The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s National Bishop Susan C. Johnson and The Anglican Church of Canada (ACC)’s Archbishop Fred Hiltz issued a joint 2008 Easter Greeting. A copy of the full text follows:

Dear Friends in Christ,

With gratitude for all that God has done for us in Christ, we join you in the journey of Holy Week. It takes us “from the glory of the palms to the glory of the resurrection, by way of the dark road of suffering and death.” (p 297, The Book of Alternative Services) As the days pass the drama heightens.

Through the liturgy we recall the last supper, the agony in the garden and the trial. On Good Friday we are following Jesus hour by hour, and moment by moment. As he hangs on the cross we cling to his words, forgiving all who look to him in faith, caring for his dear mother, thirsting for refreshment, longing for love’s redeeming work to be finished, commending his spirit into the hands of his Father. As he breathes his last there is silence – in our hearts and throughout the whole Church. Our Lord, as the Apostles’ Creed puts it, is “dead and buried.”

And then comes the night when the Church gathers in vigil awaiting the joyous message that, “He is risen! Alleluia.”

So begins the great 50-day festival of Easter. With joy we hear the stories of the Risen Lord greeting Mary Magdalene, inviting Thomas to believe, calling Peter to shepherd his flock, opening the scriptures and breaking bread at an inn in Emmaus, breathing upon the apostles and sending them into the world in the power of the Holy Spirit. As people of faith, we find ourselves in these stories.

For Holy Week our prayer is that as Christ gave himself for us, we may give ourselves to him through lives of faith and abiding commitment to his gospel of love.

For Easter our prayer is that we may know joy, peace, and hope in the Risen Lord, and that “by his grace, we will be enabled to show the power of his resurrection in all we say and do.” (Proper for Second Sunday of Easter, p 32, Evangelical Lutheran Worship)

In Him,

We are sincerely yours,

The Rev. Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and The Most Rev. Fred Hiltz, Archbishop and Primate, The Anglican Church of Canada

View a pdf version of the greeting: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/documents/2008Easter.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s National Church Council (NCC) met in Winnipeg from March 5-8. On Saturday, council began their session at 9:00 a.m. with Opening Devotions by Tom Brook.

The first report of the day was from Ruth Vince, Executive Director of Evangelical Lutheran Women Inc. (ELW). Vince spoke to NCC about the upcoming ELW Board Meeting scheduled for March 27-30 where the board will be exploring possible outcomes from recent cross-Canada focus groups. Also on the horizon for ELW is the 2008 National ELW Quadrennial Convention, taking place in Calgary, AB July 10-13, 2008. NCC Council members praised Vince and ELW for the recent work being done on resources for the whole church. Both "What’s Enough" and "No Place Like Home" have been very well received in ELCIC congregations. Bishop Johnson thanked Vince for the partnership in ministry ELW has expressed with the ELCIC and applauded the continued courage of ELW to share, "signs of hope with the church in the midst of challenging times."

NCC reviewed the appointments of two ELCIC board positions on the Canadian Lutheran World Relief (CLWR) Board of Directors. Both Rev. Dr. Mark Harris and Rev. Dr. Faith Rohrbough were re-appointed to the CLWR board for a second term.

NCC members shared some final thoughts on the visioning work they had done earlier in the meeting. A motion to adopt the visioning directions in principle was carried unanimously. It was explained that the vision principles, organized around five areas of emphasis, will provide a framework for the work of the National Office. Highlights from the visioning sessions include the church continuing its emphasis on being a more outward-looking church, along with striving to articulate the ELCIC’s unique Lutheran role in living out the call to discipleship and how the ELCIC might answer that call through diverse and effective partnerships both within Canada and globally.

The next meeting of NCC will take place September 11-13, 2008 in Winnipeg. NCC meetings are also scheduled for March 5-7, 2009 and September 10-12, 2009. The meeting concluding with Closing Worship service. Bishop Susan Johnson presided and the Rt. Rev. Colin Johnson, Bishop of Toronto of the Anglican Church of Canada, delivered the sermon.

Photo highlights from the meeting are available on the NCC page of the ELCIC website: https://elcic.ca/National-Church-Council/default.cfm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s National Church Council (NCC) met in Winnipeg from March 5-8. The council included an extra day during their spring meeting to allow time on the agenda to focus on visioning and strategic development.

Friday’s meeting commenced at 9:00 a.m. with Opening Devotions led by Tom Brooks.

Throughout the morning, NCC members continued their discussions and work on discerning the vision and strategic direction for the national expression of the ELCIC. Upon reconvening after the lunch break, council moved into the business session of their meeting.

Council heard the Report of the National Bishop who shared an overview of the work she has been involved in since coming to the National Office last September. In the report, Bishop Johnson noted, "the last few months have consisted of a plethora of transitions," and joked that the only thing that has stayed the same is her email address. A significant part of Bishop Johnson’s time has been invested in strengthening relationships with the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, as well as spending time in each of the ELCIC synods.

From the Report of the National Bishop, the following motions were brought forward to council for consideration: A motion was approved to designate one Sunday a year as Mission in the World Sunday; Bishop Cindy Halmarson was appointed to serve on the Lutheran World Federation North America Regional Committee (replacing a position that was previously served by Bishop Johnson which became vacant when she was elected bishop); Updates were approved to the Church Extension Capital Fund (CECF) Handbook; and Council approved the theme of the 2009 National Convention – In Mission for Others: Signs of Hope, Bishop Johnson explained that the theme was based on Scripture verses Romans 15:13 and Matthew 5:14-16.

Council received a report from the ELCIC National Officers meeting that took place in January. In the report, the National Officers recommended that NCC review motion NC-07-34 concerning a referral to Faith, Order and Doctrine (FOD). It was noted that proceeding with the motion and referring it to FOD may complicate the work currently untaken by the Human Sexuality Task Force. A motion made to rescind motion NC-07-34 was carried unopposed.

Two nominations where presented to fill a position on council which became vacant following the resignation of Bob Schmidt. By ballot process, Barb Stolee was elected to fill the remaining term.

Gloria McNabb, ELCIC Director of Finance and Administration, presented the Finance Report. Council reviewed a revised operating budget for 2008 and the unaudited financial results for 2007. Both documents were approved. Ken Hartviksen, ELCIC Treasurer, presented the report of the Finance Committee. This committee advises NCC regarding policies that it should consider and presented financial policy recommendations to address issues either not covered by existing policies, or where existing policies were deemed dated or no longer effective.

Council heard reports from the five ELCIC Synod Bishops. The Bishop’s share highlights and concerns for their respective synods with council for the purpose of framing the council’s environmental scan. Visioning and mission initiatives are a focus in many synods. Several Bishops reported new mission congregations within their synods. Concerns about the need to find new models of leadership within congregations and providing care and support to congregations experiencing declining memberships were also shared. Bishop Johnson noted that she was, "encouraged by the signs of hope that were evident in the Synod reports, amidst the signs of challenges," and commended the Synod Bishop’s for the, "signs of creativity," they are displaying within their work in the Synods.

Hildy Thiessen, Executive Director, and John Wolff, Board Chair, for ELCIC’s Group Services Inc. (GSI) joined the NCC meeting.

At the September NCC meeting, a request was brought forward from GSI to identify whether there might be financial resources available to further assist with GSI’s work on addressing the pension plan solvency liability. NCC deferred the motion until an actuarial evaluation could be completed, which was done in the time period between the September and March meeting. Through an e-meeting of NCC, council approved $550,000 from the Employee Benefits Reserve Fund be transferred to GSI in support of the Pension Plan’s Retired Benefit Account solvency deficiency. Typically, pension regulators require payment strategies to be within a five-year horizon as predictions beyond five years tend to be less reliable. Due to a number of circumstances, the pension regulator responsible for GSI’s pension plan had not enforced this requirement until 2007. Recent legislation now allows an organization to use a Letter of Credit as a guarantee for the required contributions and to meet the criteria for the five-year funding period. NCC discussed and approved the securing of a Letter of Credit in the amount of $5,000,000 to provide additional security required by the pension regulators. It was noted that this is not an actual cash deposit to the pension plan but rather a "security backed up by assets," allowing GSI to meet the regulatory requirements.

Wolff noted that at the end of 2007, the pension deficit had been reduced to $9.6 million. This total was a decrease from the previous figure of $10.5 million that Wolff estimated at the September 2007 meeting of NCC. GSI estimates the pension deficit will be eliminated in eight years; in 2004, when the strategy was first put in place, it was estimated that this would take 15 years to address. "We have made significant progress," said Wolff, who thanked NCC for being so supportive. Wolff noted that through the assistance of the National Church, GSI has, "secured some pretty good guarantees for pensioners," adding that it is GSI’s utmost priority to ensure they meet their commitment to ELCIC retirees and pension holders.

The final agenda for Friday was the review of several pieces of correspondence to NCC. Council reviewed a letter to the National Bishop from the Joint Anglican Lutheran Commission in which they encouraged the ELCIC’s National Bishop and the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada to enter into discussions about the possibility of shared National Office space. Council approved a motion for the National Bishop to begin this discussion with ACC but noted that in light of the recent five-year renewal on the ELCIC’s current office space in Winnipeg, the discussions would be focused on a long-term strategy.

The session adjourned for the evening with closing prayers. Saturday’s session will be the final day of meetings and will commence at 9:00 a.m.

Photo highlights from the meeting are available on the NCC page of the ELCIC website: https://elcic.ca/National-Church-Council/default.cfm

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s National Church Council (NCC) is meeting in Winnipeg from March 5-8. The council is meeting for an extra day during their spring meeting to include time for focusing on visioning and strategic development.

On Thursday, council began their session at 9:00 a.m. with Opening Devotions by Tom Brook. ELCIC Secretary Don Storch and council member Roger Haugen facilitated a discussion on the ELCIC’s Constitution, Bylaws and Governance. Jeff Pym is facilitating the visioning portion of the meeting and had council members spending various parts of the day working individually and in groups.

The session adjourned for the evening with closing prayers. Friday’s session will commence at 9:00 a.m. and will continue the discussion on visioning. The business portion of the meeting will begin Friday after the lunch break.

Photo highlights from the meeting are available on the NCC page of the ELCIC website: https://elcic.ca/National-Church-Council/default.cfm

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)’s National Church Council (NCC) is meeting in Winnipeg from March 5-8. The council is meeting for an extra day during their spring meeting to include time for focusing on visioning and strategic development.

The March meeting of NCC commenced with Opening Worship Service at 3:00 p.m. at Laureate’s Landing in Winnipeg, Manitoba. ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson delivered the sermon during the service. A copy of the sermon is available on the Bishop’s page of the ELCIC website: https://elcic.ca/From-the-Bishop/default.cfm

As part of the visioning session on Wednesday evening, NCC members spent time in Bible study. As well, a presentation consisting of an environmental scan on demographics and current trends in giving was presented by ELCIC Treasurer Ken Hartviksen.

The session adjourned for the evening at 9:00 p.m. with closing prayers. Thursday’s session will commence at 9:00 a.m. and will continue the discussion on visioning. The business portion of the meeting will begin Friday after the lunch break.

Photo highlights from the meeting are available on the NCC page of the ELCIC website: https://elcic.ca/National-Church-Council/default.cfm

—————————————————————–
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.replace this text with your own content and images and press submit.

The Anglican Primate and the Evangelical Lutheran National Bishop call on the members of their respective churches to advocate for affordable housing solutions for the homeless with letters and visits to their Members of Parliament.

In a letter sent to the Minister of Human Resources and Development Canada, Monte Solberg, on Feb 27, 2008, the leaders urged the government “to address homelessness in Canada as part of a comprehensive poverty reduction strategy.”

The letter follows the tabling of the federal budget which left the estimated 150,000 to 300,000 homeless people in Canada out in the cold and another 1.5 million Canadians in desperate housing need without relief.

The joint Anglican-Lutheran initiative takes inspiration from the prophet Isaiah who asks what true religious observance is: “Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house?” (Isaiah 58:7).

“Our vision,” the leaders’ letter concludes, “is to go beyond the prophet’s call, to create a society where the hungry are able to eat their own bread, and the homeless poor are brought into their own house.”

“Being in full communion means more than worshipping together,” says Archbishop Fred Hiltz, the Anglican Primate. “Members of both our churches give generously of their time and money to help people who are homeless. They run thrift shops, food banks, overnight shelters, and hospitality programs. But they know that charity isn’t enough. Advocating together for justice is also part of being in full communion.”

“I’m excited by this initiative,” says ELCIC National Bishop Susan C. Johnson. “It demonstrates how working together in full communion we can make a much larger impact and a stronger witness, hopefully inspiring our government to address the realities of homelessness in Canada.”

The joint initiative is modelled after a campaign of the diocese of Toronto encouraging Anglicans to visit their local MPs to express concerns about housing and poverty.

Hiltz and Johnson are inviting Lutherans and Anglicans to write or visit their federal MP, and where possible, to do this jointly. The purpose is to ask the Government of Canada to:
Renew and increase the affordable housing funding which is set to expire at the end of 2008
Join with the provinces to develop a comprehensive housing strategy as part of an overall national poverty reduction strategy

On line resources are available at www.elcic.ca/ghda to help people participate in this initiative:
“Bringing people who are homeless into their own house” – a resource that explains this initiative and gives tips for writing and visiting with your MP.
A bulletin insert for use in church bulletins, encouraging congregations and parishes to become involved.
A copy of the joint letter from The Most Reverend Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and The Reverend Susan C. Johnson, National Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada to the Minister of Human Resources and Social Development, Monte Solberg.

To read a full version of the joint letter, visit: https://elcic.ca/GHDA/documents/LetterSolberg.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Rev. Teresita "Tita" C. Valeriano was appointed regional officer for the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in North America, effective March 1. Valeriano, 42, Lutheran campus pastor at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, since 2004, is an ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

"I believe that we are in an exciting but also challenging time in our life together as a communion as we address poverty, war, human rights, theology and mission. I am looking forward to
serving the North American member churches (of the LWF) with joy, humility, creativity and audacity," Valeriano said.

"I love to meet people from different cultures, and I try to maintain my international network of friends while building a community wherever I live," she said.

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947, the LWF has 140 member churches in 78 countries representing 66.7 million of the more than 70 million Lutherans worldwide. The LWF, based in Geneva, maintains its North America regional office at the ELCA churchwide office. The North America regional office serves all the member churches in the region, including the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC).

From 2000 to 2004 Valeriano served in Geneva as executive secretary for youth (18-30 years old) with the LWF Church and Society Desk.

"Teresita has a background that makes her very well prepared for this position," said the Rev. Kjell Nordstokke, director, LWF Department for Mission and Development. "This has given her a broad and solid knowledge of the Lutheran communion in its variety of contexts and traditions all around the world. As youth secretary one of her main tasks was the inclusion of young people in the life and the mission of the church. Her later experience as campus chaplain in California has certainly affirmed her capacity of opening space for youth and young adults in the church," he said.

Valeriano "brings with her real gifts, including in-depth knowledge of the LWF through her years on staff in Geneva, and a solid commitment to life together within the North America Region," said the Rev. Paul Johnson, ELCIC’s Assistant to the Bishop for Ecumenical Relations.

Born in Malabon, Philippines, Valeriano holds two bachelor’s degrees — a bachelor of science in business administration from the University of the East, Manila, Philippines (1985) and a bachelor’s degree in church music from the Asian Institute for Liturgy and Music, Quezon, Philippines (1994).

Valeriano earned a master of divinity degree at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif., one of eight ELCA seminaries. Ordained in 1998, she was pastor of First Lutheran Church, Tulare, Calif., before joining the LWF staff in Geneva. She has served in multicultural and international settings.

In her new role, Valeriano will serve as a member of the LWF Department for Mission and Development staff. She will be responsible for coordinating work among member churches in North America, facilitating LWF activities in the region, and sharing information among the ELCIC, the ELCA and the LWF.

Valeriano succeeds Kathy J. Magnus, who retired in December 2007 after serving as LWF North America Regional Officer since 2001.

Information about the LWF Regional Office for North America is at http://www.elca.org/lwf/.

– with files from ELCA News

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) is looking to appoint two people to serve as ELCIC representatives on KAIROS’ program committees. KAIROS is an ecumenical coalition consisting of 11 churches and church related organization which work together in the area of advocacy and justice education (www.kairoscanada.org).

There are currently two opportunities available:

ELCIC Representative for KAIROS Canadian Social Development Committee: The first position is for an ELCIC representative on the KAIROS Canadian Social Development Committee. This committee assists KAIROS in addressing social policy and poverty in Canada. Knowledge of Canadian social policy, particularly poverty and/or refugee and migrant issues; knowledge of churches in Canada; and familiarity with Christian theology and liturgy are assets which will be of value in this position.
ELCIC Representative for KAIROS Global Partners and Education Committee: The second position is for an ELCIC representative on the KAIROS Global Partnership and Education Committee. This committee oversees and assists KAIROS in its work with its Global partners and KAIROS’ Contribution Agreement with CIDA. Some background and experience in working with partners from the South; Background in human rights and conflict or economic justice issues; Familiarity with CIDA; Regional expertise in either Asia, Latin America, Africa or Middle East are assets which will be of value in this position.

Both of these positions require attendance at two meetings per year (usually held in Toronto), ongoing communication with and reporting to the ELCIC National Office, and assisting the ELCIC in addressing policy in these areas. These appointments are for a three year renewable term. These are volunteer positions for which expenses occurred will be covered by the ELCIC.

If you are interested, please contact and/or send a short bio or resume to:

Rev. Ryan Andersen
Assistant to the Bishop for Stewardship in Public Life
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC)
Email: randersen@elcic.ca
Phone: 1-888-786-6707 x153.

To view a pdf version of the above opportunities, visit: https://elcic.ca/Leadership/Employment-Opportunities/documents/CIDACSDApptDescription.pdf

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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 174,555 baptized members in 620 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.

Material provided through ELCIC Information is intended for reproduction and redistribution by recipients in whatever manner they may find useful.

For more information, please contact:
Trina Gallop, Manager of Communications
302-393 Portage Ave. Winnipeg MB R3B 3H6
204.984.9172
tgallop@elcic.ca

Subscribe or unsubscribe to ELCIC Information by emailing info@elcic.ca with a short message.

Africa’s Lutheran churches saw their total membership increase over the past year by just under two million, boosting the total membership of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches worldwide to over 68.3 million. Lutheran churches in Asia registered an increase overall, while slight decreases were again recorded in other world regions.

* A one-page summary of the 2007 LWF membership figures is posted in PDF version on the LWF Web site under: www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/LWF-Statistics-01-2007.pdf.
* Full details can be found under: www.lutheranworld.org/LWF_Documents/LWF-Statistics-2007.pdf.

The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF currently has 140 member churches in 78 countries all over the world, with a total membership of over 68.3 million. The LWF acts on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in Geneva, Switzerland.

E-Communique Special – – Lutheran Office for World Community, a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran World Federation at the United Nations has prepared the following information for its partners.

News

Lenten Reflection Series – Subscribe to a 40-day reflection on our relationship with God’s creation via email This 40-day Lenten reflection series will offer a holistic approach to how we live as earthly companions, combining God’s caring relationship with creation to our journey in the physical universe. Each e-mail emphasizes individual and communal solutions, resources for further learning and suggestions for how to act or become more educated. This is a limited subscription; the first e-mail will arrive on Ash Wednesday and the last e-mail will arrive Easter Sunday. Subscribe to the ELCA’s daily 2008 environmental Lenten reflections at: www.elca.org/advocacy 

Peace Building Commission adopts framework for Sierra Leone – The United Nations Peace Building Commission and the government of Sierra Leone have adopted a framework that will set the pattern for the work of the United Nations advisory body. The priorities are: youth employment and empowerment, justice and security sector reform, consolidation of democracy and good governance, capacity-building and the energy sector. Civil Society is seen as a key stakeholder in the Peacebuilding process and capacity building. The PBC and the government have committed themselves to facilitate and support capacity-building for civil society, especially women’s and youth organizations to foster reconciliation and community-based socio-economic recovery. Civil Society will contribute to a semi-annual review process. The PBC was set up in 2006 to address post conflict peace building – all that is needed to help a country move from war to peace. The first countries in the program were Sierra Leone and Burundi. Guinea-Bissau is now considered the third country.
More about the PBC: http://www.un.org/peace/peacebuilding/questions.htm
A blog on the PBC: http://www.pbcupdate.org/ For more information you can email: Christian.Albers@elca.org

Ecumenical Women launch website; submit statement on financing for gender equality – Ecumenical Women, a coalition of churches and ecumenical organizations in dialogue with the UN, have launched a new website featuring a blog on current issues related to gender equality as well as worship, academic and advocacy. To prepare for the 52nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in 2008, the website has a focus on the theme financing for gender equality. Go to the website to read Ecumenical Women’s submission to the UN: “Justice for the poor and care for life and creation continue to be at the heart of the matter”. The statement lifts up the principles of the Beijing Platform for Action and connects gender justice to the six themes of the Monterrey Consensus on Financing for Development.
The website: http://ecumenicalwomen.org
The statement: http://ecumenicalwomen.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/ecumenical-womenresubmitted-statement.pdf

LWF members urged to act on human rights, illegitimate debt and climate change – In his New Year’s Message for 2008, LWF General Secretary Rev. Dr. Ishmael Noko cites human rights, illegitimate debt and protecting the earth as major challenges requiring churches’ reflection and action. The year 2008 marks the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. “Let this not be an empty celebration,” says Noko, asking churches to insist on accountability and universal practical implementation for human rights. Noko highlights illegitimate debt as an additional obstacle to the full enjoyment of human rights, urging churches to seek new ways of ensuring that “economic relations between states are informed by ethical principles, and no longer result in debt bondage for generations of poor people.” To mitigate climate change, Noko urges the churches to “promote new ways of relating to and living within creation that better reflect in practice our theological understandings of communion”.
Read the full message: http://www.lutheranworld.org/News/LWI/EN/2150.EN.html

New Research and Reports

Climate change is focus for latest Human Development Report – While there has been some progress on development in recent years, it is threatened by climate change – especially among the poorest and most vulnerable populations and countries. Climate change affects agricultural production and water security, threatens public health and contributes to the collapsing of ecosystems, such as coral reefs. But according to the report it is not too late to forestall dangerous effects, if agreement can be reached to reduce 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from 1990 levels. The country with the highest carbon dioxide emissions is the United States (6,045.8 Mt CO2), followed by China (5,007.1) Russia (1,524.1), India (1,342.1) and Japan (1,257.2). The Human Development Report can be downloaded: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/

For God’s sake, do something! How religions can find unexpected unity around climate change – In this report published in conjunction with the Human Development Report, British sociologist and political scientist Roman Krznaric explores the common ground shared by the world’s major religions in their approaches to environmental issues, in particular climate change. While analyzing Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and indigenous cosmologies, Krznaric finds a general agreement on four key points: human-induced climate change is real and needs to be tackled now; the problem of climate change has partly resulted from human greed and a culture of over-consumption; by damaging the environment humans have sinned or acted immorally in the eyes of God or the cosmic order; and religious believers have a religious responsibility to take action. He asks for more collaboration on the common ground of the claim that God is green. Read it at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/reports/global/hdr2007-2008/papers/krznaric_roman.pdf

Girls Count: A global investment & action agenda – Adolescent girls are frequently discriminated in terms of health, education, nutrition and labor force participation. Due to gender bias and cultural norms frequently they are not seen as worthy of equal investment as young boys by their families and in their society. This report from the Center for Global Development describes why and how to initiate effective investments that will give adolescent girls in developing countries a full and equal chance for rewarding lives and livelihoods. It outlines three key actions: count girls (disaggregate data to make girls more visible), invest in girls, give girls a fair chance. The authors have provided specific recommendations for civil society, governments, private-sector leaders, and donor agencies to create mechanisms for the meaningful participation of young women and adolescent girls in their programs and policy.
See: http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/15154

10-Year Strategic Review of “Impact of armed conflict on children” – Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, launched a ten-year strategic review following up the 1996 report “Impact of armed conflict on children” by Graça Machel. The review discusses the evolving and severe impact of conflicts on children and measures progress made since 1996. It pressure on all UN Member States to fulfill their responsibilities to children by giving them access to basic services like education, health, nutrition, water, and sanitation. Read it here: http://www.un.org/children/conflict/_documents/machel/MachelReviewReport.pdf

Will you listen? Children respond to armed conflict – A companion piece to the 10-year review of the impact of armed conflict on children, Will you listen? compiles the views and recommendations of over 1,700 children in 92 countries. Focus group discussions were conducted by in 18 countries, and involved over 1,385 participants in 125groups to inform this comprehensive report of children’s experiences. http://www.unfpa.org/upload/lib_pub_file/720_filename_will_you_listen_090607.pdf

Education for all by 2015: Will we make it? – The 2008 edition of the Education for All (EFA) Global Monitoring Report is a mid-term review of progress towards the six EFA goals established in 2000. On the positive side, there is a rise in the number of children starting primary school, the number of girls in school, and spending on education and aid. However, poor quality, the cost of schooling and high levels of adult illiteracy rates need to be tackled in order to meet the EFA goals by 2015. For links and more information: http://tinyurl.com/ypuedw

New edition of guide for NGO participation at UN The UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service – (NGLS) has just released an updated version of their handbook on the UN: “Intergovernmental Negotiations and Decision Making at the United Nations: A Guide.” It’s a really useful (and actually quite interesting) resource.
Go to: http://www.un-ngls.org/site/IMG/pdf/DMUN_Book_PAO_WEB.pdf.
If you would like a printed copy, contact Emily.Davila@elca.org

World Economic Forum’s measures global gender gap – This report measures the size of the gender gap in four critical areas of inequality in 115 countries. To do so, it examines: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, political empowerment and health and survival. Sweden holds the top rank, with 81 percent of the gender gap closed. The United States rank 31st at 70 percent, and Yemen holds the title for the biggest gap, with only 45 percent of the gender gap closed. To read more about the Gender Gap Index go to: http://www.weforum.org/en/media/Latest Press Releases/Global_Gender_Gap_2007

Applying human rights principles to sexual orientation and gender identity – In response to well-documented patterns of abuse, a distinguished group of international human rights experts met in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2006 to outline a set of international principles relating to sexual orientation and gender identity. The result was the Yogyakarta Principles: a universal guide to human rights which propose binding international legal standards with which all States must comply, based on previously agreed standards. Though not officially recognized by the United Nations, they promise a different future where all people born free and equal in dignity and rights can fulfill that precious birthright. The principles are presented here in all six United Nations languages: http://www.yogyakartaprinciples.org/principles_en.htm

Toolkits and resources

Free communications and planning toolkits offered to civil society organizations – This series of toolkits, aimed at organizations to improve their capacity in the areas of communication and planning, are provided by CIVICUS, an international alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society. The toolkits are provided in English, French, Spanish, Russian and Arabic. The useful toolkits cover themes such as “Writing Effectively & Powerfully”, “Developing a Financing Strategy” or “Writing a Funding Proposal” or “Strategic Planning”.
For further information: http://www.civicus.org/new/civicus_toolkit_project.asp

Guide to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights – Marking the 20th anniversary of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission), Amnesty International has published this report in order to foster greater participation by civil society groups and human rights defenders in the work of the African Commission. For more information, http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGIOR630052007

Subscribe to new newsletter on disability rights convention – The Enable newsletter is a service of the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to keep you informed about the work of the UN system on disability issues. To subscribe: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=312 

The preceding message was forwarded from the Lutheran Office for World Community (LOWC) – a joint ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) at the United Nations. The ELCIC is a member of the LWF.

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