Some 40 theologians, most of them indigenous and representing different regions of the world, will meet in La Paz, Bolivia this weekend.Some 40 theologians, most of them indigenous and representing different regions of the world, will meet in La Paz, Bolivia this weekend to share their experiences and theological reflections.This consultation is a follow-up to the world indigenous consultations called by the World Council of Churches (WCC) in Baguio, the Philippines in 2008 and Geneva, Switzerland in 2009.At the same time this event is unique in being the first of its kind as a “coming together” of Indigenous Peoples'spiritual and theological resources with representatives of two major commissions of the WCC, the Commission of Faith and Order and the Commission on World Mission and Evangelism (CWME). The goal is to assert that the integrity of life is pivotal to all ecumenical endeavours.“It is a valuable effort for the indigenous processes of re-constitution of the indigenous nations and the reaffirmation of their spiritual values,” stated Abraham Colque Jimenez, principal of the Andean Ecumenical Higher Institute of Theology (ISEAT).“The interaction of these three programmes of the WCC is a response to the mandate of the WCC Assembly in Porto Alegre in 2006, which called for the fellowship of churches to be informed by indigenous wisdom and theologies,” said María Chávez Quispe, who coordinates the WCC Indigenous Peoples programme.“We expect to open new horizons for the theological dialogue within the churches,” she said. “But also, we expect to begin a process of dialogue which enables us to respond in a very creative way to the overlapping crises that this world is facing, especially the indigenous communities.”The consultation will facilitate a process of listening and learning about the distinctive indigenous spiritual traditions and resources, by focusing on peoples’ visions of and the capacities to affirm and safeguard life in all its forms.The group will explore ways in which they can strengthen dialogue, contribute to and learn through conversations with partners from the Commission on Faith and Order and the CWME as part of ongoing efforts to discern the content and character of the ecumenical movement in the 21st century.The consultation hopes to contribute to reflections on the Faith and Order document “Called to be one church” and CWME’s work on “transformative spirituality” towards a new statement on mission to be presented at the next WCC Assembly in 2013.The gathering will take place in the context of the millenary cultures of La Paz’s surrounding Andes and be inspired by the mystic rituals of the Aymara people. The international group will reflect on the similarities and differences of their spiritual traditions in order to affirm the valuable gift of indigenous spirituality to the church and to enrich the ongoing reflections of the WCC commissions.Another aim of the gathering is to explore the indigenous traditions of spiritual expression (narratives, symbolism, songs, rituals, textiles etc.) in order to strengthen theological languages that provide an alternative to western civilization’s fundamentally Hellenic rationality which is the usual basis for official and mainstream theological reflections.The consultation is being convened by the WCC Indigenous Peoples programme, in partnership with local ecumenical organizations such as the ISEAT, the Indigenous Peoples pastoral office of the Latin American Council of Churches and the Ecumenical Community of Theological Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (CETELA).[Ekk/3]

Quakers are marking the 350th anniversary of the first written declaration of Quaker commitment to peace.Quakers are marking the 350th anniversary of the first written declaration of Quaker commitment to peace. In the declaration, addressed to Charles II in January 1661, Quakers unequivocally refused to take up arms.Ever since, they have worked for peace and alternatives to violence.The declaration was made against the backdrop of violent times in London. In 1661, many died in street battles and 4000 Quakers were in prison. The leader of an uprising had been tried and executed. The king outlawed meetings of Fifth Monarchy Men, Baptists and Quakers and all members were required to take an oath of allegiance. The declaration was a political and strategic document, aimed at convincing others that Quakers posed no threat because they rejected the use of violence.The declaration to the king, signed by George Fox and 11 others, said Quakers “utterly deny all outward wars and strife and fightings with outward weapons”. George Fox was one of the earliest Quakers. He turned down a commission in Cromwell’s army and later said that he “lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars.”The movement grew into one of the historic peace churches, called the Religious Society of Friends or Quakers. They are known for key roles in abolishing the Slave Trade, working to end the use of child soldiers and bringing thousands of mainly Jewish children to safety on the Kindertransport from Nazi occupied Europe. Quakers have played a key role in setting up many peace movements and organisations, such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, Oxfam and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.Quakers won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947 for their post-war relief work.“In Britain today, Quakers see peace as closely bound up with the sustainability of the planet, and with the rules of global economics,” says Christine Cannon, clerk of Meeting for Sufferings (Quakers’ representative decision-making body). “Quakers are working in these fields but also supporting a new network of peace organisations across South Asia, working at the United Nations for the rights of conscientious objectors and also training human rights observers for the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel, supporting those working for peace from across the communities.“Quakers are inspired by the stories of our forebears resisting war and caring for those who were harmed by it. Today we work in many settings, often behind the scenes and at the heart of it all is respectful and deep listening to everyone involved.”She continued,“We call this commitment to peace a testimony because it is how we witness to the world, a way that affirms the value of all life, rather than denying it through warfare,” she says.Around the country Quakers are marking the anniversary by running workshops called “350 years on – what does the peace testimony mean today?”[Ekk/4]

Contact: Pamela Geller, 516-426-7630, groundzeromosque@aol.com; sioaonline.comNEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The long awaited world premiere of The Ground Zero Mosque: The Second Wave of the 9/11 Attacks, a groundbreaking new documentary on the controversy over the planned Islamic supremacist mega-mosque at Ground Zero, will be held February 11 at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. Demand has been so overwhelming that there will be two s Source: Jihad Watch

Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has implied that the UK should be ready for military action against Iran. He made the comments at the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war.Former Prime Minister Tony Blair has implied that the UK and US should be ready to take military action against Iran. He made the comments while being questioned by the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war in central London today (21 January).His comments are likely to alarm those who had hoped that Blair would show remorse for some of the effects of his decision to join the US government in invading Iraq in 2003. Blair not only defended this decision but went further, saying that the West should not seek accommodation with Iran.A member of the inquiry panel, Roderick Lyme, reminded Tony Blair that he had predicted the invasion of Iraq would deter Iran and North Korea from developing nuclear weapons. Lyme suggested that it had rather encouraged them to do so.Blair rejected this, saying that “initially, they felt that pressure” but that the situation had now changed.Abandoning the nervous manner that he had demonstrated this morning, Blair began to speak passionately as if he were making a public speech, describing how he sees the role of Iran when he travels in the Middle East.“I see the impact and influence of Iran everywhere,” said Blair, “It is negative and destabilising everywhere. It is supportive of terrorist groups.”He lashed out at the current US President Barrack Obama for offering the hand of friendship to Iran at a speech in Egypt. He said Iran had carried on “with their terrorism” despite Obama's comments.“At some point the West has got to get out of this... policy of thinking that we are causing what Iran is doing and these extremists are doing,” said Blair “At some point, we've got to get our heads out of the sand”.Blair also urged the panel to recognise the links between Iran and Al-Qaeda. It is not clear what he meant by this, given that it is widely acknowledged that they do not support each other. Al Qaeda is a loose network of extremist Sunni groups, while Iran is governed by hardline Shias.[Ekk/1]

Tony Blair has admitted he never warned George Bush that his senior legal adviser, the Attorney General, had warned that the invasion of Iraq would not be legal.Tony Blair has admitted that he never warned George Bush that his senior legal adviser had warned that the invasion of Iraq would not be legal. The former Prime Minister made the admission at the Chilcot Inquiry into the Iraq war in central London this morning (21 January).In a written statement to the inquiry, released at 9.30am today, Blair acknowledged that his Attorney General, Peter Goldsmith, had advised him that an invasion would be illegal without a second United Nations resolution. Blair said that he regarded the advice as “provisional”. Goldsmith later changed his opinion.But Roderick Lyme, a member of the panel, pointed out that Goldsmith had deliberately written to Blair on 30th January 2003 - the day before he met with US President George Bush - to make sure that he was aware of his legal opinion.Blair said, “If I'd started raising legal issues at that point with the president, it would have started raising doubts about whether we were really with them”.Blair admitted that he had also received negative legal advice from Goldsmith only shortly before making a contradictory statement to Parliament. Blair told the Commons that an invasion could be justified without a resolution, in the event of an “unreasonable veto”. Goldsmith had told him the opposite only shortly before.Pressed on this point by Lyme, Blair said, “I was making basically a political point”. He added, “I was saying not, in a sense as a lawyer, but politically”.When Lyme asked if it were possible to distinguish legal and political points in this context, Blair failed to give an answer to the question, repeating earlier points about the situation he was facing.Protesters have gathered outside the inquiry hearing to call for Tony Blair to be put on trial for war crimes.[Ekk/1]

Under intense questioning this morning, Tony Blair has failed to confirm that his cabinet ever made a formal decision to approve the invasion of Iraq.Under intense questioning this morning (21 January), Tony Blair has failed to confirm that his cabinet ever made a formal decision to approve the invasion of Iraq. At a hearing of the Chilcot Inquiry, the former Prime Minister avoided repeated questions on the issue, fuelling the belief that he made the decision alone and pushed other ministers into it.Tony Blair is being questioned for the second time by the formal inquiry into the UK's involvement in the Iraq war. He has been recalled after a string of witnesses gave evidence which contradicted his own.Peaceful protesters have gathered outside the hearing in central London, calling for Tony Blair to be tried for war crimes.Roderick Lyme, a member of the inquiry panel, asked, “Would an ordinary cabinet member... really have been aware [in September 2002] that he or she was effectively taking collective responsibility for... military action against Iraq?”Blair responded by saying that ministers must have been aware of it, given all the reports in the media. Critics are likely to say that ministers should not have to read newspapers in order to know government policy.Lyme insisted that, “What isn't clear is at what point you were actually asking the cabinet to make decisions". Blair several times repeated his assertion that the cabinet knew that military action was being considered.Lyme said that he could not tell when Blair and the cabinet had made a formal decision, rather than keeping options open. Blair replied sharply “I wasn't keeping my options open”.Lyme also asked if it would have helpful to involve more ministers in discussions about Iraq in the lead-up to the invasion.Blair replied, “In one sense I'd like to say yes, because in a way it would be an easy enough concession to make. My honest belief is that it would not have made a great deal of difference.” He added, I had the right people there”.Blair made the suprising claim that “Nobody was saying I should do this in a different way. If there was, I would have listened to it.”The former Prime Minister appeared extremely nervous and increasingly angry during the exchange. He interrupted Roderick Lyme several times and repeatedly removed his glasses before putting them back on.[Ekk/1]

The government is seeeking to limit the right to vote to prisoners serving sentences of less than one yearFollowing a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, government ministers reluctantly proposed allowing prisoners serving less than four years the vote. However, the government is now seeeking to limit the right to vote to those serving sentences of less than one year.The initial proposal faced strong opposition from Conservative MPs and the Prime Minister is now thought to accept that the Commons is unlikely to vote for a proposal that could involve granting the vote to up to 28,000 prisoners, including 6,000 jailed for violent crime, more than 1,700 sex offenders, more than 4,000 burglars and 4,300 imprisoned for drug offences.A Downing Street spokesman said the government wanted"to ensure that the minimum number of prisoners get the vote". He added that a statement would be made"in due course".The Prison Reform Trust director, Juliet Lyon said:"Morally, by establishing the right to vote we are recognising that people sent to custody must lose their liberty, but not their identity."It is no surprise that prison governors and senior officials in the prison service see voting as an ordinary part of resettlement and rehabilitation."Enfranchising prisoners would provide an opportunity for the coalition government to catch up with most other European countries where prisoners are able to vote."She continued,"The UK's blanket ban is out of place in a modern prison system, and should be overturned without further fuss or delay."She said the professionals running the penal system now felt it was time to enfranchise convicts."It's been described as'nasty medicine',"she commented,"when it should be seen as people taking responsibility."[Ekk/4]

CND is calling for Tony Blair"to be held to account for his criminal decision to take Britain into an illegal war"as he appears at the Iraq Inquiry.The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is today (21 January 2011) greeting Tony Blair's arrival at the Iraq Inquiry with a call for him"to be held to account for his criminal decision to take Britain into an illegal war."CND is joining the demonstration, jointly organised with Stop the War Coalition, outside the Iraq Inquiry from 8am until 2pm. MPs, celebrities and leading campaigners will join with members of military families who lost relatives in the war to remember the dead and to call for Blair to give a full and honest account of his actions, which led to the deaths of upwards of a million Iraqis and 179 British troops.Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said"Tony Blair's previous appearance before the Inquiry was clearly inadequate, with subsequent evidence raising questions about his earlier statements. The more evidence we see, the clearer it becomes that Tony Blair took us to war on a lie, causing the deaths of over a million Iraqis as well as 179 British troops. We call on Blair to reveal the truth behind the process which caused the Attorney General to reverse his earlier view that the UN had not authorised military action. He should also take this opportunity to apologise to the British and Iraqi publics alike."She continued,"Truthful answers from Blair, admitting that he committed Britain to war regardless of the UN process, would make it clear that he was prepared to wage a war of aggression - one of the highest crimes under international law. Blair took the country into an illegal war and should be held to account for his criminal decision."In 2003 CND worked with leading international law experts and the group Peacerights to submit a report to the International Criminal Court recommending that Blair and other senior ministers responsible should be investigated for war crimes in Iraq.The Attorney General was also asked to investigate, but rejected the proposal. CND believes the evidence already submitted for the Iraq Inquiry has strengthened the case for such an investigation to proceed and will be considering further legal avenues once the full report is published.[Ekk/4]

The BHA has called for RE to become a national curriculum subject, and for the requirement for compulsory collective worship in schools to be repealed.Commenting on the launch of the government’s much-anticipated curriculum review, the British Humanist Association (BHA) has said that Religious Education (RE) and collective worship need to be included in the review. The BHA has called for RE to become a national curriculum subject, and for the requirement for compulsory collective worship in schools to be repealed.While the scope of the curriculum review is yet to be announced, the education White Paper, published in November 2010, proposed retaining the current arrangements for RE, despite consistent criticism from religious and secular groups and regulatory bodies such as Ofsted. The White Paper was also silent on the future of compulsory religious worship in English schools – currently required by law on a daily basis.BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson said,"It would be a tragedy if Religious Education did not form part of this curriculum review because of its present, peculiar status as a statutory subject which is not part of the national curriculum."Current arrangements for RE mean it can be patchy in quality, and that non-religious perspectives such as Humanism are often not taught at all. Properly taught and examined, RE has the potential not only to be a rigorous introduction to the diverse philosophical heritage of humanity but also a subject where, introduced and engaging with a range of religious and non-religious beliefs and values, young people can refine their own developing worldviews."It can be a hugely important subject which has the potential to greatly enrich young people’s lives, but the current system, including the current legislative framework, prevents it from doing so. That is why it is so important that the current arrangements are scrutinised by the review, and RE gains the status of a national curriculum subject."Commenting on compulsory worship in schools, Mr Copson commented, ‘The review also provides an exceptional opportunity to repeal the law requiring all schools to hold a daily act of collective worship. The law requiring worship is unfair, unnecessary and prevents schools from holding inclusive educational assemblies which can build shared values and a sense of community. Scrapping this restrictive law would be absolutely within the spirit of the government’s intention to ‘free’ schools and remove burdensome and unnecessary restrictions on teachers, who have been at the forefront of calling for repeal."[Ekk/4]

Contact: Mark Shan, ChinaAid, 888-889-7757, Rachel@ChinaAid.orgWASHINGTON, Jan. 20, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is the full text of ChinaAid founder and President Bob Fu's remarks at a congressional press conference on Jan. 18, 2011 on"Human Rights in Hu Jintao's China."Thank you, Congressman Smith and Congressman Wolf. Thank you all for coming to share this moment.First of all, I commend the speech made by Secretary Clinton last Friday (at Source: China Aid Association, Inc.

Contact: Bill Bray, Christian Aid Mission, 433-227-0811, bill@christianaid.orgCAIRO, Egypt, Jan. 20, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- In the wake of last week's fatal train shooting, and a series of Christmas church attacks and the New Year terror bombing, a leading native missionary leader is calling for"a Christian love campaign in Egypt to all people who are not Christians."The leader told Christian Aid Africa Director Rae Burnett that"persecution is increasing everywhere"in Egy Source: Christian Aid

David Cameron's warm words about co-opting churches into plugging the gaps in social provision resulting from his administration's antipathy to the state and the services it provides, have recently taken something of a knock from his own MPs in East Anglia.

OPINION, Jan. 20, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is offered as an opinion from Gary McCullough, the director of the Christian Newswire, in regard to the decision Thursday by Egypt's highest Islamic authority, al-Azhar, to freeze all dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church over what it called Pope Benedict's repeated insults towards Islam: The'Prophet'Mohammad is NakedIs there not an Arabic version of Hans Christian Andersen's The Emperor's New Suit? "Source: CCN

CND will call for Tony Blair"to be held to account for his criminal decision to take Britain into an illegal war."when he appears at the Iraq Inquiry.The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament will tomorrow (21 January 2011) greet Tony Blair's arrival at the Iraq Inquiry with a call for him"to be held to account for his criminal decision to take Britain into an illegal war."CND will join the demonstration, jointly organised with Stop the War Coalition, outside the Iraq Inquiry from 8am until 2pm. MPs, celebrities and leading campaigners will join with members of military families who lost relatives in the war to remember the dead and to call for Blair to give a full and honest account of his actions, which led to the deaths of upwards of a million Iraqis and 179 British troops.Kate Hudson, General Secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said"Tony Blair's previous appearance before the Inquiry was clearly inadequate, with subsequent evidence raising questions about his earlier statements. The more evidence we see, the clearer it becomes that Tony Blair took us to war on a lie, causing the deaths of over a million Iraqis as well as 179 British troops. We call on Blair to reveal the truth behind the process which caused the Attorney General to reverse his earlier view that the UN had not authorised military action. He should also take this opportunity to apologise to the British and Iraqi publics alike."She continued,"Truthful answers from Blair, admitting that he committed Britain to war regardless of the UN process, would make it clear that he was prepared to wage a war of aggression - one of the highest crimes under international law. Blair took the country into an illegal war and should be held to account for his criminal decision."In 2003 CND worked with leading international law experts and the group Peacerights to submit a report to the International Criminal Court recommending that Blair and other senior ministers responsible should be investigated for war crimes in Iraq. The Attorney General was also asked to investigate, but rejected the proposal. CND believes the evidence already submitted for the Iraq Inquiry has strengthened the case for such an investigation to proceed and will be considering further legal avenues once the full report is published.[Ekk/4]

A new report highlighting human rights violations against the Chin people in Burma has been welcomed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide.Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) welcomed the release yesterday (19 January 2011) of a major new report highlighting human rights violations against the Chin people in Burma, just over a week before Burma is due for a Universal Periodic Review of its human rights record at the United Nations.The report, Life under the Junta: Evidence of Crimes against Humanity in Burma’s Chin State, published by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), winners of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, provides further evidence of crimes against humanity perpetrated by Burma’s military regime.A survey of 702 households in all nine townships of Chin State in 2010 found that almost 92 per cent of those surveyed had experienced forced labour at least once in the previous year. Evidence of rape, torture, arbitrary detention, disappearances, the recruitment of child soldiers and chronic food insecurity is also documented in the report, as well as ethnic and religious persecution.Some Chin households surveyed report a campaign by the regime in Burma to convert Chin Christians to Buddhism, forcing Christians to build Buddhist pagodas in every major village. In some areas, government authorities persecute Chin Christians using violence and intimidation, destroying churches or threatening to destroy homes and kill family members.With a foreword by the Nobel Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu and the former UN Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, Richard Goldstone, the report concludes that at least eight of the violations documented “fall within the purview of the International Criminal Court and may constitute crimes against humanity”.CSW believes the PHR report completely confirms and corroborates evidence it has gathered during five fact-finding visits to the Chin people on the India-Burma border since 2004.CSW’s East Asia Team Leader Benedict Rogers said: “Having travelled to the Chin areas ourselves, and worked to highlight the plight of the Chin, we welcome this new report which places a much-need spotlight on a long-forgotten and much-overlooked humanitarian and human rights crisis."Combined with the regime’s offensives against ethnic nationalities in eastern Burma, persecution of the Muslim Rohingya people, and abuses in other parts of the country, we believe the evidence of possible crimes against humanity is now overwhelming and further strengthens the case for the establishment of a UN Commission of Inquiry to investigate these crimes, as recommended by the UN’s own Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma. It is now time to end the culture of impunity in Burma.”[Ekk/4]