The Pacific Conference of Churches has renewed its calls for Japan to immediately stop its plans to release over one million tonnes of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. The wastewater comes from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant. The group is imploring the Pacific Islands Forum, or PIF, to boldly explore punitive measures Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Pacific Conference of Churches’
COP26: Amplifying Pacific voices at Glasgow conference
Monday, October 18th, 2021The General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Reverend James Bhagwan, says its vital Pacific voices are heard at the UN’s Climate Change Conference in Glasgow which begins at the end of this month. The conference, also known as COP26, is billed as the most important climate meeting since Paris in 2015 when countries Read more
Churches admit slow-pace in action against gender violence in Pacific
Thursday, June 20th, 2019The Pacific Conference of Churches admits there has been a lack of urgency by the church in addressing gender-based violence in the region. Its general-secretary James Bhagwan said they have also been complicit. He said a monitoring system is being planned in which faith communities will be held accountable to the commitments they make to Read more
Indonesia’s comments on West Papua fail to impress Churches
Thursday, September 14th, 2017
The Pacific Conference of Churches says it is unimpressed by comments made by Indonesian officials about a protest over West Papua at the recent Pacific Island Forum Leaders’ Summit in Apia. Indonesia’s Ambassador to Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand, Tantowi Yahya, says protesters supporting West Papua independence should have sought a government permit before they Read more
Pacific churches back UN complaint over Papua
Tuesday, July 12th, 2016The Pacific Conference of Churches is backing a formal legal complaint to the UN Human Rights Council accusing Indonesia of human rights violations in West Papua. The Dutch human rights law firm, Prakken D’Oliveira, has submitted the complaint to the UN Human Rights Council. It details vast and continuing alleged human rights violations by the Read more
Papuans killed and tortured: half million have died since 1961
Tuesday, October 20th, 2015
Indonesia must seriously address human rights abuses and extra-judicial killings in Papua, say the Pacific churches. The Pacific Conference of Churches General Secretary, Reverend Francois Pihaatae, says Papuans are being killed and tortured merely because they want self-determination, a right guaranteed by the United Nations of which Indonesia is a member. He said 500,000 Papuans Read more
Sea Prayers in Samoa
Friday, October 10th, 2014
To raise awareness of the impact of climate change, representatives of churches, ecumenical organisations and the United Nations stood together in the sea in Apia. The prayer was conducted on Thursday, 4 September, as part of the OurVoices.net international campaign of people from diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds who are urging world leaders to agree Read more
Fiji’s support for decolonisation good but limited in extent
Friday, May 30th, 2014
The general secretary Pacific Conference of Churches says the position taken by Fiji on decolonisation was an example to the region, including the governments of Australia and New Zealand, but it needs to go further. Reverend Francois Pihaatae says Fiji’s Prime Minister, Rear Admiral Frank Bainimarama, only mentioned the Kanaks, and failed to mention the Read more
WCC petition – Put West Papua on UN deconlonisation list
Friday, November 15th, 2013
A petition has been circulated at the World Council of Churches (WCC) 10th Assembly calling for West Papua to be included on the United Nations list of territories to be decolonised. Pacific church leaders from 12 countries have signed the petition which also calls on the WCC to send a fact-finding mission to the Indonesian-controlled Read more
Conference of Churches gives cautious welcome to PIDF
Friday, August 9th, 2013
Pacific Conference of Churches(PCC) has welcomed the formation of the Pacific Islands Development Forum ( PIDF ) as as a move towards inclusivity but has warned against paying mere lip service to development in the Pacific. “From the perspective of the church and faith-based organisations, we have a huge constituency and network which can be used Read more