Indigenous people, the UN, & Montana Human Rights Network

This past week our church hosted The Rev. Luis Cristobal Alejo Fernandez, Pastor Presidente of the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church.

Rachel Carroll from The Montana Human Rights Network put the evening together. The MHRN is doing great things in our state. Check them out here: http://www.mhrn.org/

Rachel Carroll (more about her here) focused the conversation, advising us to contact our representatives in DC advocating for the Native people of our country by pressuring Obama to sign on to the

Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

(click above for the wikipedia article)

The Rev. Luis Cristobal Alejo Fernandez, Pastor Presidente of the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church will be in Montana for a brief visit this month. He will be in Great Falls on June 4, and will meet with interested people at 7:00 PM at Our Savior’s Lutheran church at 1326 1st Ave N.

Pastor Presidente will discuss the United Nations Conference on Indigenous Peoples, and the international issues of indigenous people’s rights and challenges. All are welcome and translation will be provided.

The Lutheran Church in Bolivia has a special companion relationship with the Lutheran Church in Montana. Groups from Montana have visited the churches in Bolivia and have helped to support schools, churches and a retreat center. The Pastor Presidente is visiting the United States at the invitation of the United Nations, which is hosting a conference on indigenous peoples. Pastor Alejo Fernandez is Amyara, an indigenous group in Bolivia. The Lutheran Church in Bolivia is primarily Aymara.

Bishop Jessica Crist of the Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America said of Pastor Presidente and the event, “ We are honored that the Pastor Presidente has come to Montana. We have a great deal to learn from him about the faith, and about indigenous peoples worldwide, and especially in Bolivia.”

The Montana Human Rights Network’s organizer Rachel Carroll said of the event, “Guaranteeing the rights of Indigenous People here in Montana and around the world is paramount to guaranteeing the rights of all people. Our justice is connected. We are so pleased to be able to host this event with the Montana Lutheran Church and to have such an honored guest here to share his experiences with us.”

The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the UN General Assembly on Thursday September 13, 2007 by a majority of 144 states in favor, 4 votes against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States), and 11 abstentions.

The Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues is meeting in at UN Headquarters in New York from May 18-29 to discuss ways to further implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which gained momentum last month when Australia officially endorsed the Declaration after previously having voted against it. The Forum will also discuss the relationship between indigenous peoples and industrial corporations, and the need to promote corporate social responsibility.

Montana’s 2009 Legislature considered a bill by Representative Shannon Augure (D-Browning) addressing the UN Declaration. House Joint Resolution 23 resolved that the Montana Senate and House of Representatives expressed their support for the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. HJ 23 also urged the U.S. to sign the UN Declaration. The bill passed the House of Representatives, but was tabled by the Senate State Administration Committee. .

The Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America and the Montana Human Rights Network are co-hosting the public event.

~ by gfallsyouth on June 9, 2009.