 A Case in Humanitarian Cooperation: Brazil and Dominican Republic |
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Last May, the Dominican Republic and Haiti were devastated by heavy rain and flooding along the border shared by the two nations on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. In the Dominican Republic, the Rio Blanco overflowed, and its strong currents destroyed property and lives of many people in Jimani. The United Methodist Church, through the General Board of Global Ministries and the United Methodist Committee on Relief, let the church and the world know about the tragedy in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The news of this tragedy touched the heart of the Methodist Church of Brazil. Acting quickly, the Methodist Church of Brazil responded to the needs of neighbors that, though far away, were part of the Latin American and human family. In a letter send to a GBGM staff member, officers of the church wrote, “The Methodist Church of Brazil learned about the tragedy that took place in the Dominican Republic in May. In a spirit of solidarity and because this disaster affected so many, we send this donation.” The Methodist Church of Brazil, in a South-to-South partnership, gave $1,000 (U.S. dollars) to the Dominican Evangelical Church to assist with its relief ministries. In concluding their letter to the GBGM staff, Ms. Regina Medeiros and Luiz Escobar, administrators of the Brazilian church, quoted Archbishop Oscar Romero’s words, “To be in favor of life or death, with great clarity we can see that there is no neutrality in this; either we serve in favor of life or we are in complicity with death.” The Methodist Church of Brazil, the largest Methodist Church related to the United Methodist Church in Latin America, has once again served in favor of life, by accompanying those who were in a situation of death, and who needed a ministry in favor of life. The Brazilian church’s donation to the humanitarian work of the Dominican Evangelical Church in Dominican Republic will feed people, as well as provide shelter and health care for many in that developing nation. In letter of gratitude, the Rev. Alejandro Figueroa, Executive Secretary of the Dominican Evangelical Church, wrote, “Thank you for your support and solidarity and for your ample understanding of what it means to be a neighbor.” The church executive was touched profoundly by this evidence of generosity and love in the Methodist family that vows to keep the relationships fluent in a “two-way-street” fashion. He added, “Your donation is welcome, and we promise you that it will be well-used to benefit those made vulnerable by the tragedy. We assume this as a gesture of the South-South relationships that should exist in this beautiful region”. We at the General Board of Global Ministries rejoice in facilitating mission and relationships across the world. This is just one example of a partnership in mission which helps us to realize that this is God’s world, and that, with God, we are co-responsible for our neighbors and our world. You may contribute to this partnership in mission by
making a donation to the Dominican Republic/Haiti Flood Relief Fund. Checks
may be written to “Advance
GCFA” and placed in a collection plate at your United Methodist church,
or mailed directly to:
Date posted: Jul 16, 2004 |
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