76-11     Position Paper on NAMIBIA

 

Namibia, once an obscure country in southwest Africa, has become the scene of much unrest.  We would like to call attention to three major occurrences of the past year.

 

First, in a trial dominated by so many violations of civil and legal rights of the defendants as to make a mockery of justice, two people were sentenced to death and two others to lengthy prison terms for their alleged involvement in the murder of Chief Filemon Elifas.

 

Second, on the 30th of January 1976, the United Nations Security Council decreed that South Africa must comply with previous UN resolutions before August 30, 1976 or else suffer reprisals as called for in the UN charter.

 

Third, given that it is not likely that the South African regime will comprise or satisfy the Security Council’s demands, it is expected that the low-keyed guerilla war in Namibia will become more intense and more costly in its destruction of life and property.

 

Thus, we of the Lutheran Student Movement in the U.S.A. feel compelled to give a “voice to the voiceless” by informing ourselves and our fellow Christians regarding the conditions faced by the people of Namibia.

 

Furthermore, we:

 

1.                  Commend the LCA for its efforts to manage its investments in such a way as to promote justice in Namibia.  In particular we note the LCA’s shareholder protest of IBM’s continual involvement with South Africa.  (An IBM subsidiary enables the South African police to keep track of black Africans and enforce its system of passing laws.)

 

2.                  Urge all the Lutheran church bodies to increase and intensify their activities on behalf of justice in Namibia, particularly with regard to their investment policies.

 

 

3.                  Endorse the position of the Wingspread Conference on Namibia, convened by the Lutheran Council/USA and the Johnson Foundation, in which it is recommended:

 

a.       A statement that the United States is ready to support a Security Council determination of threat to the peace accompanies by a decision to apply an arms embargo.

b.      A State Department finding in favor of the validity of Decree No. 1 of the Council for Namibia. (Decree No. 1 requires United Nations licensing of exploitation and export of natural resources, enforceable by the UN for the benefit of Namibia).

c.       Announcement of U.S. readiness to join the Council for Nomibia.

 

 

 

RESOURCES

 

Namibia Study/Action Packet

Rev. Edward May

Office of World Community

Lutheran Council/USA

315 Park Avenue South

New York, NY 10010

 

Sean McBride – Commissioner

United Nations Council for Namibia

United Nations, NY 10017

 

Jorgen Lissner

Lutheran World Federation P.O. Box 66

CH-1211 Geneva 20

SWITZERLAND

 

Lutheran Films

470 Park Ave. So.

New York, NY 10016

 

*We request that all conference members read the information on Namibia in the report on last year’s resolutions.

 

 

 

 

This is an excellent and well worth the $3.00.  You might enclose a letter thanking Ed May for the work he has done on Namibia.

 

 

Simply ask for information on Namibia.

 

 

Ask for a copy of “Namibia 1975: Hope, Fear and Ambiquity” (cost $75) and other recent information on Namibia.

 

You can rent the following films for $7.50 each:

Last Grace in Dimbaza (color, 58 min.)

Katutura (color, 37 min.)

Namibia, A Trust Betrayed (color, 30 min.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

ACTIONS TAKEN:

 

Actions and information concerning this position have been included in the report of the following Resolution on Namibia.