Mennonite Weekly Review

WINNIPEG, Man. — What do human rights look like from a Mennonite perspective?

That was the question pondered during a Jan. 13 conference on “New Lenses? A Mennonite Look at Human Rights” at Canadian Mennonite University.

The purpose of the conference, sponsored by the newly formed Mennonite Human Rights Group and which attracted 54 registrants, was to initiate theological reflection related to Mennonite views of human rights, provide a networking opportunity for Mennonites in Manitoba who are interested in human rights and provide information on human rights initiatives in Manitoba.

Royden Loewen, chair of the Mennonite studies program at the University of Winnipeg, said there are two readings of Mennonite history on human rights. In one, Mennonites stayed away from supporting justice issues and, in fact, were implicitly connected to the abuse of rights of other people. In the other, Mennonites took seriously the actions and writings of early Mennonites involved in social justice.

Loewen suggested that people need to be aware of this dichotomy, yet concluded that Mennonites have a “deep tradition of speaking for others.”

The conference heard four stories dealing with various human rights issues from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Ken Reddig, director of the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies, illustrated the right to conscientious objection and freedom of religion through the story of Sam Martin, a Canadian Mennonite who spent 18 months in jail during World War II for refusing to join the military.

Harley and Sue Eagle, who work with Mennonite Central Committee with aboriginal people, told stories of abuse suffered by members of indigenous groups. They stressed the systemic nature of violence experienced by indigenous women and men across Canada today.

The right of freedom from persecution and asylum was tackled by Mukai Muza, who coordinates refugee programs for MCC Manitoba. She told stories of families being denied refugee status by the Canadian government — people who are in situations of extreme fear and facing the deaths of family members.

The last story was shared by Carole Samdup, a program officer with Rights and Democracy, a non-partisan organization based in Montreal that supports programs to strengthen laws and democratic institutions in developing countries. She spoke about the right to food and an adequate standard of living, using as an example the plight of people in Malawi who struggle daily to survive in a country where corruption permeates aid and government programs alike.

Ismael Muvingi, an instructor in conflict resolution studies at Menno Simons College, said human rights can be complex.

“For many people the doctrine of human rights goes beyond law and forms a fundamental moral basis for regulating contemporary global order,” he said.

The Mennonite Human Rights Group is made up of representatives from the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society, the Canadian Food Grains Bank, CMU, MCC Manitoba, MCC Canada and others.