Peace on earth

My View

First find solid ground

Anyone praying or working for justice and peace will find solid ground in the ELCA social statement For Peace in God's World. In contrast, the "war on terrorism" as a basis for U.S. foreign policy is like shifting sand-where goals move and concepts blur with little public deliberation or debate.

An overarching framework for policy should reflect our deepest understanding of the challenge at hand. It must firmly guide how issues are articulated, strategies designed and resources allocated. The war on terrorism, however, relies on military solutions and unilateral actions that fuel confusion and crisis instead of clarity. How well can widespread admiration for America's freedoms and opportunities co-exist with growing consternation over our selective commitment to human rights standards and our habitual alliances with repressive regimes? Which of today's "friends" are to be tomorrow's worst enemies, a la Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden?

John Paul Lederach, a peace educator, writes that the anger that spurs terrorism grows over time from threats to identity and "experiences of sustained exclusion."

U.S. foreign policy needs to be refocused from an ever-expanding "war on terrorism" to a global security initiative that would improve the capacity of the global "immune system" to fight the angry virus, whatever its form, that leads to the killing of innocent civilians.

The ELCA statement on peace identifies the global immune system's key building blocks: respect for human rights and international law, multilateral cooperation among nations, a more just global economy that lifts the burden of chronic poverty, and a vibrant civil society (e.g. churches, community associations) that can hold governments accountable.

The "war on terrorism" is being used by a host of national governments to justify human rights abuses, to curry favor with the United States in their own internal and external conflicts (e.g. Pakistan-India; Russia-- Chechnya) and to increase military firepower in areas already saturated with weapons and violence against civilians (e.g. Colombia). Moreover, the allocation of resources to the military and homeland security dramatically dwarfs investments in poverty eradication, human rights and peacemaking.

Building security on insecurity puts others at risk and makes our world a more precarious place. For Peace in God's World helps us build peace, with God's guidance and help, on firm and solid ground.

Wolford, president of Lutheran World Relief is a member of Christ Lutheran Church, Baltimore.

Material for "My View" should be no longer than 400 words. Readers may submit opinions on a current societal event or issue or on issues in the life of this church. These reader viewpoints do not necessarily reflect the views ofThe Lutheran or the positions of the ELCA. Send your views to "My View, " The Lutheran, 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631-- 4183; Fax (773) 380-2751; e-mail: lutheran@elca.org.

Copyright Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Dec 2002
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