The General Board of Church and Society speaks it's convictions on Capitol Hill by....
We encourage United Methodists to engage their representatives on the federal and state level through out UM Power Action Center. Our Advocacy staff develop legislative priorities each year which focus on issues of concern to United Methodists around the world.
Our Building at 100 Maryland Ave also provides weekly chapel services to the community. Regular seminar groups come through the building to learn more about the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church.
Through of Education and Leadership Formation ministry, groups and individuals can ....
Under Clarence True Wilson the Methodist Board of Temperance, Prohibition, and Public Morals became one of the most potent forces for moral progress, social reform and better government.
The United Nations ministry provides the church a locus for ministry in the international community by way of the United Nations and related inter- and non-governmental bodies. This ministry provides a rich and challenging context for spreading Jesus Christ’s gospel of love, justice, peace, and reconciliation.
The Board’s presence at the United Nations affords The United Methodist Church a distinct opportunity to address the United Nations and the international community about the Social Principles and resolutions adopted by General Conference. Our engagement in international affairs aims to help United Methodists across geographical divides and political contexts to develop lines of social action that are faithful to Jesus Christ, obedient to the Gospel, and responsive to the needs and concerns of God’s people around the world.
There is much that needs to be done to arrest global hunger and poverty, and realize economic and social development. Collective and multilateral action must demonstrate its effectiveness "to perfect the triangle of development, freedom and peace," to quote Kofi Annan in his earlier Millennium Report, "We the peoples" (A/54/2000). The Millennium Development Goals are one such collective and multilateral document in which Heads of States, having galvanized their resolve to address global hunger and poverty, accepted to a set of benchmarks by which to measure their time-bound targets, datelined 2015, of halving extreme poverty, putting all children into primary school, promoting gender equality, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing a global partnership for development that harness the resources and potentials of governments, non-governmental organizations, civil society groups and the private sector.
Human rights are global values that are at the foundational core of international law and practice. Enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations is this fundamental belief in human rights. The Charter says, "We the people of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom..."
Humanitarian affairs deal with issues that could mean life and death for specific populations. Such populations could include refugees fleeing war and conflict from their homelands. It could be internally displaced peoples arising from both natural disasters (like floods, droughts, storms and earthquakes) and human-made catastrophes (like landmines, nuclear explosions, oil spills). Many times, humanitarian action means coordinating humanitarian activities and the provision of assistance and protection for affected and vulnerable populations, but also in building up the capacities of entire communities so that not only can they cope with ongoing humanitarian challenges but eventually rise up to be sustainable and stable societies again.
International law, or more precisely public international law, governs and concerns the relations between and among sovereign nations, including other international bodies of standing. International norms and laws are developed mainly from multilateral conventions, especially those that find support and meaning from conventional and customary laws. The United Nations, including the International Labor Organization, which predates the founding of the UN but is now part of the UN system, are primary venues for the codification of international laws. There are many other sources of international law, including the international agreements that arise from international organizations like the World Health Organization, UNESCO, UNICEF, IMF and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
"The world must advance the causes of security, development and human rights together; otherwise, none will succeed. Humanity will not enjoy security without development, it will not enjoy development without security, and it will not enjoy either without respect for human rights. In a world of interconnected threats and opportunities, it is in each country's self-interest that all of these challenges are addressed effectively." (Introduction to the Report of the Secretary General (Kofi Annan) to the United Nations, "In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All")
World Council of Churches and the World Student Christian Federation
In a joint letter issued in Geneva June 24, the World Council of Churches (WCC) and the World Student Christian Federation (WSCF) requested the United Nations, the South African Development Community and the African Union to pay "urgent attention to the humanitarian needs of the people of Zimbabwe, their freedom to exercise religion, the destabilization of the political situation and the need to end human rights abuses".
Through Education and Leadership Formation, the General Board of Church and Society helps local churches and annual conferences interpret domestic and international social justice issues. We offer resources, educational events, and partnerships.
