The visit took place 40 years after Marshallese activist Darlene Keju’s electrifying speech to the WCC 6th Assembly in Vancouver in 1983. Preceding that assembly, a team from the World Council of Churches visited the Marshall Islands and spoke with affected communities, focusing on the legacy of US nuclear testing.
The World Council of Churches is an ecumenical partner supported by the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment, which enables United Methodists to share a presence and a voice in the activities of several national and worldwide ecumenical organizations.
While nuclear weapons have not been used as weapons of war since the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, extensive testing of nuclear weapons in the Pacific region was conducted by the United States, the United Kingdom and France until 1996.
The consequences of this testing have largely remained invisible and unaddressed, whilst victims continue to suffer from the impacts on their health and that of their descendants, the degradation of their environment, and pollution of their waters. Very few people have received compensation or adequate assistance for the consequences they have suffered.
The delegation met with survivors of nuclear testing and their leaders, church partners, and activists including students to hear of their experiences and concerns. The delegation also met with the Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission.
The head of the WCC delegation was Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, general minster and president of the United Church of Christ.
In meetings with survivors, community leaders, and healthcare professionals, the WCC delegation found that there are extenuating needs in the Marshall Islands. “Food security is a major issue as is the health of those whose lives were impacted by testing and resulting fallout,” said Thompson. “The contamination of the soil and water is detrimental and requires attention as it diminishes the options for sustainability for the people, with food needs being met by processed food sources.”
The Pilgrimage of Justice, Reconciliation, and Unity offers an opportunity for the WCC and member churches to be stronger advocates for the residents of the Marshall Islands, Thompson noted. “As people of faith, we are called to pilgrimage with these siblings in the Marshall Islands as they raise awareness and provide leadership in advocating for change,” she said. “We must bring our voices to the many issues present in these waters of the Pacific.”
The pilgrimage visit was crucial for the continued accompaniment and advocacy of the WCC on nuclear disarmament issues, said Jennifer Philpot-Nissen, program executive for Human Rights and Disarmament for the World Council of Churches Commission of the Churches on International Affairs.
Philpot-Nissen added: “The raw grief of the Marshallese communities who have suffered devastating impacts in terms of loss of land, culture, and human lives was palpable throughout the WCC visit. And yet, the team also experienced the courage and brilliance of the Marshallese people who have supported one another and moved together in faith and hope even in moments when they felt most neglected by the outside world.”
World Council of Churches website
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund enables United Methodists to share a presence and a voice in the activities of several national and worldwide ecumenical organizations. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Interdenominational Cooperation Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
