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Tveit offered an ecumenical vision on migration, inclusion and justice at the headquarters of UNICEF, in New York. ©Marcelo Schneider/WCC

Tveit offered an ecumenical vision on migration, inclusion and justice at the headquarters of UNICEF, in New York. ©Marcelo Schneider/WCC

Speaking at a reception hosted by UNICEF on 22 January, World Council of Churches general secretary Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit offered an ecumenical vision on migration, inclusion and justice.

“In a situation of historical crises it is important to make decisions that show our shared human values,” he said. “It is critically important to take care of human dignity in developing sustainable, international systems for migration to happen in a safe, orderly and regular manner.”

The reception was one of many events on the daylong program of the Fourth Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs, held at the United Nations in New York City. The theme was “Perspectives on Migration: Displacement and Marginalization, Inclusion and Justice.”

Tveit called for a change in priorities towards care for human dignity, human solidarity, human rights and human unity. “We are living in a critical, even dangerous time in human history,” he said. “Just when international solidarity and cooperation are needed more than ever to respond to global challenges, commitment to multilateralism and the common international standards and legislation seem to be increasingly threatened and in retreat.”

Though the world picture can, at times, look bleak, more and more people are waking up, Tveit said. “They realize that this situation requires that they not remain silent bystanders but instead express their hope for the life of God’s creation through specific actions capable of turning the situation around,” he reflected. “We share an ecumenical vision expressed in the daily prayer that the will of God be done on earth as it is in heaven.”

Human beings can, in fact, relate in one another in an accountable way, even when they live in totally different contexts and conditions, Tveit continued. “We can see some signs of what it means to be one – in solidarity and sharing – in faith, hope and love,” he said. “As the World Council of Churches enters its 70th anniversary year, we realize that its purpose and objectives are as relevant as before.”

We need changed attitudes to handle properly the many challenges of our time, he concluded. “We need the attitude of mutual accountability in all our relationships,” he said. “It is a central attitude that has brought the ecumenical movement to life as a fellowship of churches.”

As churches, the WCC fellowship represents commitment, active presence and open communities for people on the move, he said. “But we also represent together with other faith-based communities the migrants themselves, as they carry with them their faith identity,” he said. “Their faith is often the most important baggage they have to manage their situation.”

Tveit also acknowledged the relevance of the contributions from different sectors and communities. “As churches we need the competence and the commitment of other partners like we get in the context of the UN,” he said. “Among other things, we call on all those states that have not already done so to sign, ratify and implement the Convention on the Human Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.”

Exploring moral, ethical dimensions of forced migration

The symposium, organized by the ACT Alliance, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, General Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, and World Council of Churches, was also co-sponsored by the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, Parliament of the World’s Religions, and the United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect on behalf of the United Nations Inter-Agency Task Force on Engagement with Faith-based Organizations.

Reports during the symposium noted that large movements of migrants are triggered by environmental, social and other pressures that make people take desperate measures for a better future for them and their families.

“These are motivations that are common to us all,” Tveit noted. “Many more people are likely to be forced to such desperate measures.”

Discussions centered around crafting a consensus that is both principled and pragmatic, and can help migration work for all. Participants also explored the question: How should gender, concerns for security, race, ethnicity, anecdotal evidence, and dignity be considered in this context?

“We are called to offer hope, but not in a superficial way,” Tveit concluded. “We are inviting all people of good will to join us.”

Read the full speech of the WCC general secretary