Faith Leaders letter (Spanish translation – 17072008)

Carta de líderes religiosos

Como líderes religiosos, el día de hoy levantamos nuestras voces en favor de la protección de la vida y la promoción de la paz: llamamos a todos los gobiernos a terminar la producción, transferencia, almacenamiento y utilización de las bombas de racimo.

Durante más de 40 años, las bombas de racimo han matado y herido a gente inocente, causando sufrimiento inimaginable, pérdidas y privaciones para miles de personas en más de veinte países alrededor del mundo. Estas armas causan muertes y heridas a civiles durante los ataques y a lo largo de muchos años después, debido a la contaminación letal que ocasionan; esto se debe a que las bombas de racimo dificultan los esfuerzos de reconstrucción y rehabilitación en situaciones de post-conflicto. Por otro lado, el peligroso trabajo de remoción de municiones de racimo absorbe fondos que podrían ser utilizados en necesidades humanitarias más urgentes. Sin acciones concretas, el daño a los civiles causado por estas armas durante y después de los conflictos continuará aumentando.

Las voces de las personas cuyas vidas han sido destruidas por las municiones de racimo nos llaman a tomar acciones valientes y significativas; nuestras tradiciones religiosas nos llaman a apoyar a quienes han sufrido y a trabajar por el bienestar de la humanidad a través de relaciones de respeto, justicia y paz.

Es por ello que hoy, en el Día de Acción Global para Prohibir las Municiones de Racimo, nos expresamos públicamente como lo hacen pueblos de todos los continentes, culturas y religiones que actúan para llamar a la prohibición de las municiones de racimo.

Un tratado exhaustivo puede y debe ser negociado dentro de un mes, en Dublín, Irlanda, en mayo del 2008. Exhortamos a los gobiernos a tomar esta importante responsabilidad y aprovechar esta oportunidad para tomar acciones concretas en favor de la protección personas vulnerables y por la promoción de la paz.

Sinceramente,

The Most Reverend Desmond Tutu
Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town

Dr. Christoph Cardinal Schönborn
Cardinal Archbishop of Vienna, Catholic Church of Austria

Archbishop Dermot Martin
Archbishop of Dublin, Catholic Church in Ireland

Archbishop Gunnar Stålsett
Committee World Council Religions for Peace, Lutheran Church of Norway

Sister Emmanuelle
Founder and Honorary President of ASMAE (Association Soeur Emmanuelle), France.

Archbishop Antonio Ledesma
Vice President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and Bishop-President of Pax Christi Pilipinas (Philippines)

Archbishop John Dew,
Archbishop of Wellington, Catholic Church of New Zealand

Chief Rabbi David Rosen
Chairman of the International Jewish Committee for Interreligious Consultations, Israel

Archbishop John Onaiyekan
Archbishop of the Abuja Diocese of the Catholic Church and President of the Christian Association of Nigeria

Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari
Secretary General, Muslim Council of Britain

Indarjit Singh
Director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, UK

Rabbi Danni Rich
Chief Executive of Liberal Judaism

Monsignor Samuel Gandi
Apostolic Administrator, Archdiocese of Freetown and Bo (Roman Catholic), Sierra Leone

Reverend Osman J. Fornah
President, Inter-Religious Council of Sierra Leone

Sheik Abu Bakarr Conteh
1st Vice President, Inter Religious Council of Sierra Leone, Imam of Freetown
Municipality Council and Masjid Hamdallah

Sheik Abu-Bakarr Tejan-Jalloh
Chief Imam of Freetown Central Mosque, Sierra Leone

Monsignor Laurent Monsengwo
Archbishop of Kinshasa, DR Congo and Co-President Pax Christi International

Bishop Kike Figaredo
Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, the Catholic Church in Cambodia

Bishop Émile Destombes
Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, the Catholic Church in Cambodia

Bishop Anthony Sami
Catholic Church in Cambodia

Bishop Yves Ramousse Gustave
The Catholic Church in Cambodia

Bishop Eliezer M. Pascua
General Secretary of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines 

Bishop Jessie Suarez
South Luzon Jurisdictional Area, United Church of Christ in the Philippines

Bishop Peter Cullinane
Bishop of Palmerston North, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

Bishop Denis Browne
Bishop of Auckland, Catholic Church of New Zealand

Bishop Barry Jones
Catholic Diocese of Christchurch, New Zealand

Bishop David Stancliffe
Bishop of Salisbury, Church of England

Bishop William Kenny
Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham and Spokesman on European Affairs for the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales

Reverend Jonathan Edwards
General Secretary of the Baptist Union of Great Britain

Reverend Dr Martyn Atkins
President of the Methodist Conference, United Kingdom

Reverend Gregor Henderson,
President of the Uniting Church in Australia

Reverend Dr. Setri Nyomi
Secretary General of World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Presbyterian Church in Canada

Rabbi Steven Jacobs
Temple Kol Tikvah, USA

Right Reverend Francis S. Nabieu
Head of Methodist Church Sierra Leone

Dr. Fauzy Khoury
Exarch of the Greek Catholic Melkite Church in the Galilee

Muhammad Amir Kpakpo Addo
Ag. Executive Secretary, Ghana Conference of Religions for Peace, Ghana

Pratap Bhogilal
Chairman Emeritus, World Jain Confederation, India

M. L. Pindolia
President, Hindu Council of Africa, Africa

Samdech Tep Vong
The Great Supreme Patriarch of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Cambodia

Issa Kirarira
Chairman, Media for Peace and Religious Tolerance Organisation, Uganda

Rev. Pat de Ramos-Bremond
Minister, Broadmeadows Uniting Care, Australia

Fr. Tom Ryan
Paulist Office for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations, USA

Taoist Mission Secretarial Office
Taoist Mission Secretarial office, Singapore

Ms Farida Ali
President Emeritus, Islamic Heritage Society, Pakistan

Pal Khn Chon
Won Buddhism Overseas Missions, Korea

Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen
Diocese Copenhagen, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Bishop Kresten Drejergaard
Diocese Fyen, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Bishop Elisabeth Dons Christensen
Diocese Ribe, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Bishop Steen Skovsgaard
Diocese Lolland-Falster, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Bishop Karsten Nissen
Diocese Viborg, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Bishop Kjeld Holm
Diocese Aarhus, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Bishop Søren Lodberg Hvas
Diocese Aalborg, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Bishop Niels Henrik Arendt, Diocese Haderslev
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark

Pastor Jørgen Bøytler
The Moravian Church in Denmark, member of the Provincial Board in the European Continental Province of the Moravian Church

Reverend Dr Anthony Dancer
Social Justice Commissioner of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand

Reverend Brian Turner
President, Methodist Church of New Zealand, Aotearoa-New Zealand

Monsieur Gregory BAUM, théologien et écrivain, professeur émérite, Sciences religieuses, Université McGill, Montréal

Madame Élisabeth GARANT, directrice du Centre justice et foi et de la revue Relations (Relations est une revue d’analyse sociale et religieuse, initiative des Jésuites à Montréal)

Sister Donna GEERNAERT, Congregational Leader, Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, Présidente de la Conférence Religieuse Canadienne – CRC – Canadian Religious Conference (Association of Major Superiors of Women and Men Congregations in Canada)

Madame Heather EATON, théologienne, professeur à la Faculté de théologie, Université Saint-Paul, membre du Canadian Forum on Religion and Ecology

Pasteur David FINES, rédacteur en chef de la revue Aujourd’hui Credo, magazine de l’Église Unie au Canada – Director of Aujourd’hui Credo

Monseigneur Pierre MORISSETTE, évêque de Baie-Comeau, Vice-président de la Conférence des Évêques Catholiques du Canada (CECC) – Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)

Madame Carolyn SHARP, théologienne, professeur à la Faculté de théologie, Université Saint-Paul, Ottawa

Bishop Raymond Field
Chairman Commission for Justice and Social Affairs, Catholic Church of Ireland

Bishop John Kirby,
Chairman Trocaire, Catholic Church of Ireland

Mgr. A. H. van Luyn S. D. B
President Pax Christi Netherlands, Bishop of Rotterdam, Catholic Church in the Netherlands

Msgr. Marc Stenger
Bishop of Troyes and Bishop President of Pax Christi France

Bishop Sofie Petersen
Evangelical Lutheran Church and Bishop of Greenland

Bishop John Bluck
Bishop of Waiapu, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia

Bishop James Moriarty
Roman Catholic Church, Ireland

Bishop Raymond Field
Chairman Irish Commission for Justice and Social Affairs, Roman Catholic Church, Ireland

Bishop John Kirby
Chairman Trocaire, Roman Catholic Church, Ireland

V. Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky
Director of External Affairs, Orthodox Church in America & Moderator, Religions for Peace, USA

Rev. Nichiko Niwano
President, Rissho Kosei-kai, Japan

Dr. Khurshid Khan
Ameer/President of the Islamic Circle of North America, USA

Khalid Rasheed
Secretary General, Islamic Centre of India, India

Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs
Executive Director, United Religions Initiative, USA

Mohammad Sammak
Secretary General, Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, Lebanon

Karen Hurley
President General, World Union of Catholic Women’s Organisations

Dr William Vendley
Secretary General, Religions for Peace, USA

Rev. Vebjørn L. Horsfjord
General Secretary, European Council of Religious Leaders, Religions for Peace, Norway

Dr Sayyid M. Syeed
National Director, Islamic Society of North America, USA

Rev. W. Douglas Mills, PhD
Associate General Secretary, The United Methodist Church, USA

Mr Stein Villumstad
Deputy Secretary General, Religions for Peace – USA, Norway

Daniel Barton
Ecumencial Youth Council in Europe, Belgium

Dr Günther Gebhardt
Vice-Moderator, Religions for Peace – Europe, Germany

Sr. Mary-Ellen Francoeur
Religions for Peace – Canada, Canada

Christina Brown
Co-Founder, Center of Inter-Faith Relations, USA

Jim Schrag
Executive Director, Mennonite Church, USA

Rolando Santiago
Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee, USA

Arli Klassen
Executive Director, Mennonite Central Committee, USA

James E. Winkler
General Secretary, General Board of Church and Society, the United Methodist Church, USA

Marie Dennis
Director, Maryknoll Global Concerns, Co-President, Pax Christi International

Mary Ellen McNish
General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee, Philadelphia, USA

Claudette Werleigh
Secretary General Pax Christi International

Ella Storesletten
Norwegian Church Aid, Norway

Roel Aalbersberg
Coordinator for Worldwide Program, ICCO, Netherlands

Rev. Stig Utnem
Former general secretary of the Council on Ecumenical and International Relations of the Church of Norway, Advisor to ECRL

Crescencia C. Gabijan
Board Member, Religions for Peace – Philippines, Philippines

Elizabeth Young
SA Interfaith Network, Australia

Ziad Moussa
Former IYC Coordinator, Lebanon

Arne Sæveraas
Special Advisor, Norwegian Church Aid, Norway

Gopika Dass
Regional Representative, Sudan-Kenya

Ela Gandhi
Editor/Chair of Satyagraha, In Pursuit of Truth, South Africa

Edy Korthals Altes
Former Ambassador, Netherlands, Netherlands