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Haitians should work together to build a new and alternative nation, World Council of Churches (WCC) general secretary Rev. Dr Samuel Kobia told church leaders and members during an ecumenical service at the Methodist Church of Port-au-Prince on Sunday 7 August.
The challenge, according to Kobia, is to move from "dislocated communities" and fear to reconciliation and dignity. "We are called to work to transform Haiti […] from a violent to a peaceful state," Kobia said.
In an earlier (5 August) meeting with Haiti's interim president Boniface Alexandre at the presidential palace, Kobia promised that Haiti's "serious problems" would be on the agenda of the Council's forthcoming assembly in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in February 2006.
WCC member churches would be consulted in order to determine how best they and the Council can support Haiti's transition to democracy and help end the pervasive cycle of violence and poverty in the country, Kobia said. The Caribbean nation is the poorest in the Americas.
Responding to the president's invitation to WCC to help monitor presidential elections scheduled for 7 February 2006, "We are aware of your efforts and ready to offer our assistance," Kobia said.
Accompanying the WCC general secretary during his meeting with the president were Protestant Federation of Haiti (FPH) general secretary Mr Édouard Paultre and other church leaders. The Protestant Federation of Haiti (FPH) is an associate council of the WCC.
Later the same day, Kobia met with representatives of Haiti's churches and non-governmental organizations to discuss the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence 2001-2010: Churches seeking reconciliation and peace.
Also on Kobia's agenda in Haiti were a visit to a church-related social project in Port-au-Prince, and an encounter with church leaders and civil society representatives to discuss the WCC, the 9th Assembly, and ecumenical solidarity with Haiti.
Additional information about the WCC visit to the Caribbean is available in our press update:
www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pu-05-23.html
and in our July 28 press release:
www2.wcc-coe.org/pressreleasesen.nsf/index/pr-05-42.html
Photos from the visit to the Caribbean are available on the WCC website at:
www.wcc-coe.org/wcc/photo-galleries/travel/caribbean/cubavisit2005.html