Letter
Letter from Faith Leaders Calling for Ban on Cluster Munitions, April 17, 2008
Faith Leaders’ Appeal for an International Treaty to Ban Cluster Munitions
17 April 2008
As people of faith, we raise our voices for the protection of life and promotion of peace by calling on all governments to end the production, transfer, stockpiling, and use of cluster bombs.
For more than 40 years, cluster bombs have killed and wounded innocent people, causing untold suffering, loss and hardship for thousands in more than 20 countries across the planet. These weapons cause death and injury to civilians during attacks and for years afterwards because of the lethal contamination that they cause. Cluster bombs hamper post-conflict rebuilding and rehabilitation and the dangerous work of cluster bomb clearance absorbs funds that could be spent on other urgent humanitarian needs. Without determined action, the civilian harm caused by these weapons both during and after conflict will continue to grow.
The voices of those whose lives have already been shattered by cluster munitions call us to take meaningful and courageous action. Our faith traditions call us to stand with those who have suffered, and to work for the well-being of the human family through relationships of respect, justice, and peace.
We are speaking out today on the Global Day of Action to Ban Cluster Bombs where people across all continents, cultures and faiths are taking action and calling for a ban on cluster bombs.
A comprehensive ban on cluster bombs can and must be negotiated one month from now in Dublin, Ireland, in May 2008. We urge governments to take up this heavy responsibility by seizing this opportunity to take concrete action for the protection of the vulnerable and for the promotion of peace.
Sincerely,
The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu
Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town
Dr. Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna, Catholic Church of Austria
Archbishop Gunnar Stålsett
Committee World Council Religions for Peace, Lutheran Church of Norway
Sister Emmanuelle
Founder and Honorary President of ASMAE (Association Soeur Emmanuelle), France
Archbishop Antonio Ledesma
Vice President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and Bishop-President of Pax Christi Pilipinas (Philippines)
Archbishop John Dew
Archbishop of Wellington, Catholic Church of New Zealand
Archbishop Anders Wejryd
Church of Sweden
Chief Rabbi David Rosen
Chairman of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, Israel
Archbishop John Onaiyekan
Archbishop of the Abuja Diocese of the Catholic Church and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria
Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari
Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain
Indarjit Singh
Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, UK
Rabbi Danni Rich
Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism
Monsignor Samuel Gandi
Apostolic Administrator, Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo (Roman Catholic), Sierra Leone
Reverend Osman J. Fornah
President, Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone
Sheik Abu Bakarr Conteh
1st Vice President, Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone, Imam of Freetown Municipality Council and Masjid Hamdallah
Sheik Abu-Bakarr Tejan-Jalloh
Chief Imam of Freetown Central Mosque, Sierra Leone
Monsignor Laurent Monsengwo
Archbishop of Kinshasa, DR Congo and Co-President Pax Christi International
Bishop Thomas G. Wenski
Chairman, Committee on International Justice and Peace
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
Bishop Kike Figaredo
Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, the Catholic Church in Cambodia
Bishop Émile Destombes
Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, the Catholic Church in Cambodia
Bishop Anthony Sami
Catholic Church in Cambodia
Bishop Yves Ramousse Gustave
The Catholic Church in Cambodia
Bishop Ragnar Persenius
Diocese of Uppsala, Church of Sweden
Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua
General Secretary of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Bishop Jessie Suarez
South Luzon Jurisdictional Area, United Church of Christ in the Philippines
Bishop Peter Cullinane
Bishop of Palmerston North, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand
Bishop Denis Browne
Bishop of Auckland, Catholic Church of New Zealand
Bishop Barry Jones
Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand
Bishop David Stancliffe
Bishop of Salisbury, Church of England
Bishop William Kenny
Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham and Spokesman on European Affairs for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales
Reverend Jonathan Edwards
General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain
Reverend Dr Martyn Atkins
President of the Methodist Conference, United Kingdom
Reverend Gregor Henderson
President of the Uniting Church in Australia
Reverend Dr. Setri Nyomi
Secretary General of World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Presbyterian Church in Canada
Rabbi Steven Jacobs
Temple Kol Tikvah, USA
Right Reverend Francis S. Nabieu
Head of Methodist Church Sierra Leone
Dr. Fauzy Khoury
Exarch of the Greek Catholic Melkite Church in the Galilee
Muhammad Amir Kpakpo Addo
Ag. Executive Secretary, Ghana Conference of Religions for Peace, Ghana
Pratap Bhogilal
Chairman Emeritus, World Jain Confederation, India
M. L. Pindolia
President, Hindu Council of Africa, Africa
Samdech Tep Vong
The Great Supreme Patriarch of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Cambodia
Issa Kirarira
Chairman, Media for Peace and Religious Tolerance Organisation, Uganda
Rev. Pat de Ramos-Bremond
Minister, Broadmeadows Uniting Care, Australia
Fr. Tom Ryan
Paulist Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, USA
Taoist Mission Secretarial Office
Taoist Mission Secretarial office, Singapore
Ms Farida Ali
President Emeritus, Islamic Heritage Society, Pakistan
Pal Khn Chon
Won Buddhism Overseas Missions, Korea
Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen
Diocese Copenhagen, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Bishop Kresten Drejergaard
Diocese Fyen, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Bishop Elisabeth Dons Christensen
Diocese Ribe, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Bishop Steen Skovsgaard
Diocese Lolland-Falster, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Bishop Karsten Nissen
Diocese Viborg, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Bishop Kjeld Holm
Diocese Aarhus, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Bishop Søren Lodberg Hvas
Diocese Aalborg, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Bishop Niels Henrik Arendt
Diocese Haderslev, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark
Pastor Jørgen Bøytler
The Moravian Church in Denmark, member of the Provincial Board in the European Continental Province of the Moravian Church
Reverend Dr Anthony Dancer
Social Justice Commissioner of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand
Reverend Brian Turner
President, Methodist Church of New Zealand, Aotearoa-New Zealand
Monsieur Gregory BAUM, théologien et écrivain, professeur émérite, Sciences religieuses, Université McGill, Montréal
Sister Donna Geernaert, Congregational Leader, Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Présidente de la Conférence Religieuse Canadienne – CRC – Canadian Religious Conference (Association of Major Superiors of Women and Men Congregations in Canada)
Monseigneur Pierre Morissette, évêque de Baie-Comeau, Vice-président de la Conférence des Évêques Catholiques du Canada (CECC) – Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)
Mgr. A. H. van Luyn S. D. B
President Pax Christi Netherlands, Bishop of Rotterdam, Catholic Church in the Netherlands
Monseigneur Zacharie Masimango Katanda
Evêque du diocèse Anglican de Kindu, République Démocratique du Congo
Révérend Pasteur Mastaki Ahongo, Délégué de la 5ème Communauté, Eglises Libres de Pentecôte en Afrique en sigle «CELPA », Province du Maniema en République Démocratique du Congo
Abbé Milambo Baika Augustin: Conseiller Juridique de l’Evêque WILLY NGUNGMBI de la Diocèse de Kindu, province du Maniema en République Démocratique du Congo.
Msgr. Marc Stenger
Bishop of Troyes and Bishop President of Pax Christi France
Bishop Sofie Petersen
Evangelical Lutheran Church and Bishop of Greenland
Bishop John Bluck
Bishop of Waiapu, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia
Bishop James Moriarty
Roman Catholic Church, Ireland
Bishop Raymond Field
Chairman Irish Commission for Justice and Social Affairs, Roman Catholic Church, Ireland
Bishop John Kirby
Chairman Trocaire, Roman Catholic Church, Ireland
Bishop Ragnar Persenius
Diocese of Uppsala
V. Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky
Director of External Affairs, Orthodox Church in America & Moderator, Religions for Peace, USA
Rev. Nichiko Niwano
President, Rissho Kosei-kai, Japan
Dr. Khurshid Khan
Ameer/President of the Islamic Circle of North America, USA
Khalid Rasheed
Secretary General, Islamic Centre of India, India
Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs
Executive Director, United Religions Initiative, USA
Mohammad Sammak
Secretary General, Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, Lebanon
Karen Hurley
President General, World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations
Dr William Vendley
Secretary General, Religions for Peace, USA
Rev. Vebjørn L. Horsfjord
General Secretary, European Council of Religious Leaders, Religions for Peace, Norway
Dr Sayyid M. Syeed
National Director, Islamic Society of North America, USA
Rev. W. Douglas Mills, PhD
Associate General Secretary, The United Methodist Church, USA
Mr Stein Villumstad
Deputy Secretary General, Religions for Peace – USA, Norway
Daniel Barton
Ecumencial Youth Council in Europe, Belgium
Dr Günther Gebhardt
Vice-Moderator, Religions for Peace – Europe, Germany
Sr. Mary-Ellen Francoeur
Religions for Peace – Canada, Canada
Christina Brown
Co-Founder, Center of Inter-Faith Relations, USA
Jim Schrag
Executive Director, Mennonite Church, USA
Rolando Santiago
Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee, USA
Arli Klassen
Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee, USA
James E. Winkler
General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society, the United Methodist Church, USA
Marie Dennis
Director, Maryknoll Global Concerns, Co-President, Pax Christi International
Mary Ellen McNish
General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, USA
Claudette Werleigh
Secretary General Pax Christi International
Ella Storesletten
Norwegian Church Aid, Norway
Roel Aalbersberg
Coordinator for Worldwide Program, ICCO, Netherlands
Rev. Stig Utnem
Former general secretary of the Council on Ecumenical and International Relations of the Church of Norway, Advisor to ECRL
Crescencia C. Gabijan
Board Member, Religions for Peace – Philippines, Philippines
Elizabeth Young
SA Interfaith Network, Australia
Ziad Moussa
Former IYC Coordinator, Lebanon
Arne Sæveraas
Special Advisor, Norwegian Church Aid, Norway
Gopika Dass
Regional Representative, Sudan-Kenya
Ela Gandhi
Editor/Chair of Satyagraha, In Pursuit of Truth, South Africa
Edy Korthals Altes
Former Ambassador, Netherlands, Netherlands
Gabriele Cipriani
Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristâs, Brazil
Luiz Alberto Barbosa
Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
The Most Reverened Dr. John R. W. Neill
Archbishop, Church of Ireland
Rev. John Stephens
Methodist District Superintendent, Ireland
Rev. Bishop Donal McKeown
Auxiliary Bishop Belfast
Dr. Joachim Diestelkamp
Pastor of the Lutheran Church, Ireland
Imam Yahya Al Hussein
Islamic Foundation of Ireland
Mgr Maixent Coly
Archevêque of Ziguinchor, Senegal
Rev. Norman Grigg
Chairman and Suprintendent of the Methodist Mission, Gambia
Alhagie Ousman Jah
Deputy Head of the Supreme Islamic Council, Gambia
Karin Wiborn
General Secretary, Baptist Union of Sweden
Sten-Gunnar Hedin
General Superintendent, the Pentecostal Movement of Sweden
Göran Zettergren
President, Mission Covenant Church of Sweden
Pe. Gabriele Cipriani
Igreja Católica Apostólica Romana, Brasil
Rev. Luiz Alberto Barbosa da Igreja
Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
Sra. Janette Ludwig
Igreja Evangélica de Confissão Luterana no Brasil - Secretária da Diretoria do Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristãs do Brasil e Coordenadora da Ação Ecumênica de Mulheres
Sra. Lídia Fernanda Crespo Correia
Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil - Tesoureira da Diretora do Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristãs do Brasil
Dom Filadelfo Oliveira Neto
Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil, 2º Vice-presidente do Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristãs do Brasil
Dom José Alberto Moura
Igreja Católica Apostólica Romana, 1° Vice-presidente do Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristãs do Brasil
Rev. Gerson Antonio Urban
Igreja Presbiteriana Unida, 3º Vice-presidente do Conselho Nacional de Igrejas Cristãs do Brasil