Evangelicals called for global focus in the battle against poverty

LIMA, Perú, February 28, 2005

 In the face of Peruvian government plans to implement a program to help the poor Taxi Heathrow Airport in the country, Evangelicals from the  Micah Challenge Campaign supported the initiative, but lobbied it for to be part of a global integral development strategy.

Several days ago President Alejandro Toledo announced a government initiative to give a cash subsidy of around US$30 to the poorest families in Peru. This program will gradually be implemented in areas of the country where the poverty rate is extremely high.  In many cases $30 will double the average monthly income of extremely poor families.

The aim of the Micah Challenge is to strengthen a Christian commitment to the poor and remind authorities in all countries of their commitment to reach development goals adopted in the UN General Assembly in September 2000 geared toward reducing extreme poverty by 50% by 2015 across the globe.

The Micah Challenge Campaign Committee, made up of Erika Izquierdo, Alfonso Wieland, Rolando Pérez, Ricardo Verástegui López, Juan Inocencio, Ruth Alvarado, Sarvia Grijalva, renowned Evangelical leaders and  leaders from service organizations, expressed their position in a statement.

They stated that they support every initiative that seeks to alleviate  poverty and extreme poverty affecting millions of people as long as the  initiative is part of a global strategy, from a global integral development  focus, on the part of the State to eradicate poverty and its causes.

They voiced concern because if "Pro Peru (name given the initiative) is not part of a strategy to eradicate poverty, this program will become one more assistance-based instrument that does not help solve the in-depth problem or will become a weapon at the service of corruption or political cronyism."

The Micah Challenge Campaign groups together Evangelical ministries and Churches whose common objective is to contribute to the integral transformation of the nations, fulfilling the Biblical mandate to be "salt and light" for our generation.

It called on the State to design and implement a policy to eradicate poverty, beginning with extreme poverty in zones affected by violence that requires reparation.