Parliament of Worlds Religion 1999 Capetown SA

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

Page 99

1999 GIFTS OF SERVICE то THE WORLD
Women's Crusade Against Rape Women's Crusade Against Rape focuses on the responses of young women to the issue of rape. Ten young women with strong feelings about the issue perform a play. To quote from the play: "The mama who is molested at the street corner will be me tomorrow... women have a right to be protected by the law, if the law does not protect women, women must protect themselves."
Pulpit Youth Theatre Project REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
Actions for Peace - Rio, Put That Gun Down!
Viva Rio is an NGO in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, active in the fields of human rights, education and community development. Since 1993, Viva Rio has worked to integrate the socially-divided city of Rio de Janeiro through actions aimed at overcoming violence in the city and promoting a culture of peace. Peace-building activities of Viva Rio involve all sectors of society. and carry a powerful message for concerned citizens, urging them to work together to restore peace. Five projects are currently underway through which Viva Rio is mobilizing civil society in Brazil and abroad to support a government proposed law which will ban the sale of small arms in Brazil. Small arms are responsible for 27,000 deaths per year in Brazil, which has one of the highest rates of death by firearms in the world. The campaign is raising awareness about the threats posed by the proliferation of small arms, and how these weapons are being used in a cycle of violence that is spiraling out of control in many cities throughout the world. As a founding member of the International Action Network on Small Arms (ANSA), and with the support of the World Council of Churches, Viva Rio is gathering signatures for a petition to support a ban on the sale of small arms. This petition has already received over half a million signatures in favor of the ban, and has the support of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and South African Bishop Desmond Tutu. The campaign has also set up a network of church organizations in Rio which serve as neutral depositories for voluntary weapon hand-ins. The guns deposited at these centers are dismantled and destroyed by church personnel trained by Viva Rio.
Viva Rio BRAZIL
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PURSUING
World Tibet Day
World Tibet Day is a worldwide event, held annually in the beginning of July, near the birthday of H.H. the Dalai Lama. Founded in 1998 by Ma Jaya Bhagavati, and directed by her student Brahma Das, the event celebrates the unique beauty of Tibetan culture and thought through music and dance. Speeches are given by prominent figures in religion, academia, and the arts. This event is an affirmation of the basic rights of the Tibetan people, and their entitlement to fundamental religious, civil, political, social and economic freedoms.
World Tibet Day Foundation USA
KARAK YAO TOM
Jubilee 2000
Jubilee 2000 USA is a campaign to cancel the crushing debts of impoverished countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America by the end of the year 2000. The resultant funds would be used for environmental protection, HIV prevention, literacy, and rural development. The campaign advocates canceling debts that are unpayable through a fair and open process, which could save the lives of 7 million children a year. It aims to accomplish this objective by pressing world leaders - including U.S. President Clinton and members of U.S. Congress to make the relatively small contributions of government funds required to cancel the debts and set up a fair and open process for cancellation. To convince leaders, Jubilee 2000 has enlisted the support of faith groups, including the Roman Catholic Church, the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, American Jewish World Service, Muslim Public Affairs Council, and others. Jubilee 2000 also has the support of Oxfam America and Friends of the Earth. Supporters from all faith backgrounds or no faith background — are welcome to join in the campaign. Jubilee 2000 USA
USA
UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS