Friday, September 29, 2006
Peace Charter for Life
On October 9, 2006 I will travel on behalf of the World Council of Churches to Korea to work with a drafting group on a "Peace Charter for Life."
The visit will involve a visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, as well as meetings with leaders from various Ecumenical Organizations and church councils.
The following is a sketch of the background behind and process proposed for developing a "Peace Charter for Life." It's a long read, but if you're interested, may be worth wading through.....
Project Proposal: People’s Charter on Peace for Life
Background
Peace for life has become the most comprehensive and integral issue in the 21st century, as the Global Regime of the Global Empire and Market is effecting great and profound changes not only in Asian geo-political situation but in the global situation as well in military, political, economic, cultural and religious terms. This situation breeds various forms of conflict and violence among social and cultural groups as well as wars among peoples and nations of Asia and world.
Since the disintegration of the Soviet military alliance, the geo-politics of the world has been drastically transformed. The bi-polar structure of East and West confrontation has been dismantled, and a global mono-polar hegemony of a truly global empire has been taking its decisive shape. This has entailed a radical shift in geo-political relations in Asia. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are only immediate manifestations. Geo-political tensions are rising around the Korean peninsula in the Northeast Asia as well, just as in the West Asia.
Since the 9.11 incident in 2002, the US military hegemony is building up at ever-accelerated speed and broader scope. The new Bush administration has been anew pushing the National Missile Defence program in spite of criticism from around the world. The “War on Terror,” declared by the United States, has changed the very nature of war into a total and ubiquitous war. Thus, the military posture of the US has profound implications around the world. It poses grave dangers of increasing tensions, and possibly leading to renewed conflict in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia as well as other parts of the world.
It should be concerned that the geo-political questions are not merely affecting the issue of international peace, but are also making decisive impacts upon the total life of peoples, nations and the ecosystem.
In the globalization process, for example, convergence of cybernetics, technetronics (IT), hi-tech communication (CT), high-speed transportation and satellites as well as biotechnology (BT), nanotechnology (NT), and artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing about complex transformations in military strategy and weapons systems as well as a total transformation of the context of all living beings. Especially, hi-tech war strategies such as new nuclear strategies and cyber warfare are now an integral component of emerging global military order. Such unprecedented and unpredictable changes are taking place in relation to the US politics of military hegemony.
In spite of these developments, there are only antiquated notions of peace being acclaimed by international institutions in international relations. Against this background, there is an upsurge of peace movements in civil society and people’s movements, challenging inadequate concepts and institutional arrangements among nation states and international institutions.
The global governance for peace has been discussed around the United Nations and its related organizations since the WW II. However, the development of Cold War geopolitics has marred its role due to the polar structure of global geopolitics. Wars in Korea and Viet Nam are only a few manifestations, which demonstrated limitations of the UN. The role of UN and multilateral organs has been drastically undermined by the politics of the global empire in recent years. The entire global military order is plunged into an order of geo-political and military confrontation with the weapons of mass destruction and with the total war strategy.
Hitherto existing military alliances and treaties among nation states in terms of security have generated a really different course of history of the world in a new geopolitical situation, and this breeds a violent global military order on earth. The global military order under the hegemony of the global empire thrusts nation states into a hierarchical alliance of domination, under which peace on earth is only precarious.
In the midst of this situation, we witness to an immense eruption of peoples aspiration of peace for life. Indeed peace is the core of the issue of life of all living beings. It is the issue in which the people have a direct and immediate stake. The people must participate in the peacemaking; they cannot leave the issue to the political institutions of the nation states and international organs. Definitely it is not the matter only assigned to the global empire. It is the issue of all living beings, including human beings and their community. It is the issue of the cosmic order of all living beings.
This means that there is a great need to discern the global geo-political and military situation from the perspective of the victims, human and cosmic. There is urgency to articulate alternative visions of peace and security for all living beings. The people’s movements, civil society movements, academic and professional communities and some government think tanks must engage themselves for this task.
PEOPLE’S CHARTER ON PEACE FOR LIFE
A need to articulate the people’s vision for peace for life.
Historic empires have had their visions of global peace. They have been closely connected to their dominant universal positions. Nation states, too, have their own visions of national security. Furthermore, peoples and their unique visions of peace have been suppressed. Often these visions of peace and movements clash with those of nation states due to the power relations and interests of empires and nations. It is to be recognized various and rich visions of peace rising out of the bosom of the struggling peoples. They have been often neglected by the nation states, their global alliances and international institutions of global governance. But at the present geopolitical situation we believe that the vision of the people on peace for life of all living beings has primacy, for the nation states and international institutions exist to serve the life of all living beings in peace and to enhance the fullness of life on earth. The reverse is not the case. The current international agreements, multi-lateral and bi-lateral, are not adequate to deal with the issues of peace for life.
Existing charters such as UN-related charters, covenants and agreements manifest a part of this situation. Existing treaties on security, bi-lateral and multilateral, need close scrutiny in the light of various visions and wisdoms of peace for life among the people and their movements. There is a need for a critical assessment of the existing security arrangements and their implications for a true global peace.
People’s movements, social movements and civil society movements have been articulating their own visions of peace for life in recent years. This is the emergence of the vision of peace for life from below. Ecumenical movements have been closely associated with these developments throughout its history. They occupy a unique place and entertain very good opportunities to catalyse and facilitate the above mentioned process. In reality, it is the mandate of the ecumenical mission.
In this situation an ecumenical initiative to articulate an integral and genuine vision of peace for life is clear.
1. Why a peace charter?
a. Current UN charter, international instruments and many interstate agreements, e.g., defence treaties, are limited and not reflecting the people’s aspirations for peace for life. Existing treaties do not address the menacing nature of total war today.
b. New dimensions on the question of peace are emerging in the context of the emergence of the global empire which, unlike past empires, seeks a ubiquitous totalistic global hegemony. Peace can no longer be understood in a fragmented way. For example, the ecological question cannot be separated from the question of peace. The total life of all living beings is at stake for their security.
c. War today under the global empire, unlike past wars, has no beginning or end. War today has no borders. With military weapons systems that are capable of more intensive extermination, wars today are not only genocidal, but omnicidal; they destroy everything. The symbiosis of hi-tech weaponry and cyber warfare are capable of destroying systems of life as well as human society.
d. Hegemony by the empire invades every aspect of human life, including culture, communication, micro- and macrocosmic dimensions of life.
.
2. What kind of peace charter?
a. Not Pax Romana or Pax Americana but “peace from below”; peace of the people is to be articulated to address issues of peace for all living beings as well as human communities, local, national and global..
b. The charter will draw from various philosophical traditions and wisdoms of religious/cultural communities, and from visions emerging from those victimised by the war.
c. The Asian Human Rights Charter is one example that can be studied. Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and West Asia are some of the flesh points of geo-political conflicts, where their vision of peace for life needs concrete formulation for action.
d. The peace charter can serve as a base for people’s protocol on peace on local, national and global levels
.
Objectives
The main objective is to clarify and redefine the concept and issue of peace for life in Asia as well as throughout the globe. It should be informed by the perspectives of people’s movement, citizens’ participation and ecumenical action, including perspectives on specific issues related to the impact of the war on terror in South East Asia, peace and security in North East Asia, reunification of the Korean people, peace in the West Asia, and resolution of nuclear issues in Asia. The global powers have different strategic concepts and policies with regard to peace and security in Asia and in the world, different from the people’s own hopes and visions of peace and security for life. Against this background, the specific goal of this project is to draft the People’s Charter on Peace for Life as a result of the clarification and consolidation of visions of peace movements. It will be a basis for the enhancement of the peace movement and a basis and an instrument to challenge visions of peace, which is imposed upon the people.
Framing a global people’s vision of peace for life:
With Asian faith groups and social movements, this project initiate a global collective process of drafting a people-initiated international people’s charter on peace and security for life.
Process of Drafting and Adopting
1. Organise consultations with active and committed scholars’ groups and people’s movements, civic and social movements, aimed at developing the basis and framework of a “People’s Charter on Peace and Security for Life.”
2. Collaborate with faiths groups and various movements (at the local, national and international levels) in an interfaith, intercultural and interdisciplinary study of cultural, religious, philosophical and ethnic traditions and visions of peace.
Work for an integrated process of drafting the “People’s Charter.”
The Drafting Committee should be organized as the project carrier. It should be initiated by representatives of organizations and participating groups and institutions.
Develop a “Proposal to Draft a People’s Charter on Peace and Security for Life” to be circulated to other faith groups and social movements, in the form of a comprehensive document and popular brochure.
a. Study process
Develop guidelines and a monitoring scheme that will initiate the following study process at the local and national levels: [1] review of international charters and instruments on peace and security; [2] review of expressions of alternative visions by social movements and faith communities; [3] studies on peace traditions/visions in various cultures, religions and contexts.
b. Drafting the charter
Preparation of the text of the Draft Charter through coordinated efforts of the drafting committee
Hearings at various levels and areas on the Draft Charter could take place. Feed back on the Draft Charter from the concerned groups, especially those affected by the wars.
c. Presentation, deliberation and approval of the Draft Charter
This could be done in a major macro-ecumenical conference and it should be followed by adoption by various movements and groups.
Working Group:
A working group will be formed that would catalyse the process. A “mothering process” involving the WCC and CCA, with the Asian ecumenical movement as the catalysing group, is desired. This working group will initiate a Drafting Process, which will be disseminated. How to and who will compose the drafting committee will be a major task. An international conference will be convened to adopt the charter. The charter will be offered to other groups for adoption. These groups may revise the draft for their own use.
Proposed Working Group on People’s Charter on Peace for Life
It is recognized that WCC and CCA has initiated a mothering process on this task, in close relationship with the People’s Forum on Peace for Life. The ecumenical movement has a long history of commitment on the question of peace, a heritage of becoming a witness to victimisation, e.g., the CCIA. The CCA and WCC can thus be a catalyser of the peace charter process. They can provide both financial and political support.
Muslims, Buddhists and Asian religions should be involved in the thinking of this project. The Asian ecumenical movement would catalyse the process, but the basis of solidarity of all religions will has to be deepened for a convergent vision of peace for life among all peoples on earth. Women and children are primary victims of the war. The gender question should play prominently in the process. Working Group should be composed in the light of this question as well as ecumenical and geopolitical consideration.
The visit will involve a visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone, as well as meetings with leaders from various Ecumenical Organizations and church councils.
The following is a sketch of the background behind and process proposed for developing a "Peace Charter for Life." It's a long read, but if you're interested, may be worth wading through.....
Project Proposal: People’s Charter on Peace for Life
Background
Peace for life has become the most comprehensive and integral issue in the 21st century, as the Global Regime of the Global Empire and Market is effecting great and profound changes not only in Asian geo-political situation but in the global situation as well in military, political, economic, cultural and religious terms. This situation breeds various forms of conflict and violence among social and cultural groups as well as wars among peoples and nations of Asia and world.
Since the disintegration of the Soviet military alliance, the geo-politics of the world has been drastically transformed. The bi-polar structure of East and West confrontation has been dismantled, and a global mono-polar hegemony of a truly global empire has been taking its decisive shape. This has entailed a radical shift in geo-political relations in Asia. Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq are only immediate manifestations. Geo-political tensions are rising around the Korean peninsula in the Northeast Asia as well, just as in the West Asia.
Since the 9.11 incident in 2002, the US military hegemony is building up at ever-accelerated speed and broader scope. The new Bush administration has been anew pushing the National Missile Defence program in spite of criticism from around the world. The “War on Terror,” declared by the United States, has changed the very nature of war into a total and ubiquitous war. Thus, the military posture of the US has profound implications around the world. It poses grave dangers of increasing tensions, and possibly leading to renewed conflict in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and South Asia as well as other parts of the world.
It should be concerned that the geo-political questions are not merely affecting the issue of international peace, but are also making decisive impacts upon the total life of peoples, nations and the ecosystem.
In the globalization process, for example, convergence of cybernetics, technetronics (IT), hi-tech communication (CT), high-speed transportation and satellites as well as biotechnology (BT), nanotechnology (NT), and artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing about complex transformations in military strategy and weapons systems as well as a total transformation of the context of all living beings. Especially, hi-tech war strategies such as new nuclear strategies and cyber warfare are now an integral component of emerging global military order. Such unprecedented and unpredictable changes are taking place in relation to the US politics of military hegemony.
In spite of these developments, there are only antiquated notions of peace being acclaimed by international institutions in international relations. Against this background, there is an upsurge of peace movements in civil society and people’s movements, challenging inadequate concepts and institutional arrangements among nation states and international institutions.
The global governance for peace has been discussed around the United Nations and its related organizations since the WW II. However, the development of Cold War geopolitics has marred its role due to the polar structure of global geopolitics. Wars in Korea and Viet Nam are only a few manifestations, which demonstrated limitations of the UN. The role of UN and multilateral organs has been drastically undermined by the politics of the global empire in recent years. The entire global military order is plunged into an order of geo-political and military confrontation with the weapons of mass destruction and with the total war strategy.
Hitherto existing military alliances and treaties among nation states in terms of security have generated a really different course of history of the world in a new geopolitical situation, and this breeds a violent global military order on earth. The global military order under the hegemony of the global empire thrusts nation states into a hierarchical alliance of domination, under which peace on earth is only precarious.
In the midst of this situation, we witness to an immense eruption of peoples aspiration of peace for life. Indeed peace is the core of the issue of life of all living beings. It is the issue in which the people have a direct and immediate stake. The people must participate in the peacemaking; they cannot leave the issue to the political institutions of the nation states and international organs. Definitely it is not the matter only assigned to the global empire. It is the issue of all living beings, including human beings and their community. It is the issue of the cosmic order of all living beings.
This means that there is a great need to discern the global geo-political and military situation from the perspective of the victims, human and cosmic. There is urgency to articulate alternative visions of peace and security for all living beings. The people’s movements, civil society movements, academic and professional communities and some government think tanks must engage themselves for this task.
PEOPLE’S CHARTER ON PEACE FOR LIFE
A need to articulate the people’s vision for peace for life.
Historic empires have had their visions of global peace. They have been closely connected to their dominant universal positions. Nation states, too, have their own visions of national security. Furthermore, peoples and their unique visions of peace have been suppressed. Often these visions of peace and movements clash with those of nation states due to the power relations and interests of empires and nations. It is to be recognized various and rich visions of peace rising out of the bosom of the struggling peoples. They have been often neglected by the nation states, their global alliances and international institutions of global governance. But at the present geopolitical situation we believe that the vision of the people on peace for life of all living beings has primacy, for the nation states and international institutions exist to serve the life of all living beings in peace and to enhance the fullness of life on earth. The reverse is not the case. The current international agreements, multi-lateral and bi-lateral, are not adequate to deal with the issues of peace for life.
Existing charters such as UN-related charters, covenants and agreements manifest a part of this situation. Existing treaties on security, bi-lateral and multilateral, need close scrutiny in the light of various visions and wisdoms of peace for life among the people and their movements. There is a need for a critical assessment of the existing security arrangements and their implications for a true global peace.
People’s movements, social movements and civil society movements have been articulating their own visions of peace for life in recent years. This is the emergence of the vision of peace for life from below. Ecumenical movements have been closely associated with these developments throughout its history. They occupy a unique place and entertain very good opportunities to catalyse and facilitate the above mentioned process. In reality, it is the mandate of the ecumenical mission.
In this situation an ecumenical initiative to articulate an integral and genuine vision of peace for life is clear.
1. Why a peace charter?
a. Current UN charter, international instruments and many interstate agreements, e.g., defence treaties, are limited and not reflecting the people’s aspirations for peace for life. Existing treaties do not address the menacing nature of total war today.
b. New dimensions on the question of peace are emerging in the context of the emergence of the global empire which, unlike past empires, seeks a ubiquitous totalistic global hegemony. Peace can no longer be understood in a fragmented way. For example, the ecological question cannot be separated from the question of peace. The total life of all living beings is at stake for their security.
c. War today under the global empire, unlike past wars, has no beginning or end. War today has no borders. With military weapons systems that are capable of more intensive extermination, wars today are not only genocidal, but omnicidal; they destroy everything. The symbiosis of hi-tech weaponry and cyber warfare are capable of destroying systems of life as well as human society.
d. Hegemony by the empire invades every aspect of human life, including culture, communication, micro- and macrocosmic dimensions of life.
.
2. What kind of peace charter?
a. Not Pax Romana or Pax Americana but “peace from below”; peace of the people is to be articulated to address issues of peace for all living beings as well as human communities, local, national and global..
b. The charter will draw from various philosophical traditions and wisdoms of religious/cultural communities, and from visions emerging from those victimised by the war.
c. The Asian Human Rights Charter is one example that can be studied. Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia and West Asia are some of the flesh points of geo-political conflicts, where their vision of peace for life needs concrete formulation for action.
d. The peace charter can serve as a base for people’s protocol on peace on local, national and global levels
.
Objectives
The main objective is to clarify and redefine the concept and issue of peace for life in Asia as well as throughout the globe. It should be informed by the perspectives of people’s movement, citizens’ participation and ecumenical action, including perspectives on specific issues related to the impact of the war on terror in South East Asia, peace and security in North East Asia, reunification of the Korean people, peace in the West Asia, and resolution of nuclear issues in Asia. The global powers have different strategic concepts and policies with regard to peace and security in Asia and in the world, different from the people’s own hopes and visions of peace and security for life. Against this background, the specific goal of this project is to draft the People’s Charter on Peace for Life as a result of the clarification and consolidation of visions of peace movements. It will be a basis for the enhancement of the peace movement and a basis and an instrument to challenge visions of peace, which is imposed upon the people.
Framing a global people’s vision of peace for life:
With Asian faith groups and social movements, this project initiate a global collective process of drafting a people-initiated international people’s charter on peace and security for life.
Process of Drafting and Adopting
1. Organise consultations with active and committed scholars’ groups and people’s movements, civic and social movements, aimed at developing the basis and framework of a “People’s Charter on Peace and Security for Life.”
2. Collaborate with faiths groups and various movements (at the local, national and international levels) in an interfaith, intercultural and interdisciplinary study of cultural, religious, philosophical and ethnic traditions and visions of peace.
Work for an integrated process of drafting the “People’s Charter.”
The Drafting Committee should be organized as the project carrier. It should be initiated by representatives of organizations and participating groups and institutions.
Develop a “Proposal to Draft a People’s Charter on Peace and Security for Life” to be circulated to other faith groups and social movements, in the form of a comprehensive document and popular brochure.
a. Study process
Develop guidelines and a monitoring scheme that will initiate the following study process at the local and national levels: [1] review of international charters and instruments on peace and security; [2] review of expressions of alternative visions by social movements and faith communities; [3] studies on peace traditions/visions in various cultures, religions and contexts.
b. Drafting the charter
Preparation of the text of the Draft Charter through coordinated efforts of the drafting committee
Hearings at various levels and areas on the Draft Charter could take place. Feed back on the Draft Charter from the concerned groups, especially those affected by the wars.
c. Presentation, deliberation and approval of the Draft Charter
This could be done in a major macro-ecumenical conference and it should be followed by adoption by various movements and groups.
Working Group:
A working group will be formed that would catalyse the process. A “mothering process” involving the WCC and CCA, with the Asian ecumenical movement as the catalysing group, is desired. This working group will initiate a Drafting Process, which will be disseminated. How to and who will compose the drafting committee will be a major task. An international conference will be convened to adopt the charter. The charter will be offered to other groups for adoption. These groups may revise the draft for their own use.
Proposed Working Group on People’s Charter on Peace for Life
It is recognized that WCC and CCA has initiated a mothering process on this task, in close relationship with the People’s Forum on Peace for Life. The ecumenical movement has a long history of commitment on the question of peace, a heritage of becoming a witness to victimisation, e.g., the CCIA. The CCA and WCC can thus be a catalyser of the peace charter process. They can provide both financial and political support.
Muslims, Buddhists and Asian religions should be involved in the thinking of this project. The Asian ecumenical movement would catalyse the process, but the basis of solidarity of all religions will has to be deepened for a convergent vision of peace for life among all peoples on earth. Women and children are primary victims of the war. The gender question should play prominently in the process. Working Group should be composed in the light of this question as well as ecumenical and geopolitical consideration.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Apocalyptic action: The 'Left Behind' series gives old-time religion a sci-fi twist!
In a class with Dr. Harry O. Maier I'm studying the Book of Revelation and one of our assignments is "apocalypse watch" - to watch of signs of apocalypse or apocalyptic language in pop culture. There are a series of books, movies, and now a video game called "Left Behind" which are a fictional representation of what Armageddon and the resulting "end of time" will be like. Just found this picture online looking up stuff to take to class. How relieved am I that I don't think this way?
So... here comes the check-in I've been promising for so long.
I successfully completed my second week of class.... only 10 more to go!
I'm LOVING being back at VST.... absolutely loving it. I'm taking 4 classes for credit: "Mission, Church and Ministry," the Book of Revelation, Denom Studies 320 (United Church Studies) and Biblical Greek. I'm also working part time in the Finance Department of the school - who knew that my accounting days would come back to haunt me!?
So far, it's been pretty smooth sailing and I've managed to keep on top of my readings and even get a paper written two days before it was due! I'm also auditing a class on Research Methods & Critical Thought for theological scholarship. My reason for this is three-fold: 1)I'm a big geek (in a good way), 2) I love the professors and 3)I'm practicing not pushing myself to the absolute limit. I don't need the classes to graduate, and so I've opted to learn in that context without having to do it for grades. It's entirely liberating.
I resisted the temptation to run for VST Student's Association in any capacity, and I'm not scheduled to do much supply preaching this semester. I am scheduled to preach at Ladner United Church (my home congregation) at some point this fall (I've just had to reschedule) and at Bloor Street United in Toronto. Travel is still playing a big part of my life. I'm off to Korea for a week in October, NYC the last weekend in October followed by a few days in Toronto, then back to Toronto twice between Nov. 2 and Nov. 20. I'm grateful that I don't have quite the courseload I did in previous years.
Anyways - looking forward to the upcoming assignments and readings. Also looking forward to more clarity around settlement and ordination. Will keep you posted.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Username and Password Remembered!
I feel like I just won the lottery. I've been trying to remember my username and password for weeks, at the request of some faithful blog readers who would like to see a much needed update, but my brain kept shorting out when it came to this account. Interesting I would remember after yesterday's sermon by Gordon How at Shaughnessy Heights United Church and how we all 'fit in' to society by the knowledge and passwords we have - not unlike Jesus who was asked the password to Jewish culture: "What is the greatest commandment?"
I suppose the third greatest commandment would be "Thou shalt write down your username and password somewhere." I suppose that's what happens every time we open an account online or whatever, but I guess I never did for this one.
Oh well, that being said, I will (since I have now gotten IN to my account) update SOON.
I suppose the third greatest commandment would be "Thou shalt write down your username and password somewhere." I suppose that's what happens every time we open an account online or whatever, but I guess I never did for this one.
Oh well, that being said, I will (since I have now gotten IN to my account) update SOON.
