leaders of civil rights, I felt really encouraged when he challenged the young people to talk about peace, using the media tools we have, like Twitter or Facebook. We, young women and men, can contribute a lot to the promotion of peace and make the world a better place. We need to make this topic our commitment and share how we are promoting peace in our community.

Every day, in our different realities we are facing discrimination of people and the struggle for justice. We have so many people without access to the basic needs and what are we doing to promote justice for those people? How are we helping them to achieve peace? In other regions, we have people suffering for religious conflicts. How we are facing it and how we are trying to help our communities in these questions? Some people are suffering the discrimination for being women or part of a minority. How do we accept that?

Yes, our communities are doing something. Still, it’s not enough. However, we need to share with others what we are doing and how is possible to turn the reality, creating a better world with inclusion of all. Maybe, the start can be participating and helping projects in our churches. Maybe, sharing with others our work. You can also do something avoiding discrimination of women and minorities. You just need to participate and be part of this call. The challenge is to love your neighbour as yourself, like Christ said.

I’ll finalize with the words of Marthin Luther King III: “We have to make this world a better place. Tweet what people are doing. It’s young people who are going to lead this struggle. It’s your calling. Every generation has a calling. Maybe this generation’s calling is a peaceful world.”

Daniele Schmidt Peter from the Evangelical Church of Lutheran Confession in Brazil – serving as steward at the IEPC

During the day that had the theme “Peace in the Marketplace” the Bible study focused on the text of the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16 which talks about the landowner who throughout the day hired people to work in his vineyard and when night came paid everyone the same regardless of how many hours they had worked.

In my Bible study group we played a game where everyone received different amount of money and then had to try and buy necessary things from the very unjust banker. Later we discussed how the kingdom of God means inclusion of everyone.

Question for reflection: Who are the persons standing in the Marketplace doing nothing?

The “Ecumenical Call to Just Peace” states that: Peace in the Marketplace is nurtured by creating “economies of life”. Their essential foundations are equitable socio-economic relationships, respect for workers rights, the just sharing and sustainable use of resources, healthy and affordable food for all, and broad participation in economic decision-making.

In the afternoon I attended a work-shop about the Gothenburg Process, an ecumenical initiative where churches and church related organisations work together to raise the understanding and the knowledge of the ethical challenges posed by the arms trade.

In the market of arms trade I am ashamed of my country,Sweden, that measured by amount of population is among the biggest weapon exporters in the world.  

After the day of “Peace in the Marketplace” I have become even more aware of how my patterns of consumption contribute to, or the contrary, not just peace in the marketplace but also in all aspects of society. It challenges me to make better choices regarding for example Fair Trade and ecological products.

One of the songs in the closing prayer describes what could perhaps be an “economy of life” that the “Ecumenical Call to Just Peace” talks of. It goes:

“On the green, green grass

They gathered long ago

To hear what the Master said.

What they had they shared

Some fish and some loaves

They served until all were fed.”

 “To share is to create a miracle”, as bishop Kameeta said last year in the LWF Youth Pre-Assembly in Dresden.

Sanna Eriksson

Representative from the Church of Sweden at the IEPC.