Network of Earthkeeping Christian Communities in South Africa

NECCSA Update: January 2007

A monthly newsletter on Church and Environment in South Africa

1. Wealth, poverty, ecology tied to the common good, ecumenical speakers tell World Social Forum

At the World Social Forum in Nairobi, speakers at a workshop organized by the World Council of Churches (WCC) said that wealth, poverty and ecology are strongly linked to each other and to society’s commitment to the common good.

Wealth, poverty and ecology are all closely related to the sustainability of life, said Dr Marcos Arruda, from Brazil. A social researcher and activist, Arruda called the current world economy "one of war and death" which threatens life because of social inequality, global financial crisis and militarization. It needs to be replaced by a "solidarity-based economy" that requires the "socialization and democratization of property".

The need to recover a "sense of common good" was stressed by Rev. Phillip Woods, head of the international office of the United Reformed Church, UK. "Today, the interconnectedness with my neighbours has been lost as lifestyles are marketed to us as a matter of choice," he said.

On the subject of lifestyles, Ms Lapapan Supamanta, general secretary of the International Buddhist Association, affirmed the central concept of sharing, which is linked to a certain detachment from wealth. Comparing over-consumption to moderation and wealth to humbleness, Supamanta wondered whether perhaps the issue is "to eradicate wealth instead of poverty".

Mr Xiao Lian, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, proposed the need for a greater distribution of wealth. "A bigger portion of the cake needs to be distributed to the poor," he said, affirming that economic growth - which has amounted to 10% annually during the last decade in China - needs to be of a nature that protects the environment.

"Another property order is possible," said Prof. Ulrich Duchrow, a German theologian, paraphrasing the World Social Forum motto. While acknowledging that human beings "need property for their lives," Duchrow criticized the current model which is based on expropria­tion, exploitation and exclusion. A new property order needs to be based on "sharing resources and the fruits of humanity's common endeavour".

Mr John Jones, a social activist from Norway, defended a well-known model of wealth redis­tri­bution, the welfare state. The welfare state is about "the right of everyone to receive their share," and its goal is "a society for all", he affirmed. But the concentration of wealth in the North is actually opposed to this. "Pollution and even people are cheaper in the South," he said.

Bishop Mvume Dandala, general secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), also pointed to the painful imbalance between North and South. "Poverty in Africa is the direct causal effect of the wealth of the North," he said, affirming that African governments are "co-responsible".

"We need to work together and we need all the society to look at poverty as the enemy," said Malawi’s minister of health, Marjorie Ngaunje, who described a number of initiatives of her government to empower small farmers and women.

Amongst concrete ways to improve the life conditions of the poor, Ms Birgit Weinbrenner from Holland stressed the positive impact of micro-credit. "Plenty of stories show that poverty declines and people are able to support their children," said Weinbrenner, who is programme secretary at Oikocredit. Churches - which too often simply seek the highest financial returns for their investments - should invest more in micro-credit, she affirmed.

 

2. NECCSA Matters

a) Membership

There are three categories of membership of NECCSA, namely group membership, individual or family membership and associate membership. Members are expected to commit themselves to the following: a) To celebrate Environment Sunday on an annual basis (the Sunday closest to 5 June); b) To include environmental concerns in programmes for Christian education; c) To cultivate an environmental sensitivity in the management of church land and church property; d) To seek to live in harmony with the totality of God's creation and to encourage others to do so too. Since the adequate functioning of a network is dependent on regular communication between its members, the members of the Network of Earthkeeping Churches in South Africa will also be expected to report to the network on the following: e) Any environmental projects that the particular Christian community, Christian organisation, denomina­tional structure or individual initiated or participated in. f) Any relevant celebrations, comments, concerns, events, news, or publications regarding the environment. Since 2005 membership is regarded as a life-time commitment. It is mainly symbolic since there are no financial contributions required.

There are at the moment 28 registered NECCSA members. You are warmly encouraged to submit an application for membership. Details are available from the NECCSA website.

b) NECCSA Update

There are close to 370 email addresses on the address list for the monthly NECCSA Update. Admittedly some of these are bouncing back. We would like to extend this list of addresses significantly during 2007. Please ensure that we are informed about address changes. We would also appreciate it if you can forward the names and email addresses of your friends and colleagues who would welcome a monthly NECCSA Update.

c) Regional correspondents serving on the NECCSA Governing Board

The NECCSA Governing Board consists of an executive committee and a number of regional correspondents who have volunteered to act in this capacity.

The responsibilities of the regional correspondents include the following: a) To promote the vision and aims of NECCSA in the relevant region; b) To invite Christian communities, families and individuals to become members of NECCSA; c) To gather various forms of information which may be included in NECCSA’s monthly Updates, the website and newsletters and to forward such information to the Executive Secretary; d) To assist in the development and maintenance of a database of the email addresses of persons who may wish to receive communication from NECCSA.

It is important to have such regional correspondents from different geographical context, different confessional traditions and different population groups. If you are willing to serve as such a regional correspondent (which is certainly not a very onerous task), you are warmly encouraged to volunteer your services.

d) Editors for the NECCSA Update

For 2007 the following persons will be responsible for editing the monthly NECCSA Updates: Ernst Conradie, Pierre Naude, Leanne Seeliger and Andrew Warmback.

e) NECCSA Chairperson

The executive committee of NECCSA for 2006-2008 include Bishop Geoff Davies (deputy chairperson), Prof Ernst Conradie (Executive Secretary) and Andrew Warmback (treasurer). This implies that the position of chairperson is vacant at the moment. The NECCSA Governing Board is trying to identify a suitable person to serve as chairperson.

3. News on the Zengamina hydro electric scheme (Zambia)

Charles Rea from the North West Zambia Development Trust has sent us this story on earthkeeping:

The North West Zambia Development Trust is constructing a small hydroelectric scheme in the Kalene area of north western Zambia. The project will provide cheap, clean and sustainable power to the local area. It will remove dependence on diesel generators and will supply Kalene Hospital, the local schools, clinics and orphanage. In addition, there will be opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development. Income from power would decrease dependency on expatriate income for the operation of Kalene Hospital and the other institutions at Kalene and the local area.  The project will create the basis of a self-sustaining, developing local economy.

The end of 2006 shows progress with the completion of the majority of the civil works and installing of most of the hydro electric equipment. There were several setbacks with supply of materials, sourcing of equipment and the strengthening of the kwacha (which in effect reduced the funds available by 40%).

The following are all complete or close to completion: the weir except for one gate, the entrance works to the canal, the canal (only 50m left of blasting), headpond, penstock, powerhouse including roof, machinery installed, and powerlines to Kalene hospital and school, Sahandu, and Nyakaseya market and Palace.

The majority of purchases have been made except for the substation at the power house and the connections to the houses and villages along the way. When funds become available, these purchases will be made and also the extension of the power line to Sakeji.

The excitement is euphoric in the villages following the arrival of the long awaited gum poles from Zimbabwe, and the powerline construction team from Lusaka- 10 km of line are up now and the remaining 6 km of the first phase will follow within two months. More funds are needed to complete the line up to the final destination of Ikelene town, Sakeji and Hillwood Farm.

It has been a long haul to get to completion in under three years of effort. Teamwork has been the mainstay of the project: from suppliers, clearing agents, contractors, specialists, workers, mission and stakeholder assistance, the authorities and not least – the many supporters and Trusts that have shared with giving generously to an inspiring project.

Even the Zambian government has raised some financial support for this private project through the newly formed Rural Electrification Agency, and we are delighted about being considered for funding representing 1 % of the total project cost. Several Zambians have also given material and professional support at reduced prices for which we are grateful. 

The programme for commissioning indicates that the start up will be in the month of April 2007. Official opening will be in the dry season.

4. Christianity and ecological theology: Resources for further research

The following book by Ernst Conradie, providing resources for research in the field of ecotheology, has recently been published by SUN Press:

There has been a proliferation of publications in the field of Christian ecological theology over the last three decades or so. These include a number of recent edited volumes, each covering a range of topics and consolidating many of the emerging insights in ecological theol­ogy. The call for Christian churches to respond to the environmental crisis has been reiterated numerous times in this vast corpus of literature, also in South Africa.

The aim of this volume is not to repeat what has already been dis­cussed elsewhere. Instead, the aim is to provide resources and a sense of direction for postgraduate research in the field of Christianity and ecological theology. Three such resources are offered here, namely 1) A “guide for further research”, 2) A bibliography with more than 5000 entries of texts with an explicit focus on Christianity and ecological theology which have been published in Afrikaans, Dutch, English and German, and 3) An index to the entries in the bibliography which provides an overview of the wide range of topics that have been discussed in the literature thus far. The aim of the guide for further research is to offer a brief orientation and a critical review of the literature, to provide a “map” to organise various aspects of the debates, to reflect on the rele­vance of these debates in the South African context, and more, specifically, to stimulate, facilitate and direct further research in the field of Christianity and ecological theology.

Book details: 405pp; ISBN 1-920109-23-4; Price: R 230.00 (VAT incl.). This title is available online from AFRICAN SUN MeDIA’s SUN-e-SHOP. Contact www.africansunmedia.co.za or www.sun-e-shop.co.za  email: africansunmedia@sun.ac.za. Phone +27 21 808 2401  / +27 21 808 2626.

5. A Rocha AGM

This will be held on Saturday 27 January starting at 14:00 in Pietermaritzburg.

6. An Urgent Call to Action: Scientists and Evangelicals Unite to Protect Creation

The following statement and press release was made available through the Forum for Religion and Ecology

January 17, 2007 National Press Club, Washington, D.C.

Summary

Scientific and evangelical leaders recently met to search for common ground in the protection of the creation. We happily discovered far more concordance than any of us had expected, quickly moving beyond dialogue to a shared sense of moral purpose. Important initiatives were already underway on both sides, and when compared they were found to be broadly overlapping. We clearly share a moral passion and sense of vocation to save the imperiled living world before our damages to it remake it as another kind of planet. We agree not only that reckless human activity has imperiled the Earth-especially the unsustainable and short-sighted lifestyles and public policies of our own nation-but also that we share a profound moral obligation to work together to call our nation, and other nations, to the kind of dramatic change urgently required in our day. We pledge our joint commitment to this effort in the unique moment now upon us.

Background

This meeting was convened by the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School and the National Association of Evangelicals. It was envisioned as a first exploratory conference, based on a shared concern for the creation, to be held among people who were in some ways quite different in their worldviews. It now seems to us to be the beginning point of a major shared effort among scientists and evangelicals to protect life on Earth and the fragile life support systems that sustain it, drawing on the unique intellectual, spiritual, and moral contributions that each community can bring.

Our Shared Concern

We agree that our home, the Earth, which comes to us as that inexpressibly beautiful and mysterious gift that sustains our very lives, is seriously imperiled by human behavior. The harm is seen throughout the natural world, including a cascading set of problems such as climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, and species extinctions, as well as the spread of human infectious diseases, and other accelerating threats to the health of people and the well-being of societies. Each particular problem could be enumerated, but here it is enough to say that we are gradually destroying the sustaining community of life on which all living things on Earth depend. The costs of this destruction are already manifesting themselves around the world in profound and painful ways. The cost to humanity is already significant and may soon become incalculable. Being irreversible, many of these changes would affect all generations to come. We believe that the protection of life on Earth is a profound moral imperative. It addresses without discrimination the interests of all humanity as well as the value of the non-human world. It requires a new moral awakening to a compelling demand, clearly articulated in Scripture and supported by science, that we must steward the natural world in order to preserve for ourselves and future generations a beautiful, rich, and healthful environment. For many of us, this is a religious obligation, rooted in our sense of gratitude for Creation and reverence for its Creator. One fundamental motivation that we share is concern for the poorest of the poor, well over a billion people, who have little chance to improve their lives in devastated and often war-ravaged environments. At the same time, the natural environments in which they live, and where so much of Earth's biodiversity barely hangs on, cannot survive the press of destitute people without other resources and with nowhere else to go. We declare that every sector of our nation's leadership-religious, scientific, business, political, and educational-must act now to work toward the fundamental change in values, lifestyles, and public policies required to address these worsening problems before it is too late. There is no excuse for further delays. Business as usual cannot continue yet one more day. We pledge to work together at every level to lead our nation toward a responsible care for creation, and we call with one voice to our scientific and evangelical colleagues, and to all others, to join us in these efforts.

PRESS RELEASE (January 17, 2007)

Evangelical, Scientific Leaders Launch Effort to Protect Earth Unprecedented collaboration aims to instill sense of urgency on elected officials, advance sound environmental policies

WASHINGTON, DC - In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, evangelical and scientific leaders announced today a collaborative effort to protect the environment. Speaking at a news conference in Washington, DC, a dozen leaders of the effort shared concerns about human-caused threats to the creation - including climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, species extinction, the spread of human infectious diseases, and other dangers to the well-being of societies.

The coalition released an "Urgent Call to Action" statement signed by 28 evangelical and scientific leaders. The statement - sent to President George W. Bush, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, bipartisan congressional leaders, and national evangelical and scientific organizations - urges "fundamental change in values, lifestyles, and public policies required to address these worsening problems before it is too late. Business as usual cannot continue yet one more day." The group pledged to "work together toward a responsible care for creation and call with one voice" to the religious, scientific, business, political and educational arenas to join them in this historic initiative.

"There is no such thing as a Republican or Democrat, a liberal or conservative, a religious or secular environment. We all breathe the same air and drink the same water. Scientists and evangelicals share a deep moral commitment to preserve this precious gift we have all been given," said Dr. Eric Chivian, Nobel laureate and Director of the Harvard Medical School Center for Health and the Global Environment.

"Great scientists are people of imagination. So are people of great faith. We dare to imagine a world in which science and religion cooperate, minimizing our differences about how Creation got started, to work together to reverse its degradation. We will not allow it to be progressively destroyed by human folly," added Rev. Richard Cizik, Vice President for Government Affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Stressing that their effort is just beginning, coalition members spoke about some of the immediate next steps they will be taking, including holding meetings with Congressional leaders from both parties to inform them of this unprecedented effort and encourage their attention to environmental issues. They also plan to hold a Summit on the Creation and will develop outreach tools, such as an environmental bible and environmental curricula. "If current deterioration of the environment by human activity continues unabated, best estimates are that half of Earth's surviving species of plants and animals will be extinguished or criti­cal­ly endangered by the end of the century. The price for future generations will be paid in economic opportunity, environmental security, and spiritual fulfillment. The saving of the living environment is therefore an issue appropriately addressed jointly by science and religion," said Pulitzer-award winning author Dr. Edward O. Wilson. One of the imperatives of the group will be to advance the dialogue and influence policy in regards to global warming. "In order to avoid clear and substantial dangers...it will be necessary to substantially reduce CO2 emissions during the next few decades, and perhaps by 80 percent or more before the end of the century, " said Dr. James Hansen, the leading climate change scientist in the United States. The coalition vowed to expand their collaboration and encourage action from all sectors of society. "We are glad to be partnering with our friends in the scientific community. They have the facts we need to present to our congregations; we have the numbers of activists that will work through churches, government, and the business community to make a significant impact," said Dr. Joel Hunter, Senior Pastor of the mega Northland Church in Orlando, Florida.

The unique collaboration, 28-members strong and growing, was spearheaded by leaders from the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School and the National Association of Evangelicals. During a retreat held last November 30 to December 2nd in Thomasville, Georgia, the group agreed that science proves that the natural world is imperiled by human behaviors and policies, particularly by the unsustainable burning of fossil fuels and degradation of living systems. They decided to embark on a continuing collaboration and authored the "Urgent Call to Action" statement.

Notes:

·         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 econradie@uwc.ac.za by 15 February 2007. You may send such contributions in the language of your choice.

·         NECCSA’s website address is www.neccsa.org.za where membership details can 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 above.

·         NECCSA’s banking details are: First National Bank, Musgrave Rd Branch, Branch code: 221126, Cheque account number: 62035719064.

·         If you prefer not to receive the NECCSA Update in future, please send a message in this regard to the email address mentioned above.

Distributed by EM Conradie 25/01/2007