[Values-ethics] Values and Ethics Caucus contribution to CS statement

[Liberato Bautista]

Dear friends in the VEC,

Here's my latest take that incorporates the suggestions of Laina and Max
on the contribution of the Values and Ethics Caucus to the Civil Society
statement. We are under a tight schedule and I am copying Ralph Bendrath
of the writing team of my version (as of 6:38 EST which is 00:38 CET for
Ralph). I sent this version to seven others in my United Methodist
delegation to Tunis who were at the caucus meetings.

Ralph gave us some more time to work on this document until
tomorrow--but it is tomorrow for him which will still be evening for
most of us in the United States. I suggest that if people have problems
with my re-write that they send that to Ralph by replying to all in this
email so that everyone gets a copy. Given the time I have and we were
given, this is my best shot.

By sending this to Ralph, we are saying that we would like the writing
team to consider our text in its entirety and length. It's comparable to
the length of the other sections of the latest version of the statement
that we received. We have rewritten it in such a way that it refers to
Geneva, Tunis and beyond. We are submitting our text with the assertion
as a caucus that the ethical dimension should be an overarching theme,
be it in the Civil Society statement or in the UN texts (which we
critiqued because this wasn't the case). This is the reason why it is
written the way it is.

I am hoping that the "democratic and inclusive writing team" for the CS
statement, as described in Tunis in response to my question at plenary,
truly reflects the work of the caucuses and the working groups. Writing
is a largely perspectival enterprise. It matters who write and who
edits. We were told in Tunis that the editorial team will put together
the statement, but not rewrite what caucuses and working groups, which
are far more representative, are contributing. Nonetheless, we thank
those whose job it is to put together contributions with disparate
writing styles which they can choose to edit.   

Levi

____________________________________________________________________
REV. LIBERATO C. BAUTISTA
Asst. General Secretary for United Nations and International Affairs
Main Representative to the United Nations
General Board of Church and Society
The United Methodist Church

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