Peace, Security, & Humanitarianism
Since the dawn of the 21st century, the world has experienced unprecedented conflicts that have threatened our very right to life and liberty. Rhetoric concerning conflict and war remains hypersensitive, perhaps now even more than ever. As a champion of human rights, the Orthodox Church is committed to peace and irrevocably condemns all types of violent conflict and exploitation, especially when it is in the name of religion. As Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew stated, "violence in the name of religion is violoence against religion." Therefore, the Church has a responsibility to promote peace and harmony.
For decades, the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Council (GOAC) has advocated as a non-governmental organization (NGO) at the United Nations on the issues of peace, security, and humanitarianism. Currently, the GOAC is a contributing member of the following NGO Committees related to this topic:
- NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief
- NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security
- NGO Working Group on Israel/Palestine
- NGO Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons
- US Fund for UNICEF
- NGO Committee on Human Rights
- Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN