Network
of Earthkeeping Christian Communities in South Africa
NECCSA
Update: September 2003
A
monthly newsletter on Church and Environment in South Africa
Bishop
Geoff Davies, Anglican Bishop of the Diocese of Umzimvubu, and NECCSA
Vice-Chairperson, was in Durban on 11 September where, he addressed a public
meeting on the proposed Wild Coast Toll Road, together with Kathy Cay, director
of Conservation, Wildlife and Environment Society (WESSA).
A resolution was passed requesting the Minister of Environmental Affairs
and Tourism, amongst other things,
to: “reject the Wild Coast
Consortium’s bid to build the N2 Toll Road in the “greenfields section”
through and alongside the proposed Pondoland Park; reject any attempts to mine
in the area proposed for the Pondoland Park; upgrade the present roads and build
sensitive and discrete roads for ecotourist development instead of destructive
motorways; and explore alternative routes for the proposed N2 Toll Road , such
as upgrading the R61 or R56, and consult local communities regarding the
development of roads.”
2. GMO Seminar for Church Leaders
On
17 September the Environmental Justice Desk of the Justice and Peace Department
of the South African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC) held a seminar for
church leaders in Durban. It was an
opportunity to reflect ecumenically on issues surrounding GMO’s.
Particularly helpful was input given on criteria for ethical decision
making in respect of GMO’s by Anthony Egan, SJ ,an ethicist from St
Augustian’s College and Fr Albert Nolan, OP.
For a full report on the conference please contact Dawn Linder of the
SACBC Environmental Justice Desk,
dlinder@sacbc.org.za
3.
God’s
Gift: The Earth, Our Home
During
the month of August, Diakonia Council of Churches, an ecumenical church agency
working in the greater Durban area, focused on the theme of the Environment
during their Social Justice Season. Activities
included exposure visits, offering of resource
persons for
speaking at Sunday services, liturgies and a bible study booklet.
Copies
of this bible study booklet are still available. Copies may be purchased from the Social Justice Season
Organiser, Lunga Khumalo, who may
be contacted at nokulunga.khumalo@diakonia.org.za.
The
booklet, entitled God’s Gift : The Earth, Our Home is divided into the
following sections: 1. The beauty, wonder and diversity of creation; 2. Global Environmental Challenges - Global Warming & Pollution; 3. Local Environmental
Challenges - Land, Water/Sanitation and Food Security; 4. A Challenge to
Action. Golf and T-shirts, bearing
the same theme are also available.
4.
News of Roger Hudson
Former
NECCSA Executive member, Revd Roger Hudson, recently relinquished his position
as director of the Christian Ecovillage Trust in East London to take up the
executive directorship of Earthministry in Seattle, USA. The following excerpts
are from the Gqunube Green Ecovillage e-Update #4:
We arrived in Seattle on 4 July.
Our relatively easy settling in has been due in large measure to the
wonderful welcome we have received from the Earth Ministry staff and Board
together with the natural beauty of the Puget Sound area which tends to make
each day an adventure. My first week in the office deepened my regard for Earth
Ministry. Apart from solid administrative staff and procedures, I began to
discern its strengths. Firstly, its 'Food and Faith’ and 'Simple Living' books
call people to a deepening faith that demonstrates a conversion to the earth and
helps nurture an understanding of the lifestyle implications of what that means.
Secondly, its Greening Congregation program, with handbook, pioneers a path for
greening the churches of Puget Sound one congregation at a time into a
collective Jubilee force. Finally, the fact that Earth Ministry is funded mainly
by its membership demonstrates a level of commitment to earth care upon which
one can continue building an organisation capable of making a prophetic
difference in caring for the earth. To
view the website of Earth Ministry go to www.earthministry.org.
5.
Value Issues in Decision-Making About Nuclear Energy: An Ethical Analysis
NECCSA
executive member, Leanne Seeliger, together
with Head of the Unit for Environmental Ethics at the University of
Stellenbosch, Prof Johan Hattingh, have completed some research on the
ethical debate surrounding nuclear energy. This can be found on the following website address:
www.sun.ac.za/philosophy/cae/environmental/articles.htm
6.
Vth
IUCN World Parks Congress
This
10-yearly meeting was held in Durban from 8-17 September 2003.
With its theme “Benefits Beyond Boundaries” it showed the relevance
of protected areas to the broader economic, social and environmental concerns.
The Durban Accord, Action Plan and Recommendations from this Congress may be
accessed from their website at www.iucn.org
NECCSA website address:
www.neccsa.org.za
where membership details could also be found. You are invited to accept
ownership of this website in order to use it to share information on
Christianity and earthkeeping practices. Please send any information to the
email address below.
You are welcome to distribute this NECCSA
Update electronically to any other interested person. You are also welcome to
send news to be included in the next NECCSA update to andrew.warmback@diakonia.org.za
by 17 October. You may send such contributions in the language of your choice.
Distributed by A.E. Warmback 27/09/2003