Promoting ethnic minority rights part of evangelization
Twenty-four workers from seven south-east Asian countries attended a seminar tackling evangelization themes, where they discussed the social problems of different ethnic groups.
Bangkok (AsiaNews) Promoting the rights of Thailand's ethnic minorities means sharing their life and culture to be able to meet their needs. This should lead to friendship and trust, and an environment in which it may even be possible to talk about Jesus. These conclusions were the outcome of a seminar organized by Theresita Demarinus Fusero, Secretary General of the Asia Partnership for Human Development and of the Catholic Commission for Human Rights. The seminar, organized for workers of Catholic agencies serving ethnic groups and minorities, was entitled of "PanAsia Indigenous People Program", and it was attended by 24 participants from seven countries (Cambodia, Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, New Zealand and Thailand).
Fr Augustine Prasit Ruchirat, secretary general of Catholic Commission for Ethnic Groups in Chiengmai Diocese (northern Thailand, where most hill tribe people are forced to settle) launched a debate about sharing different experiences of life and culture.
Fr Phairot Suwan, director of the Research and Formation Center on Religion and Culture of the Community in Chiengmai, said: "Evangelization of ethnic groups mainly depends on staying by their side as Jesus did. We do not have to talk about God in the beginning. It will take about 20 to 30 years before they may convert; this is like the achievements of many foreign missionaries in the past. Learning values of their culture and their beliefs is a must, because they are afraid we want to convert them. Gradually making friends with them will make them interested in asking who Jesus is."
He continued: "Ethnic groups still face problems of nationality, freedom and how to earn their living, so it is almost impossible for them to think about the faith we wish to tell them about. For the present, we must continue doing what foreign missionaries started in the past with the Karen community, which has borne fruit. There are many more hill tribe communities we are trying to reach, for example the Lahu, the tribe I belong to. Some 60,000 Lahu are Christians but there are still 250 families I am trying to approach. They have their faith in God, called by the name Geusha."
"We work with and for ethnic minorities; these people need to be consoled and encouraged," said Kulchander Ekka of Caritas India. "Supporting them through education helps to create awareness among them. We are pushing for the rights and freedom of Indian woman. Today, not least thanks to our work, women are more educated."
Eight declarations were drafted at the end of the seminar, affirming among other things that the survival of ethnic minorities depended on ownership of a piece of land, and without this land, no life was possible; destroying forests is tantamount to destroying ethnic hill tribes; without land, minorities are forced to wander from one place to another, and they risk losing their culture and lifestyle.
The workers also said they hoped for a change in government policy that did not fully recognize minority rights. For example, minorities cannot meet government representatives to discuss fundamental services like education and training.
Mgr Louise Chamniern Santisukniran, chairman of the Catholic Commission for Migrants, said: "The bishops of the Thai Episcopal Conference, with the collaboration of the Commission for Migration has studied and translated the encyclical 'Erga Migrantes Caritas Christi'. All priests working in pastoral ministry must always remember what leads to injustice and inequality. The new path to evangelization is via promotion of justice and human development. This is the heart of missionary and pastoral work, especially as regards ethnic groups and refugees."
Mgr Santisukniran suggested that those countries hosting refugees or communities of immigrants "should promote and encourage better organization of immigrations and the election of a leader to help them better".
According to statistics, there are 175 million people around the world who migrate in search of work, around 2.9% of the world's population.
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27/07/2004
