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Are you interested in attending a course about promoting the Culture of Peace?
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Church World Service was born in the aftermath of World War II. A number of denominations came together to form an agency "to do in partnership what none of us could hope to do as well alone." The mission: Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, heal the sick, comfort the aged, shelter the homeless.
Nearly sixty years later the mission remains, though where and how we accomplish it has changed dramatically. In 1946-47, U.S. churches opened their hearts and provided more than 11 million pounds of food, clothing, and medical supplies to war-torn Europe. Protestants and Catholics pooled talent and resources to meet a staggering refugee crisis. Today the Immigration and Refugee Program of Church World Service is a vital, internationally-lauded ministry, having resettled some 400,000 people since its inception.
Also in 1947, CWS, Lutheran World Relief, and the National Catholic Welfare Program created a joint community hunger appeal, the Christian Rural Overseas Program. Today CROP stands for Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty, and is most closely associated with community-wide interfaith CROP Hunger Walks.
CROP captured the imagination of America''s heartland. Soon Friendship Trains were roaring cross country, picking up commodities such as corn, wheat, rice, and beans to be shared around the world. The experience of the trains led to Friendship Food Ships. And, a multi-denominational program called One Great Hour of Sharing was formed to raise in-church gifts to fill these ships. CROP continued to provide community-wide opportunities for sharing.
In the 1950s and 60s, CWS expanded its ministry of compassion and relief to Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
As the ''60s dawned, the focus changed from a band-aid approach to one of giving a helping hand up. Church World Service began to augment its emergency assistance work with support for long-range, problem-solving efforts--what came to be known as development.
Development begins at the grassroots. CWS recognized early on that to be successful the projects and programs must come from the people themselves, not be imposed by others.
Church World Service sought out local agencies, often Christian councils, who share this vision of empowering self-help; and, long-standing partnerships were forged.
Over the years the success stories have been many. One of the first was in Algeria, in North Africa. Over four years, using more than 5-1/2 million human days of volunteer labor, some 20 million forest and fruit trees were planted to anchor the soil against nature''s persistent erosion.
In India, Church World Service helped countless villages construct reservoirs, dig wells, and lay irrigation systems. The result: "Drought insurance" and improved food production.
The same partnerships that enhanced our development efforts have enabled Church World Service to maximize our response to disasters.
We responded during the horror of Biafra, in West Africa.
We helped Nicaraguans rebuild after the devastating earthquake of 1972--and Guatemalans, after a similar quake in 1976.
We sent shiploads of food to the famine-stricken Sahel region of Africa in the mid ''70s.
We witnessed to reconciliation with the people of Vietnam by sharing a shipload of wheat for orphanages and hospitals.
We have championed peace and justice and self-sufficiency around the world.
And, we are arm-in-arm with our partners and friends in Kenya...the Middle East...Central America... Sudan...Indonesia...Pakistan...the Balkans...and across the U.S., as we journey together through a new century.
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