Friday, June 17, 2022
Refusing to Be Silent in the Face of Evil
[Photo Courtesy of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists]
GENERAL CONFERENCE
GENERAL CONFERENCE
Refusing to Be Silent in the Face of Evil
PARL recognizes individuals for their advocacy for religious liberty in their community
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, UNITED STATES | ANGELICA SANCHEZ, ANNJUNE 16, 2022
“Silence in the face of evil is not neutrality, it’s complicity.”1 Proponents of human rights and justice, the Public Affairs and Religious Liberty (PARL) department of the General Conference (GC) of Seventh-Day Adventists is anything but complacent. With enduring commitment, PARL works endlessly as a beacon of peace, advocating for religious liberty throughout the global community. PARL “serves as a department of foreign affairs,” said Director of PARL, Ganoune Diop. It “seeks to provide the Seventh-day Adventist church with visibility, credibility, trust, and relevance in the public space which includes people of influence, government officials, and decision makers.”
In partnership with church departments, community leaders, lawmakers, state leaders, public officials, national institutions like the United Nations, and PARL leaders in the 13 church divisions throughout the world, PARL is also an active advocate for public policy issues. Several issues include health, education, environmental conservation, women and children’s rights, the rights of prisoners, aid, and development. In addition, they focus on promoting the good reputation of the mission and identity of the Adventist church.
On Thursday afternoon, at the 61st GC Session in St. Louis, Missouri, PARL hosted a luncheon to “strengthen relationships between PARL directors and engage with public officials and key religious leaders,” said PARL Associate Director Jennifer Woods. Special guests who were present and acknowledged at the luncheon, representing some of the meaningful connections PARL has made with influential representatives across the globe were the Secretary of the Global Christian Forum Dr. Casely Essamuah, Salvation Army Representative Colonel Kenneth Johnson, Baptist World Alliance Representative Rev. Everton Jackson, Adventist Senator Damaris Moura Kuo from Brazil, Adventist member of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Zambia the Honorable Palan Mulonda, Adventist Retired Senator the Honorable Floyd Morris from Jamaica, and Adventist Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Bienvenido V. Tejano.
In his opening remarks to attendees, President of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church, Ted N.C. Wilson stated, “What a privilege for Seventh-Day Adventists and other Christians to be epistles of Christ, representatives of the highest Authority of the universe”. He later elaborated that faithful service and representation of Christ involves the constant battle for religious freedom, justice, and liberty of conscience.
Though not a simple task, many have supported PARL in this endeavor. As a result, Diop awarded several individuals for their “choice to serve in the public arena,” acknowledging their “commitment and conviction to advocating for religious liberty.”
The individuals awarded were Wilson, recently retired PARL Director for the Inter-American Division James Daniel, GC General Counsel and International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA) Legal Advisor Karnik Doukmetzian, Former PARL Director for the South American Division Dr. Helio Carnassale, and GC Associate Treasurer Daisy Orion. Senator Damaris Moura Kuo was also acknowledged for her work in promoting religious liberty and her help in passing the first religious freedom legislation in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
PARL is not only an advocate for human rights but is also a light in the world. Wilson reminded attendees, “As we understand the aspects of dealing with religious leaders and government officials, it is a great privilege for each of us to not only officially represent our church but in a more personal way, to actually be a living letter written by God as a commendation to all who we meet.” He added, “Each of us are ambassadors for Christ.”
PARL strives to be an active representation of the love of Christ to the world. In fact, through its collaboration with other divisions, PARL has managed to play an influential role in the liberation of imprisoned Adventists worldwide. “We strive to position the church as a credible blessing to the world. Without credibility, the world will not listen to us,” said Diop. Diop elaborated further, “We are part of a movement that is preparing the world and the church for the second coming of Christ. For this reason, showing what the church can offer the world is at the heart of my passion.”
The fight for peace, justice, and religious liberty is not meant to be fought by PARL alone, it is to be the mission of the World Church as a response to God’s command in Isaiah 58 to “shout aloud against the exploitation of the vulnerable.”2 In his concluding remarks, Diop passionately exhorted, “Wherever God places you, remember that you are connected with the One who is superior – the Creator of heaven and earth. He has placed you where you are to bless others.”
For more information on PARL, to become involved, and to learn how their work can help you, visit https://www.adventistliberty.org.
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1adventistliberty.org
2https://www.adventistliberty.org/method
March 13
March 13, 2013 Jorge Mario Bergoglio S.J. elevated to Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis I, Sovereign of Vatican City State  March 13, 2020a national emergency  |
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Nicaragua authorizes entry of Russian troops, planes, ships
The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has authorized Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for purposes of training, law enforcement or emergency response
By
The Associated Press
June 11, 2022, 12:09 PM ET
FILE - In this Sept. 5, 2018 file photo, Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega and his wife and Vice President Rosario Murillo, lead a rally in Managua, Nicaragua. Nicaragua’s Sandinista-controlled congress has cancelled nearly 200 nongovernmental organizations this last week of May 2022, ranging from a local equestrian center to the 94-year-old Nicaraguan Academy of Letters, in what critics say is President Daniel Ortega’s attempt to eliminate the country’s civil society. (AP Photo/Alfredo Zuniga, File)The Associated PressMEXICO CITY -- The government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega has authorized Russian troops, planes and ships to deploy to Nicaragua for purposes of training, law enforcement or emergency response.
In a decree published this week, and confirmed by Russia on Thursday, Ortega will allow Russian troops to carry out law enforcement duties, “humanitarian aid, rescue and search missions in emergencies or natural disasters.”
The Nicaraguan government also authorized the presence of small contingents of Russian troops for “exchange of experiences and training.”
Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, told the Russian news outlet Sputnik that the measure was “routine.”
“We are talking about a routine — twice a year — procedure for the adoption of a Nicaraguan law on the temporary admission of foreign military personnel to its territory in order to develop cooperation in various areas, including humanitarian and emergency responses, combatting organized crime and drug trafficking,” Zakharova said.
She noted the law also authorizes troops from the United States, Mexico and other Central American countries for such purposes.
Ortega has been a staunch ally of Russia since his days in the leadership of the 1979 revolution that ousted dictator Anastasio Somoza. Ortega served as president from 1985 to 1990, before being re-elected to power in 2007.
Ortega’s government arrested dozens of political opposition leaders, including most of the potential presidential candidates, in the months before his re-election to a fourth consecutive term last year. His government has shut down dozens of nongovernmental groups that he accuses of working on behalf of foreign interests to destabilize his government. Tens of thousands of Nicaraguans have been chased into exile.
China blasts US 'bully', says it will 'fight to the end' for Taiwan
By Brad Lendon and Heather Chen, CNN
Updated 2:55 AM ET, Sun June 12, 2022
China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12.
Singapore (CNN)Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on Sunday accused the United States of being a "bully" and "hijacking" countries around the region, during a combative speech in which he said his country would "fight to the very end" to stop Taiwanese independence.
"Taiwan is first and foremost China's Taiwan," Wei told the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier defense conference, adding that China would "not hesitate" to crush any attempt by the self-governed island to "secede."
The speech -- which came just weeks after US President Joe Biden said the US would respond "militarily" if China attacked Taiwan -- capped a weekend of confrontational exchanges between the American and Chinese military chiefs.
Wei also called out US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who had told the conference a day earlier that China was engaged in coercive, aggressive and dangerous actions that threatened to "undermine security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific."
Austin had also talked about US coalition-building in the region and its joint military exercises with Japan, Australia, India and Indonesia, but Wei said this was a kind of "power politics" that China rejected.
US defense chief says China muscling neighbors, plundering resources in Pacific
"No one and no country should impose its will on others, or bully others under the guise of multilateralism," Wei said.
"We notice Secretary Austin's remarks on the US Indo-Pacific strategy. To us, the strategy is an attempt to build an exclusive, small group in the name of a free and open Indo-Pacific, to hijack countries in our region and target one specific country. It is a strategy to create conflict," Wei said.
"Fight to the very end"
But Wei -- who met Austin in a bilateral meeting on Friday afternoon -- reserved some of his harshest criticisms for Washington's stance on Taiwan, the democratically governed island that Beijing considers its territory despite never having ruled it.
Austin had on Friday said the US would continue to support Taiwan with the means to defend itself, including arms sales which China sees as a violation of its sovereignty.
Under US policy, Washington provides Taiwan defensive weapons, but has remained intentionally ambiguous on whether it would intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack -- a policy that the White House insists remains intact despite Biden's recent comments that appeared to deviate from the ambiguity. Washington acknowledges China's position that Taiwan is part of China, but has never officially recognized Beijing's claim to the self-governing island.
Wei said there would be no compromise on China's sovereignty or the question of whether Taiwan will one day be "reunited" with the mainland -- a clear goal of China's ruling Communist Party, which calls for peaceful "reunification" but has not ruled out using force.
Why Chinese warplanes are 'playing chicken' with US allies — and why they're doing it now
"China will definitely realize its reunification. ... It is a historical trend that no one, no force can stop," Wei said.
And the People's Liberation Army was prepared to spill blood to enforce that if necessary, he said.
"Let me make this clear," Wei said. "If anyone dares to secede Taiwan from China, we will not hesitate to fight. We will fight at all costs. And we will fight to the very end."
The Chinese defense minister said the road the US is taking in the region is one his country would never go down.
"The order of human civilization must be based on the rule of law. Otherwise, the law of the jungle will prevail," Wei said.
"China will never seek hegemony or engage in military expansion or an arms race. We do not bully others, but we will not allow others to bully us," he said.
Wei leads China's Ministry of National Defense, but is not the top military official in the Chinese Communist Party's Central Military Commission, which controls China's armed forces under Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe speaks at the Shangri-La Dialogue summit in Singapore on June 12.
Regional tensions
China has faced a barrage of criticism during the Shangri-La conference.
Delegates from US allies like Australia and Canada have been critical of what they see as Beijing's violation of international laws, including what they claim are dangerous intercepts of their aircraft operating in the region.
Without mentioning China by name, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Friday that the Asian security situation is prompting Tokyo to substantially increase its defense budget and consider acquiring "counterstrike weapons," of the type not now in its arsenal.
Japanese forces and Australian forces, among other US allies and partners, have been operating in the South China Sea, almost all of which China claims as its sovereign territory.
China has militarized various man-made islands in the 1.3 million square mile waterway.
But Wei inferred that it was the US that was muscling in by sending naval ships into the waterway.
"Some big power has long practiced navigation hegemony on the pretext of freedom of navigation," Wei said.
He said the US and China are at a critical juncture in their relationship, but contended the ball is in Washington's court when it comes to diffusing tensions.
Washington must stop "smearing" Beijing and "interfering in China's internal affairs" for relations to improve, Wei said.
"It will be a historic and strategic mistake to insist on taking China as a threat and of an adversary or even an enemy," he said.
If Washington can treat Beijing with "mutual respect," there is room for both nations to prosper, Wei contended.
But he had a stern warning if the United States chose otherwise.
"If you want to cooperate, we should promote mutual benefits and win-win results. However, if you want confrontation, we will fight to the end.
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