INLIA


Integratie van CCME en CEC goedgekeurd 15/10/2008

De General Assembly van de Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) en de Central Committee van de Conference of European Churches (CEC) hebben tijdens hun gezamenlijke vergadering op Cyprus (8-11 oktober) ingestemd met de voorgestelde integratie van de beide organisaties.

De integratie zal de inzet van kerken voor vreemdelingen versterken, die voortkomt uit de Bijbelse boodschap van de waardigheid van ieder mens, ten dienste van een meer inclusief beleid voor migranten, vluchtelingen en minderheden op Europees en nationaal niveau. De CCME heeft zijn waardering uitgesproken voor de inspanningen van de CEC om te zorgen dat tijdens de Derde Europese Oecumenische Assemblee in Sibiu (Roemenië, september 2007) en de komende Assemblee van de CEC in Lyon (Frankrijk, juli 2009) ook migrantenkerken en kerken van etnische minderheden zijn vertegenwoordigd.

Hieronder volgt de volledige Engelse tekst van het persbericht dat op 13 oktober werd uitgegeven:

CCME Press Release of 13 October 2008

The 17^th Assembly of the Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME), meeting from 8-11 October in Paralimni, Cyprus, gave its final approval to the integration between CCME and the Conference of European Churches (CEC).

Appreciating the results achieved in the negotiations between CCME and CEC since the 16^th General Assembly of CCME in 2005, the Assembly fully endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding signed by CCME and CEC in November 2007.

The integration of CCME and CEC, states the resolution approved by the CCME Assembly, shall strengthen the churches commitment to strangers, responding to the message of the Bible, which insists on the dignity of every human being, in order to promote an inclusive policy at European and national levels for migrants, refugees and minority groups. The integration shall strengthen the joint efforts of churches in Europe towards societies welcoming the strangers by strengthening the coordination and services provided by CCME to all CEC, and CEC gaining expertise and reputation in migration, a crucial concern of churches and societies. The integration shall provide synergies with other areas of work of CEC, therefore internal and external coordination and communication, as well as planning instruments, will need to be enhanced.

The Assembly of CCME expressed its appreciation to CEC for efforts and actions to include representatives of migrant and ethnic minority churches at the Third European Ecumenical Assembly (Sibiu, Romania 2007) as well as at the coming Assembly of the Conference of European Churches (Lyon, France 2009).

The Assembly also underlined that the participation of migrant and ethnic minority churches in the ecumenical work and structures in Europe is crucial: Uniting in diversity being Church together, are ecumenical challenges throughout Europe The ministry with and for migrants, refugees and ethnic minority people requires our joint efforts and strength. Therefore, the churches year focussing on migration 2010 will be an important occasion to enhance the visibility and to strengthen common action of churches across Europe.