Petition Text: 21078-IC-R248-U

Understanding Petition Numbers

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Delete "Elimination of Racism in the United Methodist Church," p. 248, and "Eradication of Racism," p. 254; combine the first 4 paragraphs of "Global Racism," p. 256, into one paragraph and amend subsequent text as follows:

Racism is a system of domination in which one racial group with power claims superiority...Racism confers certain privileges on a small group of people...

Racism is encountered whenever For example, racism:

1. Persons, even before they are born, are assigned to a group, sSeverely limited limits people in freedom of movement, choice of work and places of residence because of their race.

2. Groups of people, because of their race, are denied Denies people effective participation in the political process and compels them to obey policies of the dominant group. are compelled, often by physical force, to obey the edicts of governments which they were not allowed to have a part in choosing.

3. Racial groups within a nation are excluded from the normal channels available for Impedes racial groups from gaining economic power, through denial of by denying them educational opportunities...

4. Policies of a nation ensure benefits for that nation Ensures economic benefits for the dominant power, while from the labor or racial groups, migrant or otherwise, while at the same time denying to such people commensurate participation or a voice in determining the affairs of the nation those benefits.

5. The Defames the identity of persons is defamed through by stereotyping of racial and ethnic groups in textbooks, cinema, mass media, and interpersonal relations and other ways.

6. People are denied Denies people equal protection of the law, because of race, and when constituted authorities of the state use their power to and protects the interests of the dominant group at the expense of the powerless.

7. Groups or nations continue to profit from Perpetuates regional and global structures rooted in that are historically related to racist presuppositions and actions.

8. Creates environments where persons of color internalize and dehumanize values and perspectives based on race and cooperate with denying their own equal participation in societies.

The Social Principles states that:...

Confession of Racism in Today's Church

As a religious community, both as United Methodist congregations and individuals, wWe as United Methodists too often have failed...Too often we have not recognized the struggle against racism as central to in our church's missions to the world. We affirm the use of nonviolent action and resistance as methods to end human abuse, injustice, war, and exploitation; and that nonviolence becomes a central practice in a new international coalition to recover from racism.

Confession of Racism in Today's Society

Within the larger secular society, it is the economic and political manifestations of racism that are the most obvious. Usually, it is people of color, women and children, and those people in developing countries who suffer most from the priorities of racist policies and attitudes.

As United Methodists we recognize the need to:

1. Examine our direct and indirect roles in retarding the Be partners in the process of self- determination and development of racially oppressed people.

2. Critique Analyze immigration patterns...

3. Recognize the exploitation of the world's resources and people by many Critique transnational corporations to identify areas of exploitation of the world's resources and people who place profit before people.

4. Demand greater corporate responsibility and accountability in all organizations.

5. Demand greater responsibility from the communications/media industry in their role of attitude formation and perpetuation of racist stereotypes and mythology. Critique media that perpetuates racist stereotypes and call for greater responsibility in the role of attitude formation.

6. Assess Recognize the relationship between the continued exploitation inherent in the dichotomies of north/south, rich/poor, industrialized nations/world of color developing nations.

7. Critique and reform legal and judicial systems which disproportionately jail, imprison, confine and execute people of color.

8. Support the restructuring of the educational systems to enable all children to learn to their fullest potential under conditions of maximum opportunity.

9. Support the enforcement...and governmental system, even in the face of laws which compel such behavior.

10. Support changes in laws and practices which doubly discriminate against women of color who experience both racism and sexism.

Furthermore, aAs United Methodists who have adopted...

1. Condemn the Ku Klux Klan,...and similar militantly racist movements worldwide.

2. Assess the increasing militarism of the United States, and other countries with an awareness of which is based on racist enlistment patterns growing out of rooted in economic forms of racism; the ultimate wrong of U.S. minorities fighting in the Third World on behalf of an elitist group of economic interests.

3. Understand the implications of Value bilingual and multi-cultural experiences in relationship to the face of racism.

4. See our actions on racism in the light of Understand racism in the United States from perspectives, histories and issues of Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native peoples, Asians, and Pacific Islanders.

6. [Delete.]

76. Halt racist actions Challenge imperialistic domestic policy directed at Native peoples, related to especially relating to sacred lands, broken treaties, land rights and natural resources questions.

87. Challenge the inherent racism...and the treatment of the undocumented persons.

98. Examine Critique the racism of the welfare system in the United States.

Therefore, as United Methodists, Committed to Understanding and Eliminating Racism.

We affirm the use of nonviolent action and resistance as alternatives to human abuse, injustice, war, and exploitation, and that nonviolence become one of the strategies for a new international coalition to combat racism:

We recommend the following actions:

1. That the General Commission on Religion and Race make known, monitor, and address throughout the denomination the new current manifestations...held in the 1985- 1988 Quadrennium as well as the 1995 convocation held in St. Louis on militia groups.

2. That the general agencies, the Council of Bishops and local congregations affirm and encourage the use expression of theologies of ethnic peoples, so that the church's theology is more inclusive. which This will free all people...

3. That individuals and local congregations be encouraged to explore how their invested money is being used and to question the racial practices of those examine the practices and policies of the companies in which they invest and hold those companies accountable for fairness.

4. That the General Boards of Church and Society and Global Ministries work to:

a) [Delete.]

b) a) Encourage the U.S. Senate government to ratify and become an advocate for the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

c) b) Provide an opportunity for dialogue among United Methodists persons throughout the world to discuss racism and ways to overcome it. in the United States, Methodists in South Africa, representatives from the African National Congress (ANC), Southwest Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), and United Methodist persons living in the Front Line States of Southern Africa. The dialogue will focus on apartheid as the source of violence in Southern Africa, South Africa's use of "anti- communism" as a way to divert global attention away from the racism and brutality of apartheid, and the special circumstance of women and children under apartheid.

7. That the appropriate United Methodist agencies sponsor a convocation in the United States for members of urge the mass media to:

b) Examine racism in all forms of media imagery, including the print media, radio and television broadcast, and all forms of advertising.

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Petition Text: 21078-IC-R248-U
1996 United Methodist General Conference