Barbara
Richardson (left), a Pax Christi activist from West Palm Beach, Fla.,
applauds during an interfaith worship service at First United Methodist
Church in Miami. The service, titled, "A Call for Peace through Justice
and Understanding," was held in conjunction with a meeting of the Free
Trade Area of the Americas. Trade ministers from 34 countries are
working to lift tariffs in the Western Hemisphere. A UMNS photo by Jay
Mallin, courtesy of the AFL-CIO. Photo number 03-491, Accompanies UMNS
#566, 11/21/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
The
Rev. Fred Morris, a United Methodist clergyman and director of the
Florida Council of Churches, speaks about solidarity during an
interfaith worship service at First United Methodist Church in Miami.
The service, titled, "A Call for Peace through Justice and
Understanding," was held in conjunction with a meeting of the Free Trade
Area of the Americas. Trade ministers from 34 countries are working to
lift tariffs in the Western Hemisphere. A UMNS photo by Jay Mallin,
courtesy of the AFL-CIO. Photo number 03-490, Accompanies UMNS #566,
11/21/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
Barbara
Richardson (left), a Pax Christi activist from West Palm Beach, Fla.,
takes part in a candlelight vigil following an interfaith worship
service at First United Methodist Church in Miami. The service, titled,
"A Call for Peace through Justice and Understanding," was held in
conjunction with a meeting of the Free Trade Area of the Americas. Trade
ministers from 34 countries are working to lift tariffs in the Western
Hemisphere. A UMNS photo by Jay Mallin, courtesy of the AFL-CIO. Photo
number 03-494, Accompanies UMNS #566, 11/21/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
The
Rev. Marta Burke, pastor of Fulford United Methodist Church in Miami,
speaks during an interfaith worship service at First United Methodist
Church in Miami. The service, titled, "A Call for Peace through Justice
and Understanding," was held in conjunction with a meeting of the Free
Trade Area of the Americas. Trade ministers from 34 countries are
working to lift tariffs in the Western Hemisphere. A UMNS photo by Jay
Mallin, courtesy of the AFL-CIO. Photo number 03-493, Accompanies UMNS
#566, 11/21/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
Worshippers
attend an interfaith worship service at First United Methodist Church
in Miami. The service, titled, "A Call for Peace through Justice and
Understanding," was held in conjunction with a meeting of the Free Trade
Area of the Americas. Trade ministers from 34 countries are working to
lift tariffs in the Western Hemisphere. A UMNS photo by Jay Mallin,
courtesy of the AFL-CIO. Photo number 03-492, Accompanies UMNS #566,
11/21/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
Labor
leaders and workers march in protest of the Free Trade Area of the
Americas summit in Miami. Trade ministers from 34 countries are working
to lift tariffs in the Western Hemisphere. Opponents say the agreement
would cost U.S. manufacturing jobs. A UMNS photo by Jay Mallin, courtesy
of the AFL-CIO. Photo number 03-496, Accompanies UMNS #566, 11/24/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
MIAMI (UMNS) -As mainstream media focused on acts
of violence and protestors at the Nov. 20-21 Free Trade Area of the
Americas (FTAA) Summit, the church was speaking for the voiceless,
without taking sides in the highly politicized arena, according to the
Rev. Clarke Campbell-Evans, a Miami United Methodist Church official.
"John
Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was involved with the conditions of
workers in mines in England," Campbell-Evans said. "I think this is a
critical place for the church to be."
The summit, preceded by a
week of activities such as candlelight vigils and roundtable
discussions, resulted in trade ministers agreeing on a framework for the
FTAA and recommendations by business people and civil organizations on
what free trade should include.
The plan to create the 34-country
FTAA was signed by former President Bill Clinton and leaders of the
democratic nations at the 1994 Summit of the Americas in Miami as a
process to construct a hemispheric economic community. As trade
ministers representing the countries work toward this goal, the function
of the church is to make certain the needs of the environment and
migrant workers are being met, Campbell-Evans said.
"We want to
listen, to give voice to the voiceless and to ask the questions about
what will happen to the poor in Latin America and in our country as
business moves south," he said.
The Rev. Marta Burke, pastor of
Fulford United Methodist Church in North Miami Beach, gave food and
shelter to 300 demonstrators walking from Dania Beach to the meeting in
Miami. She said about 40 church members served meals to the
demonstrators and many participated in the week of scheduled events.
She
said Fulford church members who work in nursing, construction and
general healthcare are concerned about increasing joblessness as a
result of a hemispheric free trade agreement that would cause trade
barriers to fall and jobs to relocate to countries where labor costs are
lower. "We have members who have gone from working full-time to working
part-time," Burke said. "People can't meet their monthly budgets."
The
Fulford church is a member of the South Florida Interfaith Committee
for Worker Justice, an interfaith community working to create solutions
for the areas migrant and minimum wage workers.
" We know that
we're not isolated; we don't live within the walls of the church," Burke
said. "We are a connectional church and a global church in a
connectional world."
The church is committed to representing the
poor, she said. "We want to spotlight affordable housing, create jobs
with fair working conditions, initiate child work laws and proper health
care. As people of faith, we are not choosing sides but attempting to
find solutions."
The Rev. Emilio Chaviano, pastor of First United
Methodist Church Miami, opened the doors of the church for about a
dozen organizations to make presentations throughout the week.
"Our
church did not take a stance for or against FTAA," Chaviano said. "The
agreement was made months ago to be a gathering place for different
presentations.
"The issues around FTAA aren't so simple," he added. "It's not all evil. What I sold the congregation on was being hospitable."
Burke
said the church must act out its faith. "The church has that 'Open
hearts. Open minds. Open doors.' Campaign," she said, referring to the
theme of the denomination's Igniting Ministry media campaign, "and we
at the church take it seriously."
The church must also take
seriously its task in protecting the environment, Campbell-Evans said,
asking, "the hard questions no one else will ask." As businesses move
south, will there be adequate protection for the environment? he asked.
"We need to be good stewards of God's creation."
Deputy trade
ministers will meet in February 2004 in Puebla, Mexico, to create the
framework of the Miami agreement. The 34 nations have set a January 2005
deadline to complete trade agreement negotiations; the countries get a
year to approve it.
# # #
*Buchholz is the communications coordinator for the Florida United Methodist Communications Conference Council on Ministries.
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