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Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land need to go beyond a mere homage to ancient sites and instead show concern for the Palestinian people living there, whose lives are severely constricted by the Israeli occupation of their land.Â

While seeing holy sites and ancient structures remains popular for Christian tourists visiting the Holy Land, there is an emerging concern that Christian tourists have an ethical obligation to engage with the people living there, to become witnesses to their struggle for freedom, human dignity, equality, justice and peace.

"The global tourism industry is a significant contributor to climate change," the Ecumenical Coalition On Tourism (ECOT) has said in a statement calling for a paradigm shift in this "sprawling industry ever in search of new destinations, including some to replace those threatened or disappearing due to global warming".

Près de 140 responsables d'Eglise du monde entier, parmi lesquels des représentants d'Eglise des Corées du Nord et du Sud, ont appelé à la formation d'une confédération intercoréenne même avant une réunification complète de la Corée. Un accord a été trouvé à l'issue d'une réunion de trois jours à Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, où les responsables chrétiens ont exprimé leur espoir immuable de la paix et de la réconciliation entre Coréens, malgré les dures réalités de la division actuelle de la péninsule coréenne.

Nearly 140 leaders from the world's churches, North and South Koreans among them, have called for the formation of an inter-Korean confederation even before complete reunification of Korea can take place. Agreement was reached at the close of a three-day meeting in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong where the Christian leaders expressed unrelenting hope for peace and reconciliation among Koreans, despite the stark realities of the ongoing division of the Korean peninsula.

L'Australie centre son action sur Gaza, l'Autriche sur les pèlerinages de ville. Le Brésil organise des séminaires d'étudiants qui discutent du conflit autour de la terre "sainte". Canadiens, Ecossais, Norvégiens, Britanniques et Français prennent contact avec leurs parlementaires. Des responsables d'agences d'entraide liées aux Eglises rendent visite à des organisations partenaires israéliennes et palestiniennes. Et sur la haute muraille qui encercle Bethléem, les Palestiniens organisent des "projections" de prières le soir.

Australia is focusing on Gaza, Austria has town pilgrimages. Brazil has seminary students debating conflict over "holy" land. Canadians, Scots, Norwegians, British and French are making contact with lawmakers. Directors of church-related aid agencies are visiting Israeli and Palestinian partner organizations. And on the high Wall that hems in Bethlehem, Palestinians are "showing" prayers at night.

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Par Emma Halgren (*)

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As people from "a region which has experienced, and is experiencing, the effects of all the major issues that have affected the world," Pacific representatives need to be assertive "in bringing Pacific perspectives and experience into international forums," said the World Council of Churches (WCC) president from the Pacific region, Mr John Taroanui Doom, addressing participants at the 9th assembly of the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC).