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Response of Christian Churches on GlobalizationBy Mary Yuen Introduction In an age of globalization, rapid change and intercultural encounters are realities that cannot be avoided. These realities cause tensions, conflicts and struggles, giving rise to different kinds of problems in the world today. While economic and cultural globalization brings new ideas, technological advancements and improved communication systems from the West to other parts of the world, the development of a multi-national economy that has engendered corporate internationalism and a global media discourse which has resulted in the control of information, has created an enormous impact on the so-called two-thirds world. Although some commentators insist on the economic and moral benefits that flow from economic interdependence in a free global market, others argue that the existing pattern of interdependence is marked by inequality, lack of reciprocity, and the marginalization of those with less power. These concerns are no longer just local or national; they are global in scope and relate to people in different social locations in different parts of the world, including Hong Kong. Although it is often argued that globalization tends to homogenize culture and have negative effects on people's lives, there are also critics who point out that globalism is not simply a result of top-down dominance but a transcultural process, a dialectic of dominant cultural forms and their appropriation. By appropriating strategies of representation, organization and social change through access to global systems, local communities and marginal interest groups can both empower themselves and influence those global systems. The appropriation of global forms of culture may free one from local forms of dominance and oppression or provide the tools for a different kind of identity formation. Nowadays, many churches assume an international and universalist perspective when carrying out their social mission. They see their mission as serving the humanity and building the Kingdom of God on earth with justice and love. In the face of the great impact of globalization, the Church must take account of this phenomenon in the changing context where they carry out their social mission. In fact, many church organizations have conducted study trips, consultations, and conferences to examine the implact of globalization, especailly in the economic sphere. These experiences are valuable for us to take into consideration when we discuss the impact of globalization in Hong Kong and the role of the churches in Hong Kong to respond to this phenomenon. In the following, experiences and viewpoints of some major church denominations and alliances which have explored globalization or have discussed in their assemblies will be delineated and examined. These include the experiences of the World Council of Churches(WCC), the World Alliance of Reformed Church(WARC), the United Church of Canada(UCC), the Lutheran World Federation(LWF), the Christian Coference of Asia(CCA), the Council of the World Mission(CWM), the Episcopal Church, the Mennoite Church, the Roman Catholic Church , and the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences(FABC). Firstly, how they understand and analyze globalization will be examined. Then, their reflection on this topic from the theological and biblical perspective, and their method of doing theology will be scrutinized. After that, their position and response on specific issues of globalization will be shown. Finally, their action plan and recommendation in response to globalization will be investigated. 1. Understanding and Analysis of Globalization 1.1 Overall analysis: both positive and negative aspects In the face of globalization, some churches affirm the contributions of globalization to the world as "it links people around the globe, and offers fascinating new possibilities for the exchange of knowledge and ideas; for the expression of solidarity among peoples; for the sharing of human and material resources; and for fostering inter-cultural communication."[1] The World Council of Churches (WCC) also acknowledges "the use of electronic media to foster global campaigns against the Multilateral Accord on Investment (MAI) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are examples of the globalization of resistance, which is a positive development."[2] Although many churches recognize globalization brings both positive and negative effects, most churches emphasized more on the impact that deteriorate the lives of people and the devastating reality of the majority of people living under the present global economic system. For example, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) stresses "the negative effects of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and the World Trade Organization in their domination and exclusion of the southern nations... the nation states and democratically elected governments are weakened... the colonization of consciousness, reinforced by the media, makes people believe that there is no alternative... the current trends of militarism as a total war strategy of security for the global market... the unparalleled integration of economic globalization and global geopolitics."[3] The World Council of Churches (WCC) also points out, "globalization impacts not only national and regional economies, causing ever-greater social and economic injustice. It also destroys relationships between individuals, groups, communities, nations, causing conflicts, wars and violence. And it affects the environment of our whole inhabited earth."[4] It is true that globalization is most frequently applied in the economic sphere, but it does not mean that the churches confine globalization merely to the economic system and ignore its implications in the political, social, and cultural domains. As the WCC further points out, "Globalization is not simply an economic issue. It is a cultural, political, ethical and ecological issue." What WCC wants to do is to distinguish economic globalization from other aspects of globalization. "Globalization understood as increasing internationalization of ideas, science, communication and technology, must be distinguished from economic globalization, which transforms trade and finance in favour of powerful global actors."[5] Similarly, the late Pope John Paul II of the Roman Catholic Church states in the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia (EA) that while participants of the Asian Synod acknowledged the process of economic globalization has brought certain positive effects, they aware that it "has also worked to the detriment of the poor, tending to push poorer countries to the margin of economic and political relations. Many Asian nations are unable to hold their own in a global market economy."[6] Moreover, the seek for superdevelopment, which consists in an excessive availability of every kind of material good for the benefit of certain social groups, easily makes people slaves of possession and of immediate gratification, looking for accumulation of wealth without limit, with no other horizon than the multiplication or continual replacement of the things already owned. This is the so-called civilization of consumption or consumerism which involves so much throwing away and waste.[7] In the Seventh Plenary Assembly of the FABC, it is also pointed out that, "the phenomena of marginalization and exclusion are the direct consequences of economic globalization. It has produced greater inequalities among people. It has enabled only a small portion of the population to improve their standards of living, leaving many to remain in poverty. Another consequence is excessive urbanization, causing the emergence of huge urban conglomerations and the resultant migration, crime and exploitation of the weaker sections."[8]
[In analyzing the phenomenon of globalization, the WCC shows economic powers as the driving force of a new form of domination which may be as insidious as political colonizers and a subtle but powerful ideology which assumes that the most promising way to improve the quality of life for all people is to give free rein to market forces. In Together on the Way, the official report of the eighth assembly of the WCC, globalization is presented in four ways, namely 1) concentration of power, in which power is increasingly concentrated in the hands of a relatively few nations and corporations particularly in the North, and it contributes to the erosion of the nation state, undermines social cohesion, and intensifies the conquest of nature in a merciless attack on the integrity of creation; 2) poverty and exclusion, in which unequal distribution of power and wealth is deepened, and the vast majority of those excluded are inevitably people of color who are targets of xenophobia, racism and oppression; 3) contradictions, tensions and anxieties, in which concentration of power, knowledge, and wealth stands side by side with decentralizing dynamic as people and communities struggle to affirm their cultural and religious identities; 4) neo-liberal ideology, which views human beings as individuals rather than as persons in community, as essentially competitive rather than cooperative, as consumerist and materialist rather than spiritual. Thus, it produced a graceless system that renders people surplus and abandons them if they cannot compete with the powerful few in global economy. As a consequence, people tend to lose their cultural identity and deny their political and ethical responsibility.[9]] Now, we are going to examine in a more nuanced way how the churches understand globalization, especially economic globalization from several aspects, namely economy and global market, technology and communication, transformation of cultures and identity structures and ecology. 1.2 Economy and Global Market However, the global market, when left to its own devices and desires, has serious negative consequences, most notably the exclusion and exploitation of the majority of the world's population. Many people in the global South believe they are harmed by global economic policies. Global trade and investment can serve development goals. The problem is with unfair rules designed by affluent governments to advance their own commercial interests, often at the expense of farmers, business owners, laborers and people struggling to overcome poverty in developing countries.[10] What is wrong with "corporate-led globalization"?[11] - Many urban residents have lost their jobs. Much domestic manufacturing and many small and medium-sized businesses in developing countries have been destroyed by competition from imports and transnational corporations. Yet the United States and other wealthy countries protect some of their own industries, like steel and textiles. - Working conditions and the value of wages have declined in many places. Poor countries must compete to attract investment by offering a low wage, non-union labor force. - Natural resources are plundered to earn export income. - Moral values and cultural traditions have eroded in many places as globalization disrupts families and communities. - Even in wealthy countries, job security has increased, family farmers are denied fair prices, and assistance for people living in poverty has been scaled back. In this disturbing picture, it is the poor women in the South who suffer inordinately because of unjust structures, institutions and policies that perpetuate class-, gender- and race-based subordination. The neo-liberal model has intensified the feminization of underpaid market work and unvalued care work, the feminization of forced migration, labor export and trafficking, the feminization of poverty and even the feminization of survival. The insecurity and frustration provoked by the neo-liberal model are inflicting on women's lives from womb to tomb - patriarchal disciplining, including social and institutional control of reproductive rights, and violence against women are escalating in many parts of the world. Yet, at the same time, the seeds of hope are being sown by women and men around the world who are organizing themselves globally, regionally and locally. They are courageously resisting neo-liberal forces and defending their rights and those of their families communities, and national sovereignty in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. 1.3 Technology and Communication 1.4 Transformation of Cultures and Identity Struggles Some churches also argue that globalization has an ideological dimension in which it presents a realized secular eschaton for humankind with a quasi religious message of universal salvation through the global market and advanced technology. It served as a vehicle of a "universal" global culture, undermining religious and cultural plurality. Because it emphasises the permeability of borders and the transformation of cultures, globalisation tends to favour a uniform world culture which fits everywhere. This has encouraged the standardisation of consumer tastes in everything from food to clothes to music and popular entertainment. Indigenous cultures and their potential for human development are largely rejected or ignored in the process.[14] Moreover, indigenous people are forced to alienated their social and cultural roots and their cultures are under pressure by dominant cultures and "Great Traditions." Besides, there is an increasing ethnic and religiously inspired turmoil and an upsurge in violence and social breakdown in many parts of the world. Marginal groups are seeking new identities based on their traditional religions and cultures, previously suppressed by dominant communities. Meanwhile, religious identity is often exploited by political and economic powers in pursuit of their own ends. There is a resurgence of fundamentalism which may freeze and control the creative process of contextualization and hybridization.[15] 1.5 Ecological Crisis They recognize that there is a destructive linkage between economic globalisation and ecology. The uncritical observance of the ideologies of free markets and deregulation has effectively transferred much decision-making authority from governments, with their mandates to address the common good, to unaccountable and profit-oriented multinational corporations. The international financial institutions, whose policies are largely decided upon by the richer industrialized nations, hold nations of the economic south financially hostage and place requirements on them (external debt repayments, structural adjustment programmes, poverty reduction strategy papers) that are touted as being for the benefit of poorer nations but which in many cases undermine social well-being and ecological sustainability in those countries.[17] The globalising of an economic system based on an ever-expanding growth in production and consumption to feed insatiable consumption demand in industrialized countries, with destructive ecological consequences at local, regional and global levels. For example, toxic wastes are shipped from industrialized nations for disposal in countries of the economic south; free trade agreements restrict the capacity of national governments to adopt environmental legislation; southern rainforests are destroyed to provide exotic timber for northern consumers and to create pasture land for beef for northern hamburgers; goods and materials are transported over vast distances, producing significant polluting emissions; pressure are put on countries of the economic south to engage in ecologically-destructive agricultural practices to produce cash crops for export in order to service foreign debt payments. Moreover, the significant imbalance in power between industrialized
nations of the north and countries of the economic south allows the
richer nations to exert undue influence in international negotiations
on multilateral financial, trade and environmental issues. This can
be seen in the conflict between the multilateral environmental agreements
(such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the UN
Convention on Biodiversity) and agreements and rules of the World
Trade Organization. The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS) debate on patenting of life, and the proliferation
of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) especially through agribusiness,
are probably the most important areas of concern at this moment. Increasing
pressure on developing countries to change their patenting laws in
favour of transnational pharmaceutical corporations is an area of
concern.[18] 2. Methodology of Doing Theology and Response to Globalization The phenomenon of globalization is undeniably complicated and it has to be understood from different dimensions. The impact is not confined to one particular aspect but all are interrelated. Some critics argue that the trend can be understood only when confronted on the most general scale, in the globality. To challenge and resist this trend, it is necessary to pose any alternative at an equally global level, not at a limited, local level. Thus, one not only has to think globally but also act globally. In fact, organizational mobility and ethnic-linguistic hybridity are identified as central characteristics of the movement.[19] The structure of the church organization we examine in this project shows the world-wide or region-wide network among churches of different locations. Their member churches are from all over the world which are situated in different contexts. Through examining and sharing the impact of globalization in these various contexts, these churches can understand globalization from a wider perspective, so that both local and global plan of action can arise. 2.1 Methodology of Response On the issue of globalization, these church organizations have organized
consultations, meetings or exposure trips in understanding the issue,
exchanging experiences and doing theological reflection. Through this,
the work being done by various groups of the local churches can be
consolidated. The methodology being employed is praxis-oriented in
which looking at the reality, social analysis, theological reflection
and plan of action are integrated as a whole. The contextual theological
methodology of using the praxis cycle demonstrates these Church organizations
perceives socio-cultural realities not as closed and static systems,
but as constantly in a state of flux as a result of increasing globalization.
They do not isolate themselves from the reality but work in the secular
world and continue the process of reflection and action. For the United Church of Canada, representatives of the global partners have journeyed to Central America in the aftermath of Hurricane Mitch, to Zambia in the grip of structural adjustment policies that destine families to suffer from disease and malnutrition, to China where they learn of the heavy price paid by the workers who toil to make toys for their children, to Gold River, a Canadian community where economic globalization has exacerbated the effects of the boom and bust natural resource economy, displacing indigenous peoples and workers and upsetting the ecological balance in 2000. In this journey, southern partners call on the General Council of the UCC to take steps to challenge economic injustice through concrete action. Thus, in the 37th Council meeting, using the "see, judge, act" method, the global partners of the United Church of Canada have discussed this topic and issued a document to see global economic injustice, to discern or judge what this means for the Christian faith, and to act in common mission for justice in the face of globalization.[21] For the Presbyterian Church, twelve persons representing five reform churches in Korea, Brazil and the U.S.A. shared a three-week on-site seminar and dialogue that took them and several staff to each country in turn during Feb and Mar 2000.[22] The theme of the dialogue is "The Reformed Faith and the Global Economy: A Dialogue." The group first gathered in Seoul where participants visited churches, social, outreach programs, businesses, labour unions, government officials, and others, spending a week immersed in the culture and issues viewed from the Korean perspective. Then the group proceeded to Seattle, Washington and Brazil. In each country, the group was immersed in local culture and was able to enter into discussion with people of very diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The days were filled by contacts with dozens of economists, business and union leaders, church officials, pastors, community organizers and ordinary working people. There were hours of discussion and debate among the participants themselves as they processed what they had heard and seen. The dialogue was a direct response to the 209th General Assembly (1997) of the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s invitation for a dialogue among church leaders from Brazil, Korea and the US to better understand at the grassroots level the impact of the social, political, and economic forces driving the global economy and to see how the churches can promote change to make the global economy better serve people's needs. Subsequently, the seminar became a part of the member churches' response to the call of the WARC in 1998 to be engaged in a committed process of recognition, education, and confession regarding economic injustice and ecological destruction. With the goal of hearing directly from people and organizations affected by globalization, the Mennonite Church Central Committee has planned a series of consultations in locations around the world, including Latin America and Carribean, South Asia, Africa, and North America, from 2003 to 2004. The MCC want to find out: How are these changes affecting communities? How should people of faith in North America respond? How should MCC as an organization respond? Speakers range from small farmers to scholars, and MCC is making an effort to include various viewpoints. Reflections and speeches of various speakers are posted on the website of MCC for other churches' reference.[23] The theme of globalization has been deal with at different levels
of the FABC, especially through the activities of the Office for Human
Development. In August 1998, a Colloquium on the Church in Asia in
the 21st Century was held in Pattaya, Thailand. The objectives of
the colloquium are: to understand some major trends of the phenomenon
of globalization in Asia and their influence on Asian life; to become
more aware of the ways by which faith and theology in Asia have responded
and are responding; to learn some approaches of renewing the way of
being Church, pastoral care and the task of human promotion; and to
come up with recommendations.[24] More than
100 participants from different countries all over Asia attended this
conference, including bishops, clergy, religious and laity. They are
delegates from different Asian bishops' conferences, theologians,
Church people working in different ministries and social sectors,
and representatives of regional church organizations concerning human
development and justice and peace. Soon after this colloquium on globalization, the Asian Synod was held in Rome. In the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia, when discussing the question of human promotion in Asia, Pope John Paul II points out that "the ethical and moral aspects of globalization need to be more directly addressed by the leaders of nations and by organizations concerned with human promotion."[25] 2.2 Relationship with the Multitudes 2.3 Offer a new Global Vision The Church organziations believe that the role of evangelizers in the world begins with active participation in the transformation of the world and in being in solidarity with the human family. It is this vision of faith and its lived expression of mission in the world that gives all the people a new hope, the hope of a humanity that are in solidarity and communion, full of love and justice, and that all people can enjoy joy, peace, harmony and serenity. To integrate words and deeds, spirituality and liberation, social analysis and self-examination is an interpretation of faith. In the following, further details on the analysis of globalization from a theological perspective and the viewpoints and stance of these Church organizations towards various aspects of globalization will be examined. 3. Theological and Biblical Perspective/Reflection 3.1 Theology of Life and Creation Theology Churches of the Reformed tradition in the south take a faith stance against neoliberal ideology and practice so that God may be glorified and the promise of abundant life may be fulfilled. For the Reformed Churches, God created the garden of life (political, social, economic and ecological as well as spiritual) (Gen 2.8-9). God's design for the economy is to sustain the life and wellbeing of all creation. They claim that they worship God, not Mammon, which demands the limitless sacrifice of life for its existence. Thus, they declare that God's sovereign reign means that all creatures are free partners in the whole realm of life.[29] Both WCC and FABC also points out that Jesus came so that "all may have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). FABC affirms that Jesus' image as man of the creative Spirit, friend of God, person of interiority, bringer of harmony, lover of the poor, healer and liberator, bold prophet, suffering companion, victor over death, sharer of his Spirit that resonates with the Asian peoples' vision of life. In compassionate love, Jesus makes his own the struggles and aspirations of Israel for life. Jesus brings life through a new creation, a radical liberation and a renewed communion. At his word, demons flee, sinners are liberated. At his touch, the sick are healed. He frees the victims of society from the evil and sin that shackle them. He restores them to communion. He breaks down barriers set up by greed, pride discrimination, lopsided social norms and even religious distortions. Outcasts become sisters and brothers Sinners are worthy of compassion. In the freedom and communion that Jesus offers, a new creation dawns. The human community is reborn.[30] Through Jesus, God offers hope to the whole world and its teeming millions searching and struggling for life through the Risen One, Word of Life, the Bread of Life, the Author of Life. For the WCC, God's salvation in Jesus Christ not only means fullness of life for the human community, but the restoration of all creation to its goodness and wholeness. God's Holy Spirit comes to renew the whole creation. According to the creation stories of the Bible, all living creatures, which live in different spaces, but linked to each other in a web of relationships. The human community is placed within the wider community of the earth, which is embedded in God's household of life. It is this vision of a truly ecumenical earth, that challenges the ecumenical movement to search for new ways of revitalizing and protecting the communities of Indigenous Peoples and of the marginalized and excluded, participate in resistance against the growing domination of economic globalization, and engage itself in the building of a culture of peace and just relationships, a culture of sharing and solidarity.[31] Similarly, the Reformed Churches affirm that the body of Christ unites the whole cosmos, overcoming all divisions and conflicts. The garden of life under a new heaven and a new earth is continually sustained and renewed through the Spirit (Col 1.16-18, Rev 21.1-5). The body of Christ is unconditionally and universally an inclusive reality, and that the Spirit is an all-pervasive energy in the universe that works for the constant renewal of life.[32] WCC further points out that peoples' stories show and reflect the longing and desire for sustenance of life through fulfilling the essential needs of all people, for the protection of life through peace-building and peace making in situations of violence and war, for the enhancement of life through the strengthening of accountability in a truly democratic society and the improving of people's economic welfare by broadening opportunities and solidarity linkages, and for the enrichment of life through the deepening of people's spirituality and cultural activities as well as the up-building of just and sustainable communities. Four essentials elements for a life-centred vision are identified by the WCC and they need to be nurtured: 1) participation as the optimal inclusion of all involved at all levels, 2) equity as basic fairness that also extends to other life forms, 3) accountability as the structuring of responsibility towards one another and Earth itself, and 4) sufficiency as the commitment to meet basic needs of all life possible and develop a quality of life that includes bread for all but is more than bread alone. 3.2 Covenant and Responsibility In the Scripture, faith itself is the experience of the community,
not merely of the individual. The prophets make clear that justice
is the responsibility of that community of faith. Thus, the purpose
of the economic order is to sustain life in community. The human economic
relationship is to be lived out as the sign and symbol of the divine-human
relationship. The body of Christ thus witnesses to a just and sustainable
human community.[33] 3. 3 Common Good, Human Dignity & Option for the Poor Based on the notions of option for the poor and maintaining common good, for many churches, neoliberal globalization is in complete contradiction to the central tenets of the Christian faith. The Reformed Churches argue that it is in contrast to God's economy because God's economy is inclusive whereas the neoliberal economy is exclusive; God's economy is a protective economy for the poor whereas the neoliberal economy is an exploitative economy of the poor; in God's economy, wealth flows from the rich to the poor whereas in the neoliberal economy, it flows from the poor to the rich; the economic index of God's economy is the poor whereas the neoliberal economic index is the rich; God's economy is based on God's love and grace whereas the neoliberal economy is based on greed and profit-making; and God's economy is an economy of solidarity whereas the neoliberal economy is an economy based on limitless competition.[37] Using the principle of sharing with and taking care of the poor in the Old and New Testament,[38] the Mennonite Church elucidates a right economic relationship.[39] It points out that Christians through the ages have responded to these teachings with acts of compassion and generosity. Yet these and other Old and New Testament Scriptures address more than an individual response to people in need. They call believers to be a corporate witness to the nations - a city on a hill - that models the just and compassionate practices of the reign of God. Scripture addresses systematic, not just individual, issues of economic justice. The Law of Moses called for an equitable redistribution of land every 50 years (Lev 25) and included many other provisions for just economic relations (e.g. Lev 19:35,36; Devt 24:24,15). The prophet Isaiah censures monopolistic practices that deprive people of their homes and livelihood (5:8-10). Amos condemns the exploitation of the poor through unjust institutions (2:6,7; 4:1; 5:12). The apostle James denounces the wealthy who defraud their employees (5:4). And Jesus himself promises a great reordering of society in which the positions of the rich and poor will be reversed (Luke 1:52-53; 6:20-26; 16:19-31). Moreover, the church calls the nations to correct these injustices and replace them with policies and practices that approximate more closely the reign of God. When we pray in the Lord's Prayer, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we are praying, in part, for right economic relationships among all people and societies. The Apostle Paul expresses this moral imperative by applying to economic relations the lesson of the manna given to the Israelites in the wilderness. He writes, "The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little had no lack" (2 Cor. 8:1-15). The goal, Paul says, is "equality." This refers not to mathematical equivalence, but to a "fair balance" in which all people have enough for lives of sufficiency and dignity.[40] 3.4 Jubilee and Emancipation Through the jubilee tradition, the Hebrew and Christian scriptures offer a critical mandate for periodically overcoming structural injustice and poverty and for restoring right relationships. In the earliest Hebrew sabbath traditions, consumption and exploitation of the land were limited by the sabbath and the sabbath year. People and animals were to rest every seventh day and the land every seventh year (Ex. 23:10-12). During the sabbath year, there was to be release from debts and slavery and during the jubilee year a restoration of all family lands (Lev. 25). These commandments are taken up in "the year of the Lord's favour" (Isa. 61:1-2a) and described in Isa. 65:17-25 as "new heavens and a new earth". In other words, justice brings peace for all God's creation. In the New Testament, Jesus extends the jubilee vision by proclaiming good news to the poor, release to the captives, sight to the blind and liberation of the oppressed. He taught his disciples to pray for the forgiveness of debts (as we forgive our debtors). Pentecost was characterized by the voluntary sharing of possessions, so that "there was not a needy person among them" (Acts 4:34, cf. Deut. 15:4). As points out by the WCC, the jubilee has important implications for our reflections on globalization today. Globalization usually appears benign, or even beneficial, especially when one benefits from that process. But the increasing concentration of power -- economic, political, cultural, military -- is dramatically shaping the world of the present and future in ways that are not benign. The scandal of crippling debt, the marginalization and exclusion of vast numbers of sisters and brothers, the exploitation of women and children, additional strain on minorities struggling to keep their culture, religious tradition and language alive, the destruction of the ancestral land of Indigenous Peoples and their communities are in part an expression of this concentration of power legitimized in the name of a better standard of living.[42] The accelerating concentration of wealth for a few in the richest countries and the devastating decline in living standards in the poorest countries call for correction along the lines of the ancient sabbath and jubilee cycles. The social, political and ecological costs of the debt crisis can no longer be tolerated and must be redressed. Only when we have implemented the sabbath-jubilee mandate can we "turn to God" and "rejoice in hope". The late pope John Paul II of the Roman Catholic Church points out
a number of times that recalling the social significance that Jubilee
had in the Old Testament, Christians have to raise their voice on
behalf of all the poor of the world, proposing the Jubilee is an appropriate
time to give thought to reduce substantially, if not cancelling outright,
the international debt which seriously threatens the future of many
nations.[43] 4. Response and Position on Globalization and Related Issues In view of these biblical and theological reflection, these church organizations develop their response and positions towards specific issues relating to globalization. Followings are some important aspects that are frequently highlighted in the discussion of the phenomenon. 4.1 Stance on Neo-liberalism The recent financial crises in Asia and the current hardships faced by the people of Argentina are two stark illustrations of failed economic models. The experience in Central and Eastern Europe also shows neoliberal globalism commercializes human and institutional relationships and the very sources of life; the earth, water, air and even the human body itself. put pressure on governments at all levels to cut social, medical, educational and environmental expenditure in order to be "attractive" in the eyes of global capital. Women and other vulnerable groups bear the greatest burden of its consequences.[47] Living in the new stage of capitalism, many churches agreed that neo-liberal economic system assumes that the market, built on private property, unrestrained competition and the centrality of contractsm is the absolute law governing human life, society, and the natural environment. Neo-liberal globalization combines all forms of power and affects all dimensions of life. Very often, it leads to increased hardship, suffering and injustice in the local communities, through exacerbates poverty, inequality and exclusion. The Reformed Churches points out that neoliberal globalization expresses in its "far-reaching and all-encompassing strategy of domination where the global financial market acts as empire and god," and "is bolstered by military, political and ideological power, and its forces determine the survival of the countries and people at the periphery." It has become "a totalitarian faith system of wealth accumulation for the few, endangering life as a whole on the planet." Lutheran Church states that it leads to the systematic exclusion of those who own no property, the destruction of cultural diversity, the dismantling of fragile democracies and the destruction of the earth. In vew of this, these churches claim that the neoliberal model cannot be transformed or adjusted, because it has inherent contradictions, therefore, they must engage the false ideology of neo-liberal economic globalization by resisting, rejecting, confronting, converting and changing this reality and its effects.[48] Instead, they suggest that a secure and sustainable communitiy requires a just and moral economy where people, both men and women, are empowered to participate in decisions, planning and implementation affecting their lives, and where public and private institutions are held accountable for the social and environmental consequences of their operations. To stress gender equality. In the process of development, relationships based on community, mutuality and reciprocity should be nurtured. Human rights including women's economic, social and cultural rights (ESCR) should be upheld and protected. Economic development should move away from goals of accumulation and profit to goals of redistribution and reparation.[49] Moreover, special attention must be given to specific local features and the cultural differences that are threatened by the economic and financial process currently underway. "Globalization must not be a new version of colonialism. It must respect the diversity of cultures which, within the universal harmony of peoples, are life's interpretive keys. In particular, it must not deprive the poor of what remains most precious to them, including their religious beliefs and practices, since genuine convictions are the clearest manifestation of human freedom."[50] 4.2 Trade and Trans-national Corporations If the rich and powerful countries and companies can act in a more globally responsible way, and be conscious of the interest of all the people - all over the world - rather than primarily those of the most powerful, people in the developing countries may not suffer so much as it is now. Therefore, it is imperative to reform the practices of these key players so as to enhance their accountability for policies they offer a country. The basic principles that guide the reform of the international financial agencies should be democratization, participation, equity and transparency. The primary objectives of the economic policy of the IMF and WB as increasing the real income and the development of the productive resources of all members should be uphold. To achieve this, voice and vote should not be based on the wealth and power of the countries; the dependent countries and the debtors should have an equal say and vote in the decision-making process as the wealthy nations. It is also necessary to renegotiate the agreements of relationships between the IMF, the World Bank and the United Nations in order to clarify the responsibilities of both financial organizations in regard to the UN.[51] On the other hand, the above principles are also applicable to fair and just trade agreements.[52] Add to these basic principles, fair trade agreements must ensure greater corporate social responsibility and accountability, to ensure respect for dignity of all persons, including recognizing the inalienable rights of indigenous peoples to their traditional territories, resources and indigenous traditional knowledge. International trade must protect the basic rights of working people to adequate wages and dignified working conditions.The agreements must be subordinated to the goal of sustainable development and poverty reduction; and promote and strengthen respect for creation. Moreover, trade agreements should recognize and respect national sovereignty and the legitimate responsibility of governments to safeguard the well-being of all members of society, ensure democratic participation, and exercise public stewardship. To respect the sovereign rights of peoples and nations, they should be allowed to choose a diversity of development paths, including those based on domestic self-reliance involving minimal international exchanges. Developing countries should be free to pursue policies that strengthen their own domestic economies, rather than being etirely dependant on attracting foreign investment and producing exports for affluent markets. These countries must have the right to regulate trade. They should have the freedom to foster domestic job creation over unrestricted imports, and support farmers producing based food staples for domestic comsumption, not just cash crips for export. Moreoever, they must have the right to regulate investment so that it contributes to national development goals. The move to eliminate all restrictions on foreign investments and transnational business should be reversed. Furthermore, to support the less-developed states, fair trade agreements must allow for mutually beneficial agricultural trade, allow for mutually beneficial agricultural trade, protect the ability of small producers to survive and thrive, and ensure that subsidies, tariffs and non-tariff trade barriers do not harm agricultural producers in small, weaker and less-developed states and safeguard the ability of governments to protect the interest of their people. They should incorporate genuine special and differential treatment for small, weaker and less developed states that require long-term special exemptions; permit the stabilization of agricultural and mineral commodity prices at remunerative levels through arrangements, such as supply management commodity agreements, in order to reverse the deterioration in terms of trade experienced by primary exporters. Related to this, trade and investment agreements should be reached through transparent negotiations and provide for greater participation by civil society in the negotiation, implementation, and monitoring of their performance. To achieve these principles, alternative policies should be set to match them. To ensure greater social responsibility and accountability, and to pay respect to all persons as well as the creation, governments should: provide for effective regulation and compliance to ensure respect for human rights, adherence to international labor standards, and practices that safeguard the global environmental commons; enforce corporate charter obligations to contribute to the public interest; prohibit the commodification of life forms. To recognize national sovereignty of the less developed countries, governments are suggested to preserve the integrity of publicly funded and administered health, education and government services; recognize the differential impact of trade and investment treaties on women, men and children and require positive measures to offset their adverse effects; recognize and safeguard the unpaid provision of care and nurture (e.g. education, health care, nutrition and socialization) and support the necessary social investments to strengthen family and community relationships; protect the right of public access to safe drinking water; protect the public interest and environmental integrity in public-private partnerships, privatizations, and in leases, contracts and agreements regarding the extraction of resources (e.g., mining, petroleum, hydro-electric, forestry, fishing or biological resources); subordinate patents or trade related intellectual property rights to measures that would guarantee access for all to public goods, such as the compulsory licensing of generic pharmaceuticals to ensure access to life saving medicines. To support the less developed nations in achieving fair trade with other nations, especially argicultural trade, governments should ensure the right to exclude staple foods (e.g. corn and beans) from trade agreements; places agriculture, fisheries and livestock as key to food sovereignty; and protects their multi-functionality, thus, these should not be subsumed under the dictates of "free" trade. It should also safeguard the safety of foods, encourage environmentally safe and sustainable farming practices while respecting the needs and important role of local producers and their communities; ensure access to necessary nutritional food, particularly for the poor; regulate agribusiness to ensure that it contributes to the common good; ensure the rights and safety of farm workers and fisher folk. The government should care for the earth's biodiversity for future generation, respect indigenous knowledge and traditional communal farming practices, adopt safeguards to protect against import surges, and regulate and prohibit the importation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including food aid, until proven safe. Above all, to emphasis gender equality, any trade should not result in displacing women from their sources of livelihood nor destroy the capacity of both women and men to nurture and provide for their families and communities. Women should be ensured to access to and control of land and other resources. Real producers should be nurtured through the expansion of dignified livelihood for women and men.[53] 4.3 Finance and Debt To ensure that the movement and utilization of goods, services and funds best serve the interests of all peoples, including women and men, just, sustainable and caring global trade and finance should be implemented. Therefore, decision-making structures and processes on trade and financial agreements and policies must be genuinely democratized to involve and represent women and the diversity of society. For the Church, people living in countries which are forced to cut
down spending on the necessities of life, such as good, health, housing
and education, in order to service their debts to international monetary
agencies and banks, are trapped in living conditions which are an
affront to human dignity.[54] Thus, socially-responsible,
progressive and gender-aware fiscal policies that do not tax the already
impoverished, majority of whom are women should be implemented. However, the rich countries and the powerful elites, through the Bretton Woods institutions, have encouraged debtor nations to borrow on international financial markets continously, made easier by the IMF's deregulation of capital movements around the world. The foreign debt is growing exponentially. Furthermore, Western creditors, represented by the IMF, through the Structural Adjustment Programmes impose unacceptable conditions on debtor nations and drain them of precious resources. The poorest countries are not the only ones trapped by the debt crisis. Countries that are arbitrarily defined as "middle income" are also threatened by debt crises. As the crisis in southeast Asia and in Brazil shows, reckless lending leads to speculative investment, high levels of debt and capital flight. The IMF also obliges debtor governments to "nationalize" private losses caused by the financial crisis, transferring the burden to the public, who did not benefit from the loan. Children and women are forced to bear the full costs of debt repayment through reductions in health, sanitation and clean water programmes. Substantial debt reduction, new structures and mechanisms, involving participation and dialogue between creditors and debtors, is urgently needed. The WCC suggests that both lenders and borrowers must take responsibility for the debt crisis. It is unjust that creditors dominate the debt relief process. Thus, new, independent and transparent structures for governing relations between debtors and creditors are needed. A new just process of arbitration for international debt cancellation, such as the introduction of an international insolvency law, which ensures that losses and gains are equally shared, is needed. Collective political will is urgently needed to develop an international, ethical lending- borrowing mechanism, which involves civil society, including churches, in the process of debt relief and in preventing future debt crises. These mechanisms must produce ethical, mutually responsible and transparent solutions, which not only satisfy requirements for economic efficiency, but also for the protection of basic human needs and rights as well as the environment. Where funds are released through debt cancellation or other relief measures, civil society organizations must be enabled to take part in determining how monies are reallocated for social priorities. The WCC calls on the member churches and the ecumenical movement to work for debt cancellation or substantial debt reduction for severely indebted, impoverished or middle-income countries to enable them to enter the new millennium with a fresh start. It is suggested that civil society should be able to participate in deciding and monitoring how funds made available by debt cancellation, and make sure money should be used to restore social and ecological damage. In order to make international financial institutions more democratic, transparent and responsive to the needs of the world's most impoverished, WCC suggests that an independent, transparent arbitration process for debt cancellation should be established, and ethical lending and borrowing policies should be set up to prevent future recurrence of the debt crisis. Moreover, member churches should advocate for an ethical governance in all countries and legislative action against all forms of corruption and misuse of loans, and provide full support to impoverished people of the indebted nations which cannot service their debts and suffer sanctions as a consequence. On the other hand, the WCC appeals to the leaders of the G8 nations to recognize the urgent need to accept the above recommendations. 4.4 Ecology and Sustainable Development
Economic globalization puts enormous stress on the biosphere and human communities in their diversity. It distorts and often destroys the web of life. Nurturing the vision of a truly ecumenical Earth can become a source of inspiration and hope in the struggle for life. The Lutheran Church points out the importance of challenging on personal, corporate and international levels specific practices that violate and wound the creation. We should work for policies and practices that respect all of life, and should oppose the patenting of life forms or processes that produce them; promoting sustainable agriculture that is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, culturally appropriate, humane and based on a holistic ecological approach. In a capitalist and materialistic world, we have to oppose consumer and profit-driven models of economic development and industry which ignore equity and justice for all creation, but need to take into consideration the future generations. Moreover, it is imperative to reflect on ethical and justice issues related to modern biotechnology whose social and medical consequences are yet to be seen.[58] The LWF encourage its member churches to challenge unjust practices such as privatization of water, patenting of seeds for crops and other living organisms; to become more eco-centric in order to live more in harmony with nature; work for a more just sharing of the goods of creation, and be more mindful that some of us consume far mote than others, e.g. work against climate change and greenhouse effect, by acting to decrease the consumption of fossil fuel and use renewable energy resource; to evaluate new biotechnological developments and advocate against those that violate the dignity and integrity of human beings as created in the image of God; support international agreements, e.g. the Kyoto Protocol, that seek to preserve the environment and the integrity of creation; to educate the church communities on the theology of creation; to respect Sunday as a day of rest in order that all creation can be restored and renewed. The churches are called to make the care of the environment a major priority for Christian reflection and social action. It is the "sustainable society" and "sustainable communities" rather than economics, which matter. 4.5 Human Development and the Marginalized 4.5.1 Indigenous Peoples Some Indigenous peoples around the world are still going through a dramatic experience after discovering the fraud of history by which their cultures were denied: the denial of their cultures, destruction of existing symbols, denigration of their sacred sites, assimilation and domestication, being transformed into a different 'world' without their consent and finally becoming an exploited people. This has made them mourn and feel angry. Others have overcome the colonization process and they are already exploring new possibilities for the future, building their own structures of self government and social order. They are in the phase of exploring as colonized people what facets of colonial and modern forms of culture they want to retain or reject. Indigenous Peoples around the world are rebuilding their dreams and visions for tomorrow. The rediscoveries and recoveries, the mourning and anger, the dreams and visions should not be accommodated into the assumptions of a Christian world view without the consent of Indigenous Peoples. Indigenous People have a unique world view. All creation is interconnected. This unique world view could contribute greatly to the desire by many to try and regain and preserve the natural balance between humans and their natural environment. The Church in Asia suggests that when steady erosion of traditional Asian values occurs nowadays, indigenous Asian communities can play an important role. Their values and cultures which are close to nature, retain the values of a cosmic view of life, a casteless sharing, a democratic society and simplicity and hospitability can offer a corrective to the culture of the dominant communities which become more and more materialistic and consumeristic.[61] 4.5.2 Uprooted People and Migrant Workers One has to be mindful of the fact that the forces of globalization have also engineered development policies designed to create wealth in the name of prosperity while, in practice, it has only resulted in more poverty for more people with its obvious consequences of the displacement of people from their locations of livelihood. These victims cry not just for help in their immediate environment. They want liberation in its completeness, not just for them but for their oppressors too, so that they can live together in peaceful, just and interdependent coexistence with and for reach other, sharing a common humanity.[62] Among the uprooted peple, the migrant workers is one of the marginalized groups that need special attention. International migration has reached unprecedented dimensions in today's global economy. It is a growing phenomenon within Asia whereby the Philippines is one of the major countries of origin of these migrants in Asia. They are temporary workers, the majority of whom are women. Since the establishment of the Philippines Labor Program in 1974, as a consequence of the economic crisis determined by international events, millions of Filipinos have sought jobs abroad. The explosion of "forced" migration results from a world economic system, which through the primacy of money and market constitutes a violent aggression on the rights of the Filipino poor to live with human dignity. The possibilities in Asian economies, the restrictive migration policies, the illegal practices of unscrupulous recruiters and the migration mentality in the Philippines collude to generate irregular migration. The receiving countries benefit most from the productivity of migrant workers. However, the restriction of workers to limited contacts, explained as necessary for economic reasons but based on cultural grounds, reduces the worker to an economic factor. The benefits of migration for the Philippines remain questionable. While it helped the economy remain afloat, it did not initiate sustainable development. The adoption of consumerist mentailty, the emphasis on individualistic values and the weakening of the family foundations express the reciprocal influence of migration and culture in the filipino society. In addition, the lost of education and skilled citizens to other economies has deprived the Philippines of qualified participants in the development process. The situation of Filipino women in migration is even more vulnerable. Employed in large number in the domestic and entertainment sectors they are frequently submitted to humiliation, harassment and sexual abuse. Subject to pregnancy controls and barred from marrying citizens of some countries, they suffer offense of their rights. For the churches in Asia, the migrant workers and human labor cannot be reduced to mere marketable commodities. Economic reasons cannot become the sole and only reason for the promotion of contract migration. There are certain aspect of contract migration (such as recruitment process and contract formulation) which are criminal and evil should be eliminated. Moreoever, the right to have a job in one's own country of origin is a basic right, and comes before the right to migrate. Therefore, it is the right of every person and of every country to make choices in decideing to migrate, in order to imrove one's quality of life. The migration should not result in the loss of human dignity, subjecting people to inhuman working and living conditions. There is a deepening dependency on forced migration to solve the problems of an ever more stagnating of economy. Causes of migration which involve issues related to poverty, international debt, lack of devekopment, corruption and unjust economic structures within the country of origin and in its relations with its neighbors should be examined and tackle seriously.[63] 4.5.3 Women and Youth and Family Moreover, the movement from the rural to the urban settings or overseas in search of viable employment has resulted in the disintegration of family. Stress at work is compounded by calls of efficiency, productivity and achievement of quotas, while at the familial level there are daily struggles to catch up with the increasing cost of living, particularly with various services being privatized. With work and family tensions, women and children as the vulnerable group within a patriarchal set-up, become the victims. Domestic violence in many countries is increasing. Furthermore, the breakdown of the family is common in this era, especially in the urban centers. Individualism, hedonism, materialism, consumerism, and technological life-style adversely affect the stability of family life. However, Asia has a millennial tradition of great respect for the gift of the family. It is the cradle of faith formation and the school for imparting Gospel values, the first arena for socialization and development of the child. In fact, the churches are founded on families and therefore need them to be strong. The solution lies in a rediscovery moral values, the ties between the generations, respect for parenthood and the place of women in families and society. To deal with the inequalities and poverty engendered by globalization
in which female share the majority, there is a need for the Church,
especially the Church in the west, to advocate for non-exploitative
trade and investments. It is imperative for the Church to provide
alternative expression of community participation againist the pervasiveness
of individualism and consumerism, to forge new relationships which
do not mutilate the other, especially women and the young, in the
name of development and progress. The empowerment of women in society
as well as to bring more church women into leadership positions should
be promoted.[64] Together with people of other faith, Christian Churches call against the force of war, oppression and militarized globalization. They point out that one of the gravest threats to people's security today is the merging of Christian religious extremism with the political, economic and military power of empire. They call for an end to violence done in the name of religion and an end to intolerance. They condemn the displacement of peoples from their lands and livelihoods by trans-national corporations, large landowners and their use of military force. Instead, they call for peace for life which envisions a new world of peace with justice that embraces equality and the fullness of life for all. It embodies peoples and communities, working in solidarity, who oppose the destructive forces of empire. They look for freedom from occupation by military forces anywhere, the protection of religious, racial, ethnic minorities and other marginalized communities from all forms of discrimination and violence, respect and the celebration of God's gift of diversity.[66] The Church need to raise awareness that integration is accompanied by growing ethnic and religious tension in some parts of the world and separation in others; and to investigate the roots of these conflict situations, which lie not only in these specific regions, but also in the field of international politics and economy. 5. Recommendations and Plan of Action In the context of globalization, more and more people in the third world suffer from poverty and misery. They need consolation, spiritual support, material support and also empowerment and solidarity under the powerful structure. Globalization should not be treated as an isolated phenomenon and respond in one particular way. Rather, a comprehensive approach which offers a new vision, integrating advocacy and networking, charity, pastoral care, education and formation, with a focus on life in dignity in just and sustainable communities, should be employed. In other words, transformation must occur at the levels of structures, institutions, and laws as well as collective and personal consciousness and values. Churches must not forget that their authentic roles are to listen and respond to the cries and needs of the poor, vulnerable and excluded as well as to accompany people towards the fullness of life by raising prophetic voices against injustices at all levels. 5.1 Response with a Coherent and Comprehensive Approach 5.2 Advocacy, Campaign and Networking[68] To make good use of the existing networks, it is suggested that work on globalization should build upon and strengthen existing initiatives of churches, ecumenical groups and social movements, support their cooperation, encourage them to take action, and form alliances with other partners in civil society working on issues pertinent to globalization, such as trade, debt, militarization, corruption, corporate social responsibility, gender equality, and migration. Churches and ecumenical groups are encouraged to use the expertise and linkages of other NGOs and faith traditions on the basis of respecting plural sources of knowledge construction. Opportunities and arenas for dialogue, discussion and moral deliberation between various economic actors, policy makers, citizens, stakeholders and communiteis should be created. Specifically, it is suggested that priorities of advocacy and campaign can be put on:
It is important to help empower member churches by raising awareness of the issues of economic gloablization and equipping them to take concrete actions. The churches can increase public awareness about globalization and its consequences for their population. People need to be informed about the nature of decisions made by their governments in relation to international institutions, and must be able to influence those decisions. Churches can empower the voice of ordinary people by raising their concerns with the authorities. Churches are encouraged to respond more actively to the invitation of worldwide or regional network, such as WCC, CCA or FABC to reflect on globalization and to search for alternatives to it. Moreover, as proposed by WCC, there is a need to strengthen the voice and representation by the WCC on international levels, a representation that can build on the capacity to analyze global trends, but one also that depends upon the kind of networking, support and transformation the WCC can muster as the churches own instrument. Critical to the vision of earth as home is the call for people in very different situations and contexts to practice faith in solidarity and affirm life on earth together. 5.3 Charity, Pastoral Care and Solidarity with the Marginalized[69] In the face of globalization, several sectors of people, including women and girls, the youth, indigenous peoples, the displaced (such as the migrants and refugees), need special concern and care. This poses urgent pastoral challenges to evolve life-giving, service-oriented programs of actions within the pastoral mission of the Church. Congregations and their members are encouraged to engage intentionally in healing ministries for victims who suffer from the harmful effects of globalization. Direct services, empowerment and spiritual support should also be provided by the local churches and church-related groups. 5.4 Education and Formation on Social Justice and Sustainable
Development To do this, more energy, resources and personnel should be invested on the integral formation of the lay people, pastoral teams; the clergy and religious should also undergo regular updating or ongoing formation. Many church organizations and federations have produced many documents
and rich resources on globalization, a new way of being Church and
to carry out mission in the changing environment. Local churches can
make good use of these resources in formation. These resources should
be translated into the vernaculars and use them systematically in
the formations of church leaders, priest, laity, religious and local
parish communities. WARC also confesses that the Church should not "make Mammon our God, accumulating power and wealth", "make ourselves an idol, worshipping the effectiveness of our achievements", "make wrongful use of the name of the Lord God, calling the implementation of the wealth accumulating market and imperial wars a Christian policy."[71] As the Roman Catholic Church points out, "while the Church is bound to give witness to justice, it recognizes that everyone who ventures to speak to people about justice must first be just themselves."[72] Thus, the Church itself should examine its own practice. Churches are called to read the Bible with new eyes, with justice and gender sensitivities that talk to and respond to the socio-economic realities of women and men in the South. Churches should be self-critical as some churches preach a theology of prosperity that advances values of accumulation and consumptivism, and a theology of patriarchy that justifies the subordination of women. They must put an end to fundamentalisms and the backlash against women that erode the relevance of churches as well as legitimize and perpetuate the existing unjust and discriminatory economic, political and social order, and patriarchal power.[73] Moreover, churches should observe the sabbath day by not exploiting human labour and destroying mother earth; not misuse the privileges being enjoyed but promote the economic, social and cultural rights of all people and all religions; promote equal partnership between clergy and laity as well as women and men; be more transparent and open. The Church should provide space necessary for dialogue and mutual up-building towards a common witness by the churches locally, regionally and internationally.[73] Mary Yuen is from the Holy Spirit Seminary in Hong Kong.
Notes: 1 The Christian Coference of Asia(CCA) & the Council of the World Mission(CWM), People of God Among All God's Peoples: Frontiers in Christian Mission, Report from the Theological Roundtable, Nov 11-17, 1999, Hong Kong. 2 Website of WCC (http://www.wcccoe.org/wcc/what/jpc/globalization.html) 3 The World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC), Faith Stance on the Global Crisis of Life 4 Please refer to the website of the Justice, Peace and Creation Working Group of the World Council of Churches (http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/globalization.html) 5 WCC website (http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/globalization.html) 6 John Paul II, Ecclesia of Asia, 1999, no. 39. 7 John Paul II, Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, no.28. 8 FABC VII, in For All the Peoples of Asia: Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences Documents 1997 to 2001, vol III, ed. Franz-Josef Eilers (Quezon, Philippines: Claretian Publications, 2002) 9 Together on the Way, the official
report of the eighth assembly of the WCC, 1998, no. 8.4. Policy Reference
Committee II Report, Appendix II: Globalization. 10 CCA & CWM, People of God Among All God's Peoples; People of God Among All God's Peoples; Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), MCC Washington Office Guide to Economic Globalization. 11 MCC Washington Office Guide to Economic Globalization. 12 CCA & CWM 13 Ecclesia in Asia, no. 37; FABC VII 14 CCA & CWM, People of God Among All God's Peoples, 15 CCA & CWM, People of God Among All God's Peoples, 16 LWF 17 See website of WCC (http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/ecology.html) 18 See website of WCC (http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/ecology.html) 19 Michael Hardt & Antonio Negri, Empire (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000), 206-207. 20 For details of the activities of the
World Council of Churches relating to globalization, please refer
to the website of the WCC, especially the work of Justice, Peace and
Creation Committee 21 For details of the exposure trip of the United Church of Canada, please refer to the website of the UCC http://www.united-church.ca/tsj/ 22 The five churches are the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., the Presbyterian Church of Korea (PCK), the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK), the Igreja Presbiteriana Independente do Brasil (IPI) (the Independent Presbyterian Church of Brazil), and the Igreja Presbiteriana Unida do Brasil (IPU) (the United Presbyterian Church of Brasil). 23 For details of the various consultations organized by the Mennonite Central Committee, please refer to the website of the MCC. http://www.mcc.org/us/globalization/index.html 24 Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo, "An Overview of the Colloquium on the Church in Asia in the 21st Century," in Colloquium on Church in Asia in the 21st Century (Manila: Office for Human Development ? FABC, 1998), 16-17. 25 Pope John Paul II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Asia (2000), no. 39. 26 Hardt & Negri, 210-211. 27 Hardt & Negri, 214. 28 Together on the Way, official report of the eighth assembly of the WCC, 8.4. Policy Reference Committee II Report, Appendix II: Globalization; FABC VI, Christian Discipleship in Asia Today: Service to Life, no. 12. 29 WARC, Faith Stance on the Global Crisis of Life, 30 FABC VI, no. 13. 31 Together on the Way, 32 WARC, Faith Stance on the Global Crisis of Life, 33 Statement by the Dialogue Partners of the Presbyterian Church of U.S.A., Korea, the Republic of Korea, and Brazil, 2000, edited by Jean S. Stoner, The Reformed Faith and the Global Economy: Voices from Korea, U.S.A. and Brazil, 2001; WARC, Faith Stance on the Global Crisis of Life, 34 LWF, Tenth assembly 2003 35 John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia, no. 39; Message on World Day of Peace 1998. 36 John Paul II, SRS, no. 38. 37 WARC, Faith Stance on the Global Crisis of Life, 38 Examples of teaching in New Testament about option for the poor: Jesus says: "Sell your possessions and give to the poor" (Luke 12:33). Acts describes how the early believers carried out this instruction (2:45). Paul writes that Christians with means must be "rich in good works, generous and ready to share" (1 Tim 6:18). John warns that God's love does not live in anyone who refuses to help brothers and sisters in need (1 John 3:17). 39 MCC Washington Office Guide to Economic Globalization 40 Ibid. 41 Together on the Way, official report of the eighth assembly of the WCC, 8.4. Policy Reference Committee II Report, Appendix II: Globalization, no. 18-19 42 Together on the Way, official report of the eighth assembly of the WCC, 8.4. Policy Reference Committee II Report, Appendix II: Globalization, no. 18-19 43 John Paul II, TMA, no. 32; Ecclesia in Asia, no. 36 44 Joint consultation organized by the WCC, 2001 Budapest. 45 FABC V, 1990, no. 6.2 46 MCC 47 Serve God, Not Mammon, Message from the Joint Consultation on Globalization in Central and Eastern Europe, 2001 Budapest. 48 WARC, Faith Stance on the Global Crisis of Life ; LWF, 10th assembly, 2003 49 WCC, Women's Voices on Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth, 27-29 August 2004, Antipolo City, Philippines. 50 John Paul II, Address to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (27 April 2001), 4; AAS 93 (2001), 600; also in Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, no. 366. 51 Bishop Emeritus Aldo M. Etchegoyen , Promoting Justice and Democracry in the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, in the framework of a panel discussion on "Process of reform and change of the governance of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank," WCC, April 23, 2004, Washington, DC, USA Washington D.C. 2004 52 Information on principles and policies pertaining to fair trade agreements are mainly from : What Does God Require of Us? A Declaration for Just Trade in the Service of An Economy Of Life, from the consultation organized by the WCC at Stony Point, New York, January 11-14, 2004 ; Mennonite Central Committee 53 WCC, Women's Voices on Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth, 27-29 August 2004, Antipolo City, Philippines. 54 John Paul II, Ecclesia in Asia, no. 40. 55 John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, no. 22. 56 WCC, Together On the Way, 5.2, 1988. 57 Please refer to the WCC website (http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/ecology.html). 58 LWF 10th anniversary 2003 59 Please refer to the WCC website (http://www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/jpc/ecology.html). 60 WCC-JPC, Tasks and Concerns: Indigenous
Peoples. 61 FABC VI & VII. 62 "Oppression and Marginalization," CCA News March 2005. 63 Journeying Together in Faith with the Filipino Migrant Workers in Asia, Final Statement of the Symposium on Filipino Migrant Workers in Asia, Hong Kong, 18 September 1993. 64 Cecilia Ng, Globalization: Positioning Women and Men in the 21st Century, in Proceedings of Colloquium on Church in Asia in the 21st Century, OHD-FABC, 1998. 65 "Peace for Life," CCA News March 2005. 66 Peace for Life, Statement of People's Forum and Interfaith Peace Movement, Meeting being held in Davao City, Philippines from 28 Nov to 4 Dec 2004, in Christian Conference of Asia Newletters, March 2005. 67 Together on the Way, official report of the eighth assembly of the WCC, 5.3. Globalization. 68 WCC, Women's Voices on Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth; WCC; Presbyterian Church; WARC; LWF; FABC 69 FABC, Presbyterian Church 70 Together on the Way, official report of the eighth assembly of the WCC, 8.4. Policy Reference Committee II Report, Appendix II: Globalization 71 Faith Stance on the Global Crisis of Life, WARC 72 Justice in the World, Synod of Bishops 1971. 73 WCC, Women's Voices on Alternative Globalization Addressing People and Earth, 27-29 August 2004, Antipolo City, Philippines. |
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