What can the churches do? Summer School on Human Rights 26th May 2015 Kristina Hellqvist, advisor on refugee- and integration issues, Church of Sweden HQ
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What can the churches do?
Summer School on Human Rights26th May 2015
Kristina Hellqvist, advisor on refugee- and integration issues, Church of Sweden HQ
A world with an increasing number of people fleeing their homes
The Lord said to Abraham: ”Leave your native country,
your relatives and your father’s family and go the land that I will show you.”
Genesis 12:1
This is what we want! The churches and migration issues (Christian Council of Sweden 2007)Our Christian faith has been moulded in experiences of exile and flight. Jesus Himself experienced the fate of a refugee as a child and grew up in an occupied country with a foreign language and a foreign culture. Jesus shows us in words and in deeds the example of love; to love one another and in particular to care for the poor,the powerless and the discriminated. In the NewTestament the radical view of equality is formulated that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ.” (Galatians 3:28)http://www.skr.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Detta-vill-vi-engelsk-%C3%B6vers%C3%A4ttning.pdf
Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution
Article 14 UN Universal Declaration on Human Rights
An increasing committment to refugeesLast year 81 000
persons seeked asylum in Sweden
Out of 1 400 parishes in Church of Sweden 6 of 10 state that they work with persons seeking asylum
Contributing to a welcoming society
Psyko-social support for children
”Children in waiting”Pedagogic programme for children in the asylum process
Sports, excursions, drawings, games…
Ecumenical work for and with destituted EU-migrants
Celebrating the International Roma Day 8th April 2014 in the Uppsala cathedral
Mutuality, safe spaces, doing things together- strenghts of the churches!
Not as much act ”for” as act ”with” asylum seekers, refugees, migrants…
Rights’ based approach in diaconia
From victim to right’s bearer - a shift in perspective and methodology
The Swedish Advise Bureau for Refugees and Asylum Seekers- Free and qualified legal advise
Advocacy
Trainings for the officers of the Migration Board on converts in the asylum process (2013)
”The Easter Appeal” 2005 – Christian Council of Sweden
”Worlds apart– the churches witnessing on what is not functioning in the current Swedish asylum system” – Nov 2009
”A society should be evaluated from below, with the eyes of the vulnerable. In the churches all around in Sweden we often meet the reality as it is experienced by those that are mal-treated in our society. This is not an analysis based on statistics, it is based on that every human that is mistreated is a yardstick on how the whole system is functioning.”
(From the church leaders’ preamble)
Ecumenical European co-operationChurches’ Commission for Migrants in EuropeGeneral Assembly in Sigtuna 2014 on the theme ”Beyond Borders”www.ccme.be
How to work with housing for people on the move?
Could parishes in Church of Sweden rent out facilities to the Migration Board for asylum accommodation?
Church asylum – not very common but it happens
Many churches offer EU-migrants winter shelters
Could Church of Sweden contribute to a more inclusive labour market?
• Internships• Summer jobs for youth• Non-profit social
companies• Diversity in
recruitment• ….
How do we counter racism and xenophia and the worries that come with quick changes?
How do we counter racism and xenophia and the worries that come with quick changes?
Project Human Dignity
With the aim to strenghten the theology and methodology in Church of Sweden in counteracting racism and xenophobia
Increased diversity brings out reactions…Both of increasing racism and hate attacks…
…and of increasedsolidary and newfriendships:”love bomb””peace ring”
”Christianity in Europe started with an immigrated self-employed woman. The Christian soul of Europe was born out of the encounter with the surprising and different and even strange...”
Antje Jackelén
Gender, sexuality and theology – a complicated story…
Church of Sweden influenced by the society in which we live – but also international work and experiences
Church of Sweden influenced by people within the church that have fought against their marginalization; female theologians, homosexual Christians…
Church of Sweden influenced by the UN Conventions such as the CEDAW; Conventions on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Work for gender equality within the churchFemale ordination in Church of Sweden since 1958
(decision), 1960 (first ordination of three women)
Today about 50 % of priests in Church of Sweden are female
About 25 % of the vicars are female
And 3 our of 14 current bishops are female (first one ordained in 2007 in Lund)
Among them the 2014 installed Archbishop Antje Jackelén
(bild:Sveriges radio)
Work for rights of homosexuals within the church
Since 2009 gay and lesbian couples can marry in Church of Sweden – read document in English, German and Spanish at https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/omoss/samkonade-aktenskap (down in the right corner)
Recent decisions in the Church Synod to make educational efforts for better welcoming and understanding of homo-, bi- and transsexual persons in Church of Sweden
Av Kristina Lindh | Publicerad 26 maj 2014 | Originalbilden är 800 × 532 pixlar
Work against gender based violence
Domestic violence - The document “Churches Say ‘NO’ to Violence against Women” as the result of a collaborative undertaking of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) member churches between 1999–2001.
Sexual abuse in church settings – a structural work since 1996 in Church of Sweden to break the silence and support victims
Position on gender justice and gender equality in the Church of Sweden’s international work”The purpose – a healed world and an inclusive churchThe aim of the Church of Sweden’s international mission is to work towards a healed world and a world in which humankind lives in God’s love, which is the origin and purpose of all things. A healed world is a world where gender justice and gender equality prevail. By that, we mean a world where neither gender, gender identity nor sexual orientation are grounds for injustice, oppression or discrimination.” (2012) (https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/churchofsweden/reports-policy-documents--and-positions-on-church-of-swedens-international-work)
Church of Sweden position on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) “To be true to our faith, we must dare to let the experiences of lived life to affect our theology and interpretation of the Bible. At the same time we must allow the witness of the biblical narratives to challenge our societies and ideological structures. “ (2014)(https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/churchofsweden/reports-policy-documents--and-positions-on-church-of-swedens-international-work)
(Contextual) theology + Human Rights the basis for much of the work in Church of Sweden - Refugees and migrants- Gender equality- Indigenous communities- Children and youth- Disabled persons- Climate justice- Economic justice- …
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