WCC, IMF, World Bank agree concerns

In what was described as an historic encounter, the World Council of Churches (WCC) has held a meeting with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

At the end of a two-day seminar in February at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, representatives of the three organizations agreed four areas of concern that will be considered at a series of future meetings.

The agreed themes are:

"This encounter was historic because it has begun a process of dialogue and of common challenge", commented Aruna Gnanadason, coordinator of the WCC's team on Justice, Peace and Creation.

Participants discussed their understanding of development, the evolution of their mandates and their different viewpoints on the creation of wealth, social justice and the privatisation of public goods. "Twenty years ago, or even ten years ago, a meeting like this would have been seen as just impossible" said moderator Bob Goudzwaard, professor emeritus of economics and a former member of the WCC Commission on the Churches' Participation in Development, in his opening remarks.

In a letter addressed to the meeting, Rev. Dr Konrad Raiser, WCC general secretary, noted that many, particularly in the southern hemisphere, would question the wisdom and purpose of such a dialogue. However, Dr Raiser believed the seminar had brought together partners "who have so far had very little opportunity to talk face to face". This had created "a space where the difficult issues concerning the sustainability of the global human community can be faced with respect for the integrity of one another's convictions and commitments".

Dr Raiser pointed out that while the WCC's thinking has always been "informed by the insight and advice of competent experts", it sought primarily "to articulate the voice of those who have little opportunity of influencing the decisions but have to bear their consequences." In this way, the WCC tried to present "the human face which is a central focus of the present discussion".

The three institutions will next meet together in October, in Washington, D.C.

Norwegian Church Aid hosts ECLOF Nordic Agencies meeting

Swedish giving record

In 2002, the Church of Sweden granted almost US1 million to ECLOF and thereby became the largest single contributor in a year in the history of ECLOF.

Following an initial contribution of US$ 309,745 earlier in the year, representatives of the Church of Sweden announced they had made an extra grant of US$634,000 for lending capital at a meeting of ECLOF Nordic partner agencies last November.

The gathering, also attended by Muhungi Kanyoro, Director of ECLOF International, and Priscilla Daniel, Programme Executive, shared experiences on promoting and working with credit programmes, and discussed the continuing partnership of Nordic Agencies with ECLOF, and reporting requirements.

Nils-Gunnar Smith and Nils Rönnback from the Church of Sweden said the extra grant reflected the church's belief in ECLOF's mission and the way ECLOF uses small-scale credit to improve the livelihood of the poor.

The ECLOF Nordic partners agency meeting took place at the offices of Norwegian Church Aid in Oslo.
(Clockwise from back, centre) Claes Johan Alexandersson, Mission Covenant Church of Sweden; Priscilla Daniel, ECLOF International; Per N. Bondevik, Norwegian Church Aid; Anders Borre Gadegaard, DanChurchAid; Cecilie Ihli Waldo, Norwegian Church Aid; Nils Rönnback, Church of Sweden; Kristian Pedersen, DanChurchAid; Henrik Bergman, FINNCHURCHAID; Muhungi Kanyoro, ECLOF International.
Photo credit: Nils-Gunnar Smith, Church of Sweden