Global Ecumenical Conference on Justice for Dalits March 21-23, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand

Global Ecumenical Conference on Justice for Dalits March 21-23, 2009, Bangkok, Thailand

We came together as almost 100 participants, the great majority from churches and Christian bodies across the world, with advisers from other faith communities, to address the largest systemic violation of human rights in today’s world, caste-based discrimination (CBD). As Dalits and friends of Dalits we came from caste-affected countries, mostly India, but also Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nigeria, as well as from other countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. We were called together by the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). We gathered on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21). We were hosted by the Church of Christ in Thailand, to which we express our gratitude.

The Dalit Samaritan woman asked Jesus, “Where can I find this living water?”

We came together as almost 100 participants, the great majority from churches and Christian bodies across the world, with advisers from other faith communities, to address the largest systemic violation of human rights in today’s world, caste-based discrimination (CBD). As Dalits and friends of Dalits we came from caste-affected countries, mostly India, but also Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nigeria, as well as from other countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, North America and the Pacific. We were called together by the World Council of Churches (WCC), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA). We gathered on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (March 21). We were hosted by the Church of Christ in Thailand, to which we express our gratitude.

We were addressed by Dalits and representatives of other communities experiencing inherited social exclusion, activists, academics, bishops and church leaders. We engaged in Bible study, worship and prayer which created a strong foundation both for understanding caste and our call to action. We discussed, debated, learned and built a great sense of solidarity around our total rejection of CBD. We all learned more about Dalit history and culture, Dalit women’s experience, recent atrocities such as those in Kandhamal, Orissa3 and Khairlanji, Maharashtra4, and growing Dalit resistance to CBD. We were told that “Dalit” is the chosen name of the former “untouchable” communities which although it means “crushed” signifies their resistance and hope.

At the opening worship, it was said, “Today, regardless of where we come from, which church we represent, we all become Dalits. Not only for today and during this conference, but also for our life until Dalits are liberated, we all become Dalits.”

And, with sadness and anger, we heard many stories of the suffering of Dalits – murder, rape, mutilations, beatings, humiliation, extreme poverty and the daily grinding discrimination and exclusion that is the lot of so many millions of Dalit people.

Click here to read the entire Bangkok Declaration

Click here to read the follow-up letter