The very fact that it is raining on the United Nations’ 75th anniversary shows why the international body is necessary, the senior staff member at the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations says.
At its recent virtual meeting, the Belarus, Ukraine, Russia Mission Network (BURM) invited an internationally recognized Presbyterian to brief partners on the impacts of climate change and the importance of the work faith-based communities are doing to bring about change.
Shannon Schmidt is currently designing an ethics curriculum at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for a class she will be teaching in the spring of 2020. The course will be split between MIT students and incarcerated students who are working toward their bachelor’s degrees and will be taught in a prison-based setting. In addition to this work, Schmidt serves as a facilitator for a support group for formerly incarcerated men in Boston.
Cameroon has been in turmoil since 2016, as a result of the Anglophone crisis. This discord followed complaints by English-speaking Cameroonians of their marginalization within the Republic of Cameroon.
As the Israeli bombing of Gaza continues, the words of B’Tselem Director Hagai El Ad are ringing in the ears of the members of the PC(USA) delegation that visited Israel-Palestine two weeks ago — perpetual occupation and zero international consequences. He has taken that message to the United Nations General Assembly several times, most recently last fall, and delivered the same words to the delegation.
Now that they’re both about three years into their work leading, respectively, the Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C., and the Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations in New York City, the Rev. Jimmie Hawkins and Ryan Smith say they’ve found ways to work around a White House that often doesn’t welcome their input.
The Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations has a delegation participating in the U.N. Commission on Social Development, which runs through Feb. 21.
United Nations Day 2018 marks the 73rd anniversary of the U.N. charter that has been the foundation of the U.N.’s work since 1945. Originally created to promote world peace in the aftermath of World War II, the U.N.’s role has since grown to encompass protecting human rights, promoting social and economic development, and providing aid and comfort to countries and people around the world afflicted by famine, disaster and war. Oct. 24 has been celebrated as United Nations Day since 1948.
Faith is not just personal; it’s political. Our leaders pass laws about how we treat one another, laws about money and finances, laws about how our resources are allocated and more. The Bible addresses these issues as well in Scriptures like the Ten Commandments, the parable of the sheep and the goats, Sabbath rules and Jesus’ advice to the rich young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor. To say the Bible and Jesus are not political is to deny their influence and relevance to our lives in the 21st century.
While many voices vied for the attention of Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary general consistently listened to people seeking peace from the vantage point of faith, according to a Presbyterian mission leader.
