"God's world is one world." The Social Principles requires us
to make the community of God a reality as we "pledge ourselves to seek the
meaning of the gospel in all issues that divide people and threaten the growth
of world community." We believe that "God's world is one world."
However, sSuch a world cannot exist when nations
refuse to give diplomatic recognition to one another.
For over 20 32 years the government of the United
States has not maintained diplomatic relations with the government of Cuba and
has instead pursued an economic embargo prohibiting any
all kinds of trade with Cuba. The Democracy Act of 1992 (no. 22
U.S.C. 6001 et seq.) has tightened the embargo restrictions by penalizing other
countries if their ships stop in Cuba. This policy has
resulted continues to result in the loss of an
important commercial market and trade partner for the United States, and
in the heightening heightened of
tensions in the Caribbean. The objectives sought by the proponents of this
policy in the cold War era were to force a change in Cuban foreign
policy and to halt the growth and development of Soviet influence in that
country.
It is now clear that the embargo policy has not succeeded with those
objectives. If anything, its most evident result of the embargo
has been not only to force that it forced Cuba
to an even closer political and military reliance on the former Soviet
Union, but it has also increased the suffering of the children and the
elderly due to lack of essential medicines and food. The Cold War is over, the
socialist block of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union has disappeared and no
longer exercises any influence on Cuba's foreign policy or poses any threat to
the United States.
Whereas, the Methodist Church in 1964....
Whereas, the government of the United States is the only major Western country
pursuing a policy of non-relations with Cuba, while Canada, France, Great
Britain, West Germany, Japan, Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and
almost all other countries of the western alliance maintain normal diplomatic
and/or economic relations with Cuba; and
Whereas, the General Assembly of the United Nations has several times voted overwhelmingly in favor of the United States lifting the embargo and all restrictions against Cuba; and
Whereas, the government of the United States has in recent years strengthened
its commercial and diplomatic relations with other Communist countries
such as the Soviet Union itself, China, Hungary, Poland, and Romania,
Vietnam and has also increased contacts and negotiations with North
Korea, independently of their foreign policy, which differs and
often collides with contradicts that of the United States;
and
Whereas, the Reagan administration declared that the United States
will was not going to use food....
Whereas, the lifting of the economic embargo against Cuba, a member
of the Caribbean Common Market (CARICOM), would help relieve tensions in
the Caribbean while creating a new and important market for American industry
and agriculture especially at a time of high unemployment in this
country; and
Whereas, the Ecumenical Council of Cuba (now Council of Churches of
Cuba) of which the Methodist Church of Cuba is a member, the Cuban
Conference of Roman Catholic Bishops, and several other international
as well as and U.S. religious bodies such as the United
Church of Christ, the Presbyterian Church (USA), and the American Baptist
Churches have passed resolutions in favor of lifting the embargo; and
Whereas, the Ecumenical Council of Cuba has stated, "the space for freedom and action for the work of the Church and of Christians in Cuba has been concertized in political and juridical decisions which have allowed for the growth and expansion of all churches and the possibility of better work for both within and with the rest of civil society"; and
Whereas, more than two hundred and fifty Christians from approximately 23 Protestant denominations and diverse ecumenical movements met in 1994 with leaders of the Cuban Communist Party and of the government, at the highest levels, to discuss both accomplishments and shortcomings of the revolutionary process; and to encourage the government to take measures that guarantee a greater respect for and the promotion of human rights;
Therefore, be it resolved, that The United Methodist Church, from its Christian
and humanitarian perspective, inspired by the love of God and the historic
Methodist commitment to peace and social justice, and in light of historic
changes with the end of the Cold War, hereby petitions the
government of the United States to lift its economic embargo against Cuba and
to seek negotiations with the Cuban government for the purpose of resuming
normal diplomatic relations. requests of the President and Congress
of the United States: 1) the repeal of the Cuban Democracy Act of 1992 (22
U.S.C. 6001 et seq.), as well as the 1994 tightening of travel restrictions
that prevent the normal working relationship between religious communities in
Cuba and the United States; 2) the resumption of normal diplomatic relations
between the government of Cuba and the United States;
Be it further resolved, that the General Conference requests the Council of Bishops and the General Boards of Church and Society and Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church, as well as the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States, to advocate with the President and Congress of the United States for the aforementioned requests.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 20031-CS-R634-U
1996 United Methodist General Conference