RESOLUTION: ON COLOMBIA TO COME BEFORE THE CENTRAL ATLANTIC AND THE CONNECTICUT CONFERENCE ANNUAL MEETINGS

WHEREAS, The Psalmist proclaims, "How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in Unity" (Psalm 133:1); and

WHEREAS, Jesus in the Beatitudes taught his disciples "Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9); and

WHEREAS, Paul reminds us of our unity in Christ when He writes, "For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many are one body, so it is with Christ: (1Corinthians 12:12); and

WHEREAS, on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2) peoples of every nation on earth were present and the Holy Spirit filled them and they had understanding of one another, testifying to God's power; and

WHEREAS, we are entrusted with the "ministry of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:18) and are called to be "ambassadors for Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:20); and

WHEREAS, the Central Atlantic Conference and the Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ and the Mennonite Church of Colombia have entered into a partnership relationship; and

WHEREAS, this partnership seeks to build and deepen relationships of mutual trust and unity among the partners.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that as partners we are committed to:

a) Providing resources of education to our respective conferences and churches regarding the history of conflict in Colombia including the issue of displacement in Colombia, where 1.8 million people have been displaced since 1985;

b) Deepening the relationship between churches in the US and Colombia, encouraging opportunities to further the mission of Christ's church through shared experiences;

c) Encouraging member congregations to participate in the "Sanctuaries of Peace" proposal developed by Colombian churches and their institutions;

d) Working for policies in the United States and Colombia that support human rights, economic justice and peacemaking in Colombia;

e) Collaborating with our partners in relief efforts and community building programs to improve the health and welfare of Colombians who have directly affected by the violence;

f) Working with other organizations that share the concern for peace and human rights in Colombia.

g) Advocating for drug education and increased drug treatment centers.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Connecticut and Central Atlantic Conferences calls upon General Synod XXIII of the United Church of Christ to adopt a resolution based on this resolution that Synod:

a) Urge Wider Church Ministries and the Common Global Mission Board to develop a UCC and CC(Doc) presence in Colombia in cooperation with ecumenical partners to work for peace, justice and human rights;

b) Call upon the National Council of Churches and Church World Service to support efforts for peacemaking in Colombia and assistance to the displaced;

c) Send national UCC delegation in cooperation with ecumenical partners to visit Colombia before General Synod XXIV and to report to the church their findings;

d) Utilize One Great Hour of Sharing and other disaster response resources to help alleviate the needs of the displaced families and individuals in Colombia;

e) Urge Justice and Witness Ministries to advocate for humanitarian aid for the displaced in Colombia, for peace-making and human rights as our nation's priority in relation to Colombia and for focussed attention on the relationship between drug usage in the United States and the suffering of innocent people in Colombia. We further urge Justice and Witness Ministries to advocate for drug education and increased drug treatment centers in the United States.