Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe

Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe Call for Climate Justice Call for Climate Justice Call for Climate Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches 174 rue Joseph II 1000 Brussels Tel: + 32 2 230 17 32 Fax: + 32 2 231 14 13 e-mail : [email protected] www.csc.ceceurope.org Poverty, Wealth andWealth Poverty, Ecology in Europe Conference of European Churches Church & Society Commission 2 Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe Editor: Peter Pavlovic Language editor: Lois Hough Design: Quentin Du Four Illustration: www.jeanleclercqz.com Photographs: Nikos Kosmidis © Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches 174 rue Joseph II 1000 Brussels Tel: + 32 2 230 17 32 Fax: + 32 2 231 14 13 e-mail : [email protected] www.csc.ceceurope.org April 2011 Introduction 3 Call for Climate Justice The world is confronted with urgent challenges. The global impacts of climate change constitute the greatest threat to the future of our planet. The concurrence of climate change, limitation of fossil fuels, climate change induced migration, food crisis, water crisis, energy crisis, biodiversity crisis and the 2008-2009 financial and economic crisis, deepening the debt crisis affecting individuals and states, might be an indicator that the whole system of production, consumption, profit maximisation, poverty and ecological destruction prevailing in industrialised countries is running into a deep and open-ended transformation crisis. The concurrence of these crises calls for urgent action. To handle these challenges, extensive and radical changes are needed. These changes will have to be implemented locally, regionally, nationally and globally. Climate justice should be the guiding principle for these changes. Climate justice should be realised between people, countries and generations, humans and non-humans and with the Earth itself. Climate justice requires social justice. Climate justice includes the implementation of the right to development, particularly in weaker economies. Climate justice requires the development of renewable energy and economies of sufficiency inspired by an ethic of self-limitation. Climate justice is a condition for the eradication of poverty and the eradication of poverty is a condition for climate justice. Climate justice demands the primacy of democratic politics over economics and the embedding of market economies in social and cultural contexts (further developing the Social Market Economy). Therefore holistic answers to the challenges are required – from the individual person, from the economy, from states and internationally. The time for fragmented and technocratic solutions is over. We need a Great Transition. (From the Budapest Call for Climate Justice addressing Poverty, Wealth and Ecology, p.145) 4 Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe Table of Contents Foreword ....................................................................................................................6 Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe ........................................................................9 – A Contribution to the Global Ecumenical Discussion Part I : Keynote Addresses .........................................................................................13 1. Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe ................................................................15 – An Opening Speech Metropolitan Emmanuel of France, President of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) 2. Poverty, Wealth and Ecology – A Call for a Social and Environmental ...................17 Transformation – a Theological Perspective Rev. Dr. Heinrich Bedford-Strohm, University of Bamberg 3. Facing up to a Low-Carbon Society and Economy ................................................34 Roland Zieschank, Environmental Policy Research Centre, Free University Berlin 4. Linking Poverty, Wealth and Ecology ...................................................................46 - The Role of the Church in the Global Transformation Process The Rt. Rev. Julio E. Murray, President of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI) 5. Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe ................................................................53 - The Role of the Churches in the Global Transformation Process Rev. Serge Fornerod, Moderator of the Church and Society Commission of the Conference of European Churches (CSC-CEC) 6. Poverty, Wealth and Ecology from the Perspective ................................................58 of the Government of Hungary Imre Nyitrai, State Secretary, Ministry of Natural Resources of the Hungarian Government 7. The Role of the European Union in addressing Poverty in Europe ...........................62 Tamás Szücs, Head of the European Commission Representation in Hungary Introduction 5 Part II : Thematic Studies .........................................................................................65 1. Introduction to the Thematic Work of the Consultation ..........................................67 2. Do Not Deny Justice to Your Poor People (Ex 23:6): ...........................................69 Proposals for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion in the European Union in the New Framework of the Lisbon Treaty 3. Poor Rich Europe – Overcoming the New Split Between East and West ..................74 4. Justice in Practice - the Church of Sweden´s work on Sustainable Lifestyles ...........82 5. Remodelling the Social Market Economy from an Ethical Standpoint ....................99 • Embedding the market economy in a social and cultural context • Ensuring the ecological and social sustainability of competition • Strengthening the primacy of politics in a global context 6. Threats and Challenges of Globalisation ............................................................103 - Churches in Europe and Latin America in Dialogue Part III : Outcomes of the Consultation ....................................................................143 1.1 Budapest Call for Climate Justice Addressing Poverty, Wealth and Ecology ..........145 1.2 Budapest Ecumenical Youth Declaration Addressing Poverty, ..............................149 Wealth and Ecology 2. Thematic Outcomes ............................................................................................151 2.1 Poverty and Wealth in Europe .............................................................................151 2.2 Facing up to a Low-Carbon Economy and Economy of Sufficiency .......................155 2.3 Poverty, Wealth and Ecology – a Challenge for a Dialogue with Power ..................157 Structures and among Churches; Churches addressing the Economic and Financial Crisis List of Participants ..................................................................................................161 6 Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe Foreword Let me at the outset begin my remarks by thanking the Conference of European Churches (CEC), the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI), the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary and Hungarian churches for organising and hosting the Consultation on Poverty, Wealth and Ecology in Europe, which took place in Budapest from 8-12 November 2010. The consultation contributes to deepening the Alternative Globalisation Addressing People and Earth (AGAPE) process initiated by the World Council of Churches (WCC). Problems of poverty and inequality, ecological destruction and violence have worsened against the backdrop of intensified economic globalisation, characterised by rapid trade and financial integration, in the last three decades. At the 1998 WCC Assembly in Harare, an important question was thus raised: “How do we live our faith in the context of globalisation?” It was in response to this question that the AGAPE process was born. At the 2006 WCC Assembly in Porto Alegre, however, it was evident that churches had differing experiences with and analyses of globalisation, as well as divergent perspectives on the neo-liberal paradigm underlying the process of globalisation. Reminiscent of North- South tensions that have existed since the Church and Society Conference in 1966, some voices at the Assembly, mainly churches in the North, condoned the paradigm, while other voices, mainly from the South, condemned it for marginalising a majority of their peoples. The Porto Alegre Assembly in the end called for: “…a follow-up of the AGAPE process to be undertaken and expanded, in collaboration with other ecumenical partners and organisations, to engage (1) in the work of theological reflection on these issues that arise out of the centre of our faith; (2) solid political, economic and social analysis; (3) on-going dialogue between religious, economic and political actors; and (4) sharing practical, positive approaches from the churches.” (The Programme Guidelines Committee Report) The WCC was thus mandated to facilitate open and critical dialogues on globalisation within and among churches and ecumenical partners in the South, North, East and West, between Christian churches and various religions and faiths, and between churches, social movements and civil society organisations. While building on commonalities and respec- ting the diversity of views, these encounters are envisaged to discuss and confront the systemic roots of socio-economic injustice in our world today as well as churches’ com- plicity in perpetuating these injustices. Immersion in contexts of injustice is important in deepening theological reflection and building solidarity among churches and church people on AGAPE issues.

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