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(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 08, 2009 ) Faith Leaders Deliver Letter Signed by over 1,400 Clergy to White House
WASHINGTON- On Friday, October 2, representatives from faith communities nationwide met with Reverend Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, to voice concern about the conflict in Sudan. Members of the Interfaith Sudan Working Group delivered a letter to President Obama, signed by 1,410 Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy, including Deacon Greg Buffone, Pastor James Giannantonio, Reverend Glenn Hohlt, Chaplain Karen Landahl, Pastor Karin Karin Liebster, Senior Pastor Kathy Moore, Pastor Jesse Pan, Reverend Dr. Arthur Preisinger, and Pastor Martin Troyer from Houston.
The letter emphasized the decades of war, famine, and marginalization inflicted upon the Sudanese, and urged the Obama Administration to:
· Continue efforts to enforce the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between North and South Sudan
· Work with the international community to bring lasting and sustainable peace to Darfur
· Ensure that the 2006 agreement in Eastern Sudan is upheld
The letter concluded with a message underscoring the groupÂ’s diverse religious background, unity around Sudan and Darfur, and support for President ObamaÂ’s international leadership on the issue.
Dr. Stephen Colecchi, director of the Office of International Justice and Peace for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops delivered the letter to Rev. DuBois. “When I delivered the letter to Rev. DuBois, I emphasized the support for Sudan that the faith community can offer. The letter signed by over 1,400 clergy underscores our commitment to working with President Obama to bring lasting and sustainable peace to Darfur and Sudan,” Dr. Colecchi said.
During the meeting, the faith leaders asked Rev. DuBois to convey their message to President Obama that Sudan should be a priority for his administration. The group also asked administration officials to incorporate important policy recommendations from the Interfaith Sudan Working Group when they convene regular meetings prior to the 2010 Sudanese elections and 2011 referendum. Violence against women, which has been reported in staggering numbers recently, was also an area of concern for the faith leaders.
Faith Leaders who attended the meeting:
· Ruth Messinger: President, American Jewish World Service
· Galen Carey: Director of Government Affairs, National Association of Evangelicals
· Reverend Gloria White-Hammond: AME Pastor; Co-Founder, My Sister’s Keeper
· Alissa Karg: Deputy Regional Director for Africa, Lutheran World Relief
· Pastor Cindy Lapp: Representative, Mennonite Central Committee; Pastor Hyattsville
· Dr. Stephen Colecchi: Director, Office of International Justice and Peace, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
· Bishop David Jones: Bishop, Virginia, Episcopal Church
· Imam Mohamed Magid: Vice President, Islamic Society of North America; Director, ADAM'S Center
· Archbishop Vicken Aykazian: Archbishop, Armenian Church of America.
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About Save Darfur Coalition: The Save Darfur Coalition – an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations – raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org.
About the Interfaith Sudan Working Group: The Interfaith Sudan Working Group is a Washington D.C. based coalition of faith-based organizations working for a peaceful Sudan. Member groups agree to a basic set of principles and meet regularly to coordinate work on Sudan from a faith perspective. Non-faith based groups that are interested in being a part of and assisting with initiatives created by this group are given observer status.
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(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 08, 2009 ) Faith Leaders Deliver Letter Signed by over 1,400 Clergy to White House