Ecumenical Reflexions on Political Economy. A summary of ten years
of deliberations on issues of development by an informed group of
economists, sociologists, political scientists and theologians. Compiled
by Catherine Mulholland. First published by WCC Publications,
World Council of Churches, 1988. Internet edition by Dr. Robinson Rojas

7. Christians and these Issues

Why we must be concerned

Christians and churches should be concerned with the issues treated here because of the basic Christian convictions about values, structures and change. When Christian values as embodied in the concepts of justice, participation and sustainability are applied to actual economic systems, we see that these systems have not resulted in equitably distributed economic and social development, food and employment for all or global peace and harmony. This is often not due to the good or bad will of the actors but results from the inbuilt deficiencies of systems themselves. The churches, therefore, have the task to support those who suffer and a duty to judge socio-economic systems and seek viable alternatives. In so doing we are faced with the choice of whether we are co-workers with God or siding with the forces of death. Choosing to be co-workers with God and affirming life leads to an affirmation of human life and therefore to a judgment of socio-econ6mic systems in terms of whether they promote life or death.

if we as Christians accept to join in this process of reflection and critique and see the need for structural changes, then, as followers of Christ and as members of the human family, we are faced with the following challenges:

1) the achievement of concrete progress towards basic human rights and needs;

2) the overcoming of the insecurity, inequality and selfishness inherent in the "free" market mechanism while avoiding centralization and authoritarianism in state or interest group economic management;

3) the attainment of peace with personal security, justice with the elimination of oppression, and of a sustainable relafionship with nature

To meet ffiese challenges requires a vision of the future. The work of AGEM has identified three broad scenarios or visions of the future which

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sum up the major paths open to us - a continuation and reinforcement of the existing order; organizing for change around long-term complementary self-interest; or the vision of a just, participatory and sustainable society.

The problem with the first two visions is that they lack an explicit set of normative values which are compatible with the gospel message. The first represents an order which is centred not on human beings but on material things and ignores the issue of sustainability. The second is less unjust than the first, but its justice is not the justice of and for the poor first, its participation is hierarchical and elitist and its sustainability, while including principles of sound management, is that of crisis management rather than long-term concern and cooperation.

The third vision starts with the gospel message which leads Christians to a commitment to an equitable society in which every human being has significance and dignity and where none is oppressed. The vision should not be reduced to mean equality of opportunity for all individuals to compete without hindrance, because such equality in practice helps the strong to get ahead while the weak remain oppressed and exploited. Rather, this vision begins with an explicit set of normative values and proceeds from these, to envisage patterns of relationships which best incorporate those values. Then it turns to technical and institufional analyses of ways and means to set and to move towards some initial, though admittedly imperfect and interim targets.

Christians have a duty to work towards the realization of this vision in light of the Christian assumption that

the human being, both individually and corporately, is capable of both good and evil, and that each generation, as stewards of creation, has a responsibility to God for contributing to the struggle for more justice in society; for nanung and struggling against the principalities and powers which in varying institutional manifestations confront every human society.

This assumption puts people first and, because people are, or should be, at the centre of all economic efforts it is the task of the ecumenical community to work for the creation of just, participatory and sustainable societies.

Such efforts can not only help to create the bases so essential for answering the challenges facing us, but can also help to raise the awareness of the Christian community and stimulate the debate over values and concrete action possibilities. This is crucial to enable the churches to move beyond a purely critical stance and towards a more

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positive involvement in formulating and acting upon alternatives for the benefit of all.

Beyond statements to action

Technology, TNCs and human development - the challenge of technology and Christian values

What can we as Christians do to help further the cause of human development and the search for alternative selection of and control over technologies? Within the ecumenical movement global concern for human development has come to be understood in terms of our support for the poor and the powerless in their struggle against all systems of exclusion and oppression as these inhibit their freedom, wellbeing and happiness and became barriers, not means, to human development. This concern finds its expression in the following goals directly relevant to turning technology to the service of the poor majorities:

1) justice - accepting the basic human needs of people as the priority uses of, and reasons for, developing technology even if this priority conflicts with maximum growth of output, of profit or of professional power and prestige;

2) participation - recognizing that without participation in decision-taking and implementation and in employment by the poor and powerless they will continue to be excluded from justice; and the attainment of real democracy;

3) sustainability - refusing to accept both the present and future costs of growth without regard to environmental and resource constraints and the moral imperatives of Christian stewardship;

4) collective self-reliance - recognizing that human development requires self-realization within communities - family, neighbourhood, workplace, professional, religious, regional, national - and that such realization is possible only through accepting and struggling for their rights to and capacity for meaningful self-reliance in the face of centralizing and repressing tendencies.

But goals require means for attaining them. It is impossible to come up with a blueprint for action but the following are some of the areas in which individuals and church groups can take initiatives.

Churches can set an example for more positive involvement in formulating and acting towards possible alternatives for human development and the generation of popular and participatory technologies by:

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- reflecting on and practising alternative behaviours;

- stimulating the search for alternative forms of human development and ways of radically restructuring the existing order;

- supporting specific efforts at local, national and regional levels to put into practice concrete proposals for technological and sociological restructuring;

- developing a fuller realization of the moral and ethical dimension of technology and its uses;

- working for the full democratization of information and knowledge.

The production and application of alternative technologies can be promoted through:

- the international community and third-world governments giving priority to the establishment of R&D centres in developing countries;

- a portion of the external debt owed by the underdeveloped countries could be set aside to help finance such centres.

Scientists, technologists, government officials and TNC managers should accept their responsibility to:

- espouse and act on values and practices which promote human dignity and the rights of peoples and individuals;

- encourage the participation of the poor and powerless in decision-making.

Scientists in particular should realize the global implications of their work and explore the uses and abuses of that work and possible alternative approaches. TNC managers should accept the obligation of TNCs to make recompense to those who are injured or excluded as a result of their decisions. Government officials should ensure that technology and its implications are fully understood by their governments and that its negative impacts are minimized, and accept that they are accountable to those injured or excluded as a result of their decisions.

In their analysis of TNCs, technology and human development, the AGEM emphasized that the systems which give rise to the injustices and inequalities are inherent in the present global political economic order and within the political, social and economic structures of both rich and poor countries. Therefore, these kind of global problems require a concerted global effort for change of which churches can be at once an initiator, sustainer and unifier.

World hunger - Christian action to feed the hungry

As outlined in chapter four of this book and in World Hunger: a Christian Reappraisal, access to adequate food is a universal human right

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and yet Christians and churches in developing and industrialized countries alike are surrounded with images of hunger and the cries of the hungry. These images are compelling testimony that millions of our fellow beings are being denied a basic right - the right to food. Many of the hungry are members of Christian congregations and their problems are immediate problems of the churches, but we must not forget that most of the hungry are outside the Christian communion but within sight of Christian people. It is the responsibility of Christians to hear the cries and claims of all the hungry and to start a dialogue of understanding which will help the process of change, a dialogue that goes well beyond emergency food aid during "loud" crises and fades away when malnutrition and starvation retreat temporarily to the endemic levels of the underlying "silent" crisis.

The ongoing ecumenical quest for greater clarity as to what God is calling the church to be and do in our time has resulted in the AGEM statement calling for the search for a just, participatory and sustainable food system as a solution to the problem of world hunger. It is clear that the persistence of hunger in a world that produces more than enough food for all is morally intolerable and an outrageous sign of blatant injustice, distorted human participation and unsustainable patterns of behaviour.

In the past the traditional and most widespread response of the church to such a situation has been charity: the haves sharing compassionately with the have-nots. But it has become increasingly clear that sharing food is not enough. Benevolence in itself is good but it often creates regrettable dependencies and allows unjustified paternalism. The hungry have a legitimate claim for the respect of their rights and identity and therefore Christians and churches are challenged by basic evangelical convictions to move from charity to solidarity.

The following are some of the activities that the churches and Christians have engaged in in the past at local, national and international levels, and they suggest some guidelines for activities which should be continued and stepped up in the future.

At the local level, many parishes throughout the world have been active in operating and supporting programmes and projects which address the human needs of hungry people. These include the management of emergency feeding programmes, the resettlement and care of refugees and the education and training of persons involved in hunger alleviation. In order to emphasize the positive aspect of these activities churches should:

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- distinguish among their various roles in hunger matters, concentrating on what they do best;

- energize their clergy and equip their laity to deal with hunger issues. At the national level, churches and church agencies have made or

reaffirmed commitments to programme priority for hunger issues to extend over significant periods of years. They have also participated in the process of governmental policy-making and implementation on hunger issues. Churches can deepen their commitment by:

- looking at the stewardship of their own assets: attention should be paid to how churches with large estates or investable funds can hannel them in ways which assist the poor to produce food or to earn incomes adequate to purchase it;

- helping build just, participatory and sustainable food systems by supporting projects which are geared to social utility rather than Isimply to the maximization of economic returns or even food output.

At the regional level, regional councils of churches have incorporated hunger concerns into their periodic assemblies and ongoing work. This process should be continued through:

- engaging in action at the appropriate levels, taking into account the exercise of different roles in different social and political contexts;

- expressing solidarity with the poor at all levels and ensuring that the claims of the hungry continue to be heard and that food and hunger remain on the priority political agenda.

At the international level, the WCC has grappled with food issues through the commissioning of several studies, the convening of several conferences, and the ongoing work of various departments in the WCC (CICARWS, CCPD, CMC) and the creation of the Ecumenical Development Cooperative Society (EDCS). The WCC has also increasingly become involved in the work of intergovernmental organizations. This work should be continued and strengthened and should include reflection and action in the following areas:

- affluent life-styles and their impact on the poor and hungry;

- projecting of a vision which affects the climate of public opinion about what needs to be done and the mobilization of political action;

- posing the moral dimensions of food, food systems and food technology issues to scientists, technologists and decision-takers in related fields;

- making fuller use of the international ecumenical network in church action to combat hunger.

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The Bible teaches us that food is a sign of God's grace and should not be taken for granted. The daily bread is a gift and not only the result of human effort. This gift is meant for sharing, because sharing food is to witness to God's grace.

The international financial system - working for change

The magnitude of the international financial crisis is such that any resources the ecumenical movement or the churches could possibly mobilize would not, by themselves, play a major role in overcoming or even mitigating it. Further, the nature of the critique presented in chapter five and in the study The International Financial System: an Ecumenical Critique shows that changes in systemic goals, institutions and modes of conduct are needed - not merely additional financial transfers within the existing framework. Therefore, the basic action responsibility of Christians, Christian organizations and churches must lie in identifying principles relevant to and the means for transforming or reforming the international financial system. Churches are not of the international financial system's world but they must recognize that they are in it and have aduty to act to change it.

Working for change should be based on the following:

1) communication, consultation and solidarity;

2) listening to, learning from and working with poor people and vulnerable groups affected by economic change;

3) understanding and action at international financial system level should be linked with action to ensure that governments accept and act on their responsibility to the poor.

Starting from these bases, the following guidelines have been put forward by the AGEM to inform Christian action:

- Reflection on the international financial system, the values on which it is based and its impact on poor people and vulnerable groups in the current economic crises. Such study should seek out the experiences, analyses, critiques and calls for action of poor people and vulnerable groups both in a church's own country and in other countries.

- Critique should begin close to home and Christians and churches have the duty to examine their own policies and practices before condemning others. From the foundation of self-criticism and action, a broader critique and programme of action can and should be mounted, reaching out to question and to influence governments, international financial institutions and financial enterprises.

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- The first step of the broader critique should ask critical questions and enter into dialogue about the values which now inform financial transactions and their consistency (or otherwise) with moral criteria and the values of the gospel message. A second stage will be the demystification of the international and national financial systems to encourage public understanding, and informed criticism and increased participation by citizens.

- To be effective, action will need to go beyond enunciating general principles to opposing specific present practices and calling for specific as well as general reforms in values, criteria and procedures both in the immediate future and over the longer term.

Finally it is important to note that such action can rarely usefully be seen as short-term and related to one specific issue. Both the time required to mobilize understanding and support to influence decisions, and the basic nature of the changes needed if the present system is to be reformed into one consistent with just, participatory and sustainable development in the interests of and by poor people and vulnerable groups mean that a sustained struggle on numerous issues over many years will be required.

Labour, employment and unemployment

The history of the churches' concern with this issue is a long one. It was indeed the ecumenical movement's entry point into political economic reflection and critique six years ago. In the report of the first "Universal Christian Conference on Life and Work", held in Stockholm in 1925, we find sentences like:

Labour is not a commodity, but the contribution of persons to the economic process. The church must labour for and forward all measures which are clearly productive of personal value. The test which it should apply to policies and programmes is not that of economic efficiency but of personal welfare.

In 1937 at the world conference on "Church, Community and State" the message was:

Man cannot live without bread, and man cannot live by bread alone... In the economic sphere the first duty of the church is to insist that economic activities, like every other department of human life, stand under the judgment of Christ... The only forums of employment open to many men and women, or the fact that none are open, prevent them from finding a sense of Christian vocation in their daily life.

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From 1975 to 1985, during the height of the economic crisis, the churches continued to express concern about the consequences of unemployment and urged action aimed at alleviating some of the suffering occasioned by unemployment on the grounds of Christian compassion and being "good neighbours". These declarations of concern and calls for remedial action were accompanied by extensive programmes of research and education which looked for the causes of the problem.

But there are still many gaps in the churches' work on labour, employment and unemployment. The churches do not speak explicitly to the need for collaboration with those most directly concerned - labourers/workers and the unemployed. European churches, for their part, have not yet come to the position in which the rights of workers (and the unemployed) take precedence over the rights of capital.

The challenge now for the churches is to go beyond statements in order to identify the consequences of their convictions and to put them into practice. The churches can only criticize other institutions in a credible way if they apply the same standards to their own policies and actions. Therefore churches should look closely at the composition of their staff in terms of race, gender, age, and people with disabilities. In addition churches, as investors, should look at the extent to which their criteria for investments reflect the concern for fuller and more fully adequate employment.

There are many ways in which churches can be and are involved in issues related to labour employment and un(der)employment: through criticizing employment policies, through involvement in policy dialogue, through direct programmatic involvement and through solidarity actions. The churches' task is not an easy one as in many parts of the world churches and workers are alienated from each other. So churches must start by listening to the concerns of workers. Discussions, reflection and action on the issue of labour, employment and unemployment should be promoted at various levels within the churches and ecumenical organizations. Dialogue and consultation with trade unions is indispensable as is support for workers not organized in standard trade unions, or not organized at all.

Given the increased transnationalization of business, transnational links between trade union and workers' organizations at all appropriate levels are of paramount importance for sharing information and planning joint strategies. This linking of labour can be aided by fostering networking between groups in different countries which are working on specific subjects related to the issue of labour and unemployment.

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To increase overall access to employment and limit inequality of access against certain groups, the churches should pay specific attention to the constraints that these groups face in trying to get access to the labour market, and the additional requirements needed such as training, land, water, tools, seeds, cheap credit, etc. Women's access to employment merits close attention; it should include examining the amount of unpaid domestic and other work done by women, as well as alternative forms and types of employment that would respond to women's specific needs and increase their access to employment. Generally, churches should revise their theology in such a way as to eliminate the sexist bias which downgrades the role of women.

Finally, it is recommended that churches and the WCC should promote the study of a political economy of work, paying special attention to worker participation in management, cooperatives and worker-owned plants, relative rates of remuneration and the employment efforts of new technology.

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