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Christian Conference of Asia
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Statement of the International Ecumenical Consultation on Peace in East Asia, Seoul, Korea, May 2-4, 2006As God’s people, followers of Jesus Christ who was crucified for peace and reconciliation, we church leaders and church representatives from countries in Asia, Europe, and North America have met to study, pray, discuss, and meditate on God’s Word in this International Ecumenical Consultation on Peace in East Asia held in Seoul, Korea May 2-4, 2006. The Conference was under the auspices of the World Council of Churches (WCC), Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), National Council of Churches in Korea (NCCK), and Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea (PROK). This meeting stands in the spirit of the conferences first held in Tozanso, Japan in 1984 followed by meetings in Glion, Switzerland and in other places which were initiated by the World Council of Churches and the Christian Conference of Asia. We thank God that Christians around the world are praying and working continuously for peace and justice in East Asia and for the reunification of Korea. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God." (Matthew 5: 9) If we take this statement seriously it can give us a new vision of our mission in the world. Peacemaking is not part of our mission; it is our mission in our day. Reflecting upon the Holy Scripture, we strongly affirm the holistic understanding of peace as the central concern and mission of the Church in the world. We reassert our conviction that security is never won through unilateral defense but through attentiveness to the injustice that afflicts other children of God—and, in Gospel perspective, everyone is a child of God! Holding this conviction, we can learn how to build true and lasting peace in the reality of today’s Asia. Despite the end of the cold war the North-East Asian region still does not experience peace. Under the armistice agreement the division of North and South Korea still remains as a legacy of the cold war. It continues to be a destabilizing factor in the region. One of the keys to establishing peace in North-East Asia is the peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula. But the Conference also identified further obstacles to peace and stability in North-East Asia: the power struggle between Japan and China, the Taiwan issue, the tension between Japan and North Korea and between the U.S. and North Korea. We consider that the U.S. strategic flexibility policy as applied to North-East Asia endangers the region more than it contributes to its security. In the global U.S. strategy, Okinawa and the expanded Pyongtaek military base in South Korea are given special geopolitical prominence as major hubs of its military operations. This may lead to situations in which people of various countries in North East Asia become involved in military operations initiated by the US without their consent. Encouraged by the progress made after the June 15 Joint Declaration of the 2000 South Korea-North Korea Summit, the people of North-East Asia are building a foundation for peace by embracing opportunities for cooperation, exchange and solidarity. The women of the region take a leading role in developing communities of peace by overcoming national, religious and ethnic boundaries. It is in these people and their efforts that we find hope for peace. We as Christians are called to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized and seek cooperation with all people committed to peace and reconciliation in East Asia. We propose that:
We encourage:
This Statement was adopted by participants of the Consultation on May 4, 2006 at PROK Academy House, Seoul, Korea posted by Tony Waworuntu on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 |
