Pax Dei—Living in Peace 2

Pre-Natal Peace for Humans

Ashling Gabrielle O'Donnell:
A post-natal human  who was once a pre-natal human.

...“the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth”...

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Convention on the Rights of the Child,adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations, November 20, 1989 http://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx

It seems that the world community has declared, 
in an internationally binding treaty,
that children, like their parents, 
are humans both before their birth and after their birth,
 and hence are entitled to human rights.

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Pax Dei

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.

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Psalm 139: 13-16, The Message

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 Notes:

“The Convention on the Rights of the Child is the first legally binding international instrument to incorporate the full range of human rights—civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights. In 1989, world leaders decided that children needed a special convention just for them because people under 18 years old often need special care and protection that adults do not. The leaders also wanted to make sure that the world recognized that children have human rights too….By agreeing to undertake the obligations of the Convention (by ratifying or acceding to it), national governments have committed themselves to protecting and ensuring children's rights and they have agreed to hold themselves accountable for this commitment before the international community. States parties to the Convention are obliged to develop and undertake all actions and policies in the light of the best interests of the child.”  (from the UNICEF website: http://www.unicef.org/crc/)

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Currently, 193 countries are party to this Convention, including every member of the United Nations except Somalia, South Sudan, and the United States.

http://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=IV-11&chapter=4&lang=en:

JC et al.--Living in Truth 13

 Improving Human Hearts and Consciences

"Thousands of refugees from Syria are pouring over the border into Iraqi Kurdistan, the UN refugee agency says." Click here or below to watch the two minute BBC report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23745201

"...the world community has further advanced [the international human rights] dimension of its mission [more] than in any other field, and the international consciousness about genocides and other abuses of rights is higher today than at any other time...the disappointments come with the knowledge--amply provided by UN agencies, the churches, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others--that so many governments, large and small, are still acting in defiance of the Universal Declaration [or Human Rights], the Geneva conventions [the rules of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts], and all subsequent protocols. Few countries have completely clean hands, a number of them are major culprits, and where political order has collapsed, the atrocities multiply. ...international pressure against abuses has to be kept up...But the real improvements will come in the hearts and consciences of humankind, not in additional machinery [that is, structures and documents]. Paul Kennedy, The Parliament of Man: The Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations (2006), excerpts from chapter 8, "The Promise and Peril of the 21st Century" pp. 272-273, bold font added

*****

 "When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming....Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come....This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again. If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God’s chosen people, the trouble will be cut short....Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it." Jesus Christ, excerpts from Matthew 24, The Message, bold font added

Global MC—Pearl Eleven

Expanding the Foundations of Good Practice

Read It. Discuss it. Apply it.

We are exploring member care by using brief quotes from the book, Global Member Care: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice (published February 2011). Drawing on the metaphor from Rev. 21:21, each quote (12 total) is like a huge pearl--a pearl gateway--that allows us to enter more fully into the global field of member care. This eleventh entry is from Part Three in the book, “Developing Guidelines in Mission/Aid.”
https://sites.google.com/site/globalmca/

Pearl Eleven

This chapter explores what I believe is the foundational stone in our search for trans-culturally relevant ethics. Stone Five is fascinating! It is based on doing what we “know” is morally right to do. It shines light on our inner sense of duty. I believe that it must especially take into account human rights in a way which hitherto has received minimal consideration in the member care field. This includes understanding and protecting the rights of mission/aid staff and the people with whom they work, as described for example in international human rights documents (discussed below).

However, the primary focus of this stone is not just mission/aid staff. It is also on the ethical responsibility—ethical imperative—for personal and group duty (often sacrificial duty) on behalf of humanity. It is about the duty and choice to risk one’s own rights and well-being in order to extend member care, broadly speaking, to vulnerable populations. More specifically, it is a principled commitment to improve the quality of life and seek justice for those whose human rights, including religious liberties and freedom of conscience as well as physical safety and economic livelihood, are habitually threatened through neglect, disasters, poverty, discrimination, fear, and persecution.

Reflection and Discussion

**Recall one aspect of your life/work that relates to the quote above.

**Have a go at connecting the above quote with a current international area that interests/concerns you.

Culture and Diversity in Member Care--Part 6

Global Mental Health: Issues and Interviews

Skina, aged 9, being treated for injuries from a cluster bomb.
It exploded while she and her cousins were playing with it.
Photo taken 20 August 2006. Courtesy IRIN.

Humans, close-up.

Contributing in new ways internationally.

Connecting in new ways intentionally.
Crossing sector/discipline zones.
Crossing conflict/calamity zones.
As a member care field.

As a member caregiver.

Humans, close-up.
*****

Spotlight:
"The Banyan is a not for profit organization based in Chennai, India. It works for the cause of homeless persons with mental illness. Over the last 13 years, The Banyan has rescued over 1500 women and enabled close to 1000 women, not just recover from the illness but to also trace their lost steps back to their families and communities." See the short video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THdLdJDc6go

*****

One helpful way to stay in touch with international health issues--and to stretch beyond our own cultural and disciplinary boundaries-- is via multimedia resources available on line. An example is the short interviews done with international researchers and practitioners in mental health and related areas, from Global Health TV. Have a look at some of these video links below from Global Health TV. Each one is about three minutes long.

We continue to encourage us all to provide and develop member care in light of the global health context and other important international issues. We find that it is helpful to stay connected with a health area and/or international issue that we are particularly passionate about (including organizations, practitioners, resources etc related to the area/issue). A byproduct is that we will probably enhance our understanding of cultural variation and human diversity and thus be more effective in member care.

Conference Preview for Geneva Health Forum 2010—Movement for Global Mental Health

Dr. Vikram Patel (author of Where There Is No Psychiatrist and editor of the Lancet journal series on Global Mental Health) gives a short update on some of the issues for mental health internationally and a preview of what he will share at the Geneva Health Forum next week.

http://www.globalhealthtv.com/#/news/preview_geneva_health_forum_2010/

The Global Burden of Depression

According to the World Health Organization, depression will be the leading cause of illness around the globe. Dr Ian McPherson from the National Mental Health Unit in England shares about the relationship between employment and mental health and the need to prioritise mental health in the global health agenda.

http://www.globalhealthtv.com/#/news/the_global_burden_of_depression/

Overcoming Global Oppression Against Women

Sheryl WuDunn is a Pulitzer prize-winning author .She shares about her new book, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. The material in the book can be used as a toolkit to take action against oppression.

http://www.globalhealthtv.com/#/news/overcoming_global_oppression_against_women/

Stress in the Womb

Prenatal stress can have a long-term consequences. Here is a snippet from Vivette Glover, a researcher at Imperial College London, who advocates that reducing stress during pregnancy could help prevent emotional and behavioural problems in children.
 http://www.globalhealthtv.com/#/news/stress_in_the_womb/

Global Mental Health
The Movement for Global Mental Health was launched in 2009 in Athens. Its purpose is to improve services for people with mental health conditions worldwide, promote human rights/protection of those affected, and for more research in low-middle income countries. Psychiatrist Professor Vikram Patel explains that mental health deserves an equal footing with other major health problems such as HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and maternal health.

http://www.globalhealthtv.com/#/news/global_mental_health/

Reflection and Discussion

1.What did you think of the Banyan video from Chennai, India?

2. Which of the four interviews above interested you the most and why?

3. What is an international health area and/or international issue that really interests you?

4. Briefly mention how you stay practically informed and connected to an international health area or international issue.

5. List three ways that member care workers and those with member care responsibility can benefit from staying connected to international health areas and international issues. 

Member Care: Pearls and Perils, Lecture 3

Ethics and Human Rights in Member Care:

Developing Guidelines for Good Practice
*****

This third lecture at Fuller School of Psychology (February 2009) explored ethical principles for member care workers and sending groups as well as how human rights commitments are foundational for member care work. The goal was to move towards a trans-cultural/conceptual framework for ethics as a way to upgrade the work we do in member care and mission/aid. The emphasis on human rights is a new contribution to the development of the member care field. The lectures are available on line for free in written, audio, and video formats. We have included a few excerpts below from the third lecture to encourage you to download and watch the video.

http://www.fuller.edu/academics/school-of-psychology/integration-symposium-2009.aspx

Shining light on good practice. © 2008 MCA/KOD

Perspectives on Ethics
Member care is a broad field with a wide range of practitioners. As this field continues to grow, it is important to offer guidelines to further clarify and shape good practice. Any guidelines must carefully consider the fact of the field’s international diversity, and blend together the best interests of both service receivers and service providers. They also need to be applicable to member care workers (MCWs) with different types of training and experience. This is a challenging task to undertake, and it is one that must be done in consultation with many others and on an ongoing basis. Trying to differentiate between codes, guidelines, frameworks, and suggestions is just one important aspect of this challenging task.

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Many types of professional ethical codes exist that can relate to the practice of member care. For some practitioners, these codes are essential and are a good “fit.” But one size does not fit all! For example, as a psychologist and as an international affiliate of the American Psychological Association (APA), I abide by the APA’s Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct (2002). But a skilled Nigerian pastor providing trauma training/care in Sudan may not find this code so helpful. Such ethical codes are primarily relevant for the disciplines and countries for which they were intended. Yet many MCWs enter the member care field via a combination of their life experiences and informal training, and are not part of a professional association with a written ethics code. Common sense and one’s moral convictions only go so far. Further, appealing to another country or discipline’s ethical code can result in a rather cumbersome mismatch between the person and the code.
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Guidelines for Good Practice

Stone one reflects the need for a generic set of guidelines for all types MCWs. The specific example given offers 15 basic guidelines for MCWs in the form of commitments. It focuses on the personal characteristics, backgrounds, and relationships needed to practice member care ethically. The underlying commitment is for MCWs to provide the best services possible in the best interests of the people whom they serve. Like all the stones, stone one is intended to be referred to regularly, to be discussed with colleagues, and to be applied in light of the variations in our backgrounds. Further, it requires serious reflection and a serious consideration of the implications for one’s life and work—these are not just “suggestions” but commitments. The “look before you leap” warning in Proverbs 20:25 is instructive here: ‘It is a snare for a person to say rashly, ‘It is holy!’ and after the vows to make inquiry.”

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Stone two focuses on the crucial role of sending groups to responsibly support and manage their staff well, including their international staff, local/national staff, home office staff, and family members of their staff. It also considers the big picture of member care from recruitment through retirement and the commitment to nurture both organizational and staff health. The international model of member care in Doing Member Care Well (2002) refers to sending groups as the “sustainers” of member care. “They demonstrate [their] commitment by the way they invest themselves and their resources, including finances, into staff care. Sending groups aspire to have a comprehensive, culturally relevant, and sustainable approach to member care, including a commitment to organizational development.” (p. 18). Sending groups do well to offer quality services for staff and to expect quality services from staff.

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Foundations for Good Practice--Human Rights Principles

This fifth stone is based on doing what we “know” is morally right to do. It shines light on our inner sense of duty. I believe that it must especially take into account human rights in a way which hitherto has received minimal consideration in the member care field. This includes understanding and protecting the rights of mission/aid staff and the people with whom they work, as described for example in international human rights documents (discussed below).
*
However, the primary focus of this stone is not just mission/aid staff. It is rather on the ethical responsibility—ethical imperative—for personal and group duty (often sacrificial duty) on behalf of humanity. It is about the duty and choice to risk one’s own rights and well-being in order to extend member care, broadly speaking, to vulnerable populations. More specifically, it is a principled commitment to improve the quality of life and seek justice for those whose human rights, including religious liberties and freedom of conscience as well as physical safety and economic livelihood, are habitually threatened through neglect, disasters, poverty, discrimination, fear, and persecution.

*

Reflection and Discussion

Here is one of the five "Ethics Sensitizers" from the article.
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When is it ethical to deploy workers into risky areas?
Workers who serve in cross-cultural settings are often subject to a variety of extreme stressors. Natural disasters, wars, sudden relocation, imprisonment, sickness, and protracted relationship conflicts are but a few of the examples. The general consensus seems to be that sending groups that deploy their people into potentially adverse situations have an ethical responsibility to do all they can to prepare and support them. This thinking is in line with Principle 7 from the People in Aid Code of Good Practice (2003) which states, "The security, good health and safety of our staff are a prime responsibility of our organization." There are so many locations where the social/political situation is very unstable, where there is the possibility of death or serious physical/emotional injury in the course of helping others, and/or more isolated places where there are few supportive member care resources available. The very places that are the neediest are also often the riskiest.
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Applications
Risk can also be understood as being part of one’s job description, and continuous with the reality that there are always risks in life regardless of one’s location or job. But to what extent should mission/aid workers take risks? Does one help victims of car accidents without having protective barriers that can prevent the transmission of HIV through the victims’ blood? Does one obey an organizational requirement to evacuate from a war zone knowing that there may be far more dire consequences to the nationals/locals that remain without the protective presence of international peacekeepers and providers? How much information about risk does one need to know in advance of an assignment?

Member Care: Pearls and Perils

Good news.

The materials from the member care lectures at Fuller School of Psychology in February 2009 are now available on-line for free.

*****

The overall topic was:

The Pearls and the Perils:

Practicing Psychology in Mission/Aid Settings.

http://www.fuller.edu/academics/school-of-psychology/integration-symposium-2009.aspx

These materials include the articles, audio, and video for the three lectures. Please share this info with your colleagues and networks. The three lectures:
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1. Staying Healthy in Difficult Places

Historical milestones in member care, listening to our global voices, and future directions for this field.

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2. Promoting Health and Managing Dysfunction

Suggestions for developing healthy organizations and safeguarding workers/senders in light of dysfunction.

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3. Developing Guidelines for Good Practice

Ethical principles and human rights commitments to upgrade the work in member care and mission/aid.

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Opening prayer for the Symposium,

by Dr. Winston Gooden, Dean of the School of Psychology:

“God we thank you for the call on our lives. We thank you for the many places to which we are sent. We thank you for the sensitivity of those who care for us on this journey that we take. And now tonight as we come to hear, to learn, to study, to be inspired, we pray that your Spirit will hover over us. That you would strengthen our speaker, that you would open our minds, that you would fill us with your rich wisdom so we might be prepared to do your work. We pray this in the name of Him who was sent by You to be our Savior. Amen.”

Growing as Good Practitioners--3. Developing Guidelines for Good Practice

Lecture Three

The Pearls and the Perils:

Developing Guidelines for Good Practice

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Stay tuned for more information on the free lecture articles and videos that will be on-line.

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Here is a summary of the third lecture.
Developing Guidelines for Good Practice

“I believe in discretion, not confidentiality.” “I’m too busy to follow-up that difficult matter—give me a break!” “This mistake must not discredit us by coming into public view.” Member care is a broad field with a wide range of practitioners and perspectives on what is ethically permissible. As this field continues to grow, it is important to offer guidelines to further clarify and shape good practice. In this presentation we will explore several ethical principles and human rights commitments to upgrade the quality of the supportive care that we offer mission/aid staff. We consider five types of guidelines: member care worker commitments, sending group principles, ethical rationalizations, specific ethics codes, and human rights principles. Ethical care is a mentality, a practice, and a commitment, based on moral law.

Member Care and Human Rights--12, Final

Divine Rights and Human Rights

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We want to close off this extended blog section with a few thoughts from our perspectives as committed Christians:

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1. Human rights must also be understood in the light of Divine “rights”. God has the “right” as our Creator, to ask us to obey Him, trust Him, and serve Him. He always does this based on His character of love, even though we may not fully understand His ways. One prime example: Jeremiah 45:1-5

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2. God is the Supreme Being who acts totally in accordance with His immutable attributes of moral goodness. God infuses moral law in the human beings that He has created. Hence our sense of morality, our yearning for justice, and our “universal” human rights are based on God. Human rights make sense because God makes sense.

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3. Member care is energised by the ethical imperative—the duty—to support our staff. Our staff have both human needs and human rights which need attention. And staff in turn seek to affirm the rights and minister to the needs of the people whom they serve.

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Reflection and Discussion

**Read though the following “affirmations” in the Christian Magna Carta in light of:

a) human rights (especially article 18 of the Universal Declaration),

b)"spiritual" rights, and

c) the commitment to support others in their search for “a productive life” (mentioned below).

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**Check out the related short video presentation too at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvNABgk_KF0

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Christian Magna Carta

http://www.ywam.org/contents/abo_doc_christian.htm

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We affirm the Christian Magna Carta which describes the following basic rights as implicit in the gospel. Everyone on earth has the right to:

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• Hear and understand the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Have a Bible available in their own language.

• Have a Christian fellowship available nearby, to be able to meet for fellowship regularly each week, and to have Biblical teaching and worship with others in the Body of Christ.

• Have a Christian education available for their children.

• Have the basic necessities of life: food, water, clothing, shelter and health care.

• Lead a productive life of fulfillment spiritually, mentally, socially, emotionally, and physically.

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We commit ourselves, by God's grace, to fulfill this covenant and to live for His glory.

Developed by YWAM leaders, 1981

Member Care and Human Rights--10

Who was Christ referring to as “the least of My brothers” in Matthew 25? The answer to this question has profound implications for mission, member care, and human rights.

Humanitarianism with a Point
John L. Amstutz
Excerpts, from Doing Member Care Well, chapter 4

“Inasmuch as you have done it to one of these the least of My brothers, you have done it to Me” (Matthew 25:40). Few verses are used more frequently than this verse by Christian humanitarian organizations…But is unconditional humanitarianism the point of the parable of the sheep and goats in Matthew 25?...

Simply stated, the parable of the sheep and goats pinpoints the basis of judgment of the nations. Jesus, when He comes in His glory as the Son of Man, will separate the nations (ethne) of the earth into two groups, sheep and goats. The basis of this division will be their response to “the least of these my brethren.”…

A survey of commentators indicates that the majority hold “the least of these My brethren” to be oppressed and suffering humanity…But again, we ask, is such unconditional humanitarianism the point of the parable?...Who are Jesus’ brothers? Those who are hearers and doers of His word, namely, those who are His disciples who “continue in His word” (John 8:31). Such close identity of Jesus with His disciples is clearly taught in Matthew 10:40-42. "He who receives you receives Me, and he who receives Me receives the one who sent me..." Therefore, one’s response to Jesus’ disciples is one’s response to Jesus Himself and to the Father who sent Him. Is not this reality the basis of Jesus’ question to Saul on the Damascus road, “Why do you persecute Me?” (Acts 9:1-5)?. Had not Saul’s persecution of believers in Jerusalem, in fact, been a persecution of Jesus Himself? It seems so.

If this is a proper interpretation of the word “brethren,” then the point of the parable of the sheep and goats is even more pointed...Apparently the universal proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom will be accompanied by a universal positive and negative response to that proclamation in that some will show kindness to persecuted believers/disciples while others will not...Such response to Christ’s messengers indicated their response to their message and to the One who had sent them, Jesus Himself.

The implications of such an understanding of this parable are significant. First, the parable assumes the universal preaching of the gospel is not optional in the plan of God. “Missions” is not an appendage on the Church’s agenda. It is essential. A worldwide witness is the foundation for the judgment of the nations.

Second, accompanying this universal witness to Jesus Christ will be persecution. Indeed, “all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (II Timothy 3:12). Opposition for one’s faith in Christ is not just for believers in the Middle East and Asia. Christ’s disciples will be “hated by all nations” because they are in all nations.

Third, the place of hospitality and kindness toward followers of Jesus Christ is no small matter, particularly toward those who are being persecuted for their faith in Him. “Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering” (Hebrews 12:3). “By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another” (John 14:35). In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Let us do good to all men, especially to those of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

Summary Thoughts

Is it not time we free this pointed parable of the sheep and the goats to speak clearly and fully of the crucial place of the universal preaching of the gospel to every nation (ethne) and the opposition and persecution that will attend such preaching? And is it not time we free this pointed parable to speak clearly and fully of the essential need of intentional humanitarianism—member care—toward those who have chosen to suffer loss for their witness to Christ in these nations?

Humanitarianism with a point is the point, and the point is “for, inasmuch as you have done it to one of the least of these My brothers, you have done it to Me”! And never has a proper understanding of this pointed parable been more important than it is as we enter the new millennium in which the Church increasingly focuses on the final frontiers, many of which are in risky and resistant areas.

Reflection and Discussion
**Do you agree with the author’s understanding of the identity of the “least of these My brethren”? Why or why not?
**What are some of the implications of the author’s understanding of the parable of the sheep and goats, for mission and for member care?
**What has been your response to persecuted followers of Christ?

Member Care and Human Rights--7

Guidelines to Help with Advocacy

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There are many types of situations where persecution or discrimination occurs: imprisonment, sectarian violence, harassment, extra-judicial execution, psychiatric detention, and laws restricting religious freedom. Here are seven guidelines about how you can prepare for and respond to human rights-related crises on the mission/aid field. This material is from Wilfred Wong’s article in Doing Member Care Well (2002): "Human Rights Advocacy in Missions". To access the entire article, just contact us at: MCAresources@gmail.com
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Overview of the Seven Guidelines
***Pray for God's guidance. If possible, get others to pray and fast about the situation and for you while you take action.

***Identify possible sources of information. Verify the information by getting independent corroboration of the facts. When a problem is starting to arise, one should start to gather the relevant facts in case advocacy needs to be used and for the purposes of informing others so they can pray.

***Discuss the issue of authorization for advocacy or whatever course of action needs to be taken, with the appropriate person. The best people to give authorization are first the person/victim, then the closest immediate family of the person, and then the leader of the church/fellowship group to which the person belongs.

***Communicate the information and request for prayer and action (if authorization has been given) to the relevant contacts in as speedy and secure a manner as possible. Follow this up with further updates as more information is obtained and as the situation develops

***Consider contacting a lawyer if a person is being detained; someone who may be already known to the person, sympathetic to the case, and able to help.

***Consider approaching any locally based people (such as sympathetic diplomats in the foreign embassies or local human rights groups) for assistance. But be sure that these people are trustworthy and bear in mind the implications this may have for your own security.

***Consider whether the person has any dependants who may need assistance as a result of the crisis; e.g., the person may be in prison and unable to provide for the families needs. It is usually better for funds to be channeled through the local church/fellowship, via the approval of the leader, unless there are exceptional circumstances,
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Reflection and Discussion
**Who is your immediate sphere of contacts is the most vulnerable to serious human rights violations?
**What are you able and willing to do to help these people?
**In what ways can human rights violations happen within sending organizations?

Member Care and Human Rights--6

Human Rights Advocacy:

Member Care for The Persecuted Church

“Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.”
UDHR, Article 18

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Excerpts below from: “Human Rights Advocacy in Missions”
Doing Member Care Well (2002) by Wilfred Wong
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"I just returned from Sulawesi yesterday where I met with leaders who oversee about 2000 church-planters, pastors, and evangelists in the Maluku islands, Indonesia. They have lost about 100 workers in the last several months. Some were burnt alive and others cut to pieces. One evangelist had his head cut off and placed in a public place...One pastor lost his children and grand children. Another pastor was forcibly circumcised along with his children, including his five-year year old girl. I am just so overwhelmed with pain in my heart. As I sat with them I couldn't bear to listen. But even more painful, is what one pastor asked me: "Why doesn't anyone care for us?" (Report from Beram Kumar, Member Care Network-Malaysia; February, 2001)
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To engage in human rights advocacy is basically to raise concerns about human rights violations and to call on the responsible government to rectify this injustice. It also involves getting Parliamentarians, governments and members of the public in other countries to put pressure on the responsible government to end the human rights violations. Human rights advocacy can be done at different levels, ranging from very public and strong pressure to quiet negotiations to persuade a government to stop the human rights abuses. Some examples of human rights advocacy organizations are Jubilee Campaign, Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and Amnesty International.
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One reason why there is persecution in so many different countries today is because the church is expanding its frontiers throughout the world. More than at any other time in the history of Christianity we can truly regard the Church as a global community. It is because the Church is growing in places traditionally hostile to the Gospel that in many of these locations the backlash of persecution occurs. Governments or religious extremists feel threatened by the spread of Christianity and try all sorts of methods to stop its growth, ranging from murder and genocide as in Sudan to more subtle measures such as the introduction of restrictive laws on church registration, which is common in a number of Central Asian countries.
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As Christians, I believe we must show solidarity with other believers who are facing persecution. Failing to do what we can to try and help them in their time of need is akin to failure to help the wounded stranger on the road. I desire to behave like the Good Samaritan rather than the "religious" people who simply walked by and ignored the stranger's—their neighbor’s-- plight. If in God's eyes we owe a fraternal duty of care to strangers who do not even share our faith, we owe an even stronger duty to fellow members of the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:25 to 27 reads: "so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
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Human rights advocacy is not just about human rights but is also a key form of mission support. It involves speaking out against injustices and trying to have such situations rectified. We believe in a God of Justice (Isaiah 30:18) whose prophets, like Amos, uncompromisingly called for justice (Amos 5:24). It thus amazes me when Christians think that closing one's eyes to injustice is somehow the more "spiritual" thing to do. Human rights advocacy is not about seeking political power, it is about seeking justice. It should not be considered as any more political than the prophetic utterances of Amos, Elijah, Isaiah, or any of the other prophets of the Bible.
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Mission workers have a key role to play in human rights advocacy by carefully and accurately communicating relevant information about anti-Christian persecution and discrimination to the outside world. Groups like Jubilee Campaign will do the overt advocacy work, communicating with Parliamentarians and Governments. The mission worker must usually stay in the background, quietly supplying information about religious persecution or discrimination to human rights advocacy groups, so as not to jeopardise his/her own safety or permission to stay in the country. There is no need for mission workers to take on an overt advocacy role, their main and very crucial contribution to the process of securing justice is to supply the relevant information.
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Reflection and Discussion
**1. A follower of Christ is imprisoned for his faith and held without any contact with outsiders. His wife wants human rights advocacy on his behalf but his local church leader is opposed to it because he's very frightened of any actions that may potentially cause problems for his church. Whose view should have priority in deciding whether to authorize human rights advocacy?
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**2. In general, what do you think God expects Christians who are not facing persecution to do for those who are facing persecution?
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**3. Imagine you are working in a country where Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not honoured (freedom of religion/conscience and freedom to change one’s religion). Anti-Christian persecution by certain people in the government has not yet started but with the growing number of citizens who are freely choosing to become followers of Christ, it's likely to happen in the near future. What sort of preparations for such persecution can you, other colleagues, and the local believers make now, in advance?

Member Care and Human Rights--5

Religious Peacebuilding

Rights and Resonsibilities

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"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world..." Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"An arresting aspect of the growing fascination with the role of religion in global politics is the effort to show that however much religion may contribute to violence, intolerance and discrimination, that is not its only function. Alongside the expanding number of studies purporting to demonstatrate the perverse influence of religon on civil war, terrorism, illiberal nationalism, and the like, there emereges a contrasting set of studies endeavoring to exhibit a more constructive, irenic, and tolerant side to the political and diplomatic contributions of religious individuals and groups. Such accounts are commonly described as examples of "religious peacebuilding."

Foreword by David Little, Harvard University,

For all Peoples and All Nations: Christian Churches and Human Rights

(2002, p. ix) by John Nurser.
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Reflection and Discusion
**Can there ever be true peace without recognising human rights?
**How are our faith-based member care practitioners, mission/aid workers, and sending groups contributing to "religious peacebuilding"?
**How do faith-based groups build peace in a way that fits with both their values and the values of the people who receive their services?
**Respond to these assertions:
Good practice in member care promotes both truth and peace.
Truth and peace are foundational for authentic relationships and for real love.

Member Care and Human Rights--4

The Maims and Moans of Fallen Creation

Have a seat, and have a think with me:

Life maims and we moan.

How do human rights abuses relate to these maims and moans?

How does member care help to alleviate them?

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Note--I am still thinking...This topic is way too big for me!

Human dysfunction is part of the maiming/moaning reality. It includes things like deception, addictions, denial, shifting blame, and human rights abuses including violations of people’s consciences and religious liberties, murder, rape, and economic servitude. All of these areas and more can affect mission aid workers as they interact with colleagues and the people that receive their services.

The source of dysfunction from a Christian perspective relates directly to something tragic that happened between God and humans. Something horrible interfered with their relationship, as related in the Genesis narrative, influenced by humans and fallen angels alike. Humans became ontologically, morally and socially fragmented, beset with the intractable flaws of self-centeredness, self-deception, and self-depreciation. We deny who we really are and try to be something we are not. We do things to benefit ourselves at another’s expense. In spite of our moral goodness and beauty—having been made in God's image—we are all guilty of “crimes against ourselves and crimes against humanity”. The pernicious combination of human and devilish wrongs leads to a demise of our well-being with the maiming of our rights and the moaning for our rights.

Let’s look again of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). I want to use a few terms from the Preamble (in caps below) to express three types of problems that ensue when our human rights get overlooked.

There are problems when we do not RECOGNISE the reality that humans have dignity and rights. Certain people (especially those we don't like) can be viewed as being less human and thus merit human wrongs and not merit universal human rights. Hence it is OK to hurt or neglect people and to excuse it or even not be “aware” of it. This denial and distortion of human reality is reflected in Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick. Who can understand it?”

There are problems when we do not REGARD the dignity and rights of humans. This distortion of reality leads to controlling and exploiting others. Freedom of speech, of conscience, and of religion, at the state level for example, are the first to be repressed. At the family, group, or organisatinal levels, the maladaptive trio of ‘Don’t talk, don’t feel, don’t trust” becomes pervasive. At the individual level it is all about staying safe and pretending, not disturbing the status quo, and not jeopardising ones position. Fear reigns and leads to blind loyalty, self-protection, poor practice, low morale, and group stagnation. But we do all these things at the cost of our dignity and of our rights (and responsibiliity!) to respond to reality authentically.

There are problems when we do not PROMOTE dignity and rights and instead oppress people. We think more of our own interests than the interests of others. Rebellion results. In its healthiest form such rebellion is a sincere and virtuous attempt to create change that will protect people from abuses and promote their well-being. The UDHR refers to this as fostering “social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom". One example of "virtuous rebellion" is in I Samuel, in which Saul responds to serious human rights violations (the threat for all the right eyes of the inhabitants of city to be gouged out). He puts his livelihood (oxen) and life on the line in order to fight and protect others. A second example is in I Kings 22 where Micaiah takes unknown risks in order to speak publicly to two kings and their entourage about what he senses God tells him to say: “As the Lord lives, what the Lord says to me, that I will speak" (v. 14). He prophesies, is struck in the face, then thrown in prison, and never heard of again in the pages of Scripture. Seeking to protect/promote human rights, especially to those who are oppressed, and in ways which are seen to challenge the stats quo and to be politically incorrect, does not always have a happy ending.

Article 29 of the UDHR says that “Everyone has duties to the community…” It is this sense of duty that makes us want to RECOGNISE, REGARD, and PROMOTE the rights and well being of others. This duty is synonymous with our sense of “moral obligation" or what Kant referred to as the “categorical imperative”. Underlying the notion of human rights then is the reality of moral law.

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Member care is intertwined with human rights, as we have seen over the last four weeks of entries. But human rights cannot stand on their own, both philosophically and practically. Human rights are based on moral law. And moral law comes from a Moral Law-giver. These thoughts are reflected in the "Guiding Principles” recorded in “A Message from the National Study Conference on the Churches and a Just and Durable Peace” which convened in the USA in 1942 under the auspices of the National Council of Churches.
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“1. We believe that moral law, no less than physical law, undergirds our world. There is a moral order which is fundamental and eternal, and which is relevant to the corporate life of [humans] and the ordering of human society. If [humankind] is to escape chaos and recurrent war, social and political institutions must be brought into conformity with this moral order….13. We believe that the Eternal God revealed in Christ…is the source of moral law and the power to make it effective." (Section II, Guiding Principles, pp. 10-14).

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Reflection and Discussion

Three type of problems are mentioned when human rights are overlooked.

**In what ways does member care for mission/aid workers deal with the prevention and treatment of such problems?

**Recall a "happy ending" that resulted from protecting/promoting the well-being of mission/aid staff and those that receive their services.

**What helps you to survive the mains and moans of fallen creation?

Member Care and Human Rights--3

How is member care (MC) related to human rights (HR)?
http://www.un.org/av/photo/subjects/30.htm

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Human rights and human responsibilities

are two halves of member care "good practice".
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Mission/aid sending groups have a responsibility to manage and support their staff well. They also have a right to make sure that their staff are providing quality services This responsibility can be assessed through things like performance reviews and mutual feedback tools. All the above assertions are part of good practice.
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Furthermore, mission and/aid staff have a responsibility to provide quality services to/through their sending groups. They also have the right to expect/receive good supportive/managerial services from their sending groups. These two previous asertions are also a core part of good practice.

Note: An example of the responsibility of sending groups in particular is embodied in the seven general principles found in the Code of Good Practice (2003) developed by People In Aid. http://www.peopleinaid.org/

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The sending group’s responsibility for the good practice of member care is analogous to the nation-state’s responsibility for the good practice of human rights. When senders/states consistently do not recognise or even deny the basic rights of their staff/citizens, then their very legitimacy in the eyes of their respective communities—the mission/aid community and the international community—will be seriously questioned. In the worst cases, senders and states would be viewed as "illegitimite or even failed entities" and "poor-practice pariahs". Fortunately, this last point is extreme and thus the exception within the mission/aid community. However, more moderate forms of poor practice do in fact flourish in many settings.
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Consider these thoughts from David Little (Harvard University), in the Foreword of John Nurser’s book, For All People and All Nations: Christian Churches and Human Rights (2005).
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“…the Human Rights Commission [1945] went on to bring into being the Universal Declaration [1948] and thereby to make way for and inspire a whole array of subsequent human rights documents on civil, political, economic, social, cultural, racial, gender, minority, environmental, and other issues, that today set international standards for what is expected of nation-states, both within and outside their borders. Although these standards are not universally enforced around the world, they are more and more taken to comprise the basic international requirements of political legitimacy. It is simply the case now that states found systematically and grossly to these violate standards are regarded as pariahs.” (x).
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Reflection and Discussion
**Getting a good balance between our respective rights and responsibilities as senders/staff is very important. Why this is true? Give examples in your own sending agency or experience.

** What happens when there is a breakdown in the recognition of these mutual rights and responsibilities, by both senders and staff? (e.g., low morale, poor performance, attrition, and concern from colleagues who are part of other sending groups).

**Comment on these folk adages, with regards to MC and HR: Give some people an inch and they think they are rulers. The golden rule is that the person with the most gold, rules.

Member Care and Human Rights--2

How is member care (MC) related to human rights (HR)?

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http://www.un.org/av/photo/subjects/30.htm
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1. How does HR provide a foundation for our responsibility
to manage and support our mission/aid staff?

2. How does HR provide a foundation for our responsibility
in mission/aid work to help vulnerable populations
who have experienced human rights abuses?
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I believe the answer to these two core questions is found in the opening statements of the Preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). Note the powerful contrasts that are used—e.g., recognise vs disregard; progress vs oppress, promote vs contempt, reaffirm vs outrage, freedom vs tyranny, peace vs fear.

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"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
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Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
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Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
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Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
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Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom…"

Historical note from: http://www.un.org/av/photo/subjects/hrhis.htm

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"The Convenant of the League of Nations, written at the end of the First World War, was silent on the issue of human rights. In 1941, the "four freedoms" were proclaimed as the objective of the Allies: freedom of speech and worship and freedom from want and from fear. The Allies repeated that commitment in the 1941 Atlantic Charter." The above photo shows the signing of the Atlantic Charter on the HMS Prince of Wales--Churchill and Roosevelt are present (seated in the upper left).

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Reflection and Discussion
Here are four applications of the Preamble to the mission/aid community—people’s rights and responsibilities! What do you think? Any other applications for relating MC and HR?
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1. We recognize the dignity and rights of our staff and of the people that are the focus of our services. Freedom, justice, and peace are core values and goals.
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2. We promote friendly relations, social progress, and better standards of life within our organisations and within the people that are the focus of our services.
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3. We are outraged when basic rights are disregarded within our organisations and within the people that are the focus of our services. We seek to protect people’s rights and we oppose (rebel) against those entities that stifle freedoms of speech and beliefs and the freedom from fear.
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4. We reaffirm our ongoing commitment to these basic human rights in both our organisations and in the people who are the focus of our services.

Member Care and Human Rights--1

How is member care (MC) related to human rights (HR)?
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I was recently in Colorado Springs USA, teaching a one-week seminar on Helping Staff Stay Healthy/Effective in Difficult Places. It was wonderful to interact closely with so many fascinating people in various mission/member care roles and organisations.

Prior to actually teaching, I participated in a mid-Sunday morning consultation with myself at the local Starbucks, sipping my favourite beverage in both terrestrial and celestial spheres--an iced coffee venti--and making it last, as was my habit, for two plus hours. I spent my entire time scrutinizing the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) including the Preamble and its 30 Articles (principles), engrossed in serious reflection on just how much human rights seemed to be foundational for good member care. It was amazing! But was this merely a transient caffeine-induced "revelation"? Or had I, along with a myriad of other competent member care practitioners, missed this central and possibly self-evident truth over the last two decades, I wondered? Well...see for yourself!

http://www.un.org/av/photo/subjects/30.htm

For me, the more I explored the MC-HR relationship, the stronger my convictions grew of the ubiquitous role of HR for the member care field. With pen in hand I began to annotate the document, filling the margins with ideas on how to relate MC in HR terms.

So with this anecdote in mind, I want to share some of my thinking now and over the next few weeks. Let's consider two broad areas of the MC-HR connection in light of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As stated in the Preamble, a core integrative tenet is that we recognise "the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family."

1. How does HR provide a foundation for our responsibility to manage and support our mission/aid staff?

2. How does HR provide a foundation for our responsibility in mission/aid work to help vulnerable populations who have experienced human rights abuses?

I believe that international human rights principles can and should inform our practices in member care. Up until now they largely have not been in any discussion that I am aware of within the member care field. Rather, principles from Christian Scripture and professional ethics/good practice codes have been the main influences and standards. I thus believe that it is necessary to also include human rights principles into the core rationale for member care and for its practice. How will this all work out, and what grid can help guide it? I don't know yet!
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To get a better idea for what I am getting at, consider this quote from the Foreword by David Little (Harvard University), in John Nurser’s book, For All Peoples and All Nations: Christian Churches and Human Rights (2002).

"Human beings are held to possess human rights, and to be accountable and to live up to them simply because they are human, not because they are Muslim, or Christian, or Buddhist, or Jewish, or Hindu, or a member of any particular religious or philosophical tradition. The whole point of human rights is that they are taken to be binding and available, regardless of identity or worldview. This does not mean, of course, that people are not free to harbor their own personal reasons--religious or otherwise--for believing in human rights. It only means that such views may not be taken as "official" or in any way binding on others who do not share them" (xi).

Next week: We'll look at key principles in the Preamble of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Reflection and Discussion
**We provide member care to humans because of their intrinsic worth, not simply because of their strategic worth. Discuss this assertion.

**Member care helps mission/aid workers to support the human rights of the people they are serving. Discuss this assertion in terms of the belief in the "inherent dignity" of all people.