WCC FEATURE: WCC focuses on human rights in Indonesia

The World Council of Churches and Franciscans International, on 22 September, co-coordinated a side event at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.  The World Council of Churches and Franciscans International, co-coordinated a side event at the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council titled “Human Rights in Indonesia – One Year into the New Administration”, 22 September 2025, Geneva, Photo: Ivars Kupcis/WCC 25 September 2025 Titled “Human Rights in Indonesia – One Year into the New Administration,” the event featured a panel of speakers. Binota Moy Dhamai, an expert on the mechanism on the rights of Indigenous peoples, offered short introductory remarks about the role of the mechanism, which provides the Human Rights Council with expertise and advice on the rights of Indigenous peoples and assists member states in achieving the goals of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Wirya Adiwena, from Amnesty International Indonesia, spoke about the recent protests in Indonesia triggered by public outrage over government spending and corruption as well as economic hardship and frustration. “The protests escalated after a 21-year-old motorcyclist taxi driver was killed when a police vehicle hit him during a demonstration in Jakarta,” said Adiwena. “His death intensified anger against the authorities.” The police responded with violence, and repression against protesters, which further fueled public anger. Defe Wabiser, from the Pusaka Foundation, a nongovernmental organization that advocates for Indigenous rights in Papua, spoke of the 250 Indigenous tribes in West Papua, and that recognition of them as indigenous people has stalled. “A specific Indigenous Peoples Bill which would further streamline the process for legal recognition of Indigenous rights has now been sitting with Parliament for 14 years,” she said. “Ten sugarcane companies are operating in West Papua, contributing to the destruction of the rain forest, including the removal of sago palm trees, the starch from which is part of the traditional diet of West Papuans.” This is forcing Indigenous people to change their food patterns, which in turn is having a detrimental impact on their health. Wabiser emphasized the interconnectedness of the Indigenous people with their lands and forests. Dr Albert K. Barume, UN special rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples, said carried out an unofficial visit to West Papua recently. “One issue of concern – the lack of recognition of Indigenous people,” he said.  He hopes that his report – which he presented to the Human Rights Council on 23 September – will help states better understand what Indigenous people’s rights are about. “The recent unrest in Jakarta was very visible to the world, but the unrest in West Papua is invisible to the world,” he said. The WCC co-sponsored  an oral statement delivered by Franciscans International during the 60th Session of the UN Human Rights Council.  “We are particularly alarmed by the situation in Merauke, where Indonesia’s National Strategic Project (PSN) is forcibly displacing Indigenous Papuans from their lands,” reads the statement. “Covering an area of over 2 million hectares on the customary lands of the Malind, Maklew, Khimaima, and Yei tribes, the project is estimated to negatively impact over 50,000 Indigenous Papuans.” Business permits that allow private actors to appropriate customary land are being issued without the free, prior, and informed Consent of Indigenous peoples, while military forces have been deployed to secure the project and restrict access. “The PSN in Merauke is also one of the largest deforestation projects in the world,” continues the statement. “From January 2024 to June 2025, 22,272 hectares of natural ecosystems, including forest (9,835 hectares), Melaleuca swamp, savanna, and grassland, were razed to accommodate sugarcane and rice plantations.” The statement notes that this is at odds with the government’s claim that the clearing of forested areas would be mitigated as much as feasible. “We urge the Indonesian Government to immediately re-evaluate the PSN in Merauke in light of the significant harm to the environment and Indigenous peoples,” reads the statement.  Watch the event Photo gallery from the side event "Human Rights in Indonesia” side event addressed crises in West Papua (WCC feature story, 3 October 2024) Learn more about the WCC work on "Human dignity and rights" WCC Commission of the Churches on International Affairs Ecumenical Indigenous Peoples Network "In West Papua, WCC expresses grave concern over serious, systemic violations of security and human rights" (WCC news release, 8 September 2022)   See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: Research shows Jerusalem’s northwest villages enduring increasingly harsh isolation

A fact sheet newly released by the World Council of Churches shows that residents of Jerusalem’s northwest villages are enduring increasing isolation and harsh conditions. Closed military road passing under a gate at one of the enclaves in Northwest Jerusalem. Photo: WCC-EAPPI 25 September 2025 There are 16 Palestinian villages of 70,000 people in the northwest area of Jerusalem, of which approximately 30,000 are children, boys, and girls under 18 years old. The residents are cut off from Jerusalem, and they are isolated economically.  Attention is needed by humanitarian aid organizations, churches, and world governments, to meet the residents’ developmental needs and to end the siege that isolates them from their lifeline in Jerusalem. The fact sheet offers an overview of the history of the area as well as current maps.  On 20 September 2025, Israeli authorities informed residents of Beit Iqsa, An Nabi Samwil, and Hay Al-Khalayleh that entry into these villages will now require special permits, and access is officially considered entry into Israeli territory. Only residents holding the necessary permits are allowed through the checkpoints. This development further deepens the isolation of these communities and heightens concerns over freedom of movement, emergency response, and access to education, healthcare, and livelihoods. “The Israeli-imposed restrictions make it almost impossible for the village residents to maintain social and family ties not only throughout the West Bank, but also to access workplaces and go for worship and services in East Jerusalem,” shows the data in the fact sheet. “The restrictions make it difficult also for workers, suppliers, and other service providers to enter the villages, which in turn disrupts daily life and curtails the municipal councils’ ability to provide residents with basic needs.” The research offers examples in specific villages, among them the village of Beit Iqsa, which has a permanent Israeli military checkpoint at its entrance. “Ambulances or civil defense teams are not allowed in and require prior coordination which is not practical during cases of emergency,” notes the fact sheet. “People who need medical help are consequently carried by private cars across the checkpoint and the ambulance meets them at the other side.” In the An-Nabi Samwel village, access is even more severely restricted. “Unemployment stands at approximately 90 percent,” notes the research. “The population in the northwest villages used to rely on agriculture before their land was confiscated.” Residents in the Biddu enclave cannot enter Ramallah easily due to the checkpoints, and they are not given permits to enter Jerusalem for employment.  “The restrictions deny residents the ability to lead normal daily lives and cause severe harm in all aspects of life,” reads the text. “For example, university students from the Biddu enclave do not know what to do when they are delayed at the checkpoints and find themselves unable to reach their educational institutions on time.” Beit Iqsa students coming back home from universities find themselves stranded and unable to reach their families easily. “Renovation and expansion of schools, for example in An-Nabi Samwel, is forbidden, and teachers and school students who travel in and out of the Al-Jeeb checkpoint also suffer,” points out the fact sheet. “For medical treatment, the residents used to go to East Jerusalem Palestinian hospitals, and women used to give birth in East Jerusalem, but they are no longer allowed to enter the city.” Basic health clinics exist in the villages of Bir Nabala, Biddu, Beit Suriq, Qatanna, Qubeibeh, Al-Jeeb, and Beit ‘Inan. “Each clinic has two medical staff: one doctor and one nurse who work only two days per week,” notes the text. “The clinics are not always open because the Palestinian Authority lacks the funds needed for management and operations.” Gynecology services are not available, and women must travel to Ramallah hospitals and endure harsh conditions due to the checkpoints and restrictions on ambulance mobility.  “Existing clinics must be developed and their services expanded with medical teams and equipment if they are to meet the population's basic health needs,” reads the text.  The area has only two ambulances for the entire population of 70,000 people, which means an average of one ambulance per 35,000 people. “Another problem to be addressed is shortages in potable water.”  Because Israel gives water only as per quota from Mekorot – the Israeli water company – there is hardly any water made available during the summer months. “The discrimination in terms of access to water between the Palestinian communities and the settlements is staggering,” notes the text, which also references specific numbers. “In the northwest Jerusalem villages, potable water is sometimes supplied by trucks in areas with limited or unreliable access to piped water.” As per United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions since 1967, Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem and application of Israeli law are not recognized internationally.  “Moreover, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion on 9 July 2024 saying that the Wall inside the West Bank, in and around Jerusalem, and the permit system, violate International Law,” concludes the fact sheet. “The ICJ called for cessation of such acts, dismantling the system, and for reparations to the inflicted Palestinian communities.” Download factsheet: Fact sheet - Jerusalem Northwest Villages WCC-EAPPI See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

WCC NEWS: Young Bedouin from Jordan Valley shares story of forced eviction

Aida* (pseudo name) is a young Bedouin lady from the Muarrajat village in the Jordan Valley. She has five siblings, and her father is a shepherd. Sheep on the move through the Jordan Valley. File Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 25 September 2025 Aida* (pseudo name) is a young Bedouin lady from the Muarrajat village in the Jordan Valley. She has five siblings, and her father is a shepherd.  The family used to live in Muarrajat village in the Jordan Valley. Before they were forcefully evicted, life in the village was very nice; they had electricity, water, and a school—until, beginning in 2021, settlers came to the village with their sheep and used violence to intimidate the people.  The settlers started a new presence inside an area designated for military training, then they came to the village. They would bring their sheep near Aida’s home, “and they prevented us from taking our sheep for grazing in the pastures,” she said. “The settlers would come to our homes, with their faces masked, open the doors of animal sheds, take our sheep away, bring their sheep to eat our animal’s feed, and accuse us in front of Israeli police of stealing their sheep,” said Aida. “The police did nothing to help us.” She recalled another incident in early 2024. “Settlers raided our village,” she said. “Two hundred people had remained after the rest were evicted due to fear caused by the settlers.” Some of the settlers were wearing Israeli army uniforms. “They besieged the homes, and a settler beat up my father with a gun,” said Aida. “I documented it in video.” Her sister fainted after the settlers ordered the family to stay in one room. “The settlers threatened that they would shoot the family,” she said. “Then the settlers moved to the neighbor’s house and insisted that the family must leave the area.” The settlers, under the protection of Israeli soldiers, took away the neighbor’s sheep. “Israeli soldiers who were present did nothing to protect us,” said Aida. “On the contrary they closed the checkpoints and prevented help from coming.” She described how the settlers were in every house and that the family could hear people screaming, and could hear the noise of beatings. “At that moment I felt how much we were living under tremendous injustice, and how much we have no one to protect us from the violence by settlers,” she said. “I felt weak and oppressed.”  Palestinian families were forcefully evicted from Muarrajat village on 3 July during the night. “Approximately 30 settlers came to the village with their sheep, and they created sheds for their animals in the village,” said Aida. “They entered the school and destroyed the belongings.” They beat up people with sticks, she added. “And they sat in our midst, they prevented access to the water wells, and they destroyed the solar panels that provide us with electricity,” she said. “We asked for hep from the Israeli police and the liaison office, but no one came to our rescue.”  The people left in panic, taking their sheep with them but leaving most of their belongings behind. They fled in their cars, in tears for their village and memories. “It was a terrible scene,” said Aida. “A 70-year-old man suffered a heart attack, and the people carried him to the main street outside Muarrajat, where they begged a car to take him to the hospital in Ramallah while he was unconscious.” The man survived but he lost his memory.  “Now the people are living in an area known as Al-Awsaj land,” said Aida. “There is nothing there: no electricity, water, medical services, or schools,” she said. “They are living in tents, and during the summer the temperature in the Jordan Valley reaches 40 degrees Celsius.” The people are very sad and afraid for the homes they left behind.  “Life in the middle of nowhere is hard, and because of the rough terrain, cars cannot reach us easily,” said Aida. “I want the world to help me live in safety and in a decent home, not in a tent, and I want to return to my home in Muarrajat.” She believes the settlers should leave the village. “People from my village tried to return to Muarrajat—but that some of the homes are already demolished and the Israeli flag was raised in the village,” she said. *A pseudo name See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland

Boycott for Gaza and DC Statehood

View this email in your browser Update on the war in Gaza It is day 719 of the war in Gaza, a recent study estimates the actual number of Palestinians killed could be higher than 680,000, which is roughly 34% of Gaza's total population. The month before the Israeli offensive in Gaza City, 220,000 people fled their homes, on foot with the little they could carry. Since the offensive began last week, thousands more fled as Israeli Defense Forces level residential buildings, giving residents only a few minutes to gather their belongings before demolishing their homes.   On September 21st, several countries announced their formal recognition of Palestinian statehood, bringing the total to 157 countries worldwide that have recognized the State of Palestine. In response, Netanyahu stated, "It will not happen. A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan." Netanyahu will announce Israel's plans for Gaza and the West Bank after he visits the White House next week.   The Sumud Flotilla, a delegation of 46 countries, set sail on August 31st to bring aid to Gaza and stop the siege. While in international waters off the coast of Tunisia, their boats were attacked by drones. And as of last night, another drone attack was underway off the coast of Greece–this time, 13 explosions were heard on and around boats; nobody was injured in the assault.   In light of recent escalations in Gaza, we are adjusting our approach. We have seen that our collective power lies in where we choose to spend our money. Without us, corporations are compelled to halt their activities and comply with the public's will.  Boycott Chevron, stop the genocide We are joining with Palestinian civil society and other partners around the world to call for a boycott of Chevron, including their brands, until they stop fueling the genocide and apartheid in Palestine. Take Action Today Update on the DC Occupation On August 11th, President Trump declared a state of emergency and issued an executive order, claiming, “Crime is out of control in the District of Columbia.” The emergency declaration allowed Trump to deploy National Guard troops in D.C. and occupy the territory for up to 30 days. The 30 days have come and gone, and the occupation continues despite criticism from residents and weariness of troops. The National Guard is expected to remain in D.C. through November.   In 1973, the Home Rule Act was codified into law, granting residents the authority to elect mayors, council members, and commissioners, while denying residents representation, a share of federal resources, and the ability to pass legislation without Congress being able to nullify it. The limitations imposed on elected D.C. officials have led to significant federal overreach, as witnessed by the acquiescence of Mayor Bowser in allowing federal troops to override police jurisdiction.   The fight for D.C. statehood can be traced from the Revolutionary War on through the Civil Rights Movement to today. A recent poll concludes that 86% of D.C. residents are in favor of self-governance.  DC Statehood Now! We must balance the weight of representation in our democracy. We must demand that everyone’s votes be measured the same in our society. We must preserve the principle of self-rule in our democracy. Write A Message The Trump Administration has deployed National Guard troops to L.A. and D.C. and continues to threaten the deployment of troops to other major cities. With this looming threat, many are wondering, “ What do I need to know if it happens here?” Movement Law Lab has created a resource for just this question. Learn More In Faith and Resistance, Chad Stanton Political Director Sojourners Unsubscribe or update email preferences Copyright © 2025 Sojourners. All rights reserved. Email: sojourners@sojo.net | Tel.: 202.328.8842