On February 24 Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General for Religions for Peace*, released a statement calling for the violence in Libya to stop. The statement calls on the government of Libya to cease in attacking its own citizens and for the members of the Libyan army to disobey orders to attack their fellow country men and women with warplanes. Also called for members of the international community to take responsible and legal action to ensure the full rights and safety of the Libyan people.

Read the full statment.

* Tracing it’s roots back to 1961, Religions for Peace is the largest international coalition of representatives from the world’s great religions dedicated to promoting peace. It maintains the goal of respecting religious differences while celebrating our common humanity and is active on every continent and in some of the most troubled areas of the world, creating multi-religious partnerships to confront our most dire issues: stopping war, ending poverty, and protecting the earth.

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.

ELCA Bishop Mark Hanson & Rev. Joseph Livenson Lauvanus, president of The Lutheran Church of Haiti, discussing the restoration work in Haiti.

Over two days at the end of February ELCA Presiding Bishop, Rev. Mark S. Hanson, visited Haiti to see first-hand how the church is continuing to engage the people and their needs in this period of recovery and restoration. He was accompanied on his trip by the ELCA’s International Disaster Response representative and was hosted by the President of the Eglise Lutherienne d’Haiti (The Lutheran Church of Haiti), Rev. Joseph Livenson Lauvanus.

In a statement that seemed to sum up the good work going on Rev. Lauvanus proclaimed, “We Haitians will not be defined by the rubble, but by restoration, for we are a people of the resurrection.” Bishop Hanson said that what he saw in the work and lives of the people of Haiti was an embodiment of this statement and the reason why these moments when the church can accompany brothers and sisters are of benefit to all those involved.

Let us continue to pray that this resurrection spirit continues to dwell and inspire the work of restoration from the rubble.

Read the full press release.

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Gifts to ELCA International Disaster Response allow the church to respond globally in times of need. Donate now.