Exposed Campaign/ALC
LIMA
By Rolando Pérez*:
140 Leaders of the historical evangelical denominations, members of the National Evangelical Council in Peru (CONEP), have issued an open pastoral letter demanding that Peruvian political leaders, authorities, churches and citizens take actions to prevent, combat and eradicate corruption in all spheres of society.
This declaration has been issued during the evangelical conference on “The legacy of Reformation in the context of fight against corruption”, held on October 30 in Lima, organized by the evangelical denominations and organizations that promote the EXPOSED campaign in Peru.
They expressed their “deep concern over the scandalous corruption we witness each day within the State. We witness misuse of public money, bribery, influence peddling, ties to the illegal drug trade, among other evidence of corruption.
“We call on the authorities of our country to be honest and responsible leaders, committed to truth and justice, and to guarantee the protection of rights in Peru and the strict observance of the laws and standards of the State”, the statement says.
Regarding the responsibility of state institutions to monitor the transparency of public administration, these leaders “seek to strengthen the organisms and instruments that will ensure government transparency and contribute to the development of a culture of public accountability, which creates an atmosphere of trust among citizens”.
In relation to the recent poll that revealed that 41 percent of citizens felt that corruption was justified when elected official build infrastructure for the city, the evangelical leaders expressed their concern Peruvian citizens have come to accept corruption as a daily practice, expecting that public officials will fail to respect rules that help society function well.
“We advocate for citizens to change such practices by committing to strengthen and promote moral and civic ethical values in families, schools, media and social networks”
Finally, the representatives of these denominations expressed their concern “over how our churches, religious movements, and faith communities have shown ourselves to be passive. We have not expressed our indignation in the face of corrupt practices”
“We call for urgent prophetic action that affirms and promotes Christian principles and values in daily life, including truth, justice, solidarity and respect. We call on men and women of faith to intercede before the God of Truth and the Lord of History for justice and mercy to be upheld in our society”
*Rolando Pérez is a regular contributor to ALC.
Source: EXPOSED (AL DESCUBIERTO)
Photo: The Ethical Legacy of the Protestant Reformation Corruption in Peru conference poster
Follow ALC News at www.alc-noticias.net and on Facebook at Alc Noticias English
Reproduction permitted if sources are cited and links to them provided