{"id":4542,"date":"2020-02-11T13:44:57","date_gmt":"2020-02-11T19:44:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/?p=4542"},"modified":"2020-02-11T13:44:57","modified_gmt":"2020-02-11T19:44:57","slug":"february-update-u-n-and-state-edition-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.elca.org\/advocacy\/february-update-u-n-and-state-edition-2\/","title":{"rendered":"February Update: U.N. and State Edition"},"content":{"rendered":"

U.N.<\/a> | Colorado<\/a> | Minnesota<\/a> | Pennsylvania<\/a> | Washington<\/a> | Wisconsin<\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

Following are updates shared from submissions of the Lutheran Office for World Community<\/a> and state public policy offices.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lutheran Office for World Community, United Nations, New York, N.Y.<\/h3>\n

Dennis Frado, director<\/h4>\n

U.S.-IRAN CRISIS: <\/strong>On January 9, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton offered a pastoral message<\/a> to ELCA members about the crisis between the United States and Iran. Calling it \u201cworrisome,\u201d she said \u201cOur country and Iran need\u00a0urgently\u00a0to find ways\u00a0to resolve our differences through\u00a0a\u00a0de-escalation\u00a0of the current crisis,\u00a0using\u00a0diplomacy and\u00a0other peaceful means.\u201d She concluded, \u201cWe should appeal now to our elected officials to pursue the path of dialogue and diplomacy with Iran \u2014 for our sake, for the sake of the people of Iran and for the sake of the world God so loves.\u201d<\/p>\n

ADMINISTRATION\u2019S \u201cPEACE TO PROSPERITY\u201d PLAN: <\/strong>Presiding Bishop Eaton said<\/a> on January 28, she was \u201cvery dismayed and disturbed by President Trump’s announcement\u201d of his new \u201cPeace to Prosperity\u201d plan, expressing her \u201cfear, [that it] will bring greater insecurity for Israelis and Palestinians instead of peace.\u201d She lamented that it \u201cinvolved only one party,\u201d noting, \u201cA plan made for a people without consulting that people will not bring peace.\u201d She observed, \u201cRather than drawing together Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace accord, the effect of this plan will be further alienation and, I am afraid, more tension\u201d and concluded by calling “upon President Trump to develop a different plan that would involve all parties, and to pursue efforts that would adhere to international law and human rights conventions. This plan should ensure the protection and preservation of internationally recognized human rights and realize, for Palestinians and for Israelis, two viable, secure states living side by side in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n

ADDRESSING HATE SPEECH AND PREVENTING INCITEMENT: <\/strong>The United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect as well as the Permanent Missions of Bangladesh, Italy and Morocco sponsored a panel discussion held February 4, \u201cAddressing Hate Speech and Preventing Incitement to Discrimination, Hostility and Violence: Synergies within the United Nations system\u201d. In addition to the respective ambassadors of sponsoring missions, Mr. Adama Dieng, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, stressed the importance of existing UN initiatives such as the \u201cFez Plan of Action<\/a> for religious leaders and actors to prevent incitement to violence that could lead to atrocity crimes\u201d (July 2017).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>A number of the other panel members, representing entities such as the World Council of Churches, the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), noted the urgency of combating hate speech on online platforms and social media. Of particular interest also to churches and other religious organizations are the \u201cRabat Plan of Action<\/a> on the prohibition of advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence\u201d and the Beirut Declaration and 18 Commitments<\/a> on \u201cFaith for Rights\u201d. A useful new tool is OHCHR\u2019s Faith4Rights toolkit<\/a> with peer-to-peer learning modules, exploring the relationship between religions, beliefs and human rights. <\/a><\/p>\n

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Colorado<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Peter Severson, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado <\/strong>www.lam-co.org<\/a><\/h4>\n

LEGISLATIVE SESSION BEGINS:<\/strong> The Colorado General Assembly convened on January 8 and will adjourn May 6. We have already begun advocating in earnest on several important issues from our policy agenda. These include:<\/p>\n