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Alternative Globalization Addressing Peoples and Earth

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globalization, <strong>and</strong> the commitment to transform the system:<br />

“We reject the current world economic order imposed by global neoliberal<br />

capitalism <strong>and</strong> any other economic system, including absolute<br />

planned economies, which defy God’s covenant by excluding the poor,<br />

the vulnerable <strong>and</strong> the whole of creation from the fullness of life. We<br />

reject any claim of economic, political, <strong>and</strong> military empire which<br />

subverts God’s sovereignty over life <strong>and</strong> acts contrary to God’s just<br />

rule.”<br />

After the critique of economic globalization, the delegates underlined<br />

the need to covenant in justice with God:<br />

“On this common journey, some churches have already expressed<br />

their commitment in a confession of faith. We urge them to continue<br />

to translate this confession into concrete actions both regionally <strong>and</strong><br />

locally. Other churches have already begun to engage in this process,<br />

including taking actions, <strong>and</strong> we urge them to engage further, through<br />

education, confession <strong>and</strong> action. To those other churches, which<br />

are still in the process of recognition, we urge them on the basis of<br />

our mutual covenanting accountability, to deepen their education<br />

<strong>and</strong> move forward towards confession.”<br />

The Accra declaration will remain a very critical challenge to churches<br />

for years to come.<br />

WCC / World Bank <strong>and</strong> IMF encounters 2002-2003<br />

Following a request from the Bretton Woods institutions, three external<br />

encounters with these institutions, <strong>and</strong> one internal encounter with<br />

churches <strong>and</strong> specialized ministries were organized in 2002 <strong>and</strong> 2003. The<br />

request had come in response to a WCC background document entitled<br />

“Lead us not into temptation: churches’ response to the policies of<br />

international finance institutions. During the encounters, the WCC<br />

emphasized that poverty eradication can be achieved only by addressing<br />

injustice <strong>and</strong> inequality, the roots of which lie in the present unjust<br />

economic order.<br />

A final paper on “Common ground <strong>and</strong> differences” <strong>and</strong> a joint statement<br />

issued at a high-level encounter in November 2003 with the president of<br />

the World Bank <strong>and</strong> the deputy managing director of IMF indicate that<br />

the WB/IMF will not shift from the concept of growth as the panacea to<br />

alleviate poverty. They claim that they are not m<strong>and</strong>ated to promote human

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