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WAW Endorses The International Sanctuary Principles Statement

December 11, 2018 by Women For Afghan Women

International Sanctuary Principles Statement

Call for Endorsers

The following statement sets forth five principles of sanctuary that can be used to guide grassroots and governmental response to the global escalation of displacement. It is in conformity and solidarity with the United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951, a multilateral treaty that defines who is a refugee, and sets out the rights of individuals who are granted asylum and the responsibilities of nations that grant asylum. To sign as an individual or organization, please contact globalsanctuarymovement@gmail.com

We express our deep concern for the well-being of the refugee children, families and all migrants currently arriving at our borders, as well as those struggling to live within our borders. In response to the increased numbers of people around the world who are being forced to leave their home countries, and the simultaneous increase in punitive enforcement in many receiving countries, we affirm the following principles to guide and inspire our efforts to respond:

  • Compassionate Response: We care deeply about refugee children, families and all migrants, and we urge our countries to have open arms to protect them and preserve their human dignity. We reject detention of migrants as a violation of human rights and dignity.
  • Due Process: We advocate for fair and timely legal proceedings, competent legal representation, and due process for children, asylum seekers, and all migrants.
  • Family Unity: We uphold and respect the unity of families as a basic human right.
  • Restorative Justice: We desire revitalization and healing of our borderlands, not militarization. The only long-term solution is a holistic approach that prioritizes safety and opportunity for migrants and addresses root causes.
  • Civil Initiative: As long as our governments are not adequately addressing these humanitarian crises, citizens have the right and responsibility to respond with an approach that follows the mandate to provide sanctuary when needed and, above all, to love our neighbours.

Based on these principles, we covenant with one another to work together for just and humane response to all migrants both at our borders and within our countries. We call on our governments, and the governments of all countries receiving migrants in response to the current and ongoing international humanitarian and refugee crisis to embrace these principles.

Organizational Endorsers:

  1. Asyl in der Kirche (Asylum in Church), Germany
  2. No More Deaths, Arizona
  3. Community of Living Traditions, New York
  4. Presbyterian Church USA
  5. Canadian Sanctuary Network
  6. Muslim Peace Fellowship
  7. International Fellowship of Reconciliation
  8. Burma Task Force
  9. Our Common Beliefs, New York
  10. Coalition for Peace Action and Peace Education Fund, New Jersey
  11. The Women’s Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equality (WISE)
  12. Peace Action New York
  13. International Qur’anic Studies Association, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
  14. Westchester Peace Action Committee Foundation (WESPAC)
  15. Books Not Bombs
  16. Voices for Creative Nonviolence (VCNV)
  17. Muslim Jewish Solidarity Committee
  18. Interfaith Network on Drone Warfare
  19. Action Corps NYC
  20. The Message Islamic Center, Berlin
  21. Jewish Voice for Peace
  22. Interfaith Center of New York
  23. Comboni Missionaries JPIC North American Province
  24. Rhode Island Council for Muslim Advancement
  25. Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition
  26. House of Peace, New York
  27. Presbyterian Peace Fellowship
  28. The Alliance of Baptists, USA
  29. Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (Muslim ARC), USA
  30. The Muslim Network, New York
  31. Fellowship of Reconciliation, USA
  32. Ambazonia Prisoners of Conscience Support Network, USA and UK
  33. African Women and Children Empowerment Initiative
  34. Church World Service
  35. Hope Border Institute, USA and Mexico
  36. International Tribunal of Conscience of Peoples in Movement, Mexico City, Mexico
  37. Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center, New York
  38. The Hunger Project International
  39. Hearts and Homes for Refugees, New York
  40. Sadhana: Coalition of Progressive Hindus
  41. Women for Afghan Women

Individual Lead Signers:

  • Hanns Thomä, Asyl in der Kirche, Berlin, Germany, hari.thomae@t-online.de
  • Rev. John Fife, No More Deaths, Arizona, jfife666@aol.com
  • Juergen Quandt, Former Pastor, Holy Cross Church, Berlin, j.quandt@evbs.de
  • Rick Ufford-Chase, co-moderator, Presbyterian Church USA, rickuffordchase@gmail.com
  • Rev. Dr. Robert L. Brashear, Pastor, West Park Presbyterian Church, rlbrashear@gmail.com
  • Susan Smith, Muslim Peace Fellowship, susanhsmithmsed@gmail.com
  • Ulrich Sonn, Internationaler Versoehnungsbund-Deutscher Zweig, International Fellowship of Reconciliation–German Branch, ulisonn1@gmail.com
  • Mary Jo Leddy, Canadian Sanctuary Network, Toronto, Ontario,  mjl@romerohouse.org

To sign as an individual or organization, please contact globalsanctuarymovement@gmail.com !

Filed Under: Blog, Featured News Tagged With: International Sanctuary Principles Statement, Migrants, refugees, Solidarity, Statements

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