WCC general secretary calls for peace talks in Libya
The power and political will being used in Libya to protect the safety and interests of the Libyan people “must be directed away from the use of armed force” and “channelled into negotiations to end the bloodshed” now consuming Libya, Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, general secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC) said in a statement on 4 May.
“We must also call attention to the many people who are bereaved, injured, giving care to the ever-increasing numbers of casualties, the displaced and all those at risk as a result of the ongoing conflicts and violence in Libya today,” Tveit said. “May God be with them and save their lives.”
The general secretary’s comments reflect a similar resolution released by the WCC Central Committee during their meetings earlier in February. In that resolution the Central Committee, the highest governing body of the WCC, condemned “the use of force on all sides of the conflict” and called on parties “to respect the human rights of all people in Libya” while urging for peaceful dialogue.
Tveit’s comments come in advance of the WCC sponsored International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC) being held in Kingston, Jamaica, 17-25 May.
The event will bring together some 1000 participants from most of the WCC member churches, the Roman Catholic Church and Muslim and Jewish communities to explore the role of the church and religion in peacemaking. The event includes Tveit, faith leaders from around the world and features as a keynote speaker, Martin Luther King III of Atlanta, Georgia, United States.
Full text of Tveit’s comments on Libya
Central Committee resolution of February 2011
IEPC website:
