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PRESS OFFICE
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.armenianchurch.net
October 6, 2009
___________________
IN WHITE HOUSE MEETING, Diocesan Legate AND Other Faith Leaders Seek
Long-Term Peace in SuDAN
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Eastern Diocese and President of
the National Council of Churches, and other faith leaders across the U.S.
met on Friday, October 2, with White House representatives to express
support for the administration's work in Sudan and to encourage continued
efforts to establish peace in the East African nation.
Meeting with the Rev. Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of
Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Mara Vanderslice, the
office's liaison to the President's Advisory Council, the religious leaders
asked President Obama's administration to continue monitoring Sudan,
especially as the country prepares to hold elections in 2010, followed by a
referendum in 2011 to determine the independence of Sudan's southern region.
This message was also echoed in a letter presented to Rev. DuBois on Friday.
Signed by more than 1,400 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim clergy, the letter
emphasized the need to bring peace and stability to Sudan and the critical
role the U.S. government can play in this process.
"For decades, the citizens of Sudan have been plagued by war, famine, and
marginalization," the letter reads. "Our faith inspires us to work for
justice throughout the world, and we know that the leadership of the Unites
States is critical if holistic peace, development, and equality are to be
realized in Sudan."
The letter also addressed the Darfur genocide and called for a "sustainable
peace agreement that will restore security and allow the Darfur people to
freely return to their homes and rebuild their lives."
At the White House meeting, Archbishop Aykazian spoke about the Armenian
Genocide and stressed the importance of learning from history.
"If justice is not found in Sudan, there will be more genocide," he told the
gathering of officials. "We would like to find ways to end genocide in the
21st century."
In 2005, the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement
signed a "Comprehensive Peace Agreement" following two decades of civil war.
But renewed violence in recent months has raised concerns about the
enforceability of the agreement.
Faith leaders attending the Friday, October 2 meeting are members of the
Interfaith Sudan Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, which
is dedicated to eliminating violence in the war-torn country.
The group has issued policy recommendations, which it encouraged the Obama
administration to use when it holds meetings in anticipation of the Sudanese
elections and referendum.
In addition to Archbishop Aykazian, attendees at this month's meeting
include: Taniel Koushakjian of the Armenian Assembly, Ruth Messinger of the
American Jewish World Service, Galen Carey of the Government Affairs for the
National Association of Evangelicals, Rev. Gloria White-Hammond of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, Alissa Karg of the Africa, Lutheran
World Relief, Pastor Cindy Lapp of the Mennonite Central Committee, Pastor
Hyattsville, Dr. Stephen Colecchi of the Office of International Justice and
Peace at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop David Jones of the
Virginia, Episcopal Church, and Imam Mohamed Magid of the Islamic Society of
North America.
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: Faith leaders outside the White House, where a meeting was held
last week to express support for the administration's work in Sudan and to
encourage continued efforts to establish peace in the East African nation.
Photo 2: Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Eastern Diocese and
President of the National Council of Churches, and Dr. Stephen Colecchi of
the Office of International Justice and Peace at the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops, discuss a document at the White House meeting on Sudan
last week.
Photo 3: Ruth Messinger, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Imam Mohamed Magid, Dr.
Stephen Colecchi, and Rev. Joshua DuBois at the White House meeting on Sudan
last week.
Diocese of the Armenian Church of America (Eastern)
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Contact: Karine Abalyan
Tel: (212) 686-0710; Fax: (212) 779-3558
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.armenianchurch.net
October 6, 2009
___________________
IN WHITE HOUSE MEETING, Diocesan Legate AND Other Faith Leaders Seek
Long-Term Peace in SuDAN
Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Eastern Diocese and President of
the National Council of Churches, and other faith leaders across the U.S.
met on Friday, October 2, with White House representatives to express
support for the administration's work in Sudan and to encourage continued
efforts to establish peace in the East African nation.
Meeting with the Rev. Joshua DuBois, director of the White House Office of
Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and Mara Vanderslice, the
office's liaison to the President's Advisory Council, the religious leaders
asked President Obama's administration to continue monitoring Sudan,
especially as the country prepares to hold elections in 2010, followed by a
referendum in 2011 to determine the independence of Sudan's southern region.
This message was also echoed in a letter presented to Rev. DuBois on Friday.
Signed by more than 1,400 Christian, Jewish, and Muslim clergy, the letter
emphasized the need to bring peace and stability to Sudan and the critical
role the U.S. government can play in this process.
"For decades, the citizens of Sudan have been plagued by war, famine, and
marginalization," the letter reads. "Our faith inspires us to work for
justice throughout the world, and we know that the leadership of the Unites
States is critical if holistic peace, development, and equality are to be
realized in Sudan."
The letter also addressed the Darfur genocide and called for a "sustainable
peace agreement that will restore security and allow the Darfur people to
freely return to their homes and rebuild their lives."
At the White House meeting, Archbishop Aykazian spoke about the Armenian
Genocide and stressed the importance of learning from history.
"If justice is not found in Sudan, there will be more genocide," he told the
gathering of officials. "We would like to find ways to end genocide in the
21st century."
In 2005, the government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement
signed a "Comprehensive Peace Agreement" following two decades of civil war.
But renewed violence in recent months has raised concerns about the
enforceability of the agreement.
Faith leaders attending the Friday, October 2 meeting are members of the
Interfaith Sudan Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, which
is dedicated to eliminating violence in the war-torn country.
The group has issued policy recommendations, which it encouraged the Obama
administration to use when it holds meetings in anticipation of the Sudanese
elections and referendum.
In addition to Archbishop Aykazian, attendees at this month's meeting
include: Taniel Koushakjian of the Armenian Assembly, Ruth Messinger of the
American Jewish World Service, Galen Carey of the Government Affairs for the
National Association of Evangelicals, Rev. Gloria White-Hammond of the
African Methodist Episcopal Church, Alissa Karg of the Africa, Lutheran
World Relief, Pastor Cindy Lapp of the Mennonite Central Committee, Pastor
Hyattsville, Dr. Stephen Colecchi of the Office of International Justice and
Peace at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop David Jones of the
Virginia, Episcopal Church, and Imam Mohamed Magid of the Islamic Society of
North America.
###
Photos attached.
Photo 1: Faith leaders outside the White House, where a meeting was held
last week to express support for the administration's work in Sudan and to
encourage continued efforts to establish peace in the East African nation.
Photo 2: Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Legate of the Eastern Diocese and
President of the National Council of Churches, and Dr. Stephen Colecchi of
the Office of International Justice and Peace at the U.S. Conference of
Catholic Bishops, discuss a document at the White House meeting on Sudan
last week.
Photo 3: Ruth Messinger, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, Imam Mohamed Magid, Dr.
Stephen Colecchi, and Rev. Joshua DuBois at the White House meeting on Sudan
last week.